Steering Committee Products:

The products of Benson: Past, Present & Future are intended as documentation of what we’ve learned, about the visions of the future of Benson, from forward oriented focus questions embedded in activities and dialogues.

1. Educational Materials for Schools and Adults

• Benson’s Natural History
• Benson’s Cultural History
• Interweaving of Natural and Cultural History
• Benson’s Conservation
• Benson’s Ecology

2. Map of Benson

• Start with a “base map” that contains Geographical and Natural History features that have not changed over time

• Use Transparent Overlays to add the following items (such that any combination of overlays may be added over the base map)
- Identify Natural History points of interest (with dates)
- Identify Cultural History points of interest (with dates)
- Show Human Development over time

Housing
Commerce (Wool, Logging, Dairy, etc.)
Mills
Old and Current Roads
Settlement Patterns
Schools
Churches
Taverns
Farms

- Show Conserved Land

State
VLT
TNC
Other

- Show Prime Agricultural Soils and interaction with population
- Show Population Centers and Population Shifts over time
- Show commerce, barge, ferry traffic on Lake Champlain
- Show Forested Areas
- Show Quarries / Mineral Mining

3. A Film (DVD and/or videotape)

• Record of the process and dialogue generated by these activities (field trips, meetings, lectures, etc.)

• Interviews with knowledgeable people about Benson’s Cultural History (Seniors, Historians, etc.)

• Interviews with knowledgeable people about Benson’s Natural History (Seniors, Botanists, Geologists, Naturalists, etc.)

• Historic and current photos of Benson

• Clips from historic film of Benson

• Resident’s commentary during and after viewing historic film

4. A Report written by the Steering Committee

• Synopsis of Presentations and Process

• Goals

• Evaluate the success of the project

• Document what was learned from the process and defining the future by articulating the vision(s) of the future, based on information gathered throughout the discussion process ­ however diverse they may be.

5. Informational Materials for Public

• Provide the Benson Museum with a copy of the film, maps, transcriptions of interviews about Benson’s history, and copies of all products and educational materials for preservation in the museum.

• Make Film (DVD and/or videotape) available at the library and for sale at Town Office, Benson Village Store, & etc.

• Make Collection of Historic Photos

• Make information packets available for purchase (to cover costs) by interested residents