Vermont Edition

Every month, Vermont Edition hones in on a different town or city for a series called Town by Town. Our goal is visit all 252 towns in Vermont.

For the latest installment, we head to Royalton, which includes the unincorporated villages of North and South Royalton. It’s known for being the home to the state’s only law school, its bucolic location along the White River, and much more. 

Today's show was broadcast from First Branch Coffee in South Royalton with a live audience.

Around the turn of the 20th century, only 25% of Vermont was still forested. Today, that situation has completely reversed, with forests covering about three quarters of the state. 

Author Robert Mello helps Vermont Edition mark Earth Day 2026 with an environmental comeback story: How the Green Mountain State became green again. His new book, When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Vermont’s Forests, is a history of the hard-won successes of local forest reformers. It was release by the Vermont Historical Society on Apr. 21.

Plus: postdoctoral researcher Morgan Southgate with the Appalachian Mountain Club wants to better understand how climate change affects spring wildflowers' development. She discusses what she's learned so far from her ongoing research on Mt. Equinox in Manchester, and how community members can contribute their own data to help protect the year's earliest blooms.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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This hour we’re going to be talking with Beth Roberts, the CEO of Vermont’s largest private insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. This is a rebroadcast of a show from early February. We wanted to replay it in light of some updates.

Last month, BlueCross reported a net operating gain of 53 million dollars in 2025. This is significant because it’s the first time in 2020 that the company did not lose money. Blue Cross has more than 200,000 members. That means about a third of Vermonters rely on the nonprofit company for health insurance. 

Blue Cross’s tenuous financial state had a lot of ripple effects. The Green Mountain Care Board aggressively cut hospital budgets. State lawmakers capped certain prices. All of this was with the goal of limiting the cost of health care. Because Blue Cross said, we’re not going to be able to cover all these claims.

Now, the company says it’s on a path to financial recovery. It’s even been able to pay off a 30 million dollar loan it took out last year from its affiliate, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. 

The sound of spring peepers tells us warmer weather is on its way. As the frogs ribbit, spotted salamanders crawl across roads to find mating spots, while turtles and snakes bask in the sun.

Herpetologist Jim Andrews from Salisbury coordinates the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. He joins Vermont Edition for our annual hour on reptiles and amphibians to offer advice on how to observe and protect our slithery, slimy friends. We also hear the sounds of some iconic spring species.

Vermonters can contribute their own amphibian and reptile sightings to the Atlas here. The Atlas is on the lookout for species reports in several places in particular:

Broadcast live on Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Vermont state lawmakers are considering a bill that would restrict the influence of private equity in the healthcare system. Private equity's influence has been seen among specialists, methadone clinics, and nursing homes. 

Vermont has also seen an increase in membership-based medical practices, sometimes referred to as concierge care. These businesses are often backed by private equity firms.

We talk with Vermont Public health care reporter Lola Duffort and Yashaswini Singh, a healthcare economist and Brown University professor. Earlier this year she testified in front of a Vermont legislative committee about private equity in healthcare.

Then; This week is International Dark Sky Week, a global effort to celebrate the night sky and reduce light pollution. Improving the quality of the lighting we use at night could have a range of positive impacts, including supporting wildlife, cutting down on energy usage, and improving our own health.

The organization DarkSky International works to protect the night-time environment. The chapter lead for Vermont, Jon McCann, shares information about the benefits of natural darkness as well as upcoming local events.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Using psychedelics in mental health treatment has been gaining legitimacy in recent years. Now, a little-known substance called ibogaine has some addiction counselors wanting to learn more about the benefits and dangers of ibogaine therapy.

We hear from Vermont state representative Brian Cina, a Progressive-Democrat from Burlington who wants Vermont to use opioid settlement funding to pursue ibogaine research. He introduced a bill about it this year. 

We're also joined by Dr. Rick Barnett, the former chair of Vermont’s psychedelic advisory committee and a clinical psychologist in Stowe. He says ibogaine can help with trauma, addiction, and depression. 

We also learn about what happens when you take ibogaine with Roger Guest, a mental health and addiction therapist who moved from Springfield, Vt. to Mexico to work with an ibogaine clinic.

Broadcast live on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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