50 Years A Dirt Forester: Always Outside and Never Behind a Desk

William Sargent, a life-long Vermonter, takes readers on a journey through his life, beginning with his small-town upbringing in Worcester, Vermont where he started in a two-room schoolhouse to the present day. You will see how one small decision to get involved has led Sargent to many great endeavors throughout his life where he continues to advocate for the environment. He conveys a series of adventures, or in some cases misadventures as he calls them, that have defined who he is as an individual.

In the spring of 2024, anti-hunting advocates were attempting to push a bill through the Vermont Legislature which would have changed the landscape of hunting in Vermont forever. These proposed changes resonated with many Vermonters and spurred them to action, the author included. While writing his testimony to present before the House Committee on Environment and Energy, William Sargent identified himself as "50 years a dirt forester and never a day behind a desk" Vermonter. After reading his testimony, a colleague suggested that Sargent might want to write a book about his lifetime spent outdoors. This one small act led to the decision to write down a lifetime of interactions and encounters experienced in the great outdoors.

Sargent's story is one of a man's determination to prevent outside interest groups and some lobbyists from destroying long-held traditions and practices within the Vermont hunting community. This book brings to life some of the experiences and adventures spent in stewardship of the land.