The Knoll is a place to slow down. At Middlebury, life is constantly moving a hundred miles an hour. For many students, it is a place to breathe and step back. As Knoll interns, we have a lot of love for the space, and as such, it makes us incredibly sad to learn of the vandalism at the end of March. We understand that people make mistakes and get careless, but we do implore the community to respect all our shared spaces, including but not limited to the Knoll.
We are choosing not to dwell on this incident, but rather focus on the good things that come with spring: the greenery, the planting season and the return of our volunteers. That being said, we would like to have a conversation with those who disrespected the space. The damage was not insignificant, and we are fundraising to address it. Moving forward, we ask that the community shows the Knoll — and every place on campus — the respect it deserves.
It seems as though folks on campus believe the Knoll burned down; to clarify, this was not the case. There was an unauthorized campfire, and some of the Knoll’s property was burned. Major damages included an Adirondack chair, one of our garden carts and some missing pieces of larger Knoll Projects; the fire also grew beyond our designated fire pit. We are grateful that nobody was injured but still feel devastated to see the impacts.
This is not our first experience with unauthorized campfires at the Knoll. We understand that the process of acquiring a burn permit can take time and coordination, like all meaningful work. It's absolutely crucial, however, to take safety precautions and communicate with the Knoll Team before such a fire takes place by registering the event with us at go/knollevents/. This has become increasingly important in recent historic drought years in Vermont, which bring heightened fire risk. As we transition to spring, much of our equipment is in need of some love and attention.
We also want to state that alcohol is prohibited at the Knoll, and we are concerned about the safety of the students who may be driving or walking back to campus, particularly along Vermont Route 125 (we ask that students walk past Ridgeline, rather than along the road; the recommended path is available at go/knoll/). The speed limit along the road there is quite high, drivers are going fast, and there is very little shoulder for students to walk on.
The photo included with this piece is another example of student vandalism and an unauthorized fire that occurred this past summer. Summer interns at the Knoll are great students who work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. sowing seeds, growing and harvesting. It’s a devastating feeling to come down to the garden only to see a mess and disrespect of a place we care so deeply about.
The Knoll leadership crew understands that this was not done with malicious intent. To us, however, this is a matter of respect for the land and our spaces on campus. The Knoll is supported by a crew that works to keep the space tidy and for all to enjoy. As a community space, as with all spaces on campus, we hope that you all feel a sense of responsibility to leave it better than you found it.
The Knoll is a gathering place. Within open volunteer hours, we attract a diverse group of students who seek out the garden for many reasons. Each year, we host around 180 volunteers and we are so grateful for the many hands to help our collective work. Our work is student-led and volunteer guided, stretching back to 2003. A number of staff, faculty, and community members are deeply connected to and cherish the garden, including Associate Director of the Knoll Megan Brakeley ’06. Outside of hours, students frequently walk to the Knoll, gather for picnics in the springtime, and run on the TAM. We have put love and care into this space, and we are so happy to share it.
