What makes Vermont special? Here's a list from A to Z.

The lush woodland, lakes and biting winters cannot alone contain the essence of Vermont.

More than 600,000 Vermonters have united in a collective identity, hundreds of years in the making.

This A to Z list digs into state history to explain what being a "Vermonter" really means.

Abenaki

To know Vermont is to know its land and those who first settled it. The Abenaki have lived in what's now Vermont for thousands of years prior to European settlement, according to Vermont History Explorer. In May 2006, Gov. James Douglas signed a bill which gave legal recognition to the Abenaki in Vermont.

See also: UVM was built with profits off western Indigenous land. Some say it's time for a reckoning

Bentley, Wilson 'Snowflake Bentley'

Wilson Bentley was born in Jericho on Feb. 7, 1865, and grew up exploring the rural wildlife with a microscope his mother gave him when he was 15.  His fascination with this and the intricacy of snowflakes carried into his adulthood where he made a name for himself and for Vermont capturing the snow with just his microscope, camera and collection tray.

More: A 130-year-old tradition of snowflake photography continues in Jericho, Vermont

Champ

Sometimes called the American Loch Ness monster, Champ is a mythical creature rumored to inhabit Lake Champlain. Historians think Champ might be a garfish, a class of fish that includes lake sturgeon, still present in the lake today, according to the Lake Champlain Region website.

Your strange neighbors: Folklore enthusiasts map Bigfoot, vampires and more across Vermont

Dairy

More than 600 dairy farms milk cattle across the agricultural landscape in Vermont, and more than 152 firms process that milk into dairy products, according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. Tourists and residents alike can take part in the state Cheese Trail, mapped by the Vermont Cheese Council.

Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen was a key figure in early Vermont history, and Burlington is home to both his burial site and homestead, which has been turned into a museum. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development describes him as "a flamboyant frontiersman, daring military leader, land speculator, philosopher, prisoner of war and one of the founders of the State."

More: Burlington is home to many historic sites. Here are the stories behind a few of them

Fly fishing

The age old practice of fly fishing is commemorated at the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester Vermont. In addition to its exhibits, the museum promotes the conservation of fly fishing waters, according to its website, which is in line with the state's conservation values.

Green Up Day

The annual practice of Green Up Day is one of many state conservation efforts. Every first Saturday of May, residents take to roadsides and waterways to clear away litter and prevent pollution of both the land and water.

Hermit thrush

Vermont is represented by this official state bird. The hermit thrush, a small brown bird with a speckled stomach and red tail, thrives in Vermont's woodland environments, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Ice out

The day the ice breaks marks the unofficial sign of spring in Vermont. Joe's Pond in the Northeast Kingdom holds a world-famous "Ice Out" contest every year in which participants pay $1 to guess what day and time the ice will break.

John D.

Two famous Vermont Johns — Deere and Dewey — both carved a space in state history.

Renowned blacksmith and inventor John Deere was a Vermont native who shaped the farming industry nationwide. Deere was born in Rutland in 1804 and spent his early life and blacksmith apprenticeship in Vermont before moving to Illinois, according to deere.com.

Burlington-born philosopher and educator John Dewey continues to shape American education today. In honor of his birthday, Burlington designated Oct. 20 as John Dewey Day and celebrated with a parade. There's also a historical marker outside his old family home.

Kunin, Madeleine

Madeleine Kunin represents a significant figure in women's history. Kunin became Vermont's first female governor in 1985. She was also ambassador to Switzerland, U.S. deputy secretary of education and an author of several books.

Long Trail

The oldest continuous footpath in the U.S. is right here in Vermont, covering 272 miles, according to the Green Mountain Club, an organization dedicated to protecting and maintaining the Long Trail network.

Maple and mud

As winter ice thaws to give way to spring, two things are certain in Vermont: maple and mud. Vermonters designate this time as an unofficial fifth season, when the ground softens and trees are tapped to fulfill the role in leading the nation's maple production.

The Notch

This stretch of land through the Green Mountains between Stowe and Jeffersonville was named after the smugglers who used it to move supplies to and from Canada during the War of 1812, according to the Vermont Historical Society.

Smugglers Notch State Park and Smugglers' Resort attract skiers and nature lovers from across the state and beyond.

Olympians

Vermont is famous for training Olympians, especially in winter sporting events. Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond is well-known for its Olympic medalists and professional ski training.

More: Get to know Vermont's Olympians

Phineas Gage

Phineas Gage made history in 1848 when he survived an accident working on a railroad in Cavendish, Vermont where a metal spike, called a tamping iron, went through his skull and frontal lobe. Gage was still able to walk and talk, but his personality was reportedly altered drastically. The injury revealed a function in the brain that was mysterious to medical professionals at the time.

Quechee Gorge

Glacial activity from about 13,000 years ago carved out a 165-foot-deep gorge along U.S. 4 in Vermont, according to Vermont State Parks. The gorge attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Reverence

This sculpture, otherwise known as Whales' Tails, was constructed off Interstate 89 in Randolph in 1989, then later moved to South Burlington off the same interstate in 1999. Another version of the sculpture was installed in Randolph 20 years later.

The two sets of whale tails jutting out of the land have become landmarks in both locations.

See more: Do Vermonters know their local landmarks? This quiz casts some doubt.

Skiing

The ski industry transformed Vermont's landscape after 1934 when the first rope tow, a contraption powered by a Model-T Ford truck, was used at Clint Gilbert’s farm in Woodstock, the Vermont Historical Society says on its website.

Vermont would later become a renowned tourist destination for skiers.

More: Killington Resort concludes the ski season in June — experts only.

Town Meeting Day

The first Town Meeting Day took place in Bennington, according to timeanddate.com. Every first Tuesday in March, residents participate in the New England tradition of direct-citizen lawmaking — individual towns meeting to discuss budgets and plans for the upcoming year.

Unpaved roads

Vermont brings a whole new meaning to "taking the road less traveled." In fact, more roads are dirt or gravel than paved. The state has 8,593 miles of unpaved roads, and 7,172 miles of paved road, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

Read more: Why mud season is such a notorious, messy time in Vermont

Vert mont

The literal translation of Vermont's namesake is redundant next to its nickname: Green Mountain, the Green Mountain State.

French colonists' role in the state's early development influenced many place names, including the name of the state itself, which is the combination of  "vert," meaning green and "mont," meaning mountain.

Windsor

Vermont as we know it was born in Windsor, where the state constitution was signed. Windsor served as the capital until 1805, when Montpelier took up the mantle.

X-mas tree

It may not come as a surprise that such a forested state boasts a large Christmas tree industry.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, reported 3,650 acres in Christmas tree production, 70 farms, and a crop worth more than $2.6 million, as of the 2017 USDA Census.

More: All the Vermont Christmas tree stats you've ever wanted

Youth Conservation Corps

Among the nation's leading youth corps is this conservation group, established in 1985. According to its website, the program model follows that of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Zipper

Barre is home to America's largest zipper, a 74-foot-long granite art piece "Unzipping the Earth" to reveal a raised garden spilling from its center. The sculpture is one of many granite art pieces Barre is known for as the "granite capital of the world."

Summer Sorg is a reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at ssorg@freepressmedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: What makes Vermont unique, from Abenaki to the nation's largest zipper