About

NBNC’s 28 acres of fields, woods, and river offers opportunities for all ages to play, learn, and explore in nature!

Learn More About Us

Calendar

Visit our calendar to explore upcoming offerings,
from art gallery openings, to afterschool programs,
to educators institutes, to family events and more.

See our Calendar

Nature Programs

As Central Vermont’s hub for nature education, we offer expert presentations, field trips, and workshops to enrich your understanding of the natural world.

See Our Nature Programs

Education

See Our Education Programs

Our distinguished nature-based education programs immerse children in extraordinary learning environments with an acclaimed, innovative teaching team.

Rentals

Our beautiful facility is popular to rent – inside, outside, or both – for meetings, classes, presentations, and family celebrations.

Rental Information

Comm Sci

From amphibians to Saw-whet Owls, North Branch Nature Center studies and protects local wildlife with the support of passionate volunteer scientists.

See Our Community Science Programs

Support-slide

Please support NBNC by becoming a member, volunteering, and/or making a financial gift to help us connect even more people with the natural world!

Support Us

Connecting People with the Natural World

North Branch Nature Center connects people with environmental education, natural history, and community science. More than 17,000 people visit NBNC to be in touch with the sights, sounds, and sensations of the natural world.

Our 28-acre preserve of forest and fields is nestled in a gentle bend of the North Branch of the Winooski River, just two miles from downtown Montpelier. NBNC is the delight in the eyes of children as they watch fireflies in a field. NBNC is a group of naturalists exploring the secrets of warblers and willows. And it's a quiet place to walk or ski, swim or sit, or simply relax beside the river. There is much to explore. Please join us.

NBNC News Watch

Name: Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup (Spring Sessions)
Start: 2025-05-01T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-05-01T12:00:00-04:00
Location: North Branch Nature Center

Summer Camp Spots Available!

We still have spaces open in many of our summer camps! PreK through 6th grade kids will channel their inner salamanders, learn to build like beavers, and explore like foxes. Learn more.

History on the Land - a two-day course

History on the Land: Old Forested Farmscapes | May 8-9
If you are excited about stone walls and cellar holes, this course is for you. Instructed by landscape historian Samantha Ford, this course will help you see the woods in a whole new way. Learn More.

Homeschool: April 28 - June 9 Opening!

Modeled on our ECO (Educating Children Outdoors) program, the ECO Homeschool program takes the classroom entirely outdoors. Each Monday, the woods and fields surrounding North Branch Nature Center will be our classroom, whether it's deep in the woods, or along the banks of the North Branch itself. Learn More

Our Land Acknowledgement

North Branch Nature Center acknowledges that we reside upon the traditional and unceded home of the Western Abenaki People. These lands and waters have been a site of meeting and exchange among Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. North Branch Nature Center honors, recognizes and respects the Abenaki as the traditional stewards of this landscape. We strive to respect and protect this land, while continually honoring the legacy of Vermont’s Indigenous People, the Abenaki People of the Dawn.

The River's Edge Blog

Hunting for Connections

Nov 11, 2024

By Naomi Heindel, Executive Director and Chelsea Clarke Sawyer, Communications Coordinator Our Executive Director Naomi Heindel sat down with three ...