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North Branch Nature Center
"Connecting People of All Ages with the Natural World"

North Branch Nature Center is a nexus of education, natural history, and citizen science in central Vermont, serving 10,000 visitors annually. For twenty years, NBNC has put people in touch with the sights, sounds and sensations of the wild.

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. North Branch is firefly light sparkling in a child’s eye. It is a circle of naturalists exploring the secrets of warblers and willows. And it is a quiet place to walk or ski, swim or sit, or simply relax beside the river.

For One Wild Weekend, Montpelier transforms into a giant nature festival! Based at two hubs, Hubbard Park and North Branch Nature Center, the Montpelier BioBlitz 2018 is a huge outdoor celebration coupled with a 24-hour survey of our city’s flora and  fauna. Hundreds of Vermonters will be out enjoying a huge menu of outdoor activities while biologists from across the northeast scour the city to catalog every form of life within its boundaries. BioBlitz gathers critical data for local environmental conservation, and gets people into nature! Co-hosted by NBNC, Montpelier Community Services Department, and the Montpelier Consevation Commission.
See BioBlitzMontpelier.org for more info and to get involved!

NBNC in the News
Selected TV, Radio, & Newspaper Appearances

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Spring/Summer
Newsletter Available!

North Branch Nature Center is entering spring in style with our brand new, freshly designed newsletter. Click on the image above for stories, science, events, and even recipes happening this season at NBNC.

Featured Upcoming Events
See our calendar for many more programs!

ECO Summer Institute for Educators

The ECO Institute provides inquiry-based, outdoor learning through intensive experiential lessons, activities, and discussions. Led by expert NBNC staff and partners, participants will move beyond the classroom and engage with nature as a learning partner. Participants will develop a nature pedagogy and learn to incorporate VELS, NGSS, and Common Core into their design of nature immersion curricula. Find out More

Birding Spain
November 8th – November 18th, 2018

Join us for an extraordinary 11 day birding tour of Spain! Led by Chip Darmstadt, in conjunction with Birdwatching Spain. We’ll explore the many birding hotspots of eastern and central Spain, including Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, the Alicante Mountains, Sierra de Guara and much more. (Learn more)