North Woods Natural History





Instructor: Jonathan Shapiro
September 13 - 14, 2025 | $295
Course size: 12 students
Financial support available (contact us)
A
weekend of natural history investigation through the lens of the North Woods! Northern Vermont is situated in the overlap zone between the temperate deciduous forest to our south and the boreal forest to our north. This transitional region is called the North Woods, and this course explores its many diverse and fascinating aspects, from landscape-scale topography and climate to bird migration to the timing of wildflower blooms. The North Woods conceptual framework is a useful tool for understanding the landscape, natural history, and complex ecologies that surround us.
Course Goals & Objectives
- Introduce observation skills and apply them in the field.
- Provide a basic overview of the biome-based natural history of our area.
- Compare and contrast temperate and boreal forests.
- Identify bird, mammal, and plant species encountered in the field.
- Investigate why animals and plants live where they do in our area.
- Explore boreal and temperate field sites and interpret their topography and ecology.
- Learn how species' range maps provide an interpretive window into our local natural history.
About the Instructor
Jonathan Shapiro believes that a deep and accurate understanding of the more-than-human world is necessary for us to be healthy, both culturally and individually. The Fox Paw School is his small effort towards reconnecting himself and other humans with the rest of our wild kin. When he's not teaching, you'll find him poking around beaver wetlands, hunting, running, or watching the clouds. He holds a Specialist certificate in Track & Sign from Tracker Certification North America and teaches natural history at Sterling College.
Physical Requirements
Participants must be able to walk 2-3 miles over the course of each day, sometimes off trail over uneven and potentially muddy terrain. Participants should be comfortable outside in potentially hot, muggy, wet, and/or buggy conditions for long periods of time. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about mobility and/or other accessibility needs.
Recommended Reading
- Nature Guide to the Northern Forest, by Peter Marchand; A concise, yet comprehensive, overview of North Woods natural history, ecology, and plant and animal species, with a focus on the Northern Northeast.
- What Should a Clever Moose Eat?, by John Pastor; General natural history of the North Woods, with a wonderful focus on how trees intertwine with other members of the biotic community as part of an ecological baseline.
- Wetland, Woodland, Wildland, by Thompson and Sorenson; This guide to Vermont’s natural communities will help you understand the smaller-scale plant assemblages that make up the North Woods.
- New England Weather, New England Climate, by Zielinski and Kelm; Weather and climate dictate how our forest biomes—temperate and boreal—express on the landscape, and this book offers an understandable and detailed explanation of our unpredictable New England weather.
- Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, by Clements and Gracie; The best flower ID book I’ve found—it features color photographs along with excellent range maps that are color-coded by time of bloom. Range maps are a great way to use the North Woods lens to interpret the landscape.
Meals
Participants should bring their own lunches and snacks. Coffee, tea, and snacks provided in the mornings.
Timing
Course begins 9 AM on Saturday at North Branch Nature Center and concludes by 5 pm. Course begins on Sunday at a time and location of the instructors' choosing and concludes by 5 PM on Sunday.
Academic Credit / Professional Development
This course may qualify for 1 graduate-level credit for an additional $200 course fee. All BioU courses may be accredited by Castleton University. Participants interested in receiving credit must contact us at one month in advance so we have time to arrange course accreditation.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that home institutions will accept the credit. Participants pursuing academic credit will be required to complete an additional assignment above and beyond the course hours, including literature review, reflective writing, or a field-based project.
This course qualifies for 20 hours of professional development hours and continuing education units. Certificates of completion are provided at the conclusion of the course.
Cancellation Policy
While we realize that unexpected circumstances arise that are out of our control, North Branch Nature Center cannot guarantee refunds for registrations cancelled within 30 days of the course. If a cancellation occurs within this window, NBNC will attempt to fill the space from our wait list and provide a full refund. If the course needs to be cancelled by NBNC, we will provide a full refund.