Blog – North Branch Nature Center

Hunting for Connections

By North Branch Nature Center | Nov 11, 2024 | Comments Off

By Naomi Heindel, Executive Director and Chelsea Clarke Sawyer, Communications Coordinator Our Executive Director Naomi Heindel sat down with three staff who are also hunters to talk about how hunting…

History on the Land – Part Two

By North Branch Nature Center | Nov 4, 2024 | Comments Off

By Samantha Ford, Owner of Turn Stone Research Editor’s Note: Read Part One of this series, focusing on the Nye family’s time at NBNC from 1792 through the 1840s, here.…

Planting Tomorrow’s Forest

By North Branch Nature Center | Oct 28, 2024 | Comments Off

By Sean Beckett, Program Director Live in Vermont for 30 years, and you think you know maple trees — until you try to grow some! Last spring our Vermont Master…

The Nature of Bogs

By North Branch Nature Center | Oct 23, 2024 | Comments Off

By Chelsea Clarke Sawyer, Communications Coordinator I can remember every bog I’ve ever visited. There’s Orono Bog, Molly Bog, the Babcock Nature Preserve bog, Moose Bog, Peacham Bog, Chickering Fen,…

Dot’s Place

By North Branch Nature Center | Apr 23, 2024 | Comments Off

By Dr. Opeyemi Parham, donor of NBNC’s new yurt Editor’s note: NBNC has received the generous donation of a yurt, “Dot’s Place,” from Montpelier resident Dr. Opeyemi Parham. The yurt,…

The Nature of Loons: An Afternoon on the Pond

By North Branch Nature Center | Apr 16, 2024 | Comments Off

By Emily Sloan, Office Manager My paddle sweeps and swishes, a light breeze floats along the water surface, and I am happy to be out on the pond on this…

Thinking Like a Shrub Willow

By North Branch Nature Center | Apr 9, 2024 | Comments Off

By Ken Benton, Director of Education Often in the spring, when the waters of the North Branch have not fully thawed, massive ice chunks are driven up onto the riverbank,…

The Ecotourism Dilemma

By North Branch Nature Center | Apr 2, 2024 | Comments Off

By Sean Beckett, Program Director In a time of global biodiversity collapse fueled by climate change, how does a nature center justify global ecotourism? Is this sort of travel a…

Lessons in Nature-Based Learning

By North Branch Nature Center | Mar 21, 2024 | Comments Off

by Emily Seiffert, Deputy Director I sat down recently with Amy Butler, NBNC’s former Director of Education, to talk about her book, Educating Children Outdoors: Lessons in Nature-Based Learning, just…

The Nature of Snowshoes Hares and Climate Change

By North Branch Nature Center | Nov 7, 2023 | Comments Off

By Chelsea Clarke Sawyer, Communications Coordinator In my 15 years living in Northern New England, I’ve never seen a Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus), despite spending plenty of time in their…