Where Conversation Flows
By Claire Gilbertson, VT Master Gardener Following a suggestion from Chip Darmstadt, director of the North Branch Nature Center, the Master Gardeners developed an herb garden for the pollinators this year We followed the 1851 “Catalogue of Medicinal Plants, Barks, Roots, Seeds, Flowers and Select Powders….” published by the United Society of Shakers, New Lebanon,…
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By Ken Benton, NBNC Teacher/Naturalist The old sheep field that comprises the majority of the NBNC property comes alive every summer with the sweet scent of blossoming flowers and the squeals of joyful children stalking the field with butterfly nets. Common Ringlets, Northern Crescents, and Clouded Sulphurs frequently flutter about the swinging nets, but the…
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By Emily Seiffert, NBNC Communications Manager One exciting outcome of NBNC’s ongoing capital campaign is the formation of a robust and organized natural history lending library. Working cheek-to-jowl as we did before the addition was built, there was nowhere to shelve our sizeable collection of natural history books. Plus our busy staff just didn’t —…
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On a particularly cold, rainy, sleety, icy, snowy, grey April day (remember all of those!?), Field Marks sat down with Summer Camp Co-Director Carrie Riker to talk about NBNC’s longest-running program. Here’s what we learned while magically transporting ourselves to the season of sunshine and green. What’s your favorite thing about being a summer camp…
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This is the first in a series of posts celebrating our native insects and pollinators. Come to BugFest on June 30th to learn more! Feature photo by Bryan Pfeiffer You know a bee when you see one, right? Think again! We’re hardwired to recognize those yellow and black stripes when we see them. But most…
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(Photos by Kate Taylor and Sean Beckett) By Kate Taylor, NBNC Yellowstone Participant “Open the hatches and get up there. Now!” It was dawn on our 5th day in Yellowstone and we were driving into the Lamar Valley. I was still in a sleep stupor, but we’d been with Sean long enough to recognize that…
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By Sean Beckett, NBNC Staff Naturalist (Banner image: Baltimore Checkerspot; All imagery by Josh Lincoln) An act of clever deception is one of the most important things in the world. And that act may be in peril. Just like animals, plants reproduce by mating. More precisely, the pollen from one flower must land precisely on…
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Last weekend marked an anniversary for NBNC: 20 years since we first sent a youth team to the World Series of Birding. This annual event, held each May in New Jersey, draws teams from all over the world. The competition runs from midnight until midnight on Saturday, and the team that identifies the most species…
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You know the old adage: April showers bring — amphibian migrations! (Well, May flowers too, but those come later). During the warm evening rains last week our Amphibian Road Crossing volunteers documented frogs and salamanders on the move from Cornwall and Colchester to Calais and Craftsbury. Braving chilly and wet conditions, volunteers donned boots, raincoats,…
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By Robert Barossi, Community Relations Assistant Manager, Hunger Mountain Co-op Re-posted from the Hunger Mountain Co-op Blog North Branch Nature Center began twenty-three years ago with a staff of just two people. From those early days, the Center has grown to include a team of twelve educators, naturalists, and nature lovers who provide a wide…
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713 Elm Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
(802) 229-6206
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Office Open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm
Trails Open 24/7
