By Laura Nikolaides (reposted from https://lauraniko.medium.com) “Maria Libby had always wanted to make outdoor education a fundamental part of the school district she runs near Camden, Maine. Libby, a former Outward Bound instructor, had a bounty of outdoor resources in her district, a river, a lake, an ocean, and mountains. Taking advantage of the natural…
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The Christmas Bird Count is a global community science project organized by the National Audubon Society. At 121 years old, it is the longest-running project of its kind. In the weeks surrounding Christmas, groups fan out over established 15-mile-wide count circles with the mission of finding every feathered creature therein. While new circles are added…
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By Sean Beckett NBNC Director of Natural History and Community Science Programs The Northern Saw-whet Owl migration season is over, and results are in! Our staff and apprentices banded 78 owls this year, bringing North Branch Nature Center’s grand total to 716. While not our largest year on record (181 in 2018), this season still…
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Outdoor Learning in Cold Weather: a position statement for educators in a pandemic By Amy Butler, NBNC Director of Education, in collaboration with Inside-Outside: Nature-Based Educators of New England Since schools reopened for in-person teaching and learning, those communities where teachers and students have been outdoors in nature as much as possible have reported excellent…
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By Zac Cota, NBNC Teacher-Naturalist The first and second graders at Moretown Elementary know they share their forest with many other animals. Chickadees sing while searching for food in the treetops. Worms and slugs live under moist logs. The antics of Red Squirrels provide daily entertainment. One special visitor, however, left only a trace…
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We invite you to check out this great article in KidsVT by Heather Fitzgerald, interviewing several outdoor education organizations, including NBNC, about new opportunities for learning in nature this fall, given the restrictions and realities around COVID-19 and the classroom. Enjoy! — “A few weeks ago, as I was listening to a podcast about going…
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In celebration of National Moth Week (July 18-26), we’re delighted to host this “e-opening” of Moths of Cloud Bridge, a multimedia collage and embroidery exhibit by Maya Akazawa, featuring moths encountered “at the sheet” at the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in the rainforests of Costa Rica. Part of the NBNC family since she was 6 years…
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This is a Red Trillium. It exists here because a beetle pollinates it, an ant disperses it, a deer eats it, trees shade it, and a rich soil nourishes it. Year after year, this trillium and all members of its ecological community thrive because of a shared imperative of diversity, and interdependence on that diversity.…
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By Sean Beckett (NBNC) and Nathaniel Sharp (VT Center for Ecostudies) From April 20 to May 20, Vermonters descended into backyards, back woods, sidewalks, ponds, basements, and attics, searching for all of Vermont’s spring biodiversity. The Vermont Spring Backyard BioBlitz, an event hosted by North Branch Nature Center, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, and Vermont…
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By Natural Start Alliance “Educating Children Outdoors (ECO) is a nature immersion program developed by the North Branch Nature Center located in Montpelier, Vermont. ECO was founded in 2009 by two teachers within the Montpelier City School District for Kindergarten and 1st grade students. With a passion for learning and exploring the nature of Vermont,…
Read MoreConnecting People to the Natural World
713 Elm Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
(802) 229-6206
Hours: Center Open Monday-Friday 9-4
Trails Open 24/7
