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  • Moth Lighting With The Caterpillar Lab

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    The Caterpillar Lab will guide us on an investigation of our awe-inspiring nocturnal neighbors: the huge, tiny, regal, absurd, furry, shiny, gorgeous, perplexing, audacious and outrageous moths that Vermont has to offer!

  • The Caterpillar Lab @ NBNC

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Caterpillars take over the Nature Center! The Caterpillar Lab is a traveling world-class education organization that transforms nature centers into a spectacular living museum, zoo, research laboratory, incubator, circus, art studio, classroom, and all-around nature party.

    $6 – $12

  • The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology

    Groton State Forest Groton, VT, United States

    The school will be part course and part seminar: We will teach plant identification through classes and field work, and study ecology as a group by exercises and discussions. Our field sites will be about a dozen wild Northern Forest habitats: rich woods, ledges, fertile coves, rich and poor fens, cedar swamps, boreal forests, granite hills, a large acid bog and a giant raised one, a river delta and swamp forest, and a dry-rich ledgy hill. It will we staffed by Jerry Jenkins alongside a rotating pool of five instructors—the best botanists in the north woods.

  • Educator Institute: Nature-Based Routines for Outdoor Classrooms

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    For elementary and middle school teachers. The purpose of this ECO introductory course for elementary and middle school educators is to apply integrated academic curricula beyond the classroom, while immersing in and participating with nature as a learning partner.

    $1300

  • ECO Institute: Natural History Fundamentals for Educators

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    For elementary and middle school educators. This goal of this course is to deepen our understanding of the natural landscape and learn how to utilize this knowledge to build a partnership with the land that meets the needs of all students. Participants will develop a foundation of natural history knowledge through immersive study of bird language, tree and plant identification, wild edible safety, geology, and stream ecology. We will practice techniques for achieving a deeper level of inquiry and observation in nature while learning hands-on methods for embedding this knowledge into outdoor lessons and making classroom connections. The routines that we build throughout the week are designed to deepen your class’s sense of place within the outdoor learning environment.

    $1300

  • How to use eBird Workshop

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    A two-part introduction to using eBird that will teach you to submit checklists according to eBird best practices, explore other users’ sightings to help you find birds, and navigate around the eBird website.

  • The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology

    Paul Smith's VIC Paul Smith's, NY, United States

    The school will be part course and part seminar: We will teach plant identification through classes and field work, and study ecology as a group by exercises and discussions. Our field sites will be about a dozen wild Northern Forest habitats: rich woods, ledges, fertile coves, rich and poor fens, cedar swamps, boreal forests, granite hills, a large acid bog and a giant raised one, a river delta and swamp forest, and a dry-rich ledgy hill. It will we staffed by Jerry Jenkins alongside a rotating pool of five instructors—the best botanists in the north woods.

  • Vermont Master Naturalist for Educators

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    This course for middle and high school educators is a unique collaboration between North Branch Nature Center and Vermont Master Naturalist. It is a place-based, integrated training in interpreting the local landscape and applying that training to 5th-12th grade classrooms and curricula. Each day immerses in a different ecosystem, exploring the pieces, patterns, and processes driving local ecology. We’ll practice field-based activities and classroom-based extensions aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Proficiency-Based Learning frameworks.

    $1300

  • Capturing Shadows with Cyanotype Printing – Art Workshop with Katama Murray

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Experiment with natural patterns and mindful making through this hands-on workshop focused on cyanotypes! This class will explore the basics of cyanotype printing techniques with fabric and paper to create a series of prints and fabric patches.

    $50

  • The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology

    Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center West Brattleboro, VT, United States

    The school will be part course and part seminar: We will teach plant identification through classes and field work, and study ecology as a group by exercises and discussions. Our field sites will be about a dozen wild Northern Forest habitats: rich woods, ledges, fertile coves, rich and poor fens, cedar swamps, boreal forests, granite hills, a large acid bog and a giant raised one, a river delta and swamp forest, and a dry-rich ledgy hill. It will we staffed by Jerry Jenkins alongside a rotating pool of five instructors—the best botanists in the north woods.

  • Gardening for Biodiversity – Biodiversity University

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Traditional gardens are often pretty, but rarely beneficial to the plants, pollinators, birds, and other creatures in our landscape. Gardening for Biodiversity is about rethinking and revaluing these traditional landscape aesthetics, and designing ecologically functional gardens that contribute to local ecosystems.

    $295

  • Mushrooms: Field Identification and Fungal Ecology – Biodiversity University

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Mushrooms have fascinated and mystified humankind for ages. From ancient origin stories and shamanic practice to modern systematic analysis, fungi captivate us. In this course, participants will explore the diversity and ecological importance of the kingdom of fungi.

    $295

  • North Woods Natural History – Biodiversity University

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    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.

    $295

  • The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology

    Ausable Point State Park NY, United States

    The school will be part course and part seminar: We will teach plant identification through classes and field work, and study ecology as a group by exercises and discussions. Our field sites will be about a dozen wild Northern Forest habitats: rich woods, ledges, fertile coves, rich and poor fens, cedar swamps, boreal forests, granite hills, a large acid bog and a giant raised one, a river delta and swamp forest, and a dry-rich ledgy hill. It will we staffed by Jerry Jenkins alongside a rotating pool of five instructors—the best botanists in the north woods.

  • How to Manage Invasive Species across a Watershed (Workshop)

    Waitsfield

    Learn from The Mad River Valley Knotweed Project about their watershed-wide efforts and experiments to manage riverside invasive species. See what techniques have—and haven’t—worked, and learn why managing invasives requires experience in community building and systems thinking.

  • How Rivers Work: River Science 101 (Workshop)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    In this hands-on workshop and field outing, we’ll use a stream table to model stream dynamics in the classroom, then walk to the North Branch to examine these processes in action. We’ll then apply these tools to understand why Central Vermont is so vulnerable to flooding.

  • River Science for Town Planning and Flood Resilience (Workshop)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Using a hands-on stream table demonstration, we’ll discuss topics relevant to municipal infrastructure and town planning, such as dam removal, channelization, culvert design, dredging, and floodplain development. We’ll then explain how the new Flood Safety Act addresses flooding, and how towns and organizations can be ready for its implementation.

  • Growing Your Own Trees and Shrubs for Riverside Restoration (Workshop)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    This workshop will teach techniques for plant propagation, and equip participants with the knowledge to begin growing their own trees in a low-budget and low-impact method. We’ll cover seed and cuttings collection, propagation, potting soil mixtures, how to overwinter young plants, and much more.

  • Mammal Ecology, Taxonomy & Natural History – Biodiversity University

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    This field-based course will cover the natural and cultural history of mammals in Vermont, with a focus on techniques to observe and identify species in the field. Topics will include mammal evolution, behavior, and topics in current and historical conservation, as well as techniques for observing reclusive mammal species using camera or audio recorders.

    $295

  • Dam Removal in Montpelier (Field Trip)

    Montpelier

    Visit the defunct and derelict dams of Montpelier’s industrial past, and learn why these small structures lead to big problems. Old dams collect sediment upstream, increase erosion downstream, and alter the river’s flow to increase the risk of flood damage over time.

  • Streams Behaving Badly: When Small Streams Flood (Field Trip)

    Montpelier

    A panel-led field tour and conversation around Montpelier tributaries that caused significant damage during the 2023 and 2024 flood events. We’ll explore water’s path through Montpelier’s Terrace Street neighborhoods, where very small drainages became very big problems as culverts and ditches failed to direct the huge volume of stormwater away from homes.

  • Public Owl Banding Demonstration

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join NBNC biologists as they capture, tag, and release these pint-sized predators. NBNC naturalists and educators will also discuss the highlights of recent research here and across the country, then share what’s been discovered about this mysterious little owl.

  • Naturalist-led Morning Paddle at North Montpelier Pond

    N Montpelier Pond

    A group kayak, canoe, or paddleboard morning outing to explore and enjoy the wildlife, plants, and ecology of North Montpelier Pond and the Kingsbury Branch of the Winooski River.

  • Streams Behaving Badly: When Large Streams Flood (Field Trip)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    A panel-led field tour and conversation around Montpelier tributaries that caused significant damage during the 2023 and 2024 flood events. We’ll explore several large streams that flow through the foothills of the Worcester Range and down to Elm Street in Montpelier, damaging roadways and eroding hillsides along the way.

  • Fall Mushroom Outing

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join NBNC naturalist and educator Dave Muska for a morning mushroom outing to learn about local fungi and mushrooms, what they’re up to, and how you can contribute to the Fungi of Vermont Community Science program. 

    $20

  • Public Owl Banding Demonstration

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join NBNC biologists as they capture, tag, and release these pint-sized predators. NBNC naturalists and educators will also discuss the highlights of recent research here and across the country, then share what’s been discovered about this mysterious little owl.

  • Beaver Camp! A Two-day Retreat

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    A two-day immersion in beaver ecology and river science, with a focus on the relationship between beavers, watershed health, and flood resilience.

  • Public Owl Banding Demonstration

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join NBNC biologists as they capture, tag, and release these pint-sized predators. NBNC naturalists and educators will also discuss the highlights of recent research here and across the country, then share what’s been discovered about this mysterious little owl.

  • Public Owl Banding Demonstration

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join NBNC biologists as they capture, tag, and release these pint-sized predators. NBNC naturalists and educators will also discuss the highlights of recent research here and across the country, then share what’s been discovered about this mysterious little owl.

  • Weeds into Wonder: Sculpting with Invasive Plants (Presentation)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Fall 2025 Visiting Teacher-Naturalist Justin Cifello will share about his sculpture practice and his plans to create a communally built large-scale sculpture at NBNC over the course of the upcoming week.

  • Weeds into Wonder: Sculpting with Invasive Plants (Workshop & Field Walk)

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Visiting Teacher-Naturalist Justin Cifello will lead an invasive species walk, talk, and harvest in preparation to create a communally built large-scale sculpture at NBNC over the course of the next week. After harvesting materials, the group will process them and start building the skeleton of the sculpture.

  • Weeds into Wonder: Celebration, Open House, and Community Potluck

    North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

    Join Visiting Teacher-Naturalist Justin Cifello for an open house to learn about and celebrate the completion of our community-built invasive species sculpture! Justin will lead an invasive species walk at 11 am, then we’ll have a community potluck at noon.