Workshops & Outings
Old Forest Ecology – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe course will provide an introduction to old forests, including their forms, functions, and inhabitants. Each day will explore an old forest field site in Northern Vermont, combined with time back at NBNC to share slides and discuss concepts in a classroom setting.
ECO Institute: Nature-Based Routines for Outdoor Classrooms
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFor preschool and kindergarten educators. This course applies early childhood learning curricula beyond the classroom, while immersing in and participating with nature as a learning partner. The course provides inquiry-based learning through intensive experiential lessons, provocations and discussions held entirely outdoors.
Paddling in the Adirondacks (Grades 7-9)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontOn this 5 day canoe trip, our team of participants will learn boating safety, paddling techniques, and navigation along with camp craft such as cooking, site selection, Leave-No-Trace ethics, and Team & Leadership skills.
Wasps of New England – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis course will teach people how to easily identify wasps to family level while out in the field, and by the end of it our most ubiquitous, as well as many of our lesser-seen wasps will be easily identified by the participants. The course will take place primarily out in the fields and woods of the expansive land of North Branch, but will also be offset by short lectures to learn the distinguishing morphology of the wasps we encounter.
Summer Birding with NBNC
A casual morning of birding suitable for all interests and experience levels. Meet fellow bird enthusiasts, kindle new friendships, and enjoy a supportive environment where questions and shared discoveries are encouraged.
The Shores of the Winooski – A Northern Forest Atlas Day Course
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA one-day course in low-water and floodplain grasses, sedges, and woodies along the lower Winooski River. Vermont has about forty species of late-blooming sedges (mostly), rushes (a few) and grasses (even fewer) that are best sought on river and lake shores in late summer and fall. They are a distinctive and fascinating flora; the lower Winooski is one of the best places to find them and learn them. A Northern Forest Atlas day course hosted by NBNC's Biodiversity University.
Mushroom ID and Ecology – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontIn this course, participants will explore the diversity and ecological importance of the kingdom of fungi. Over this two-day course, participants will learn the fundamentals of mushroom identification through a combination of classroom and field experience. Topics include fungi ecology, taxonomy, field identification, morphology, edibility, toxicity, fungi as medicine, bioremediation, utilitarian function, as well as ‘best’ harvesting practices.
Summer Nature Romp
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWeekly on Sunday Mornings — June through August 10 am - noon | Adults and families welcome FREE | No registration required This new, weekly gathering is about exploring nature together and sharing in the discoveries offered up by the landscape. Each outing features a different loose theme, facilitated by rotating NBNC staff. The outing…
Shorebirds, Seabirds, and Songbirds on Cape Cod
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAfter the summer beach crowds clear out, Cape Cod is certainly for the birds. Shorebirds, seabird, raptors and songbirds are plentiful on the Cape, and migration is in full swing. his trip is about watching, enjoying, and studying seabirds and shorebirds among a community of like-minded nature lovers under the leadership of a first-class guide and educator.
Inclusive Kayaking Outing with Northeast Disabled Athletics Association, South Hero Land Trust, and NBNC
This adaptive kayaking series is an opportunity for community members who want to learn about kayaking or get back out on the water, but can’t use a standard kayak, to use an adaptive kayak with support. Naturalists from North Branch Nature Center will join the outings to help create a deeper experience for the paddlers.
Fall Tree Identification with Jonathan Shapiro
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontLearning to identify trees can be a powerful way to connect to your local landscape. They are big, charismatic, and always around us, and knowing who they are provides a baseline of ecological understanding for the rest of our surroundings. Join Jonathan Shapiro of Fox Paw School for a dive into tree ID, focusing on a pattern-based approach that we are hardwired to understand. We'll talk about tree silhouettes, branching patterns, leaf shapes, bark, and more, and you'll leave with the observational skills to learn not only trees, but the rest of your landscape as well. By meeting in three different seasons, we'll have the opportunity to see how trees' lives change throughout the cycle of the year, and how they fit into the broader ecological context of our North Woods home.
Cape May & Delmarva Birding with Chip Darmstadt
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExplore this extraordinary birdwatching paradise during one of its most exciting times to visit. With over 430 total species observed, and over 330 species seen this time of year, Southern New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula are home to some of the greatest avian biodiversity in the northeast.
Wild Art Workshop
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWild Art is a form of dialogue between you and the world beyond your skin; a means of expressing what you sense inside yourself and what you attune to around you. We will first engage in a sensory awareness practice, then go onto the land to be in conversation with the plants, animals, and wild elements. Utilizing the ancient art form of the mandala, we will create our own expressions of wholeness, attentiveness, and relationship to the Wild, inside, and out.
Public Owl Banding Demonstration
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin 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, VermontJoin 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 – FULL
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin 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, VermontJoin 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.
Floodplains & Watersheds Field Workshop
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontHow does our rain and river shape the valley? Why and where does it flood? How does flooding support clean water and build soil in the watershed? Why are functional floodplains important to the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors? We will look at riverside soils, plants, and other signs to discern the shapes and power of water in our lives.
Nature Journaling Club
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExplore the art and practice of nature journaling with NBNC Teacher-Naturalist Fiona Modrak. Using the practice of nature journaling, we will sharpen our observational skills, practice being curious, and learn new ways to explore nature.
63rd Annual Plainfield/Montpelier Christmas Bird Count
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin the nation's largest and longest-running citizen science project. The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the National Audubon Society, has been getting birdwatchers outside recording species in their backyards and towns for over a century! One of the oldest circles in Vermont, this count has occurred annually since 1960!
Winter Wildlife Tracking 101
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFrom bobcats to hawks, all animals leave sign of their activities. Join NBNC Teacher-Naturalist Dave Muska as he introduces you to the fundamentals of tracking and awareness to better understand the stories animals leave behind.
All We Can Save: book club & discussion seminar
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA climate change-themed winter book club to read All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, a 2020 anthology of climate change essays edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson. Described as “provocative and illuminating writings from women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward,” this book offers a very human look into climate change, how it impacts us, and why it really matters to us.
Nature Journaling Club
Explore the art and practice of nature journaling with NBNC Teacher-Naturalist Fiona Modrak. Using the practice of nature journaling, we will sharpen our observational skills, practice being curious, and learn new ways to explore nature.
Birding Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers both a wonderful introduction to tropical birding and a destination to return to again and again. Twice the size of Vermont, the country has over 800 bird species, including 50 species of hummingbird alone.
Snow Day “Spooning” – Woodcarving with Ken Benton
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontLearn the story behind the wood as we go from log to spoon. We’ll follow the process covering tree identification, natural history, ethical harvest and processing from the round into billets. Moving indoors, we’ll learn to read the grain while laying out patterns and carving away all wood that isn’t spoon. By the end of the day you’ll come away with a nearly finished spoon with a built in story to tell dinner guests while serving food. Bring your own fixed blade knife and come dressed for the weather. Led by NBNC Naturalist and Director of Education, Ken Benton.
Needle Felting Workshop with Neysa Russo
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontNeedle felting is a simple technique that uses barbed needles to decorate a felt surface with design. There will be an abundance of designs to choose from that are perfect for sampling this technique and more complex projects for those who would like a challenge. Along the way, you will build your needling skills, gain design experience, and experiment with color.
Winter Birding in the Champlain Valley
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin NBNC Birding Ambassador Chip Darmstadt on a trip to explore the shores, fields, and forests of the Champlain Valley in search of eagles, waterfowl, raptors, snow buntings, winter finches, owls, and more.
Winter Birding in the Northeast Kingdom
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermontn this winter adventure through the Kingdom with NBNC Birding Ambassador Chip Darmstadt, we'll visit birding hotspots in search of charismatic yet elusive bird species found nowhere else in the state.
Winter with the Cree – Immerse in the Indigenous Culture of Northern Quebec
Travel north to Eeyou Istchee, The People’s Land, for 10 days immersed in the lands and livelihoods of the James Bay Cree, our First Nations neighbors in northern Quebec.
Intermediate Winter Wildlife Tracking
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin NBNC naturalist and wildlife tracker Dave Muska for a full day of tracking and trailing wildlife, aimed at participants already holding some basic knowledge of track and sign identification. We'll start in the classroom to review the tracks, gaits, habitats, and signs of species we might encounter on the late winter landscape. We'll then head out on the land to search for sign and explore the who, what, where, when, why and how of animal tracks.
Tropical Panama for Teens
Our expert educators and Panama's premiere wildlife guides have worked together to build this unforgettable journey, designed with the goal of kindling a passion for nature connection and wildness that will last a lifetime.
Winter Ecology – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontInstructed by Jason Mazurowski. Students will learn to read Vermont’s winter landscape, from the ice age relics that still inhabit our alpine summits, to the warming waters of Lake Champlain.
Winter Willows – Nature Retreat in the Northeast Kingdom
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont**For 6th - 8th graders who identify as girls, nonbinary, genderqueer, and/or trans.** Explore the winter wonderland of the Nulhegan Basin! Our experience will be tailored to the interests of participants. Activities could include: tool crafting, weaving, dream pillow making, animal tracking, fire by friction, snowshoeing or skiing in the woods, cooking on the wood stove or fire, and star gazing. This two-night retreat will have us exploring the snowy wonderland by day, and relaxing fireside in a warm and cozy winter cabin by night.
Lake Champlain Waterfowl Watch
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin NBNC Birding Ambassador Chip Darmstadt on the shores of Lake Champlain in search of winter waterfowl.
Seabirding Along the Atlantic Coast – Winter Birding in Cape Ann, MA
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis annual winter adventure is an outstanding opportunity to spend quality time with species rarely, if ever, seen in Vermont. This trip is not only about discovering rare species by land and sea, but about watching, enjoying, and studying seabirds among a community of like-minded nature lovers under the leadership of a first-class guide and educator.
Needle Felting Workshop with Neysa Russo
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontNeedle felting is a simple technique that uses barbed needles to decorate a felt surface with design. There will be an abundance of designs to choose from that are perfect for sampling this technique and more complex projects for those who would like a challenge. Along the way, you will build your needling skills, gain design experience, and experiment with color.
Amphibian Road Crossing Program – Ecology & Training Night (ZOOM)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin North Branch Nature Center scientists to learn about our Amphibian Road Crossing program, and find out how you can help Vermont’s frogs and salamanders safely cross the road during their annual spring movements.
Birding Basics Class
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontBecome a better birder! In this class, you’ll develop a breadth of knowledge and skills to better appreciate Vermont’s common and not-so-common birdlife. Instructed by Chip Darmstadt
Earth Day Tree Planting at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin us for a fun morning of giving back to the land to celebrate Earth Day! We will be transplanting small trees and shrubs to an area along the North Branch river in need of habitat restoration.
Peents n’ Peeps – Spring Sounds at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAn evening of up close and personal listens and looks at springtime's most impressive crepuscular performances. We'll attempt to creep up on spring peepers by following an individual peep amid the cacophonous chorus and try to pinpoint the peenting of american woodcocks before they lift off to perform their skydance.
