Wasps of New England – Biodiversity University

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

This 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. 

$285

Songs and S’mores

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Come join us for an evening of songs and s’mores as we gather around the campfire to share each other's company and revel in the joy of summer! This is a family friendly event and we welcome people of all ages!

Art Gallery Reception – Patty Meriam: The Longest Branch

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Please join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating Patty Meriam's artwork. Tour the gallery, meet the artist, and enjoy some refreshments.

The Shores of the Winooski – A Northern Forest Atlas Day Course

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

A 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.

$110

Mushroom ID and Ecology – Biodiversity University

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

In 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.

$285
Event Series Nature Romp at NBNC

Summer Nature Romp

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Weekly 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, Vermont

After 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.

$1250

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.

Monarch Butterfly Tagging (Cancelled)

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Join NBNC naturalists as we search for monarch butterflies around the nature center. Learn about their amazing migration and life cycle while we tag and measure the butterflies as part of Monarch Watch, the nationwide community science project that monitors this declining species.

Fall Tree Identification with Jonathan Shapiro

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Learning 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.

$50

ECO Homeschool (Aged 6 – 12) Early Fall Session

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Each Monday, the woods and fields of North Branch Nature Center will be our classroom, where students will learn by doing, using all five senses to engage with the landscape through standards-based lessons led by our talented ECO Education staff. ECO Homeschool Sessions will consist of age appropriate games, songs, stories, and activities that are designed to help students directly engage with the natural world and the organisms that we share this land with.

$465

Cape May & Delmarva Birding with Chip Darmstadt

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Explore 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.

$2250

Trekkers & Explorers Afterschool Program (Fall 2023)

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Let your kids be kids at NBNC. Our Explorers and Trekkers programs offer kids time to explore the woods and fields, play stealth and awareness games, and learn outdoor skills with their peers. Both age groups (6-8 and 9-13) focus on learning by doing, using all five senses. Thoughtful and loosely directed play in the woods helps kids develop a sense of place while unwinding with a peer group. Through cooperative games, exploration of various habitats, and team-building challenge projects, Trekkers and Explorers build a communal love for the outdoors, making NBNC the place to be after school!

$540

Fungi Fest!

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Fungi Fest is a full day community celebration of all things fungi. Join us for mushroom walks and forays, children's games, activities, & crafts, learn how to identify mushrooms,  get involved with the VT Mycoflora community science project, and attend presentations by regional professionals.  In the evening, enjoy a reception and celebration at the Fungi Themed Art Show featuring local artists from across the state of Vermont.

Art Gallery Reception – Fruits of the Forest Floor

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Please join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating our fall art exhibit, Fruits of the Forest Floor. This mushroom-themed group show includes painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, fiber arts, ceramics, jewelry, and more by artists from across New England!

Wild Art Workshop

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Wild 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. 

$35
Event Series Fall Birding at North Branch Nature Center

Fall Birding at North Branch Nature Center

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

A casual morning of birding for all interests and experience levels facilitated by NBNC staff and guest leaders. These outings are about enjoying, learning about, and spending time with wild birds. No binoculars? No ID guide? No problem! The only requirement is an appreciation of birds (though we do have binoculars for those who would like them). All fall outings take place at NBNC.

NBNC Trails Grand Opening Celebration

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

September 30 | 11 am - noon American Sign Language interpreter provided RSVP Requested | RSVP HERE Please join us for the grand opening of our new Universal Access Trail…

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.

Mason Goes Mushrooming (FULL)

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

After a short mushroom meander on the trails, Melany Kahn offers an animated reading of a first-of-its-kind children’s foraging adventure book, Mason Goes Mushrooming. The reading will be followed by an interactive Q&A. Melany will have a selection of wild and cultivated mushrooms available for the kids and their adults to discover. They will be able to touch, smell, and learn the different traits of mushrooms. A cooking demo and tasting with Melany sharing how to get that delicious umami flavor will round out the afternoon.

Queer Owl Banding Night

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

September is Pride Month in Vermont, but nobody told the owls! Every October NBNC biologists capture, tag, and release Northern Saw-whet Owls as part of a national network of scientists working to better understand their migration. Join them to meet these pint-sized owls and nerd out with local LGBTQ+ nature enthusiasts. 

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 – FULL

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.

Owl Banding Youth Overnight

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Stay up late with NBNC educators and naturalists as we capture, tag, and release these charismatic pint-sized predators. Owls and pizza included!

ECO Homeschool (Aged 6 – 12) Late Fall Session

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Each Monday, the woods and fields of North Branch Nature Center will be our classroom, where students will learn by doing, using all five senses to engage with the landscape through standards-based lessons led by our talented ECO Education staff. ECO Homeschool Sessions will consist of age appropriate games, songs, stories, and activities that are designed to help students directly engage with the natural world and the organisms that we share this land with.

$465

Floodplains & Watersheds Field Workshop

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

How 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.

Vermont Almanac Vol. IV: Book Launch & Celebration

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Join us to celebrate the release of Volume IV of the Vermont Almanac! Meet the editors and many of the book’s contributors, listen to readings from the book by authors, and enjoy a panel discussion on the year that was in rural Vermont. Registration Required.

Nature Journaling Club

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

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.

Pride Hike: Snowshoeing with Audubon Vermont and Pride Center VT

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

LGBTQIA2S+ hikers are coming together for our first winter outing! Depending on the conditions, we will either hike or snowshoe around the trails. After our outing, we will gather back at the Nature Center for some hot drinks to warm back up!

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free, weekly activity for families to gather, learn, and play in nature.

63rd Annual Plainfield/Montpelier Christmas Bird Count

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Join 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!

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free, weekly activity for families to gather, learn, and play in nature.

Winter Wildlife Tracking 101

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

From 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.

$35

All We Can Save: book club & discussion seminar

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

A 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.

$40

Art Gallery Reception – All’s Wool That Ends Wool

North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont

Please join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating our winter art exhibit, All’s Wool That Ends Wool. Tour the gallery, meet the artists, and enjoy some light refreshments.

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.

$40