Monthly Birding Outing (NBNC)
A casual morning of birding for all interests and experience levels at various locations around the Montpelier area. Spend time enjoying our resident wild birds!
Wildlife Tracking Club
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExplore with NBNC naturalists and fellow nature lovers in search of wildlife tracks and sign every Sunday morning in January and February.
Winter Tracking in Downtown Montpelier
montpelier senior activity center 58 Barre Street, MontpelierHave you ever wondered what creatures roam the sidewalks of Montpelier after dark? This free, group tracking walk is your chance to explore the city in a new way by learning about animal tracks and sign.
Ecological Forestry: Boots on the Ground with Alex Barrett
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAs we ask more and more of our woods, the field of ecological forestry has emerged to put forest ecosystem health first—without losing sight of other economic and resource goals. Consulting Forester Alex Barrett of Long View Forest will provide a practitioner’s perspective on how ecological forestry works, and how it is changing how we think about managing forests—from landowner perceptions, to economics, to our society’s reliance on the products and services that forests provide.
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 naturalist and tracker Ana Maria Arroyo as she introduces you to the fundamentals of tracking and awareness to better understand the stories animals leave behind.
ECO Homeschool Winter Session (Ages 6 – 12)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontEach 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 while directly engaging with the natural world and the organisms that we share this land with.
Flexing Forests: Managing Woodlands for Adaptability and Uncertainty with Jess Wikle
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontNorthern forests face a number of new threats, from severe weather patterns driven by climate change, to invasive insects and pathogens. But novel forest management techniques can prepare forests to be more resilient in the face of an uncertain future.
Art Gallery Reception – High School Student Showcase
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAn evening celebrating four selected local high school artists. Artwork includes watercolor, pencil, acrylic, oil, collages, and mixed media pieces featuring creatures and scenes from the natural world, as well as pieces highlighting the relationship between humans and nature.
Monthly Birding Outing (Berlin Pond)
A casual morning of birding for all interests and experience levels at various locations around the Montpelier area. Spend time enjoying our resident wild birds!
(Cancelled) Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup (Winter Sessions)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontRobin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free activity for families to gather, learn, and play in nature.
Wilderness Works Too: The Promise of Passive Rewilding with Shelby Perry
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWhat happens when your management objective is to protect the autonomy of nature? Passive management, also called passive rewilding, is the practice of standing back and letting nature direct the ebb and flow of life. Learn about the value of passive rewilding through both human and non-human lenses, grapple with the incongruity of human and forest timelines, and consider the merits of building future old forests, even if we might not live to see them ourselves.
Winter Tracking in Downtown Barre
barre city elementary & middle schoolThis free winter tracking outing will explore the Barre City bike path in search of animal tracks and sign. Participants can expect to stay on the established trails with plenty of stops to study animal tracks or sign.
Teen Wildcrafting Circle – Weaving with Natural Materials
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Wildcrafting Skills Circle is a place for youth 13+ to learn ancestral skills, connect with peers, and explore their creativity. Each session is led by NBNC naturalist educators who guide students through a different skill.
Forest Management is for the Birds with Steve Hagenbuch
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontHow can we help birds find the habitat conditions they need to nest successfully? Learn about Audubon Vermont’s efforts to promote forest stewardship that meets the needs of birds and people. We’ll explore the types of forest conditions that support high bird diversity, while keeping in mind all of the other important values we hold for our forests.
Snow Season “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. 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.
(Cancelled) The Great Backyard Bird Count at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontCome participate in community science for eBird's Great Backyard Bird Count! This weekend-long bird count is celebrated worldwide, and provides important information about the populations of our overwintering birds. Hang out inside NBNC and watch the bird feeders with our bird guides, take a walk if weather permits, play birdy board games, and build community!
What Land & What Next? How to Protect Forests in Changing Times with Caitlin Cusack
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe combined threats of fragmentation, habitat loss, climate change, and biodiversity collapse require us to rethink how we conserve Vermont’s forests. How do we choose which lands to conserve, and then how do we steward them responsibly?
Youth Wildlife Tracking Workshop
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontHave you ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of a fox? How about lay in a coyote bed or study the tiny toes of a field mouse? In this new winter break program for students ages 9 and up, we will spend the day exploring wildlife tracks and signs.
Monthly Birding Outing (NBNC)
A casual morning of birding for all interests and experience levels at various locations around the Montpelier area. Spend time enjoying our resident wild birds!
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.
SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontMarch 8 - 9 9 am - 5 pm | $225 (plus $45 for CPR certification) Group Size: 20 max | Ages 18+ | Register Here This 16 hour, 2-Day entry-level course is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts looking for basic first aid training and backcountry medical skills. Led by a SOLO instructor, this course will…
ECO Homeschool Early Spring Session (Ages 6 – 12)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontEach 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 while directly engaging with the natural world and the organisms that we share this land with.
Trekkers & Explorers Afterschool Program (Spring 2025)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontOur 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 (1st-2nd and 3rd-6th grade) focus on learning by doing, using all five senses.
Craft Circle at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWe are starting a monthly craft circle inspired by the Wool and Water exhibit and workshop series that we hosted last fall. Come craft with us, share what you're working on, and enjoy each other's company!
Teen Wildcrafting Circle – Wood Carving with Fire
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Wildcrafting Skills Circle is a place for youth 13+ to learn ancestral skills, connect with peers, and explore their creativity. Each session is led by NBNC naturalist educators who guide students through a different skill.
Amphibian Road Crossing Program – Ecology & Training Night (Virtual)
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.
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup (Spring Sessions)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontRobin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free activity for families to gather, learn, and play in nature.
Monthly Birding Outing (Berlin Pond)
A casual morning of birding for all interests and experience levels at various locations around the Montpelier area. Spend time enjoying our resident wild birds!
Birding Basics Class
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontBecome a better birder! In this three-part 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
Teen Wildcrafting Circle – Spoon Carving Basics
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Wildcrafting Skills Circle is a place for youth 13+ to learn ancestral skills, connect with peers, and explore their creativity. Each session is led by NBNC naturalist educators who guide students through a different skill.
April Break Camp 2025
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExplore spring at North Branch Nature Center! Children grades K-3 are invited to join us for three days of spring nature adventures and explorations. We’ll make art using natural materials, explore the fields and forest for signs of wildlife, try our hands at wild edible cooking, and give back to the land in celebration of Earth Day.
ECO Homeschool Late Spring Session (Ages 6 – 12)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontEach 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 while directly engaging with the natural world and the organisms that we share this land with.
Curious About Planned Giving?
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontDo you value nature-based education, stewardship, equity, and community? Do you want your values to live on through future generations? If so, Planned Giving is for you! Join us for a free learning event on how to incorporate charitable giving into your long-term financial plans, all while enjoying tea, treats, and the good company of other NBNC supporters.
The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology
White Creek Field School White Creek, NY, United StatesThe 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.
Cape May Spring Migration- Northeast Birdwatcher’s Paradise
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontBirding in Cape May and southern New Jersey during spring migration is legendary! With over 430 total species observed, and over 330 species seen this time of year, Cape May is home to some of the greatest avian biodiversity in the northeast. May in southern New Jersey offers an abundance of everything: migratory warblers in the shrubs and forests, birds of prey cruising overhead, and shorebirds along the beaches and backwaters.
History on the Land – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontDiscover how to “read” old forested farmscapes and agricultural architecture to trace 300 years of land use history in Vermont.
Forestry for Naturalists – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontHow can cutting down a tree be a radical act of compassion? This course explores the complex, nuanced, and sometimes contradictory world of ecological forestry from a naturalist's perspective.
The Northern Forest Atlas Traveling School of Botany & Ecology
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe 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.
The Art & Science of Nature Observation – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe not-so-simple act of observation is a lost art. Join accomplished artist Libby Davidson and naturalist and writer Heather Fitzgerald to practice slowing down, nurturing your creativity, deepening your understanding of the natural world, and strengthening your connection to place.
Glacial Geology of Central Vermont & the Champlain Valley – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis class explores the science, geology, and field sites that illustrate the Pleistocene history of Central Vermont and the Champlain Valley.
