NBNC Trails Grand Opening Celebration
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontSeptember 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, 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.
Mason Goes Mushrooming (FULL)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAfter 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, VermontSeptember 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, 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.
Owl Banding Youth Overnight
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontStay 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, 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 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.
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.
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup – CANCELLED
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free, weekly activity for families to gather, learn, and play in nature.
Vermont Almanac Vol. IV: Book Launch & Celebration
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin 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, 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.
Pride Hike: Snowshoeing with Audubon Vermont and Pride Center VT
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontLGBTQIA2S+ 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, 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!
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontRobin’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, 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.
Art Gallery Reception – All’s Wool That Ends Wool
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPlease 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.
Dam It: Partnering with Beavers to Heal the Planet with Ben Goldfarb (VIRTUAL)
Online(VIRTUAL) | Author Ben Goldfarb will discuss the history of this world-changing species; how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, and climate change; and how we can coexist with this challenging but vital rodent.
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.
Wool Rugs, Grazing Sheep, and Climate Change: What’s the Connection? with Kimberly Hagen (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | What does a wool rug have to do with climate change? A lot!
Under the Smoke: Boreal Forest Wildfire, Ecology, and Culture in Northern Quebec with Naomi Heindel (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | Visit the boreal forest, learn some fire ecology, take a look at the wildfires' impacts on the James Bay Cree, and explore the complicated mix of climate change and logging at play in these forests.
Coming Back Home: Turning Towards Uncertainty, Wonder and Connection with Amy Butler (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | In a time of compounded stress and anxiety about our current climate crisis, nature is our guide to restoring a healthy and balanced dynamic between ourselves, one another and the earth.
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.
Wildlife Tracking Club
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExplore with NBNC naturalists and fellow nature lovers in a casual search of wildlife tracks and sign every Sunday morning in February.
Stories from the Poles: Science and Adventure in Greenland and Antarctica with Ruth Heindel (VIRTUAL)
Online(VIRTUAL) | Dr. Ruth Heindel will share stories about her experience conducting fieldwork along the margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, two locations that are shaped by their extreme climate.
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.
POSTPONED TO 2/20: Getting to 30 by 30: The Science and Stories of Conserving Land with Gus Goodwin (IN PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | The science and strategy that guides The Nature Conservancy to pursue the places, projects, and partnerships that make Vermont such a remarkable 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.
Getting to 30 by 30: The Science and Stories of Conserving Land with Gus Goodwin (IN PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | The science and strategy that guides The Nature Conservancy to pursue the places, projects, and partnerships that make Vermont such a remarkable state.
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.
Understanding Forest Carbon: How Forests Mitigate Climate Change with Ali Kosiba (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN-PERSON) | Learn all about forests and the carbon they sequester and store. Dr. Kosiba will showcase the complex forest carbon cycle, from living trees down to the soil.
