Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT, United StatesRobin’s Nest Nature Playgroup is a free activity for families with young children to gather and play in nature.
Events
20 events found.
Events
Natural Selections — an evening of poetry, prose, music, and photography
$20 – $50
An evening featuring poets Scudder Parker (The Poem of the World) and Angela Patten (Feeding the Wild Rabbit), short readings from essayist and field naturalist Bryan Pfeiffer, and music by D. Davis and Marc Gwinn.
Art Gallery Reception: A Critical Balance
From huge flamingos, eagles, vultures, and cranes to tiny warblers and shrikes, A Critical Balance features birds from Kenya's Amboseli National Park, chosen from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and are portrayed life size in striking detail. These portraits reach beyond data and policy to show both the beauty and vulnerability of these birds as well as the urgent need to protect them.
A Dark and Starry Night: Why and How to Preserve Dark Skies in Vermont
What is light pollution, how does it impact organisms (including humans), and what are the principles of responsible outdoor lighting? Astronomer George Springston will discuss steps for reducing light pollution and protecting our remaining dark skies. A stargazing event follows the presentation.
Friction Fire Skills Circle for Teens
$10
We will learn how to build a fire kit, practice using them by ourselves and with partners and discover what materials can be used to coax your coals to life. At the end, we will admire our hard work and enjoy some hot tea and treats over the fire.
April Break Camp
$80 – $235
Explore 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.
Earth Day Dinner: Wild Cooking and Foraging for 6th-9th Graders
$10
We’ll start out on a foraging walk, learning safe practices and ID of common spring forageables like fiddleheads and ramps. Then we’ll start a fire and learn to cook our food over an open flame. We will share gratitude for the earth and enjoy our meal accompanied by the sunset calls of the American timberdoodle!
ECO Homeschool Late Spring Session
$510
Inspired by ECO, our full-day ECO Homeschool program provides a meaningful and fun learning environment based in environmental education and a mentorship model.
Nature Writing with Dave Mance III
$125
A full day of nature, and a full day of writing. Dave will present on reading and writing – on the craft; on the physiology. We’ll walk the North Branch trails and observe nature, and we’ll write and share based on these experiences. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Field Ornithology with Chip Darmstadt
$900 – $1200
In this field-based, retreat-style course, you’ll develop a breadth of knowledge and skills to identify and better understand Vermont’s common and not-so-common birdlife. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Botany From the Beginning with Jerry Jenkins
$900 – $1200
In this five-day, field-based, retreat-style course, learn plant structure, relationships, geography, and identification, focusing on the woodland plants of Plainfield and the Granite Hills, with emphasis on woody plants, sedges, herbs, and some of the larger and nicer mosses. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Forestry for Naturalists with Ethan Tapper & Sean Beckett
$250
How can cutting down a tree be a radical act of compassion? This course explores the complex, nuanced, and sometimes contradictory world of ecological forestry. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
The Biodiversity Jamboree
A summer nature festival for all ages! Celebrate birds, bugs, plants, pollinators in a day of outings, workshops, exhibits, kids activities, live birds, music, food, art, presentations, and more! Find out what you can do to protect biodiversity in your own backyard and in your community.
Drawing Vermont’s Wild Plants with Susan Sawyer
$375
This is a class for artists and naturalists who would like to build drawing skills and see and understand plants better. Each day we will address a different group of plants, their parts and lives, and particular challenges for the artist. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Mosses in the Field with Jerry Jenkins & Sue Williams
$900 – $1200
A five-day, retreat-style seminar focused on looking at and thinking about mosses. It will start at the beginning, focusing on field study, taught as a series of exercises involving examination, drawing, description, comparison, and diagnosis, plus short daily lectures on moss history, abilities, relations, collaborations, and accomplishments. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Wild Bees of the Northeast with Spencer Hardy
$295
Meet our wild bees, with a focus on field-based identification, natural history, and conservation. We will explore several local sites to find and discuss a wide range of genera and natural history strategies. Throughout the weekend we will touch on ways participants can make meaningful impacts for insect conservation at all scales – from the backyard to the grocery store. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Natural History Fundamentals for Educators
$1300
This week-long course is about developing 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 use a daily rhythm of core routines, place-based curriculum, and deep observation practices to build a deeper relationship with nature. For Elementary and Middle School Educators.
Moth Taxonomy and Identification with Hugh McGuinness & JoAnne Russo
$900 – $1200
This five-day, retreat-style seminar will provide an intensive immersion into the study of moths. Our methods include lectures about the taxonomy, evolution and anatomy of moths; hands-on lab work including traps sorts, dissection, and specimen preparation; and night-time identification at lights. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Place-Based Geology & Earth Science
$850
In this three-day dive into the bedrock and surficial geology of Vermont, we will marry science and exploration to discover and interpret the patterns and processes that characterize our landscape. For Middle and High School Educators.
Leveling Up Nature Based Learning Through Play
$1300
Enhance curriculum and deepen students’ connection to nature through the intentional introduction of new tools and loose parts. Participants will experiment with elements and invitations that build on seasonal affordances and the ever-developing play-learning of young students. For PreK – 3rd Grade Educators