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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Explore with NBNC naturalists and fellow nature lovers in search of wildlife tracks and sign.
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
During this course we’ll focus on ECO lessons based in “Specials” while still tying in academic standards. Expect to teach literacy through an oral storytelling workshop, physics through natural instrument-making, and ecology through harvesting and cooking wild foods. Throughout it all, we will learn, play, and create in perhaps our most fun week of summer professional development offerings. For All Elementary and Middle School Educators.
A week-long exploration of Winooski Watershed starting in the verdant headwaters of the Winooski River in the Green Mountains, and working its way downstream, unpacking fundamental concepts in river science along the way. For Middle and High School Educators.
In this immersive nature journaling class, acclaimed naturalist, artist, and educator Clare Walker Leslie invites you to slow down, open your eyes, and deepen your connection with the natural world by learning to observe, record, and reflect through words and sketches in your own journal. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
Participants will learn the foundational knowledge necessary to successfully and confidently identify mushrooms and enjoy a greater understanding of fungi and their fascinating lives. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.
This course will introduce participants to the bedrock geology of northern Vermont. Two day-long field trips will visit areas where key aspects of the area’s geology can be observed and understood. Part of NBNC's Biodiversity University series.