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.
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.
Indigenous Plant Uses in Southern Greenland with Dr. Simone Whitecloud (Virtual Presentation)
Online(Live via Zoom) | Dr. Whitecloud will discuss the role of plant knowledge among the Inuit of Southern Greenland. She and her collaborator, Dr. Lenore Grenoble, documented more than 50 taxa and 205 plant uses in seven broad categories: medicine, beverages, food, herbs and spices, fuel, ritual, and material culture, the last category consisting primarily of decorative uses.
Patterns Across Nature – Drawing Class with Rachel Mirus
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA four-part drawing class | Thursday evenings in February at NBNC | This course mixes observational and creative drawing to explore common natural patterns, starting with sketching exercises to build the observation skills that are foundational for both artists and naturalists, then moving into playful and imaginative art making.
Winter Discovery Hike for Families
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontCome explore nature in a new way! Imagine yourself as an ant and take a "microscopic" hike into the leaf litter. Explore your sense of touch by "meeting a tree." Expand your sense of hearing by adopting "deer ears" in the forest. Test your hiding skills with the game of camouflage. Families will connect with one another and with the natural world in these fun and engaging programs led by NBNC Teacher-Naturalist Fiona Modrak.
On Safari: Wildlife Adventures Around the World with Sean Beckett (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN PERSON) | In the true tradition of Naturalist Journeys, join Sean Beckett on a photographic odyssey around the globe, from the rainforests of Panama to the Savannas of Africa to the mountains of Yellowstone.
Upstream–Downstream: A River Resilience Panel Discussion (Online)
Online(Note: This panel discussion, originally scheduled to follow January 19th's film festival, was postponed due to severe weather). A community celebration of the Winooski watershed and our place within it. This discussion about the health of our local rivers features panelists who bring different perspectives about our waterways. The panelists will be addressing river-related questions and concerns submitted by over 100 community members during our January film festival.
The Spread of Deer Ticks in North America with Lucas Price (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN PERSON) | Black-legged ticks are the primary tick species responsible for spreading Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, in the northeastern United States. This talk will provide an overview of the tick life cycle, how ticks obtain and spread pathogens, and what habitats they live in.
The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale with Ky and Lisa Koitzsch (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN PERSON) | Join wildlife biologists Ky and Lisa Koitzsch as they share their experiences studying wolves and moose in Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale is a remote island wilderness located 15 miles from the shores of Ontario and Minnesota in the frigid waters of Lake Superior.
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.
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 Saturday morning in February.
Winter Willows – Nature Retreat in the Northeast Kingdom
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont**For children in 6th through 8th grade who identify as girls, nonbinary, genderqueer, and/or trans.** Explore what it means to live on and with the land in 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.
Learn to XC Ski at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontSpend the morning outside exploring the beautiful cross country ski trails at NBNC! Together we will learn the basics of cross country skiing, then set out on the trails to adventure along the river and through the woods on skis. No experience necessary and all equipment will be provided! registration required.
Winter Tree Identification with Jonathan Shapiro
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontLearning 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.
Vermont’s Wild Bees: past, present, and future with Spencer Hardy (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN PERSON) | The new State of Vermont's Bees provides the first detailed look at the conservation status and needs of these important pollinators. Included in this presentation will be advice and suggestions for improving the habitat in your community, through both consumer decisions and land management.
Art Gallery Reception – Beyond the Plovers, Flat Clouds by Gabrielle Dietzel & Howard Norman
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPlease join us at North Branch Nature Center to celebrate Gabrielle Dietzel and Howard Norman's collaborative exhibit Beyond the Plovers, Flat Clouds. This exhibit presents three-dimensional collages and shadow boxes created by collagist Gabrielle Dietzel as a visual response to literature about birds collected by writer Howard Norman.
SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontMarch 11 - 12 9 am - 5 pm | $225 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 cover topics from response and…
ECO Homeschool Program (Ages 6-12) – Spring Session
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAges 6-8 and 9-12 | Our ECO (Educating Children Outdoors) Homeschool program provides a meaningful and fun learning environment in which participants are mentored in social and environmental stewardship. Each Monday, the woods and fields of North Branch Nature Center will be our classroom, where students will engage with the landscape through standards-based lessons led by our talented ECO education staff. Each session will include games, songs, stories, and activities designed to help students engage with our land and the organisms who share it.
Trekkers & Explorers After-School Program (Spring 2023)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontLet 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.
Explorers (6-8 years old) are playful adventurers. One week your child might forage for wild edibles and cook over an open fire, while the next week might find them deep in the woods, building shelters.
Trekkers (9-13 years old) adopt an off-trail mentality, using the local landscape to push their limits while practicing outdoor living skills such as tracking and fire-starting.
North Branch Nature Center’s History on the Land with Samantha Ford (IN-PERSON)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, Vermont(IN PERSON) | Uncover the history of the historic farmhouse and farm that North Branch Nature Center calls home. Learn how to read the landscape to reveal history hidden in plain sight. Peel back the layers of time with landscape historian Samantha Ford of Turn Stone Research to learn how past generations have shaped the land at the NBNC property.
Amphibian Road Crossing Program – Ecology & Training Night (ZOOM)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFind out how you can help Vermont’s frogs and salamanders safely cross the road during their annual spring movements. Did you know that Wood Frogs freeze solid all winter long? Did you know that Eastern Red-backed Salamanders are the most common vertebrate in the whole forest? Tonight will also feature a dive into the amazing ecology and life history of these semi-aquatic critters.
Natural Selections: an evening of celebration and reflection about wild and human nature
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFriday, April 7th | 7 - 9 pm A fundraiser for North Branch Nature Center. Suggested Donation: $15 - $30. Register Here Featuring: Poetry by Scudder Parker Readings by Bryan Pfeiffer…
The Great Texas Birding Adventure
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas is home to a breathtaking diversity of birds, with the breeding ranges of many just barely extending their range into the United States. From Aplomado Falcon and Buff-bellied Hummingbird to Vermillion Flycatcher and Green Jay, we’ll see resident species as well as plentiful spring migrants.
Amphibians of Vernal Pools – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis course is an introduction to vernal pools, with a particular focus on identification and natural history of the frogs and salamanders that breed in them.
Earth Day Tree Planting at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin us for a fun morning of giving back to the land to celebrate Earth Day! We will be transplanting small trees and shrubs from our tree nursery to an area along the North Branch river in need of habitat restoration.
April Break Camp 2023 (K-3rd grade)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontSpring is a great time to explore the Nature Center. Children ages 5-8 are invited to join us for a week 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 spring.
Ethical Foraging Workshop
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontIn this workshop we'll employ a framework that encompasses not just a plant's identity, but its life history, conservation status, location, and culinary uses to determine which plants we'll harvest, which we'll transplant, which we'll garden, which we'll remove, and which we'll leave.
Spring Birding at North Branch Nature Center
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).
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.
Green Up Day at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin us on Saturday, May 6, 10am to noon, for Green Up Day! NBNC has adopted part of Elm Street, all of Finch Road (aka Stump Dump Road), and our own parking lot, farm road, and trails.
Spring Birding at Catamount Outdoor Family Center
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).
Art Gallery Reception – Hilary Ann Love Glass
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPlease join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating Hilary Ann Love Glass's artwork. Tour the gallery, meet the artist, and enjoy some refreshments.
Community Happy Hour at Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Lawson's Finest Liquids 155 Carroll Road, Waitsfield, VT, United StatesJoin us on Tuesday, May 16 at 5pm for a community happy hour at Lawson's Finest Liquids to benefit NBNC’s ECO programs. In lieu of tips, Lawson’s pays their staff a living wage and invites taproom customers to donate to the Sunshine Fund to benefit local nonprofits. We are pleased to announce that NBNC will be the Sunshine Fund recipient from May 16 - 31 and will receive 100% of donations made during that time period!
Spring Birding at Berlin Pond (South Side)
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).
Birding at the Barre City Cow Pasture
A casual, morning birding outing at a local hidden-gem natural area, facilitated by NBNC staff. For all interests and experience levels. This outing is about enjoying, learning from, and spending time with wild birds.
Woody Plants – Biodiversity University & Northern Forest Atlas
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWoody plants—trees, shrubs, vines, creepers—are, to us, the key to understanding habitats, ecological patterns, and plant geography. This is an introductory course covering about 40 common species: how they grow, leaf, flower, and fruit; how to distinguish them and their habitats in the field; and how to use the Northern Forest Atlas photoguide and digital Atlas to confirm them.
Queer Birding at NBNC
Join us on a spring bird outing at NBNC! This outing, led by Bex Waterman (she/her) and Catherine Griset (she/her), is reserved for folks who identify as Queer and who are interested in birding with a welcoming community. We’ll spend about 2 hours in the fields and forests along the North Branch River. We’ll bird our way along the generally-flat perimeter of NBNC’s trails before crossing the bridge and exploring the habitats of North Branch River Park.
Community Happy Hour at Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Lawson's Finest Liquids 155 Carroll Road, Waitsfield, VT, United StatesJoin us on Wednesday, May 24 at 5pm for a community happy hour at Lawson's Finest Liquids to benefit NBNC’s ECO programs. In lieu of tips, Lawson’s pays their staff a living wage and invites taproom customers to donate to the Sunshine Fund to benefit local nonprofits. We are pleased to announce that NBNC will be the Sunshine Fund recipient from May 16 - 31 and will receive 100% of donations made during that time period!
Spring Birding at Sodom Pond
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).
Glacial Geology of the Champlain Valley – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis class visits multiple field sites to explore key aspects of Vermont’s glacial geologic history. In particular, we will observe a variety of landforms and sediments in the Burlington and Richmond area, focusing on the different geologic processes that yielded these formations.
