North Branch Nature Center
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Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Get Directions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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!
Art Gallery Reception – Scaly, Slimy, Smooth, and Slithery
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPlease join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating our spring art exhibit, Scaly, Slimy, Smooth, and Slithery. Tour the gallery, meet the artists, and enjoy light refreshments while exploring the world of frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, snakes, and lizards through the eyes of 32 Vermont artists
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.
Natural Selections: A NBNC Fundraiser
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAn evening of poetry, prose, music, and photography featuring Scudder Parker, Angela Patten, Bryan Pfeiffer, Ruth Einstein, and D. Davis. A Fundraiser for North Branch Nature Center.
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.
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.
Educator Institute: Nature-Based Routines for Outdoor Classrooms
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFor elementary and middle school teachers. The purpose of this ECO introductory course for elementary and middle school educators is to apply integrated academic curricula beyond the classroom, while immersing in and participating with nature as a learning partner.
Introduction to Dragonflies & Damselflies – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontDesigned for naturalists and scientists of varied abilities and interests, this field seminar covers dragonfly and damselfly taxonomy, biology, behavior, and identification.
ECO Institute: Natural History Fundamentals for Educators
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFor elementary and middle school educators. This goal of this course is to deepen our understanding of the natural landscape and learn how to utilize this knowledge to build a partnership with the land that meets the needs of all students. Participants will develop 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 practice techniques for achieving a deeper level of inquiry and observation in nature while learning hands-on methods for embedding this knowledge into outdoor lessons and making classroom connections. The routines that we build throughout the week are designed to deepen your class’s sense of place within the outdoor learning environment.
Vermont Master Naturalist for Educators
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis course for middle and high school educators is a unique collaboration between North Branch Nature Center and Vermont Master Naturalist. It is a place-based, integrated training in interpreting the local landscape and applying that training to 5th-12th grade classrooms and curricula. Each day immerses in a different ecosystem, exploring the pieces, patterns, and processes driving local ecology. We’ll practice field-based activities and classroom-based extensions aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Proficiency-Based Learning frameworks.
Capturing Shadows with Cyanotype Printing – Art Workshop with Katama Murray
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontExperiment with natural patterns and mindful making through this hands-on workshop focused on cyanotypes! This class will explore the basics of cyanotype printing techniques with fabric and paper to create a series of prints and fabric patches.
Gardening for Biodiversity – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontTraditional gardens are often pretty, but rarely beneficial to the plants, pollinators, birds, and other creatures in our landscape. Gardening for Biodiversity is about rethinking and revaluing these traditional landscape aesthetics, and designing ecologically functional gardens that contribute to local ecosystems.
Mushrooms: Field Identification and Fungal Ecology – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontMushrooms have fascinated and mystified humankind for ages. From ancient origin stories and shamanic practice to modern systematic analysis, fungi captivate us. In this course, participants will explore the diversity and ecological importance of the kingdom of fungi.
North Woods Natural History – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA weekend of natural history investigation through the lens of the North Woods! Northern Vermont is situated in the overlap zone between the temperate deciduous forest to our south and the boreal forest to our north.
Northwoods Paddling in Maine
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe West Branch of the Penobscot River offers a wilderness paddling experience rich in wildlife, history, and nature immersion. Guided by NBNC Executive Director Naomi Heindel
Mammal Ecology, Taxonomy & Natural History – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis field-based course will cover the natural and cultural history of mammals in Vermont, with a focus on techniques to observe and identify species in the field. Topics will include mammal evolution, behavior, and topics in current and historical conservation, as well as techniques for observing reclusive mammal species using camera or audio recorders.