North Branch Nature Center
Mushrooms – 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 intrigue us culturally, medicinally, and scientifically. In this course, participants will explore the diversity and ecological importance of the kingdom of fungi. Over this two-day course, participants will learn the fundamentals of mushroom identification through a combination of classroom and field experience. Topics include fungi ecology, taxonomy, field identification, morphology, edibility, toxicity, fungi as medicine, bioremediation, utilitarian function, as well as ‘best’ harvesting practices.
Summer Saturday River Walks (Family Friendly!)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontCool off this summer by exploring the water with NBNC naturalist educators on Saturday mornings in July. We’ll travel up and down the shallow reaches of the North Branch River in search of aquatic critters like fish, mussels, insects, beavers, and maybe even otters and mink. We’ll use nets, jars, traps, and even snorkels to learn why the North Branch supports so much life, and what we can do to better care for our waterways and watersheds. A casual nature walk at the river! (Led by Ken Benton, NBNC Director of Education)
Glacial Geology of Vermont – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis class uses multiple field sites to demonstrate how we understand key aspects of northern Vermont’s glacial geologic history. In particular, we will observe a variety of landforms and sediments created by glaciers and focus on the different geologic processes that were active when the landforms and sediments formed. We will then use our understanding of how these landforms and sediments formed to interpret the changing environments existing in northern Vermont during the last 25,000 years.
Vermont Biodiversity Educators Institute
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis week-long investigation of Vermont biodiversity is designed for 7-12th grade teachers and educators looking to incorporate nature-based concepts and activities across their curricula. Each day is spent immersed in a different ecosystem, exploring the species, systems, 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.
Ferns – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFerns are our constant companions in the North Woods, yet many naturalists never get to know them due to their cryptic characteristics. In this course, we'll become familiar with ferns and their allies through an exploration of their natural history, evolution, and identification.
Art Gallery Reception: Amy Hook-Therrien
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPlease join us at North Branch Nature Center for an evening celebrating Amy Hook-Therrien’s watercolor paintings. Tour the gallery, meet the artist, and enjoy some refreshments on the porch. A portion of artwork sales will support NBNC in our mission of Connecting People with the Natural World.
(Cancelled) The Overstory: A Book Discussion Group with Kellogg-Hubbard Library
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin us for this special book discussion group for The Overstory by Richard Powers. Discussion will be co-facilitated by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and North Branch Nature Center. All are welcome and this event is free of charge. Please come dressed for comfort as we gather in the outdoor tent space at NBNC rain or shine. Multiple copies of The Overstory are available for patrons at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library at the main circulation desk. Ask for the KHL Book Group. For more information, contact: Michelle Singer at [email protected].
Coastal Maine Birding Trip with Chip Darmstadt
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontCoastal Maine Birding - Puffins, Storm-petrels & plovers! July 13-17 2022 $2075 ($425 single supplement) | Includes all lodging and transportation Guide: Chip Darmstadt Coastal Maine beckons with breeding seabirds, salt marsh specialists and beautiful seaside scenery. We’ll explore all the avian diversity Maine has to offer, including out on the open ocean! Our adventure…
Welcome NBNC’s New Executive Director
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontStop by NBNC anytime from 10 am - noon on Saturday, July 2, to meet our new Executive Director, Naomi Heindel! While you're here, you and your family can enjoy lemonade and ginger cookies, and you might want to take a walk, wade in the river, and play games we'll have set up on the lawn. We look forward to seeing you!
Early Season Grasses – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe grasses are our most diverse plant family in settled areas, and our second most diverse, after sedges, in forests, glades, and wetlands. They are interesting and rewarding: graceful, intricate, ecologically sensitive. If you don’t know them, you are missing a lot. If you are meeting them for the first time, you are in for a treat.
ECO Institute: Natural History Fundamentals for Educators
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe purpose of this course for PreK - 6th grade educators 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.
Native Pollinators – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWhen it comes to pollination, honeybees get all the attention, but the vast majority of the work is credited to a diverse group of organisms that call New England home. There are over 300 species of native bees in Vermont alone, and they are responsible for pollinating ~80% of flowering plants and ~66% of our food crops. Not to mention dozens of species of butterflies, thousands of species of moths, myriad wasps, beetles, flies, birds, and microorganisms that all take part in the complex ecology of plant reproduction.
Book Launch Party – Our Better Nature: Hopeful Excursions in Saving Biodiversity
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA collaboration among Vermont conservation organizations and conservationists, this work, grounded in experience and science presents readers with stories, essays, and resources to guide and inspire action in favor of nature everywhere. Dedicated to pioneering biologist and author Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021). A lifelong observer of nature, E. O. Wilson noted what we all must: Of all the challenges facing the planet, the loss of biodiversity and the current extinction crisis are among the gravest. In the face of this, and in light of Wilson’s optimism in spite of it, Our Better Nature offers messages of hope.
Stories of creative citizens whose successes with protecting and restoring nature are examples we can apply anywhere.
Essays by regional experts who help us understand the power of resilient ecosystems, of nature education for all ages, and Vermont’s dedication to conservation science.
Resources for turning our collective desire to protect biodiversity into actions that do.
Wasps: Misunderstood Marvels – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontWasps; misunderstood, often maligned, and commonly underestimated. These amazing insects are vastly diverse, complex in their life cycles, and vital to our ecosystems. As pollinators, predators, and parasitoids, they fill many vital –and often overlooked– roles in the biosphere. In this course we will learn how vital these insects are, and gain a greater appreciation for them through lecture and outdoor exploration at North Branch Nature Center.
Spring Birding at North Branch Cascades (North)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA 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).
Forest Mosses – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAn introduction to the mosses of cold-temperate and boreal forests, emphasizing growth form, field characters, ecological patterns, and geography. Indoor sessions to learn the common species, field trips to locate them in the woods; lots of looking, comparing, drawing, discussing; an hour or two of stories about mosses and forests and the planet; a little microscopy to show you what the next steps look like.
Spring SLOW Birding with Bridget Butler
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFriday May 27 | 7 - 9 AM | FREE North Branch Nature Center Sponsored by Onion River Outdoors Please bring a small camp chair or cushion to sit comfortably. 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,…
Wabanaki Ethnobotany – Biodiversity University
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThis course of study is designed to acquaint the student with historic and contemporary herbal medicines, industrial materials, and foods of the Vermont/New Hampshire Abenakis and their Wabanaki neighbors. Using the academic discipline of Ethnobotany, counterbalanced with a Native American perspective, we will explore many facets of the relations of our region's Indigenous and plant communities.
Spring Birding at Berlin Pond (South)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA 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).
This program will explore a property that the Berlin Conservation Commission is hoping to purchase and conserve.
Tree Planting and Habitat Restoration Volunteer Evening
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontGet involved with conservation stewardship at NBNC! We'll be planting shrubs and trees this afternoon in partnership with Friends of the Winooski River, and we need your help.
Please contact us ([email protected]) to sign up or to learn more about volunteer stewardship days this spring and summer.
My Grandmother’s Hands 8-Week Facilitated Study Groups
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Everything Space and The Vermont Kindness Project present 8 week study groups to address racialized trauma. Join together to engage deeply with Resmaa Menakem’s potent book My Grandmother’s Hands. Experienced facilitators will guide important conversations and somatic practices. To dismantle racism we must collectively address the racial trauma held in our individual and collective bodies. Learn how all bodies are impacted by the collective trauma of racism, though each body is impacted differently and disproportionately. My Grandmother’s Hands offers steps to embody vitally important change. This facilitated book group will offer a container to do this necessary work.
Spring Birding at Waterbury Reservoir
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA 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.
Spring Birding at North Branch Nature Center
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontA 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).
Natural History of the North Woods with Jonathan Shapiro
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontJoin Jonathan Shapiro of Fox Paw School for a day of North Woods natural history. We'll explore what the North Woods is, how to define it on a broad and specific scale, and spend field time talking about and observing indicator species for this special and diverse region we call home.
Tree Planting Event at NBNC
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontGet involved with conservation stewardship at NBNC! We'll be planting hundreds of shrubs and trees this afternoon in partnership with Friends of the Winooski River, and we need your help!
Art Gallery Reception – Art Resource Association
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontArt Gallery Reception: Central Vermont Art Resource Association April 29 | 4 - 7 pm (Drop in) (Regular exhibit hours: 8:30 - 4:30 M-F through June 27) About the Gallery: Are you eager for green? Our current art show, In the Light of Spring, is bursting with spring flowers, green leaves, fawns, and other signs…
ECO Homeschool Program (Ages 6-12) – Late Spring Session
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontInspired by ECO, our full-day ECO Homeschool program provides a meaningful and fun learning environment based in environmental education and a mentorship model.
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.
The Impact of Trails on Wildlife (Webinar with Stowe Land Trust)
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontTrail recreation is growing in popularity as more people are getting outdoors for wellness, camaraderie, and connection to the natural world. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this growth in the Stowe area and across Vermont, as more long-time residents and recent migrants have gotten out to enjoy our public and conserved lands. However, trail recreation is not ecologically neutral and leads to disturbance of forests and wildlife. What do we know about the effects trail recreation has on wildlife and how do we manage trails to minimize their disturbance? Stowe Land Trust’s Conservation Program Manager and ecologist, Meredith Naughton, will share what science can tell us and what can be done to promote access to the outdoors for everyone, along with an ecologically functional landscape.
April Break Camp for Ages 5-8
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 Earth Day.
Nature & Environment Book Sale
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontPeruse hundreds of books ranging from nature guides to environmental writing to travelogues. This book sale follows our recent launch of the Syz Family Nature Lending Library, and comprises hundreds of overstock and duplicate titles generously donated to the collection. Proceeds from the book sale will be used to grow our collection of titles by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) authors.
If you would like to donate books to the collection or to the book sale, please review the intake guidelines at our Library page and contact us.
Birdability: because birding is for everybody and every body! – Naturalist Journeys Online Presentation Series
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontBirding is an activity that can bring so much joy and empowerment to everybody, but not everybody is able to go birding easily. Birdability is a brand new non-profit, based in the US but with a global reach. Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. We focus on people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns. In addition to current birders, we strive to introduce birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who are not yet birders so they too can experience the joys of birding.
Amphibian Road Crossing Program – Ecology & Training Night
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.
Winter Birding in the Champlain Valley 2022
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontThe Champlain Valley is one of New England’s premier inland destinations for winter birdwatching. Join expert birder and NBNC Executive Director Chip Darmstadt on a trip to explore the shores, fields, and forests of the Champlain Valley in search of eagles, waterfowl, raptors, owls, snow buntings, winter finches, and more. A full-day exploration of avian winter ecology. Spotting scopes will be provided.
Seabirds and Pelagic Birding Boat Trip in Cape Ann, MA
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontSeabirds and Pelagic Birding Boat Trip in Cape Ann, MA March 18 (10 am) to March 20 (3 pm) $550 ($125 single supplement) 7 participants maximum Program will be cancelled in the event of forecasted severe weather or high winds at sea Contact us to register Cape Ann, Massachusetts, is a worldwide destination for winter…
Alpine Habitats, Climate Change, and Rosy-Finches with Carl Brown – Naturalist Journeys Online Presentation Series
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontAlpine ecosystems are rapidly changing in the face of climate change, with their avian occupants relatively understudied. From cliff nesting rosy-finches, to tundra obligate pipits and generalist sparrows, these communities face the potential for massive change in a warming environment. In this presentation, Carl Brown will discuss habitat associations that lend to climate vulnerability, potential arctic parallels, and the adventures of nest searching on alpine cliffs in the Rocky Mountains.
Attracting Bees and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants by Heather Holm – Naturalist Journeys Online Presentation Series
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontMost insects have a positive impact in our landscapes. Native plants can be selected to attract specific bees and beneficial insects including predatory and parasitic wasps, beetles, flies, true bugs, and lacewings. Learn about the predator-prey relationships of these flower-visiting beneficial insects and how they help keep problem insect populations in balance. The life cycles, diversity, and nesting habitat of native bees will also be covered along with examples of native plants for different site conditions.
Trekkers & Explorers After-School Program (Spring 2022)
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.
ECO Homeschool Program (Ages 6-12) – Early Spring Session
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontOur full-day ECO Homeschool program provides a meaningful and fun learning environment based in environmental education and a mentorship model.
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.
Wildlife Tracking 101
North Branch Nature Center 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VermontFrom bobcats to hawks, all animals leave sign of their activities. Join Dave Muska as he introduces you to the fundamentals of tracking and awareness to better understand the stories animals leave behind. In this class, you’ll be introduced to basic tracking skills and concepts such as clear print identification, track patterns, as well as techniques to develop your skill in tracking. This is a great class for photographers, hunters, or anyone who wishes to deepen their outdoor experience.
