Programs & Events

Spring 2008

Help us to accomodate you!
Call 802-229-6206 for more info and to pre-register

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Preschool Discovery Programs
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, see dates below, 10:00-11:30am  
Fee: $10 ($25 for 3)
Children ages 3-5 are welcome with their families to join in a morning of theme related nature investigations indoors and out. Please come dressed for walking on trails near the center. 
May 6 & 7                                        Growing Up Wild
May 20 & 21                                    Wonderful Wildflowers

Spring Migration Bird Walks
Fridays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6, 7:00am to 8:30am
Fee: $5, free for members
    May 9 – Sodom Pond, Adamant
    May 16 – Hubbard Park, Montpelier
    May 23 – Cow Pasture, Barre
    May 30 – North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier
    June 6 – River Rd., Duxbury/Waterbury
Explore NBNC and other local birding hot spots for spring migrants, such as warblers, kinglets, thrushes and waterfowl. Call for meeting locations.

Mother's Day Wildflower Walk
Sunday, May 11, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Fee: $5, free for moms and members
A plant walk for all ages. Learn folklore behind names of the ephemeral and other plants we see in spring in the meadow, riverbanks and woods, especially when it relates to moms. Maybe peak at garden weeds too. Heather will include botanical, ecological, folkloric and edible and medicinal knowledge in this eclectic walk for families and plant lovers.

Taking Flight: Aferschool Youth Birding Club
Thursdays, May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12 from 3:30 to 5:30, and Saturday June 14, 7am - 2pm
Fee: $5 per day or $20 for the series, $10 for the Saturday Field Trip
For: Upper elementary students (grades 4-7)
    May 15 - Birds of the Field
    May 22 - Birds of the River
    May 29 - Birds of the Pond
    June 5 - Birds of the Forest
    June 12 - Birds of the City
    June 14 - Field Trip at NBNC
Each week we'll look at a few different birds that live in a particular habitat, learning what makes them tick. We'll also learn about their fascinating behaviors and habits. The program will culminate with a weekend outing. No experience necessary. Just show up when your school lets out. (Binoculars available for loan)

Birdathon & Beyond
Saturday, May 17
North Branch Nature Center is partnering with Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Four Winds Nature Institute to put the fun back in fundraising. Much like walk-athons and other similar events, in Birdathon & Beyond you pick a group of animals, be it birds, bugs, or anything else. Then you find sponsors who pledge a certain amount, for instance $1, for each species you find. Then the fun part: On May 17, go out and count! Your contribution and the donations of your sponsors will help all three partnering organizations. For more information, visit the Birdathon & Beyond website.

Wild Edibles Walk
Saturday, May 24, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Fee: $12, $10 for members and $5 for children
We’ll munch as we meander, on wild plants, some you may have tried and others you probably haven’t! Finish in the barn with prepared samples accompanied by fun displays telling more about the wild foods. Led by Heather Irvine, a former student at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, NY and current student at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism. Meet at the NBNC barn.

Wildflower Photography Workshop
with Annie Tiberio Cameron
May 29 6:30-9:00pm (lecture); May 31 7:00-11:00am (field trip); June 5 6:30-9:00pm (critique)
Fee: $75, $80 nonmembers
Good photography combines two ways of processing the constant inflow of images and sensations: a simultaneous filtering of emotions as well as logic.” - John Shaw
Interested in applying both logic and emotion to photographing subjects that don't run away? In this class we will cover basic techniques for capturing wildflowers with your camera, and how to do so with feeling.

Please call 229-6206 for more info and to register

Summer Camp
Around the Corner

Click here for detailed information about our summer camp programs, and to register.

June 16 - 20
Pages and Paw Prints
For: pre-school ages 3 - 5

June 23 - 27
Animals on the Wing
For: grades 1 - 4

June 30 - July 3 (short week)
Tales and Trails
For: grades 1 - 4

July 7 - 11
BioBlitz - Nature's Treasure Hunt
For: grades 4 - 6

July 14 - 18
Walk on the Wild Side
For: pre-school ages 3 - 5

July 21 - 25
Carried by the Current: Waterlife
For: grades 1 - 4

August 4 - 8
Creatures of the Forest Floor
For: grades 1 - 4

August 11 - 15
Bouncy Bugs
For: pre-school ages 3 - 5