Programs & Events

Summer 2009

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

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Nature Summer Day Camps
June 22 - August 21
This summer, we're offering additional camps for children ages 3-15 including special camps for older children, increased hours for our pre-school camps, and pre- and post-camp child care. Please visit our summer camps page for a complete list of our summer offerings.

NBNC Youth Monitoring Walks (Youth Birding Program)
Fridays, July 3, 17, 31, August 14, 7-8:30am
Fee: Free
Starting this summer, we will begin a biweekly monitoring walk to discover the various birds that breed at NBNC. Over 100 species have been seen around the property and there's no telling what surprises may show up!

10th Annual Butterfly Count
Saturday, July 4, starts at 9:00 a.m. 
Fee: $3 to NABA; donations to NBNC welcome
Join us for the tenth annual Central Vermont Butterfly Count! Participants spend the day identifying and counting all the butterfly species in a predetermined area. Starting and end times are flexible. All are welcome!

A Long Walk on the Short Trail
at the Green Mountain Club Visitors Center
Friday, July 10, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Fee: $3 members, $5 nonmembers
On this walk we'll slow down and appreciate some of the birds and bugs, flowers and frogs, trees and turtles, and other flora and fauna that make Vermont so special. Please call GMC at (802) 244-7037 to register. Space is limited.

Puffin Cruise in Maine (Youth Birding Program)
Saturday to Sunday, July 18 & 19
Fee: $75
Perhaps one of the most beautiful of pelagic birds is the Atlantic Puffin. Join us as we take a cruise around the breeding colony at Easter Egg Rock and watch Puffins, Eiders, Guillemots, Terns and Gulls. We'll camp Saturday night and see the seabird colony, which now boasts over 100 pairs of Puffins, and learn how not 30 years ago, there were less than 10 pairs.

Bug Walk
Thursdays, July 23, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fee: $5 per family, $3 per individual
Grab a net and come join us for a walk filled with tiny discoveries. We’ll search for dragonflies, butterflies and other flying, hopping six-legged creatures.

Forays into Avian Ecology Research (Youth Birding Program, open to youth and adults)
Monday, August 10, 6:30pm
Fee: free
Ever wonder what it’s like to be a field ornithologist? Alyssa Borowske, NBNC alumnae and upcoming PhD student, will give insights into her recent experiences studying the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and the results of h­er study on birds’ reactions to
prospective threats in New Zealand.

Perseid Meteor Shower
Wednesday, August 12, 9:00 p.m.
Fee: free
The Perseid meteor shower can produce up to 60 meteors/hour. A spectacular sight!  Bring a lawn chair, a blanket and be prepared for mosquitos.

Nocturnal Night at North Branch
Saturday - Sunday, August 15 - 16, 6:00pm - 9:30am
Fee: $40 members, $45 nonmembers
We are happy to announce a one-time opportunity for kids ages 10-12 to join us for an overnight event.  Sitting around a campfire, hiking the trails at night, listening for owls, looking for spiders, setting traps for moths… the things we can do after dark are endless.  Breakfast is provided on Sunday, camping gear is not.  Please pre-register early as space is limited.   

Amazon Adventure Camp
Monday - Wednesday , August 24 - 26, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Fee: $35 per day (sign up for one day or all three!)
For: children grades 1-6
Age-similar groups will be guided through various age-appropriate activities, with the assistance of Montpelier-area young adults (ages 17 - 19) and under the supervision of Sweet Mango Tours staff. Some of the teens will have recently returned from an adventure to the Brazilian Amazon rain-forest, through Sweet Mango's Montpelier to the Amazon project. Activities will include arts and crafts, theatre and poetry, environmental education, and games and cultural traditions from the Amazon. This special collaboration between North Branch Nature Center and Sweet Mango Tours promises much fun and adventure for curious campers.

Monarch Butterfly Tagging
Wednesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. starting August 26
Fee: free
Drop by any time between from 3:30 on to catch, tag and release some migrating monarchs. In 2007, a Monarch tagged at NBNC on a Wednesday afternoon was recovered in Mexico!  Bring a net if you have one!

Please call 229-6206 for more info and to register

Summer Programs Now Posted!

This summer, we're offering more camps for children ages 3-15 than ever before, but camps are filling fast. Please visit our summer camps page for a complete list of our summer offerings. Brochures are also available and can be picked up at the Nature Center or requested by calling us at 229-6206.