Nature Museum History
The Nature Museum at Grafton is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that opened its doors to the public in July of 1989 and then moved to its present larger quarters in the Grafton Grange building in 1996, renovated the space, and re-opened to the public in 1999. Since inception, the Museum has provided educational opportunities to people of all ages in a wide variety of formats. The Museum uses its natural-history collections, as well as the rich natural habitats of the region, to engage people in learning about the wonders, functions, and resources of the region's environment and to investigate and safeguard those resources for a sustainable and improved quality of life for the region's inhabitants.
Operating the Fish Ladder Visitor's Facility at Bellows Falls - through a partnership agreement and grant from the TransCanada Corporation - allows the Museum to extend its educational opportunities and focus on the ecology and resources of the Connecticut River and its watershed.
The Museum currently employs two and one half full-time employees who serve as Executive Director, Director of Education, and part-time Naturalist Educator. In addition, the Museum has two part-time instructors, as well as occasional graduate interns, for specific school programs and other educational projects.
Mission Statement
Revised in early 2009, The Nature Museum's new Mission statement is as follows: The Nature Museum is a regional resource for nature, science, and environmental education in the Vermont and New Hampshire communities of the Connecticut River Valley. The Museum provides information and experiences which engage and enlighten its audiences and inspire stewardship of the natural world.
Museum Services
Educational programming for all ages is the heart of the Museum's operations. Throughout the year, trained staff present teacher-training sessions, elementary and middle school programs, library presentations, adult education programs, school vacation and summer camps, and preschool programs.
Museum education programs primarily target northern Windham and southern Windsor Counties in Vermont and Sullivan and Cheshire counties in New Hampshire, but extend beyond this target range for specific programs.
Last year programs were presented in more than 40 towns and cities in Vermont and New Hampshire and touched the lives of more than 40% of those residents. Plans to expand website offerings should make the Museum and its educational information even more accessible to area residents and communities.
Goals
The overarching goals of the Museum are as follows.
- To be an efficient and effective regional resource for nature, science, and environmental education in the Vermont and New Hampshire communities of the Connecticut River Valley.
- To promote the education of, and help individuals build a personal connection to, our natural environment through school and public programs with an emphasis on hands-on learning and increased observation skills.
- To provide directly applicable and practical tools to more educators to integrate the natural sciences throughout the curriculum and engage students with the natural environment in place-based learning.
- To increase science and environmental programming for older students and adults.
- To build capacity by increasing the Museum's visibility in the region - thereby increasing philosophical, physical, fiscal, and volunteer support for the Museum, its work, and its facilities.
The accessible resources of the Museum and its wide-ranging programs taught also in area schools, libraries, and other public places give children and adults tools and hands-on, nature-based programs that inspire them to learn about natural systems and the human impact on them; that turn people on to nature; and that increase individuals' ecological skills. Museum resources, collaborations, programs, and trainings help the Museum to meet its goals and the needs of area communities.
