Educational Insects On the Road
By Betsy Bennett-Stacey, Curator

The collections of The Nature Museum are divided between items that are designated for exhibit and display and items that are designated for educational use. We recently acquired some specimens that have proved to be very useful for educating program participants about insects and their relatives. These insect specimens are contained in Lucite cubes that can be passed around and explored by hands young and old. These three dimensional, real specimens help learners to understand about natural science in a way that drawings, photos and television cannot. They are the next best thing to seeing the live animals in the wild. The Museum will take these specimens on the road this summer when we travel around the state teaching “Insect Investigation” programs at libraries from Shelburne to Bennington and many towns in between.

Astronomy from the Ground Up - Educator’s Course

Lynn Morgan, Staff Naturalist, was chosen this year to be trained in teaching Astronomy through a national organization called Astronomy From the Ground Up. The Nature Museum will be offering an Astronomy focused educator training in September as part of our new connection with the Astronomy From the Ground Up organization.

Astronomy From the Ground Up (AFGU) is an organization that is devoted to getting people interested in astronomy through hands-on activities. The educator training course will be a demonstration of eight AFGU activities; participants will be given information on how to access the AFGU web site and how to get signed up on the AFGU Online resource site for AFGU alumni only. This online site is a valuable resource where you can ask questions & get answers from astronomers, download new activities, and be kept up to date on astrological events.

The course will take place Saturday, September 13, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If you are an educator who is interested, please call 802-843-2111 to pre-register.

Summertime
By Margo Ghia, Executive Director

It’s summertime. I know this not only because of the sweltering hot weather we have had in June or the fireflies that flit over my garden throughout the night, but I know this because everywhere I turn there are fun and engaging activities to get myself and my family members outdoors. One day I am attending a gardening class on how to divide perennials and the next my family and I are exploring a hiking trail with the assistance of a new interpretive guide. Instead of feeling harried, this constant activity outdoors has me feeling both internally peaceful and physically energized.

Looking over The Nature Museum’s calendar of events, you know it is summer. There are activities for all members of a family to get outside and delight in the richness of our region. This summer, we offer several opportunities for parents and children to enjoy time together learning something new (our family camps in July), or delighting in the magic of the outdoors (our butterfly tea party). If you are interested in exploring the outdoors and focusing in on gaining new knowledge, join us for a Mushroom Walk in Grafton. If you want to learn a new skill, join us for the garden photography workshop or our offering on how to make herbal salves, maybe you will even spark a new passion in yourself!

Whatever your interest, there is something for everyone this summer at the Museum. I hope to see you here!

Olallie Daylily Gardens, South Newfane, VT

This lovely garden makes you feel like you have stepped into an Impressionists painting. There are six acres of daylilies, irises and many other perennials. Over 800 varieties of daylilies are grown here, so the diversity of colors is amazing. This display is truly an artists pleasure, which is what makes it perfect for the “Photography in the Garden” program that the Nature Museum is having at Olallie Gardens on August 2nd (see calendar).

Olallie Gardens also maintains over four hundred high bush blueberries in three patches. Pick your own is from mid July through August. There are at least six varieties which are organically grown and delicious.

In the woods and fields, the farm also harbors various wildlife habitats and natural plantings. You’ll find frog and fish ponds, occupied bird houses, rock gardens, bog plantings, the owners pet border collies and many pollinators making their way from flower to flower. There are tables with umbrellas and benches for your picnics.

Olallie Daylily Gardens is located at 129 Augur Hole Road in South Newfane. For more information and directions call (802) 348-6614. Regular visiting hours are daily 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, the farm is closed on Tuesdays. For more information check out www.daylilygarden.com

Winged Wonders
• By Philip Morgan

This September, as sure as the leaves will fall from the trees, raptors from throughout the Northeastern United States and Canada will start to head south for the winter. This migration will bring thousands of raptors within sight, and often directly over, the top of Putney Mountain. As they pass by, a group of hawkwatchers will identify them, count their numbers, and send this data to the Hawk Migration of North America Association which compiles data from many sites. This allows ornithologists to study and compare migrations to past years.

The chance to see any of 16 species of raptors soar by, sometimes seemingly within arms reach, and often in large numbers, fuels the imagination and addiction that causes the volunteer hawkwatchers to spend many happy hours, often in difficult weather, watching and waiting. Throughout September and October, except for days with excessive rain, hawkwatchers strive to have someone on the top of the mountain to watch and record that day’s flight.

The Putney Mountain Hawkwatch is located on the ridgeline that extends across Putney. A dirt road transects the ridge and at the summit is the parking lot for the Putney Town Forest. (See the end of this article for directions.) From the end of the parking lot a well marked trail will lead you 3⁄4 mile to the exposed summit watch point. If you hike up to join the watchers, be sure to carry binoculars, water, a hat, and maybe even a folding chair if you can spend a bit of time waiting and watching. But do be warned, if you get to see a Bald Eagle soar by or a swirling kettle of Broadwing Hawks, you too may develop a desire to spend hours sitting, watching, and waiting. And truly good things come to those who wait. All of the watchers have a favorite sighting or day on the mountain which they love to talk about, but these days often come after hours of patient observation.

Perhaps the most often asked question is “When?.” When are they flying? When can I see them? When should I come? Although raptor migration is a natural event with wild birds of prey, years of collected data allows watchers to predict (with consideration of the weather) the arrival of flights. Because the Broad Winged Hawk makes up the highest number of raptors seen (some years over 3,000) and because they often gather together into large groups and most travel within a 10 day period, watchers know that between Sept. 10th and Sept. 20th on clear windy days, hundreds and even perhaps 1,000 raptors can be seen soaring in a single day. But in early September or late October a watcher is often rewarded with great sightings of Eagles (sometimes even Golden Eagles), Falcons and often 10 or more species of raptors can be seen in a single day, though perhaps not in great numbers.

Besides the opportunity to experience these soaring raptors, the hawkwatching also brings a chance to see the seasons change. I’ve never had a bad day at the mountain, even after sitting 8 hours in fog to see a single hunting Red-tailed Hawk. The chance (perhaps excuse) to sit and watch a small part of this amazing natural phenomenon brings joy to my heart and soul, pulls me away from the “real” world and lets me spend time in the natural world which, though often ignored, is vital to our lives.

So this September take a little hike and join us as we become witnesses to one of nature’s greatest show. The fascinating world of freedom and flight seen in these passing raptors. To find out more about raptor migration across the country, go to the Hawk Migration Association of North America’s website, www.hmana.org. There is a link there for Hawk Watch sites across the country.

To find Putney Mountain From I-91: Take exit 4 (Putney). Go north on Rt 5 into the town of Putney. In the center of town make a left onto Westminster West Road and follow for about 1 mile. Look for West Hill Road on the left and take that road for another few miles. Look for Putney Mountain Road on the right and take that road (dirt) for a few more miles until you reach the high point. There will be a parking area off to the right through the trees. Park there and then follow the dominant trail along the ridge until you get to the clearing. Walking time is about 15 minutes.

Summer/Early Autumn 2009 Calendar

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Mysterious Giant Silk Moths
Date: Friday, July 10
Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Meet at The Nature Museum
Donation: Members free; Non-Members $5

Naturalist Bonnie Caruthers will discuss giant silk moths, describe raising them, and show live polyphemus and luna moth caterpillars, those future mysterious gentle giants.

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The Incredible Journey!
Date: Saturday, July 11
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Place: Meet at The Fish Ladder, Bellows Falls
Donation: Free and open to the public

Learn about the amazing water cycle, its journey, stages, and states with fun activities and games for all ages. Make a water cycle bracelet to take home. Museum Intern Jenn Bowman will also discuss watersheds, pollution and water quality, and what every person can do to help conserve this essential resource for life.

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Opening Reception for Water-color Flowers by Barbara Tarantino
Date: Sunday, July 12
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Place: Meet at The Nature Museum
Donation: Free and open to the public

The second exhibit in the Museum’s Art and Nature Series will feature the floral watercolors of Barbara Tarantino of Walpole, NH. The opening reception includes refreshments and time for people to meet with the artist to discuss technique and philosophy. The exhibit will run from July 9 through Labor Day.

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Lost Mine Trail
Date: Saturday, July 18
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Meet at the parking area by the old reservoir on Water Farm Road in Chester, VT; please carpool if possible
Donation: Free and open to the public

This moderately difficult hike — co-sponsored by the Museum and led by members of the Chester Conservation Committee [CCC] — will focus on local trees and plants, along with an introduction to wild edible and medicinal plants in this mixed forest habitat. Wear hiking shoes and long pants, and bring water. The CCC will have on hand copies of the new Green Mountain Club book, The Walker’s Guide to Vermont, for sale to raise funds for the trail. For more informa-tion, call 802-885-8958.

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Women’s Hike
Date: Tuesday, July 21
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Meet at Herrick's Cove, Rockingham, VT
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7
• Pre-registration preferred

Join Alma Beals of Ascutney Mountain Audubon for an easy walk near the Connecticut River that will focus on birds. Bring binoculars, if available. Bad weather may cancel, so call the Museum if in doubt. Wear waterproof shoes and bring water.

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Discovery Walk at the Springfield Bog
Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Place: Meet at BOG boulder at the large parking lot near the Springfield Town Garage on Fairground Road in North Springfield, VT
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7

Naturalist Educator Betsy Owen will lead the program on a short boardwalk system that allows people to look closely at unique bog plants — such as the carnivorous, Pitcher Plant, which should be in bloom. For additional questions, call Betsy Owen (802-885-9463).

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Old Home Days Fish Ladder Open House
Date: Saturday, August 1
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Fish Ladder & Watershed Center in Bellows Falls
Donation: Free and open to the public

This program, offering special exhibits and activities for all ages, is part of the “Exploring Rockingham: Nature Out Our Backdoor” series, which is made possible by a grant from TransCanada Corporation.

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Women’s Hike at Weston Moses Pond
Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Call the Museum for directions on where to meet in Weston
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7

Shanti will lead this relatively easy hike on old logging road to beautiful Moses Pond. Wear hiking shoes; bring water.

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Where Do the Fairies Live? - Ages 3 - 6
Date: Thursday, August 13
Time: 10:00 AM - Noon
Place: Meet at the Nature Museum
Donation: Members $8; Non-Members $12 (prices for participating children)

Celebrate the magic of fairies and the wonders of nature. In this fanciful program led by Meg Minehan, participants will explore the Museum’s forest, meadow, and gardens on an imaginative search for signs of the wee folk. They’ll make fairy houses and fairy paper dolls and consider tiny things in nature. Bring a snack and water.

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Family Forestry Festival
Date: Saturday, August 15
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place: Meet on Route 103 just south of Chester, adjacent to the Antiques Center on land of Mountain Man Jewelry. Park at Green Mountain High School.
Donation: $2 per person; $5 per family

This event for all ages highlights forest and land management. Features include activities for children, a chain-saw safety school, educational programs and displays, and live music. The Nature Museum will present a half-hour beaver pro-gram at 12:30 PM. The event is sponsored by Northeast Woodland Training.

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Insider’s Tour of Organic Harlow Farm
Date: Saturday, August 15
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Place: Meet at the farmhouse driveway on Route 5 in Westminster, VT, off I-91 and Exit 5
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7
• Pre-registration requested

This rare behind-the-scenes tour led by Educator Lauren Potter will feature a very successful organic farm in the Connecticut River Valley. Meet the farmer and the animals, hoe the vegetables, explore a swamp, search for plant and insect biodiversity, and enjoy activities geared to adults and children ages 5 and up. Bring a picnic or buy lunch at the café at the farm stand. Bring a backpack with water, hat, and sunscreen.

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Fairy House Workshop with Tracy Kane
Date: Sunday, August 16
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7
• Pre-registration requested

To prepare for the first official Fairy House Tour in Vermont on the last weekend in September, Tracy Kane is coming to walk the trail and lead a workshop. She’ll give a PowerPoint presentation that will show different fairy and gnome houses and villages that have been made in the past, discuss what goes into a fairy house, and read from one of her books. Then participants will be divided into small groups and go outside where she’ll help them create one house from each group that will be kept on the grounds of the Museum to enchant visitors and to inspire people to come to the tour and create their own structures.

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Enter the Fairy World - Ages 6 - 10
Date: Monday, August 17
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: Members $15; Non-Members $20

Celebrate the magical world of fairies with an imaginative hike through the wood-land to search for signs of fairies and explore the mysteries of nature and the beautiful places wee folk might live. Participants will then make their own fairy house or garden that they may take home. Bring a snack, lunch, and water.

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Cold River Exploration
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Meet in Walpole, NH, at the dirt parking area across from the Citgo Station/Jiffy Mart near the inter-section of Routes 123A and 12
Donation: Free and open to the public

Visit the mouth of the Cold River where it joins the Connecticut with Program Leader David Deen — Steward for the Connecticut River Watershed Council, fly-fishing guide, and member of the Advisory Board of The Nature Museum — and other members of the co-sponsoring Cold River Local Advisory Committee. The program will focus on fish habitat and give an introduction to local geology and water quality, and is partially funded by TransCanada Corporation.

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Herbal Healing with Vermont's Wild Plants
Date: Tuesday, August 25
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: Members $10; Non-Members $15
• Pre-registration required

This evening workshop with Sage Maurer of the Gaia School of Healing in Westminster, VT, will teach herbal basics (plant identification and preparation) and ancient practices of folk herbal healing for home and family using common, local plants. Herbal preparations will be demonstrated and then sampled by the class. Partici-pants will take away recipes and herbal healing mixtures they can use to support the body daily.

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Mushroom Search
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time:1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum to carpool to nearby site
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7
• Pre-registration required

Join Dick McCarrick, one of three generations of family members who hunt and eat wood-land mushrooms. Along the way, McCarrick will introduce safe mushroom-hunting techniques; show specimens of poisonous and non-poisonous mushrooms; and reveal other helpful information about this popular foraging activity that is so weather and habitat dependent.

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Night at the Museum
Date: Friday, September 11 - For Girls, Ages 9 - 13
Date: Saturday, September 12 - For Boys, Ages 9 - 13
Time: Arrive at 5:00 PM - depart at 10:00 AM the next morning, after breakfast
Place: At the Museum
Donation: Members $40; Non-Members $50
• Pre-registration required; minimum 4, maximum 10

Experience a night of adventure inside and outside The Museum. Start by cooking dinner outside and setting up tents. Then explore “hidden treasures” on a special insider tour in the private depths of the Museum. Go for a night hike, discover nocturnal wildlife, learn constellations, and hear some good fireside tales while making s’mores at the campfire.

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Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club - Ages 3 - 5
Date: Wednesday, September 16
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7 (prices are for all participating children)
• Pre-registration requested

This monthly fun-filled program for preschoolers and their caregivers offers hands-on activities to foster creativity and connect children more closely to the natural world. Participants will explore the outdoors, visit different habitats, and enjoy the many resources that the museum has to offer through exhibits, puppet shows, and dramatic play.

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The Soapstone Story
Date: Wednesday, September 16
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Rockingham Library
Donation: Free and open to the public

Sue Hadden, Director of the co-sponsoring Museum of Mining and Minerals in Grafton, VT, will present slides that explain the soapstone formation and mining process. The program is partially funded by a grant from TransCanada Corporation.

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Soapstone Exhibits and Quarry Hike
Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: Members $5; Non-Members $7
• Pre-registration requested

This day of soapstone investigation and exploration in Grafton is co-sponsored by three different local museums: Mining and Minerals, History, and Nature, and features progressive museum visits in the morning (10-12) to view soapstone art and objects, a break for lunch (12-1), and an afternoon hike to the quarry sites on Bear Mountain (1-4). Participants will carpool to the start to avoid the steeper parts of Kidder Hill. Sue Hadden of the mineral museum will give an introduction to the soapstone mining process in the morning. Later Bill Brown will lead the way to the quarry sites. Hikers should wear long pants and hiking shoes and bring a snack and water for this moderately strenuous hike.

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First Fairy Open House Tour in Vermont!
Date: Saturday, September 26
Time: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Date: Sunday, September 27
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum
Donation: See details below

Advance tickets in each category feature a discount: children (ages 3-18) $4/$5; adults $10/$12; Seniors (age 62+) $8/$10. Tickets are good for both tour days. Funds earned will help support the Museum’s programming and exhibits.

Bring the whole family for a woodland tour of amazing fairy houses made by a host of professional experts and ardent enthusiasts. Meet author Tracy Kane, who will have books to autograph, and enjoy her readings, pictures, and discussions of nifty previous houses. Make a fairy house out of provided natural materials to take home or to leave for the weekend for others’ admiration and inspi-ration. People are encouraged to bring natural materials they want to use and to share with others. See separate notices about this first-time event for Vermont.

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