January - March 2010 Calendar
Winter School Vacation Camps at the Museum
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Naturally
Date: Thursday, December 31
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Meet at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, 783 Townshend Road
Donation: Members $10; non-members $15. Free for ages 12 and younger with adult
Enjoy a snowshoe walk and owl prowl led by a Museum naturalist. Learn about major constellations with naked-eye astronomy and telescope under instruction by Bob Anderson. Revel in the beauty of a Vermont winter’s night and a big bonfire with plenty of s’mores. Co-sponsored by The Museum and Grafton Ponds.
NEW! Starting January 1, 2010, regular Museum programs (not camps, fundraisers, or programs for which the Museum has additional expenses) will be free to Museum members! We are trying this experiment for a year. So please make sure you are a current member, bring your card along, and take advantage of our programs.
Nature Drawing Open House
Dates: All January and February weekends.
Donation: Members free; non-members Museum admission
Every weekend different creatures - maybe even an extinct bird! - from the Museum’s collections will sit still for you to draw. Bring the family or come for quiet time alone. We will supply paper, pencils, and clipboards. You may take your work or display it at our Annual Community Nature Art Show opening on February 27
Tracking Wild Animals
Date: Thursday, January 14
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Springfield Public Library, 43 Main Street
Donation: Free
Museum Naturalists will help you become a Nature Detective and read the “stories” animals leave in the snow, sand, and mud. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Springfield Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Botanical Drawing: Nature Up Close
Date: Saturday, January 16
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Ages: 8 and up
Donation: Members free; non-members $15
This nature-drawing course is designed for amateurs who want to practice and hone their drawing skills and for beginners who want to learn the basics of a skill that could become a lifetime hobby or profession. The class will include drawing from fresh specimens, items from our collections, and photographs, and focus on botanical sketching, scientific drawing, and techniques to heighten observation skills, coupled with individual instruction. Instructor Betsy Bennett Stacey, Director of Education, has a degree in Studio Art and has taught courses in nature journaling, beginning watercolor, and beginning drawing.
Nature Art and Games
Date: Tuesday, January 19
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Ages: 6 - 12
Donation: Member $25; non-member $35
• Pre-registration required
Join Museum Naturalists for a fun day exploring nature through science and art. Make animal sculptures from recycled wire and then play animal-themed games. Bring lunch, snack, and water.
Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club
Date: Wednesday, January 20
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Ages: 3 - 5
Donation: Members free; 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 museum resources through exhibits, puppet shows, and dramatic play.
Secrets of the Athens Dome
Date: Thursday, January 21
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Place: Meet at the Homestead Barn Room, opposite The Old Tavern in Grafton
Donation: Free
Naturalist Bob Anderson is working with other environmentalists to preserve the property. His PowerPoint presentation will show a rare and endangered plant on the property and the many other plants, animals, wetlands, and geologic features that make this historic area, which may have trails extended from Athens to Grafton, such an important piece for conservation and public education. Call the Tavern 802-843-2231 for dinner beforehand.
Astronomy Night
Date: Friday, January 22
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Place: Meet at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, 783 Townshend Road
Donation: Museum and SoVerA members free; non-member adults $10, children 18 and under $5, family maximum $25
A 45-minute SoVerA (Southern Vermont Astronomy) talk will be followed by a star party, if the sky is clear enough. Local amateur astronomers will share their telescopes to help us look deep into space.
Winter Wild Athens Dome Hike
Date: Sunday, January 24
Time: 1:00 - 3:30 PM
Place: Meet at the Museum to carpool
Donation: Museum and Pinnacle members free; non-members $10.
• Pre-registration required
Naturalist Bob Anderson will lead a moderately strenuous two-mile hike to search for moose and other animals and plants that thrive in this pristine environment. The hike up Mount Mitchell will reveal great views of Mount Ascutney. Bring snack and water. Co-sponsored by Pinnacle Association.
400 Million Years: The Geology of Windham County
Date: Wednesday, January 27
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster Street, Bellows Fall, VT
Donation: Free
From plate tectonics to glacial Lake Hitchcock, geologist Roger Haydock will present a program about the ancient history of our corner of the Earth. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Rockingham Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by TransCanada Corporation.
Herbal Tincture Making
Date: Saturday, January 30
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Minimum participants: 6
Donation: Members $25; non-members $35
• Pre-registration required by January 25
Learn the basics of tincture making, including alcohol, glycerin, and vinegar tinctures. Take away a handout revealing how to make tinctures at home. Start a tincture in class to take, shake, keep in a cool dark place, and later decant, filter, and use. Taught by Dr. Laura Senes, a Naturopathic Physician who practices in Saxtons River, VT, and teaches at the Community College of Vermont.
Wildlife Tracking Open House
Date: February 6 and 7
Time: Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Donation: Members free; non-members Museum admission
Special hands-on exhibits, activities, and specimens will reveal how to be a tracker. After preparing, search Village Park trails to see what you can find. On Saturday, weather permitting, we’ll have a naturalist-led tracking hike. Call ahead to learn the time of the hike and to register for it.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Date: Friday - Monday, February 12 - 15
Families, novice birders, or experts can count birds for as much time as they wish in their backyard, local parks, or wildlife refuges. Last year participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent’s largest instant snapshot of bird populations ever recorded. Visit www.birdcount.org or email gbbs@acornell.edu or citizenscience @audubon.org for information.
5th Annual Seed Celebration & Seed Exchange
Date: Saturday, February 13
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Place: Meet at Gilsum Community Center and Elementary School, Route 10, Gilsum Village, NH5
The Sustainability Project will offer information on local foods and farm initiatives, and how to plan your garden. Featured workshops this year include “Bee Keeping” with John Solomonides and “Make Food Your Medicine” with Alisa Andrews. This family-friendly event offers children's activities, a cafe featuring homemade soups, and hardy seeds for sale. For more information, visit www.emersonbrookforest.org.
Birding in Texas
Date: Wednesday, February 17
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster Street, Bellows Fall, VT
Chris Petrak from South Newfane, VT, writes a weekly column for the Brattleboro Reformer on birds, birdwatching, and birdwatchers. His lecture will include photographs of native birds and their habitats from his birding adventures in Texas. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Rockingham Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by TransCanada Corporation.
Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club
Date: Wednesday, February 24
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Ages: 3 - 5
Donation: Members free; non-members $7 (prices are for participating children)
• Pre-registration requested
See January 20 program
Adventures of an Amateur Archeologist in Alaska and Vermont
Date: Thursday, February 25
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at Springfield Public Library, 43 Main Street
From the Polar TREC program and life in Barrow, Alaska to the Green Mountains of Vermont, Chester teacher Frank Kelley will reveal his experiences learning about archaeology, native people, arctic science, and the challenges of becoming a writer and photographer. All ages are welcome for this interactive program. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Springfield Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Astronomy Night
Date: Friday, February 26
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Place: Meet at Grafton Ponds, 763 Townshend Road in Grafton
Donation: Museum and SoVerA members free; non-member adults $10, children 12 and under $5, family maximum $25.
See January 22 program.
Opening of 6th Annual Community Nature Art Show
Date: Saturday, February 27
See works by area residents. You’ll be amazed at their talents. Exhibit ends April 24. See the “Call for Submissions” for more information.
Owl Detectives
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Ages: 8 - 14
Donation: Members $25; non-members $35
Maximum: 15
We will investigate owls in our collection, their differences, and adaptations that make them such successful hunters. We’ll dissect owl pellets, reconstruct them to identify what each owl actually ate, and use our new ELMO projector to examine the tiny bones and differences between bird feathers. We’ll hike into owl habitat, search for signs, and learn to hoot to call them in. Bring lunch, snack, and water.
Influences of Third World Sustainable Agriculture on My First World Garden
Date: Thursday, March 4
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Homestead Barn Room opposite The Old Tavern
Donation: Members free; non-members $5
Enjoy images from Leigh Merinoff’s field visits to sustainable gardens and journey through rural Africa, China, and the Americas. Leigh will discuss subsistence and sustainable agricultural procedures she encountered and their influence on her own development as a gardener and farmer, including agro-forestry, livestock, and inter-cropping techniques. Participants may sample different honey she collected from a dozen African and European beehives. Call the Tavern 802-843-2231 for dinner beforehand.
Snowshoe Trek to Mollie Beattie State Park and Historic Howeville
Date: Saturday, March 6
Time: 10:00 AM - Noon
Place: Meet at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, 783 Townshend Road
Donation: Members free; non-member Adult $10, children 18 and under $5, family maximum $25
• Pre-registration preferred
Depending on weather conditions, we will hike or snowshoe through a diverse habitats on this Naturalist-led exploration looking for winter wildlife signs. Bring snack and water. Co-sponsored by the Museum and Grafton Ponds.
Bookbinding Workshop: Pop-Up Books
Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Snow Date April 2)
Place: Springfield, VT
Donation: Members $65; non-members $75; prices include materials
Minimum: 10
Maximum: 15
• Pre-registration required
Join Susan Bonthron of Otter Pond Bindery for this practical and inspiring workshop to integrate book arts into curricula. Build two books that could be recreated with students and that feature animals and plants “popping” out of their habitat with room for additional information about the species or habitat. Participating teachers will receive a certificate of completion for 7 hours.
Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club
Date: Wednesday, March 17
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Ages: 3 - 5
Donation: Members free; non-members $7 (prices are for participating children)
• Pre-registration requested
See January 20 program
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Date: Wednesday, March 17
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT
Experienced Wildlife Rehabilitator Fred Homer will share his stories about caring for a wide variety of birds. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Rockingham Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by Trans-Canada Corporation.
The Rush to Save a Thrush: Conservation of The Bicknell’s Thrush
Date: Thursday, March 25
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Meet at Springfield Public Library, 43 Main Street
Chris Rimmer from The Vermont Center for Ecostudies will lead this informative program about the Bicknell’s Thrush, a land bird species of highest conservation concern in North America. The species is at risk from a variety of threats to its breeding habitats, including recreational development, telecommunication construction, wind-power development, acidic precipitation, mercury deposition, and climatic warming. Co-sponsored by the Museum, Springfield Library, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, and partially funded by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
Astronomy Night
Date: Friday, March 26
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Place: Meet at Grafton Ponds, 763 Townshend Road in Grafton
Donation: Museum and SoVerA members free; non-member adults $10, children 12 and under $5, family maximum $25.
See January 22 program.
Wilderness First Aid Course
Date: Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Place: Meet at the Student Conservation Association Campus in North Charlestown, NH
Donation: Members $170; non-members $195
• Pre-registration required
Fast-paced and hands-on, this two-day course covers wilderness medicine topics for people who travel, work, and play in the outdoors. The course is pre-approved by the American Camping Association, US Forest Service, and other government agencies. Can be used for wilderness medicine recertification by those with previous training. Contact Doug Caum for information or registration: dcaum@juno.com or 802-952-9239.
Vermont Maple Sugarmakers Official Open House
Date: Sunday, March 28
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
The Ninth Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend will be held at sugarhouses throughout Vermont on March 26-28. For information, visit www.vermontmaple.org. Activities may differ at each sugarhouse but usually will include the opportunity to watch maple syrup being made and to sample maple products.
Save the Date: May 28-29, 2010
Mark Your Calendar! The Museum will premier a new event on Memorial Day Weekend 2010. We have received permission from Ann Druyan, widow of acclaimed astronomist Carl Sagan, to use her husband’s famous description of our planet as the name for our new event: Pale Blue Dot. Here are Carl Sagan’s words about a photo taken of the Earth by Voyager 1 as it ventured farther into space.
We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives…. The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. This distant image of our tiny world…underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.
Our mission at the Nature Museum is to connect a wider group of people to the science, beauty, and wonder of the natural world and to their role in maintaining its good health. “Pale Blue Dot: Voices for a Small Planet” is part of our strategy to accomplish this goal. This two-day event will feature a top-notch list of speakers, workshops, artists, installations, exhibits with food, and festivities galore. The schedule will include different programs and activities especially created for children, teens, and adults. If you are an organization or individual interested in participating to make in this event a regional success, please contact the Museum and help us spread the word. Look for more details as the inaugural date approaches. It will be an experience that you and your family will not want to miss.
