Library Exhibits and Displays
Let us provide a temporary exhibit for your library or organization. All displays include information about the museum. Some examples of displays are listed below, and you can download the 2023 flyer. If you’d like to book one, please call or use our contact form. Libraries can borrow these for free, although there is a delivery charge.
And consider pairing a display with an on-site program for adults or children.
What is a Bird?
Lots of animals have bony skeletons, lots of animals have wings to fly, and lots of animals lay eggs…what makes a bird, a bird? This display engages and informs by featuring all the basics which define the earth’s avian residents, including a bird skeleton, eggs, feathers, and Bob Spear’s remarkable carvings.
Migration
Explore migration with flyway maps, current information about bird navigation skills, dramatic images of the perils birds face on their semiannual journeys, and carvings of birds that typically journey to and from Vermont in spring and fall.
Birding in Vermont
Inspire people to dust off their binoculars or get outdoors! This display highlights the where, what, and when of birding, we include maps, species arrival lists, and birding tips. Plan your next excursion to the Champlain Basin, the Northeast Kingdom, or the Connecticut River Valley.
All About Bird Eggs
What’s in an egg? How and why are bird eggs different from those of other animals? What are eggs made of? How are all the colors and patterns produced? So much to see in this display.
Carving: tools and techniques
From wood blocks and wood blanks to finished carvings, this display shows the tools and steps a wood carver uses to create lifelike birds. Carving with soap is great for beginners, so we’ve included all you would need to get started. Indulge inspiration and unleash your creative talents!
Stories in the Forest
Take a walk in the woods, look down—look up—look through— what is the view? Forests rise and fall due to climate conditions, natural disasters, and human activity. This display illustrates how forests develop from grassland expanses into mature networks of trees with distinct profiles and layers. Forest-dwelling birds use the entire forest column to satisfy their needs. Look to the trees to find Stories in the Forest.
Owls
The mysteries of our nocturnal, winged hunters are explored through this enlightening collection of objets de hibou. A tree cavity, owl pellets, facsimile eggs, feathers, diagrams, descriptions of camouflage, flight, and vision, as well as carvings, all generate understanding of and admiration for these highly adapted birds of prey.
Birds in Art
A wonderful and sometimes whimsical display of the variety, depth, scales, and even history of the art of birds. Wall display only.
Egg-static about Eggs
We all know a bit about bird eggs, but this exhibit goes further with models, descriptions of the eggs and egg masses of fish and amphibians in spring ponds, reptile eggs in coastal or wetland habitats, insect eggs in meadowlands, and bird eggs everywhere! Compare egg structure, texture, color, size, and shape for different species to understand the evolutionary adaptations of egg-laying aquatic and terrestrial animals.
Cold Winter, Warm Birds
Engaging props and images of winter’s cold challenges faced by Vermont’s year-round avian residents. Learning about the physical and behavioral adaptations they employ to stay warm presents a remarkable story of perseverance and survival. Offered as either a wall display or a display case installation.
Introduced Bird Species in VVermont
Vermont is home the three successfully introduced bird species: European Starlings, House Sparrows, and Rock Pigeons. This display seeks to shift all-too-common negative perceptions of these “invasives” as it walks you though some of their fascinating stories.
A Year of Birding in Vermont
“Travel” around the year with Vermont birds, discovering what to see where and when. From migration mysteries to month-by-month changes in birds’ bodies and behavior, experience our four-season state from a new point of view.
Give Them a Niche, They’ll Take a Mile: invasive plants in Vermont
What are they? Where did they come from? How do they affect birds? What should you do when you find one? This display is full of fun facts, pictures, and information about invasive plants and the role they play in Vermont’s ecosystems. Created in partnership with VT Forests, Parks & Recreation.
The Coffee–Bird Connection
Did you know your love of coffee affects birds? What we do to get our favorite coffees affects both local and migratory species. Some coffee varieties and brands have a negative impact, while others have a positive one. This display introduces viewers to a growing field of research and action.
Feathers
Feathers are unique to birds. They provide survival benefits, perform multiple functions, and create unequaled allure for both birds and birders. Includes real feathers, diagrams, and fun facts.