All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) are welcome! Join our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Most fun for adults, older children. Please bring your own binoculars, and dress for the weather. Tick repellent and water bottles are recommended.
Ever wondered about the mysterious mushrooms that share the forest with us? Are you fungi-curious? Do you see interesting mushrooms in your travels and wish you knew more about these fascinating organisms?
On this walk we will explore the woods and learn about the mushrooms we find along the way including what they are, how to identify them, and the essential roles that these fungi play in forest ecology.We will also discuss the importance of community science and learn tips and tricks for taking mushroom photos.
Wear comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring your questions and curiosity! A smartphone equipped with the iNaturalist app is a plus, but not required.
Meg Madden leads an exploration on the Museum’s trails: to seek, to find, and to understand the fungi that live in and on our corner of the wood-wide web.
Note: this is NOT a foraging program.
About Meg Madden
Fungi educator, author, and professional photographer, Meg Madden can often be found in the forests of her childhood practicing what she calls “mushroom yoga” — laying on the ground, standing on her head, or balancing precariously on a log — to capture the perfect snail’s-eye view of her favorite photo subject: Fungi! Her colorful, highly detailed mushroom portraits offer an intimate look into the often-overlooked world of these extraordinary organisms.
Inspired by the belief that people are more likely to take care of something they love, she finds great joy in facilitating fun and meaningful connections between humans and nature. Meg shares her knowledge and contagious passion for the fantastic world of fungi through visually engaging presentations, mushroom walks, and via her Instagram gallery @megmaddendesign. An advocate for fungal diversity and community science, Meg teaches iNaturalist classes, organizes educational workshops and Bioblitzes, and is compiling an Atlas Of Fungi for the state of Vermont.
Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas that they occur. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction. Learn what you can do to protect vultures…and why that’s a really good idea!
Stop by the Museum (we’re open 10am – 4pm) to discover how many vulture species live in Vermont (and where). Can you find all of our vulture carvings? Are we missing any? Check out one of our larger carvings and imagine where would we have had to put it if Bob Spear had carved it with its wings outspread! And what about vultures in other art?
Not in Vermont? Drop by the Vulture Day website at https://www.VultureDay.org to stretch your curiosity with resources , games, education activities, and more. Celebrate IVAD locally!
Celebrate Vultures all around the world!
The first Saturday in September each year is International Vulture Awareness Day. But we can learn about and honor them more often than that!
Eastern Phoebe pair at nest. This woodcarving by Bob Spear is on display in our Nesting Bird Gallery.
This is a strangely short list. We did limit feeding until late in the month due to nearby bear sightings. And I know we were more likely outside when looking at and for birds in June. (I mean, how can you resist June? Except for that weirdly horribly hot week.) Of course, it’s also possible the birds were very busy elsewhere. Because June!
All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) are welcome! Attend our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Most fun for adults, older children. Please bring your own binoculars, and dress for the weather. Tick repellent and water bottles are recommended.
All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) welcome! Attend our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Most fun for adults and older youth. Please bring your own binoculars, and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Experience Vermont’s butterflies and other insects up close!
Join Vermont Entomological Society naturalists and entomologists for an exploratory stroll on the Birds of Vermont Museum grounds.
Bring binoculars, magnifying glasses, and an insect net if you have one. Pack a lunch if you would like to picnic after the walk. Do bring your water bottle and dress for outdoors.
All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) welcome! Attend our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Most fun for adults, older children. Please bring your own binoculars, dress for weather. We go out the last Saturday of every month.