where natural history meets art
Oh my gosh, it’s been SO dry. Thankfully, we have a little trickle of water coming into a well-shaded tiny pond. The Bee balm and the willow and the goldenrod are a bit too tall and dense to see the birds taking their small drinks at the water, though! (The Hummingbirds sure like the bee balm!)
We’re sorry but we have had to cancel this event. We hope to offer it again sometime!
It’s widely known that some fungi are decomposers, but did you know that they can also eat plastic, clean up oil spills, hunt for prey, and enable trees to talk to each other?
Join mycology educator, macro photographer, and author Meg Madden on a mushroom curiosity walk to learn more about the lives of these fascinating organisms. On this walk we will explore the woods and talk about the mushrooms we find along the way including what they are and how to identify them.
From building soil to connecting trees, we will go over the essential roles that fungi play within their natural communities. From environmental remediation to mycelium-based green building materials, we’ll also learn about some of the unique ways fungi can help us navigate our way in a more planet-friendly manner.
Meg will also discuss the importance of community science, how you can contribute to Vermont’s growing database of fungi species on iNaturalist, and share tips and tricks for taking scientific grade 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.
Signed copies of Meg’s new book, This Is A Book For People Who Love Mushrooms is available for purchase in the Musuem’s Gift Shop.
Note: this is NOT a foraging program.
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.
All birders — current, experienced, newbie and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Register in advance with the button below
or call 802 434-2167.
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo: Sparrow spp. © 2019 E. Talmage and used by permission.
Goodness it’s been hot. What did you have out for birds in your backyard to beat the heat? We have multiple types of cover (shade and safety) and water as well. These robins used the roof of one our sheds as their shade.
We had some great Early Bird Walks this month—you can visit our checklists at eBird to see what we observed not from the window (link below).
By the end of the month, it felt like things are settling down : a robin is incubating or raising a second brood near our back door; adult cardinals are feeding young. Who next will bring their babies around? Chickadees? Blue Jays? Hummingbirds? Watch for fluttering wings and listen for unusual squeakings.
All birders — current, experienced, newbie and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Register by calling 802 434-2167 or using the button below:
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo: Photo of Yellow Warbler ©copyright Bob Johnson and used by permission.
Well, we have a “happenin’ summer!”
Arts events are the big focus in July, with a concert, a workshop, and a reception. If you need something a bit more detailed, try the Butterfly and Big Walk. If you want quiet reflection, there’s another Forest Sit. Need to stomp some feet? Drop by the Blues for Breakfast concert at the Huntington Rec Field.
Scroll on down and find out more!
Have you been on one of our Early Birder walks yet? Every Sunday in May and June!
Also, wow was it rainy this month. Good heavens.
All birders — current, experienced, newbie and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Register by calling 802 434-2167 or use this button:
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo: Unidentified hawk overhead against a brilliantly blue sky. Photo copyright Erin Talmage and used by permission.
Welcome to our late spring and early summer events! We’ll walk and bird, sit in the forest, explore art, and maybe even try whittling and wood carving.
The trails are open from sunrise to sunset, every day—we recommend using the south trails (Spear, Discovery, Story) rather than Gale’s, Pop’s, or Bob’s, thanks to flooding last July. Trail maps and more information are available on our website, and are posted at the museum and at trail kiosks as well.