Tag: community science

The Great Backyard Bird Count

A golden-crowned Kinglet in profile perches on a small branch, looking upward to the right. White lettering over the image says : How Many Birds Can You Find? 29th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count February 13-16, 2026 birdcount.org Golden-crowned Kinglet / Regulus satrapa Photo: Ashle Pichon / MAcaulay Library

Friday – Monday, February 13-16, 2026 • All Over the World

Whether you are with a friend or on your own, watching one bird or counting hundreds, join a worldwide community-science and conservation project! All you have to do is observe for 15 minutes and submit your observation(s). Here are few details from https://www.birdcount.org/participate/ :

Step 1 – Decide where you will watch birds. [Suggestion: at the Museum on Saturday!]

Step 2 – Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 13-16, 2026.

Step 3 – Count all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

For more info visit https://www.birdcount.org/

Winter Birding in Vermont

Black-capped chickadee eating a sunflower seed. Chickadee perches on a pile of hulled sunflower seeds in winter; a few snowflakes show on the bird's black feathers.

Join Museum Director Erin Talmage to learn about Winter Birding in Vermont.

Vermont in winter is cold, muddy, slushy, icy, snowy. But there are still birds! Which ones? How come? What do they eat? How do they shelter from the weather? And how can you get involved?

We will explore permanent residents, birds that migrate to and through, and irrupters! You’ll learn how to be involved in conservation just by watching birds—and more.

OLLI  (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) is sponsoring this seminar. Visit their website for for more information: https://learn.uvm.edu/osher-lifelong-learning/olli-on-campus-courses/

Class begins at 1:30 at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
72 Church St, Shelburne, VT 05482.

Read more about winter birds in this blog post: https://birdsofvermont.org/2013/01/16/winter-birds/

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Through the Window: September 2025

Unidentified hawk overhead against a brilliantly blue sky. Photo copyright Erin Talmage and used by permission.
Unidentified hawk overhead against a brilliantly blue sky. Photo copyright Erin Talmage and used by permission.

Warm and dry pretty much the whole month. Pleasant for sitting around, and can make some nice updrafts. Did you go hawk watching?

Every now and then this year, a warbler comes to the feeder—not to eat, apparently, just to check things out from that perch. And (presumably less often) we notice!

September Bird List

Continue reading “Through the Window: September 2025”

CANCELLED : Meander for Mushrooms

Orange-topped mushroom with light orange "cloud-like" bulges on the dome-shaped cap.

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.
Pair of inky cap mushrooms: a whitish mushroom with a shaggy high-domed cap. Photo by Erin Talmage and used with permission. Photographed in fall in Vermont.

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.

www.instagram.com/megmaddendesign/
linktr.ee/MegMadden

September Bird Monitoring Walk

Sparrow spp. © 2019 E. Talmage and used by permission

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.

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Through the Window: July 2025

The head of a robin is barely visible above the rim of a mud-and-grasses nest built on an electrical or phone system box on the exterior of a building.
The head of a robin is barely visible above the rim of a mud-and-grasses nest built on an electrical or phone system box. (Photo by K. Talmage, July 2025. Grainy because taken by a zoomed-in cell phone.)

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.

July Bird List

Continue reading “Through the Window: July 2025”

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