November 2025 events

November is mostly behind-the-scenes month. We have a lot to be thankful for, this month, and will post about all sorts of amazing people, places, and phenomena on instagram, facebook, and/or bluesky. We are open by appointment while we take the time to move art around, build the annual appeal, work on our newsletters, and update and invent new traveling exhibits. We have a few events, of course!

=== NOVEMBER EVENTS ===

Continue reading “November 2025 events”

November Bird Monitoring Walk

Ruffed Grouse in fall Crabapple tree

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


online 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 of Ruffed Grouse in Crabapple. Photographed at the Museum by Museum staff.

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”

the Big Sit! 2025

A Stanley brand 25' metal measuring tape; a pair of black binoculars; a bag of Birds and Beans coffee (scarlet tanager dark roast). All three item are line d up on a wooden railing, with green foliage behind them.

The most relaxed birding around. And around and around …

How many birds (and birdwatchers) can we identify from a 17-foot diameter circle between sunrise and sunset? Can we beat last year’s record? We’ve seen birds big and small, in night and day: from Kinglets to Great Blue Herons, Barred Owls to Turkey Vultures.

This is a great long-running community science project. Pledges and donations welcome:

We are observing from Dawn to Dusk. The Museum is open from 10am – 4pm.

Call or email to ask about joining the observation team.

For much more info, see https://www.thebigsit.org/ .

Check out the reports from previous years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (overall), 2021 (ours), 2022 (overall), 2022 (ours), 2023 (overall), 2023 (ours)

several birders standing during a Big Sit event

October Bird Monitoring Walk

White-breasted Nuthatch © copyright Zac Cota-Weaver 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 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 of White-breasted Nuthatch © Zac Cota-Weaver and used by permission.

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.

Through the Window: January 2025

Brown Creeper, carved by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
Brown Creeper, wood carving by Robert N. Spear, Jr.

Many thanks to the MP and MP, two regular volunteers with the same initials, who help us participate in community science programs. They have been here almost every Tuesday to record birds for Feederwatch and eBird… and to note birds on the white board by the window (see the list below).

When you go birding, take note of your observations! Every record you contribute is part of important community science and large data monitoring for conservation! One record at a time may not feel like much, but they add up into incredibly useful data. You might enjoy reading “9 Ways People Have Used eBird Data to Make Conservation Happen.” (Ed. note: Let me know of more recent conservation successes based on bird data, and I’ll add that info to next month’s post!)

January Bird List

Continue reading “Through the Window: January 2025”