Tag: forest

Race Around Birds 2023 – Self-timing Weeks

Human running away from viewer, wearing orange shirt, black leggings. This person is running on a frosty woodland trail with a bright blue sky and fall colors in the remaining foliage.

The Birds of Vermont Museum is hosting the fourth annual Race Around Birds trail run! There are two options for runners (and walkers), and you can even do both:

On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race: choose a day between October 21st and November 3rd, and record your time on the paper forms (available at the Museum’s front door).

Race Day run: Saturday, November 4th, at 10a.m. This is a typical trail run, and a bit longer than 5k. We can welcome up to 50 runners. (Please carpool)

Race results will be posted in our blog.

To Register

While registering is free, we encourage donations to support the museum, as well as cover the cost of trail work, post-race snacks and water, and possible swag. You may register for Race Day (group race), Virtual (self-timed) race, or both.
Registration open:

Read more below: ↓

Spear Trail sign in fall

Course Description

This is a trail race with some steep uphill climbs. Some segments are more like single-track mountain trails. This is a HARD course.

The course is approximately 3.6 miles. The course winds around and crosses itself, making a slightly tangled figure 8 (using the trails on both sides of Sherman Hollow Road). There will be signs and maps.

The course is well-marked and you will return past the Museum to complete both loops. There are no supplies and no first aid stations on the course. Bathrooms and water are available when the Museum is open (Wednesdays through Sundays, 10am – 4pm, in October only).

The Race Map is available online: https://birdsofvermont.org/docs/trail-map-for-race-web.pdf . person lacing up sneakers on the spear trail

How It Works

You may run or walk the course.

On the November 4th Race Day, racers will start at 10 a.m.

For the On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race, runners and walkers may come to the Museum at any time from daylight to dusk from October 21 to November 3. No dogs and no nights. You may run (or walk) the course multiple times on different days, in order to improve your times. You may run in groups, but the trail is generally single-file.

For the virtual option, you will keep track of your own start and finish times. Time-keeping forms will be in a marked box to the left of the Museum’s front door. Fill out a form for each day you race. Then, when you’re ready to run, take a map (if you need it), get to the start line (the west end of the parking lot by the parking sign), mark your starting time, and GO! Afterward, fill in your finish time and drop it in the box.

Please note: virtual runner results are not official, but like all results, will be reports in our results post on our blog.

If you are running on Race Day, please carpool. We have limited parking.A blurry runner passes the Spear Trail sign.

But wait, there’s more!

If you share photos or comments online, we encourage you to use these hashtags:
#RaceAroundBirds #RaceAroundBirds2023 #BirdsOfVermontMuseum #RunningIsForTheBirds #TrailRace #VirtualRace #HuntingtonVt #TrailRunning #TrailRunner

Send questions to trailrunning@birdsofvermont.org!

map of trails with race course info at the Birds of Vermont Museum

Printable race packets (trail map, course notes, entry form, waiver) are available as PDFs (see below):

Prior years’ results are at https://birdsofvermont.org/tag/results/

screen shot of all trails recording of race course showing elevation

 

Meander for Mushrooms

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

…with Meg Madden, Myco-influencer

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.

Limit: 15 • please register in advance



Cost: $20 – $40 (Discount for Museum members)

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.
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

Race Around Birds 2023 – Race Day

Human running away from viewer, wearing orange shirt, black leggings. This person is running on a frosty woodland trail with a bright blue sky and fall colors in the remaining foliage.

The Birds of Vermont Museum is hosting the fourth annual Race Around Birds trail run! There are two options for runners (and walkers), and you can even do both:

Race Day run: Saturday, November 4th, at 10a.m. This is a typical trail run, and a bit longer than 5k. We can welcome up to 50 runners. (Please carpool)

On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race: choose a day between October 21st and November 3rd, and record your time on the paper forms (available at the Museum’s front door).

Race results will be posted in our blog.

To Register

While registering is free, we encourage donations to support the museum, as well as cover the cost of trail work, post-race snacks and water, and possible swag. You may register for Race Day (group race), Virtual (self-timed) race, or both.
Registration open:

Read more below: ↓

Spear Trail sign in fall

Course Description

This is a trail race with some steep uphill climbs. Some segments are more like single-track mountain trails. This is a HARD course.

The course is approximately 3.6 miles. The course winds around and crosses itself, making a slightly tangled figure 8 (using the trails on both sides of Sherman Hollow Road). There will be signs and maps.

The course is well-marked and you will return past the Museum to complete both loops. There are no supplies and no first aid stations on the course. Bathrooms and water are available when the Museum is open (Wednesdays through Sundays, 10am – 4pm, in October only).

The Race Map is available online: https://birdsofvermont.org/docs/trail-map-for-race-web.pdf . person lacing up sneakers on the spear trail

How It Works

You may run or walk the course.

On the November 4th Race Day, racers will start at 10 a.m.

For the On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race, runners and walkers may come to the Museum at any time from daylight to dusk from October 21 to November 3. No dogs and no nights. You may run (or walk) the course multiple times on different days, in order to improve your times. You may run in groups, but the trail is generally single-file.

For the virtual option, you will keep track of your own start and finish times. Time-keeping forms will be in a marked box to the left of the Museum’s front door. Fill out a form for each day you race. Then, when you’re ready to run, take a map (if you need it), get to the start line (the west end of the parking lot by the parking sign), mark your starting time, and GO! Afterward, fill in your finish time and drop it in the box.

Please note: virtual runner results are not official, but like all results, will be reports in our results post on our blog.

If you are running on Race Day, please carpool. We have limited parking.A blurry runner passes the Spear Trail sign.

But wait, there’s more!

If you share photos or comments online, we encourage you to use these hashtags:
#RaceAroundBirds #RaceAroundBirds2023 #BirdsOfVermontMuseum #RunningIsForTheBirds #TrailRace #VirtualRace #HuntingtonVt #TrailRunning #TrailRunner

Send questions to trailrunning@birdsofvermont.org!

map of trails with race course info at the Birds of Vermont Museum

Printable race packets (trail map, course notes, entry form, waiver) are available as PDFs (see below):

Prior years’ results are at https://birdsofvermont.org/tag/results/

screen shot of all trails recording of race course showing elevation

 

Meander for Mushrooms & Book Signing with Meg Madden

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

Explore for fungi! Talk with an naturalist! Receive a signed copy of Meg’s new book!

We’ll begin with a late afternoon walk around the Museum’s property, led by writer-naturalist and myco-influencer Meg Madden.

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.

At the close of the stroll, we’ll gather in the museum; each attendee will also receive a copy of Meg’s new book, This is a Book for People Who Love Mushrooms.

$45 for the walk, talk and signed copy — only $35 for Museum members!
Registration includes a copy of Meg’s book!


Max: 20 participants.

You can see some of Meg’s photos on Instagram at @MegMaddenDesign.

More Details:

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.

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.

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

Race Around Birds 2022

hill in fall colors with more trees in foreground

The Birds of Vermont Museum is hosting the third annual Race Around Birds trail run! There are two options for runners (and walkers), and you can even do both:

Race Day run: Saturday, November 5th, at 10a.m. This is a typical trail run, and approximately 5k. We can welcome up to 50 runners. (Please carpool)

On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race: choose a day between October 22 and November 4th, and record your time on the paper forms (available at the Museum’s front door).

Race results will be posted in our blog.

To Register

While registering is free, we encourage donations to support the museum, as well as cover the cost of trail work, post-race snacks and water, and possible swag. You may register for Race Day (group race), Virtual (self-timed) race, or both.




Spear Trail sign in fall

Course Description

This is a trail race with some steep uphill climbs. Some segments are more like single-track mountain trails. This is a HARD course.

The course is approximately 3.6-miles. The course winds around and crosses itself. The course is essentially a loop on each side of the road. Think of it as a figure 8 (although the loop on the north side of the creek is more convoluted than a simple loop).

The course is well-marked and you will return to the Museum in the middle of each lap. There are no supplies and no first aid stations on the course. Bathrooms and water are available only if the Museum is open (Wednesdays through Sundays, 10am – 4pm, in October only).

The race course map is updated from last year; Pop’s (red) trail is a little different and this year we are only running the single lap option.runner lacing up sneakers on the spear trail

How It Works

You may run or walk the course.

On the November 5th Race Day, racers will start at 10 a.m.

For the On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race, runners and walkers may come to the Museum at any time from daylight to dusk from October 22 to November 4. No dogs and no nights. You may run (or walk) the course multiple times on different days, in order to improve your times. You may run in groups of up to three or four, but the trail is generally single-file.

For the virtual option, you will keep track of your own start and finish times. Time-keeping forms will be in a marked box to the left of the Museum’s front door. Fill out a form for each day you race. Then, when you’re ready to run, take a map (if you need it), get to the start line (the west end of the parking lot by the parking sign), mark your starting time, and GO! Afterward, fill in your finish time (you’ll finish on the other side of the road) and drop it in the box.

If you are running on Race Day, please carpool. We have limited parking.

But wait, there’s more!

If you share photos or comments online, we encourage you to use these hashtags:
#RaceAroundBirds #RaceAroundBirds2022 #birdsofvermontmuseum #runningisforthebirds #trailrace #virtualrace #huntingtonvt #trailrunning #trailrunner

Send questions to trailrunning@birdsofvermont.org!

map of trails with race course info at the Birds of Vermont Museum

Printable race packets (trail map, course notes, entry form, waiver) will be  available as PDFs soon. (See below)

Last year’s results are at https://birdsofvermont.org/2021/11/14/results-for-race-around-birds-2021/

screen shot of all trails recording of race course showing elevation

 

Meander for Mushrooms with Meg Madden, Myco-influencer

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

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.

Limit: 15 • please register in advance


Cost: $15

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

Race Around Birds 2021

A trail map showing the route and laps for the Race Around Birds.

The Birds of Vermont Museum is hosting the second annual Race Around Birds trail run! There are two options for runners (and walkers), and you can even do both:

Race Day run: Saturday, November 6th, at 10a.m. This is a typical trail run, although there is both a one-lap and two-lap option. We can welcome up to 50 runners.

On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race: choose a day between October 23 and November 5th, run one or two laps, and record your time on the paper forms (available at the Museum’s front door).

Race results are in, and posted in our blog.

To Register

While registering is free, we encourage donations to cover the cost of post-race snacks and water. You may register for Race Day (group race), Virtual (self-timed) race, or both.


Course Description

This is a trail race with some steep uphill climbs. Some segments are more like single-track mountain trails. This is a HARD course.

One lap or two? There are two options, short and long, using the same course (trails): a one-lap 3.6-mile race, and a two-lap 7.2-mile race. (Distances are approximate.)

The course is well-marked and you will return to the Museum in the middle of each lap. There are no supplies and no first aid stations on the course. Bathrooms and water are available only if the Museum is open (Wednesdays through Sundays, 10am – 4pm, in October only).

The course is essentially a loop on each side of the road. Think of it as a figure 8 (although the loop on the north side of the creek is more convoluted than a simple loop).

If you are doing the short race, you will run the course once (lap one uses  green numbers on the map). For the longer race, you cover the course twice, but on the second pass you run the opposite direction (lap two is labelled in purple on the map).

How It Works

You may run or walk the course.

On the November 6th Race Day, runners will start at 10 a.m.

For the On-Your-Own (Virtual) Race, runners and walkers may come to the Museum at any time from daylight to dusk from October 23 to November 5. No dogs and no nights. You may run (or walk) the course multiple times on different days, in order to improve your times, and you may enter both the short (one-lap) and long (two-lap) race. You may run in groups of up to three or four.

For this option, you will keep track of your own start and finish times. Time-keeping forms will be in a marked box to the left of the Museum’s front door. Fill out a form for each day you race. Then, when you’re ready to run, take a map (if you needed), get to the start line (the west end of the parking lot by the parking sign),  mark your starting time, and GO! Afterward, fill in your finish time (you’ll finish on the other side of the road) and drop it in the box.

If you are running on Race Day, please carpool. We have limited parking.

But wait, there’s more!

If you share photos or comments online, we encourage you to use these hashtags:
#RaceAroundBirds #RaceAroundBirds2021 #birdsofvermontmuseum #runningisforthebirds #trailrace #virtualrace #huntingtonvt #trailrunning #trailrunner

Send questions to trailrunning@birdsofvermont.org!

Printable race packets (trail map, course notes, entry form, waiver) are available as PDFs:

Stories in the Forest: Summer Woods Walk

child (seen from back) doing leaf rubbing of fern

A story is a tale; a story is a floor in a structure. So, what stories exist to be found and told by a Vermont forest?

We know forests and woodlands presently cover about 75% of Vermont’s land area. From the time of glacial retreat to now, forests have regularly risen and fallen, influenced by the effects of climate conditions, natural disasters, and human activity.

How does a forest develop? What are its vertical and horizontal profiles? Which stories, or layers, define a maturing forest? Forest dwelling birds use different sections of the forest column to satisfy an array of needs. Which birds can be found in Vermont’s forests …and where? Look to the trees to find Stories in the Forest.

This family friendly walk introduces forests’ stories as stages and layers of distinctive plant growth and habitat. Explore the lives of trees, shrubs, birds, and other wildlife within a forest’s layers.



Please dress for weather.  Face masks recommended when we are within 6 feet of each other.

Max: 10 people • waitlist available if the walk fills

Free, suggested donation $10

If you are a family group with more than 5 members, please contact us.

If the walk fills, but there’s enough interest, we may be able to schedule more walks. Call or email museum@birdsofvermont.org, or call (802) 434-2167.

#NatureWalk #VermontForests #StoriesEverywhere #SummerInVermont #SummerStories

Partial birch log with sapsucker holes, on a forest floor

Stories in the Forest: Spring Woods Walk

a small cgrassy clearing in a forest, with white pines to the right and in the midground. Camel's Hump mountain is visible in the background, its pealk obscured by clouds.

Forests and woodlands cover about 75% of Vermont’s land area.  From the time of glacial retreat to now, forests have regularly risen and fallen, influenced by the effects of climate conditions, natural disasters, and human activity.

How does a forest develop? What are its vertical and horizontal profiles? Which stories, or layers, define a maturing forest? Forest-dwelling birds use different sections of the forest column to satisfy an array of needs. Which birds can be found in Vermont’s forests …and where?  Look to the trees to find Stories in the Forest.

Please dress for weather. Face masks required when we are within 6 feet of each other.

Please register in advance and get a confirmation  using this button:




Max: 5 people

Free, suggested donation $10

If you are a family group with more than 5 members, please contact us.

If the walk fills, but there’s enough interest, we may be able to schedule more walks. Call or email museum@birdsofvermont.org, or call (802) 434-2167.

#NatureWalk #VermontForests #StoriesEverywhere

 

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Exploring our trails and COVID-19

Yes, our trails are open! But we ask you to take extra precautions for now:

  • Please visit only if you live locally (within about 10 miles); current spread-prevention guidelines recommend this. If you are from farther away, we hope to see you later this year.
  • Please take extra care: we have limited or no cell service, and trails can be rough or uneven. Please don’t climb anything.
  • Please stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from each other. Pass with care and extra room. Give each other even more room if it is windy or if you are breathing hard (we have some good slopes!).
  • Please only travel or hike with people you with whom you are already sharing isolation/quarantine/shelter-in-place.
  • Wash hands before and after your visit with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If you don’t have soap and water, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching structures and do not share binoculars or phones if possible.
  • If you are not feeling well or have COVID-19 symptoms, please visit later when you are recovered.
  • Please, no pets. This is our policy for all of our trails, to protect ground-nesting and ground-foraging birds.
  • For additional information about staying safe while enjoying the outdoors, visit the State of Vermont’s website.
  • For further guidance about Vermont trail closures and COVID-19 safety in Vermont, review the VTGC / VTA Recreation and COVID-19 statement.
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