natural history – Birds of Vermont Museum

January 15, 2026January 17, 2026

Call to Artists: Wings • Waters • Ways

Pale image of a carved and painted wooden female Labrador duck swimming and seen from below underlies brown cursive text that reads Wings-Waters-Ways: a call to artists.

Explore the interwoven history of humans, birds, and waterways with your art. Consider upcoming “250th” celebrations in the US, the much-longer history of humans on the landscape in the Green Mountains and Champlain Valley, and the much, much, much longer stories of how birds have evolved with, use, and been influenced by water and waterways. Ponder habitats, adaptations, and interactions.

The Birds of Vermont Museum invites art submissions that dive and soar with the ways of wings and waters for our 2026 community art show.
Continue reading “Call to Artists: Wings • Waters • Ways”

Eggstatic (for kids!)

a young child looks through a stereoscope.

Our popular Eggstatic! program is being offered again, this time over spring vacation!

Why do birds lay eggs? How do bird eggs compare and contrast with eggs of other animals? Birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish all produce eggs!

Explore different conditions and challenges eggs must overcome. Discover adaptations that promote egg survival. They are amazing structures with multiple functions! Why do they look and work as they do?

Ages 6-10 • 8 participants
Fee: $15–$35 (choose what is best for you)

Three bworn-splotched light blu eggs in a nest made of (mostly) grasses, seen from above. (Red-winged blackbird eggs)

Hummingbird and eggs carved by Bob Spear, and real nest.

American Woodcock and eggs, carved by Bob Spear, 1981.

Eggstatic (for kids!)

Why do birds lay eggs? How do bird eggs compare and contrast with eggs of other animals? Birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish all produce eggs!

Create your own egg to take home.

Ages 6-10 • 8 participants
Fee: $15–$35 (choose what is best for you)

Cache It If You Can (for kids!)

Chipmunk in three-quarter view with cheeks stuffed full

Which birds and mammals store food for the winter? What do they eat? Where do they hide it?

We’ll all try a little caching ourselves!

Ages 6-10 • Outdoors
Fee: $15–$35 (choose what is best for you; includes museum admission)

June 16, 2023July 18, 2023

The Eastern Newt

Post by Gianni Maffessanti, High School Intern, Spring 2023

Salamanders are a common sighting on the trails of the Birds of Vermont Museum. The Eastern Newt is a salamander that can be found throughout the Eastern United States. Continue reading “The Eastern Newt”

June 15, 2020June 21, 2020

Volunteers needed in 2020

One of our favorite things to do is work with volunteers on special projects—regularly in the building and outside in the gardens, as well as special volunteer work parties before our “open season”. This year, unfortunately, the novel coronavirus interrupted this! But now we are open, so…

We would love to have volunteers in and around the Museum! This is completely up to you and what you find comfortable. As always, we have lots of projects and need your help!

Indoors, volunteers greet visitors, tend the gift shop, organize materials, record data, and help us clean.

Outside, there are opportunities for trail maintenance, collecting natural history data, sanding and painting, and weeding. We have a few projects that can be done off-site. We could also use the help of a carpenter. It is pretty easy to maintain social distancing and get fresh air while you do these!

If you are interested in volunteering this year, please call us at 802-434-2167. We look forward to hearing from you!