|
VINS Nature Center, Quechee
All events are at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee except where noted. Fees include
admission to the VINS Nature Center. For registration, additional events, or more information, please call 802.457.2779
ext. 115 or e-mail info@vinsweb.org. Summer hours at the VINS Nature Center: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. or visit
the VINS website at www.vinsweb.org
Heron Rookery Canoe Trip
Sunday, June 12
5:00 - 8:00pm
Members $40; nonmembers $45
Travel with a VINS naturalist to visit North Hartland Lake as we search for signs of summer by canoe. Participants
will enjoy this exploration of a heron rookery to view nesting Blue Herons and their chicks as they settle in for
the night. Pre-registration required.
Spring Beauty Canoe Trip with Wilderness Trails
Wednesday, June 15
11:00am - 2:00pm
Members $25; nonmembers $30
Canoe along the shore of the Ottauquechee River and Dewey's Pond with a VINS naturalist to search for migrant birds
basking in the tranquility of the water's edge. We'll continue our search on land with a short hike on VINS property
for blooming ephemerals, migrating warblers and other signs of spring. Pre-registration required.
Wild About Wetlands
Saturday, June 18
9a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Beavers and bass and bugs, OH MY! Explore beyond the insect bites, muck, and smell to discover what life abounds
in wetlands by immersing yourself in this vibrant watery world. Through hands-on activities and engaging presentations,
you'll realize why wetlands are crucial habitats for a variety of plants and animals. You can choose to canoe
through a marsh, sift through wetland muck, or spend time learning why vernal pools are so special. We'll also
have an evening presentation at 7:00 p.m. on Seasons of the Turtle and Wetlands by David Carroll, the award winning
artist and author of The Year of the Turtle and Swampwalker's Journal.
Seasons of the Turtle & Wetlands
Saturday, June 18
7 - 8:30 p.m.
Join us for an entertaining evening slideshow and discussion with David Carroll, author, naturalist, and illustrator
of a number of award-winning books on turtles, fish, and the conservation of wetlands.
Celebrate the Gorge Festival
Saturday, July 2
9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a day of exciting hikes as we descend into Vermont's "Little Grand Canyon". At 180 feet
deep and nearly ? of a mile long, the Quechee Gorge is one of the state's greatest natural wonders and provides
the perfect backdrop as we explore the geological and glacial history of Vermont. Games, crafts, and refreshments
make for a full day of activity. Participate in our evening photography contest (for more details, see Page 14).
Join us for a day of exciting hikes as we descend into Vermont's
Vermont's "Little Grand Canyon" Photograph Contest Reception
Saturday, July 2
7 - 8:30 p.m.
Please visit www.vinsweb.org for details on how to enter this contest.
Form Through Flight Sculpture Exhibit Opening Reception
Friday, July 15
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Form will indeed take flight this summer at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee when VINS, in collaboration with
Charlet Davenport of Sculpture Fest, presents a sculpture exhibition featuring local artisans. This celebration
of art and nature will be on display at the VINS Nature Center all summer.
New England Bird Calling Contest
Saturday, July 16
Have you mastered the "who cooks for you" call of the Barred Owl or the "sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet"
sound that the Yellow Warbler makes? If so then you're ready to enter the Vermont Institute of Natural Science's
First Annual New England Bird Calling Contest. Contestants from all over New England and beyond will flock to
Quechee to compete in this unusual contest. Participants will be judged by a panel of experts from VINS who will
choose winners based on both accuracy and difficulty of the call. An array of prizes will be awarded to winners
in various categories. Contact VINS at 802.457.2779 if you would like more information on how to enter.
Eagle Watch Canoe Trip
Sunday, July 17
5:00-8:00 pm
Members $40; nonmembers $45
Join in a special evening adventure with a VINS naturalist for an early evening canoe trip in search of nesting
eagles and eaglets. We'll start at the mouth of the Ottauquechee River, canoe to the CT River downstream two miles
and end at Sumner Falls for a breathtaking view of the sunset. Pre-registration required.
Butterfly Bonanza
Saturday, July 23
9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Using the energy of the early summer sun, these winged beauties start to flutter and show off their rays of color
in meadows, forests, and gardens everywhere. Join us for a full day of activities celebrating the life of a butterfly.
Guided hikes throughout the day will focus on beginning butterfly identification, gardening for butterflies, and
life cycles. Also get involved with other activities including crafts and informative exhibits. Join the fun
and learn more about VINS' Vermont Butterfly Survey; a five-year census to document the distribution of butterflies
across Vermont.
Nature Through Dance: Performances and Workshops
Saturday, July 30
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 pm
Join us for a visually stimulating performance by Carol Langstaff's FLOCK Dance Troupe who will create a linked
series of performances celebrating the imagery of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Accompanied by diverse music and
enhanced by vibrant costumes Langstaff's work with FLOCK translates and transforms tensions and difficulties through
humor, visual beauty, stunning music, and graceful, ecstatic ensemble dance. Participants of all ages may join
in on three workshops throughout the day with FLOCK's corps group of professional dancers and be included on the
performances throughout the day. Pre-registration is not required. Please visit the VINS website for an event schedule.
Wildlife of the Northern Forest
Saturday, August 6
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 pm
Meet the extraordinary denizens that call the forests of New England home. Come face to face with LIVE animals
such as a coyote, opossum, skunk, porcupine, and a bat from the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Learn about
the diverse habitats, diets, and the secret lives of these unique creatures. Join us in the classroom as a VINS
naturalist introduces you to the unique features of the wild cat and dog families using hands-on "touchables"
including skulls and pelts. For those who like to walk in the footsteps of our wild neighbors, we'll hike the
trails searching for wild animal tracks and signs. Games, crafts, and refreshments make for a full day of activity.
Wilderness Survival
Saturday, September 3
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Join VINS for a special day filled with opportunities to learn orienteering, shelter building, fire building, and
wilderness first aid. We'll also have wild edibles hikes and cooking demonstrations, crafts and a survival trivia
game or survival obstacle course.
An Evening with Thom Pollard
Saturday, September 3
8:00 p.m.
Visit the VINS Nature Center for an evening full of adventure and inspiration when Documentary Producer, Thom Pollard.
Thom is an award winning Producer, Director of Photography and Editor who has filmed extensively across the globe.
In 1999, Thom was a high-altitude cameraman and photographer on the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition, during
which the body of George Leigh Mallory was discovered, 75 years after his disappearance. His photographs taken
on this expedition appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure and dozens of other books and
publications.
Wild Animal Rescues
Saturday, Oct 8
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Do you have what it takes to heal a hawk's broken wing, teach orphan black bears to find their food, or save a
water bird from an oil spill? Join VINS for a special "Animal CSI" workshop and spend the day investigating
what it takes to rescue these wild animals through presentations, hands-on activities, and mock-rescues.
|
