December Mighty Acorns Club — Fire and Ice: Welcoming Winter and Campfire Safety

Mighty Acorns Club invites young adventurers to explore the natural world through interactive and hands-on lessons, activities, and outdoor adventures. This program is held at The Nature Museum and all sessions involve exploring nearby areas that include forest, meadow, our native plant garden, and more!

The Mighty Acorns Club (MAC) program series aims to provide special learning experiences for budding young naturalists. These programs offer creative, open-ended, exploratory programs focused towards children ages 3 to 6 and their caregivers. Our goal: to foster an early love of the natural world and an eagerness to explore and have fun outside!

Our Senior Environmental Educator, Jay DeGregorio, leads this program each month. Although this program series aims to meet the learning needs of students ages 3-6, older students are welcome if interested.

$15 in advance per child, registration required. Caregivers are free.

Session 3 Description: 12/09/22

Fire and Ice: Welcoming Winter and Campfire Safety

As we near the Winter Solstice, this time of year presents us the opportunity to embrace the new season and changes. We’ll learn about the hows and whys of winter and explore the winter landscape. What better way to enjoy this chilly time of year than with a campfire? We’ll introduce campfire safety and start our own campfire! We’ll sing songs, read a story, and even do some campfire cooking.

This program occurs at The Nature Museum. Parking is in the lot across the street from the museum.

Mighty Acorns Club will happen rain, snow, hot, cold, or shine! We feel it’s important and fun to spend time exploring the outdoors safely in all conditions. Although there may be some time spent indoors during programs, make sure that you and your mighty acorn(s) are prepared to spend the entire program outdoors in whatever the weather has in store for us! If there are unsafe weather conditions (e.g. thunder/lightning, high winds, extreme cold, etc.), we will have alternative indoor activities/exploration. The Nature Museum follows the decision of Grafton Elementary School regarding closure due to weather. If the museum is closed, programming will not take place.

Mushroom Journaling Workshop

Join artist Madge Evers for a mushroom journaling workshop. The class will begin at the museum, where participants will make their own nature journals using a simple paper fold. Next, participants will go on a walk across the river to the Wantastiquet trails, where Evers will lead a nature observation and journaling program focused on finding and identifying mushrooms and recording them as drawings or spore prints.

Foraged materials inform the work of Madge Evers. She has been paying close attention to signs of fungi since 2015, when she began making mushroom spore print art. Learning of and seeing the Herbarium that Emily Dickinson created as a student inspired Evers to see the plants all around us with new eyes.

This event is presented in connection with the exhibit Madge Evers: The New Herbarium.

This program is for participants ages 14+, or child and parent pairs if children are ages 10+. All materials provided. Participation is limited to 15 people. Rain date: Sunday, October 30.

This is an in-person program.

ADMISSION: $50, $45 BMAC members

Kids Outdoor Exploration

Southern Vermont Natural History Museum
Hogback Bush-wack

Meet Museum educators at the VAST parking lot across from VT Distillers on the north side of Route 9, Hogback

We’re going off the trail and seeing what we can find. Not much more to say- the kids will follow their noses and the adults will try to keep up! This activity is kid-directed and we never really know where we’ll end up!  Be sure to dress for the weather and for likely muddy trail conditions. Kid’s Explorations are free to attend but donations towards the Museum’s Educational programming are accepted and appreciated.

 

 

 

BEEC Nature Explorers Summer Camp

There are still a few openings for BEEC’s Nature Explorers Summer Camp.

Shutterbugs with Insight Photography ages 8 – 11
June 27 – July 1

Emerging Naturalists ages 8 – 11
July 11 – 15 ~ Creative by Nature
Aug 15 – 19 ~ Finding Our Way

Visit our website for more information and registration.

 

Identifying the Tiny Critters That Live in Our Streams

Thursday, July 7, 10:00 to 11:30 am – Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center will hold a workshop – “Identifying the Tiny Critters That Live in Our Streams.” Join us at the Moore Free Library to discover who lives in the stream behind the library. Call to reserve a spot.  802-365-7948

BEEC Nature Explorers Summer Camp

Come to BEEC to explore, discover, imagine, and play! 

Nature Explorers Summer Camp is for the young person who enjoys the natural world.  Our goal is to foster children’s love of nature in a fun, safe and supportive environment. Children spend each day outdoors exploring the forests, meadows, and waters of BEEC’s 60 acres.  Children return year after year, excited to visit special places such as Grandmother Tree, Mossy Rocks, and Frog Pond.

Each week is dynamic as activities are guided by the theme of the week, interests of the group, and offerings from nature.  All camps include nature exploration and discovery, games inspired by the world around us, naturalist skills including sensory observation and inquiry, hands-on activities, free play, journaling, stories, craft projects, and song.

Emerging Naturalists ages 8 – 11
June 27 – July 1 ~ Wild Wanderings
July 11 – 15 ~ Creative by Nature
July 18 – 22 ~ Habitat Helpers
Aug 1 – 5 ~ Amazing Animals
Aug 15 – 19 ~ Finding Our Way

Drop off 8:45 – 9:00 am,  Pick up 3:00 – 3:15 pm

Sliding scale: BEEC Members $285 – $350, Non-members $335 – $400, Scholarships available
* The week of July 5-8 is a four day camp, with a sliding scale of Members $235 – $300, Non-members $285 – $350

Fishing with The Wizard

Get your children hooked on fishing! Children from 7-15 will be introduced to the art of catch and release bass fishing with The Wizard (Don Jones). One child and optionally their parent or guardian will join Donald D. Jones, aka The Wizard for a morning of fun and catching. The Wizard will show your child the tricks of fishing fresh water lakes for bass and other native fish. There will be demonstrations on how to drive the boat and navigate a lake. Equipment will be provided and an explanation of the lures, rods, hooks, etc. will be shared with your child. Hurry as space is VERY limited. Registration is by a minimum donation of $25.00 – thank you!