North Branch Nature Center Announces Birds & Birding Festival

MONTPELIER – On Saturday, May 28th, from 7am to 1:30pm, the North Branch Nature Center is hosting its Fifth Annual Birds & Birding Festival: BirdFest 2016. BirdFest offers a fun-filled day for the whole family. The line-up of walks, talks, workshops, and activities will be perfect for all ages and experience levels. If you like birds, then this festival is for you!
For those early birds eager to start at 7am, guided walks will explore the fields, forests, and river around the North Branch Nature Center for the numerous migrants and nesting birds on the property. By 9am, the festivities will be fully underway. See live birds up close through raptor shows and bird banding demonstrations. For kids, the children’s activity tent will be a popular destination filled with games, arts & crafts, storytelling, and both self- and naturalist-led activities. Winners of the fourth annual Bird Drawing Contest will be announced, which has attracted more than 100 young artists. We will also hold open judging for our third Amateur Bird Photography Contest.
The program line-up is chock full of opportunities to learn about – and help – birds. Bridget Butler, the Bird Diva, will give a walk and a talk on tuning in to the auditory world around you and learning to identify birds by their songs. The Central Vermont Chapter of UVM Extension Master Gardeners will give a workshop on Gardening for Birds. Participants can also try their hand at sketching birds in their natural habitat with Naturalist-Artist-Author Nona Estrin, learn about Bird-Friendly coffee and maple syrup initiatives, and build a wren box to take home. This year’s BirdFest also includes a talk by North Branch Nature Center alum and Ecologist Alyssa Borowske, who will give insights into coastal New England's unique community of tidal marsh birds, and what their future looks like in the face of climate change.
Admission to BirdFest is just 15$ for nonmembers, $10 for members, and free for children and Montpelier residents. The Nature Center is located at 713 Elm Street (route 12) two miles north of downtown Montpelier. Contact the North Branch Nature Center with any questions at (802) 229-6206 or visit www.NorthBranchNatureCenter.org/birdfest.html for a complete schedule.

Feb 19, 2025, 1 to 2 PM

Feb 22, 2025, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Feb 25, 2025, 7 to 8:30 PM