Forest Storytime

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will ......More

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will focus on a different topic to learn about animals, plants, or other wonders of nature. This experience is designed to help promote connection, exploration, curiosity, and joy for the outdoors. This program is for children 5 and younger. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to purchase admission tickets at the Nature Store – you’ll be directed to the location on campus. For more information, contact us at 802.359.5000 or [email protected].

Forest Storytime

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will ......More

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will focus on a different topic to learn about animals, plants, or other wonders of nature. This experience is designed to help promote connection, exploration, curiosity, and joy for the outdoors. This program is for children 5 and younger. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to purchase admission tickets at the Nature Store – you’ll be directed to the location on campus. For more information, contact us at 802.359.5000 or [email protected].

Forest Storytime

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will ......More

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will focus on a different topic to learn about animals, plants, or other wonders of nature. This experience is designed to help promote connection, exploration, curiosity, and joy for the outdoors. This program is for children 5 and younger. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to purchase admission tickets at the Nature Store – you’ll be directed to the location on campus. For more information, contact us at 802.359.5000 or [email protected].

Forest Storytime

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will ......More

Forest StorytimeWinter Sessions: JAN 8, 15, 22, 29, FEB 5, 12Spring Sessions: MAR 19, 26, APR 2, 9, 16, 2310:30 – 11:00 AM Join an Educator for our early learner’s storytime sessions. We’ll read stories, play games, sing songs, and laugh with puppets. Each session will focus on a different topic to learn about animals, plants, or other wonders of nature. This experience is designed to help promote connection, exploration, curiosity, and joy for the outdoors. This program is for children 5 and younger. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to purchase admission tickets at the Nature Store – you’ll be directed to the location on campus. For more information, contact us at 802.359.5000 or [email protected].

Owl Festival

Owl FestivalSaturday, April 25 / 9 AM – 5 PM Tickets available starting April 1! Join us for a day of all things owl! Meet live owls from all different habitats and discover their life stories. Join in a craft inspired by owls, and play games to test your own owl skills......More

Owl FestivalSaturday, April 25 / 9 AM – 5 PM Tickets available starting April 1! Join us for a day of all things owl! Meet live owls from all different habitats and discover their life stories. Join in a craft inspired by owls, and play games to test your own owl skills. Learn all about the amazing world of owls and how you can help the ones in your backyard. Whoo are those mysterious birds in the trees at night? Meet some owls that might call your backyard home for an all day event here at VINS! Learn about where owls live, what they eat, and how to help protect the wild owls near you. What can you do to help wild owls near you? With live owls, scientists, storytellers and more, it is sure to be an amazing day! Details and full schedule coming soon!

Virtual Talk: Respectful Owl Observation

Virtual TalkRespectful Owl ObservationWednesday, April 29 / 5 PM – 6 PM Registration details coming soon! Everyone wants to see an owl in the wild, but owls are really good at not being seen. When they are found, owls tend to attract crowds, and often people are not awa......More

Virtual TalkRespectful Owl ObservationWednesday, April 29 / 5 PM – 6 PM Registration details coming soon! Everyone wants to see an owl in the wild, but owls are really good at not being seen. When they are found, owls tend to attract crowds, and often people are not aware of how they should behave to avoid stressing out the owls. This presentation illustrates the behaviors of relaxed owls and stressed owls as well as laying out a list of things to do and not to do when observing or photographing owls. Presented by the educators at the International Owl Center with some of their owl ambassadors. For more information, contact us at [email protected].

Virtual Talk: Burrowing Owls

Virtual TalkBurrowing OwlsThursday, April 30 / 5 PM – 6 PM Registration details coming soon! Tune in to hear from the Burrowing Owl experts of the amazing rehabilitation and conservation organization: Wild At Heart. These dedicated folks have been rehabilitating and ass......More

Virtual TalkBurrowing OwlsThursday, April 30 / 5 PM – 6 PM Registration details coming soon! Tune in to hear from the Burrowing Owl experts of the amazing rehabilitation and conservation organization: Wild At Heart. These dedicated folks have been rehabilitating and assisting with Burrowing Owl conservation in the western U.S. for decades, and will be chatting with us about their work and the amazing lives of this unique owl species. So join us for an amazing talk and bring your best Burrowing Owl questions! For more information, contact us at [email protected].

Virtual Talk: Snags and the Owls Who Rely on Them

Virtual TalkSnags and the Owls Who Rely on ThemThursday, April 30 / 6 PM – 7 PM Registration details coming soon! Denver Holt of the Owl Research Institute will explore the ecological importance of standing dead and dying trees, known as snags, and the owl species that ......More

Virtual TalkSnags and the Owls Who Rely on ThemThursday, April 30 / 6 PM – 7 PM Registration details coming soon! Denver Holt of the Owl Research Institute will explore the ecological importance of standing dead and dying trees, known as snags, and the owl species that depend on them for breeding. While owls are among the most recognizable forest birds, most do not build their own nests. Instead, they rely on natural cavities, abandoned woodpecker holes, broken tops, and other features found in snags, making them highly vulnerable to forestry practices that remove these critical structures. Drawing from recent field research on multiple species of owls, Holt will present data on tree species selection, cavity dimensions, and habitat characteristics that influence nesting success. His findings underscore that snags are an essential biological infrastructure supporting more than 85 cavity-nesting bird species and a wide range of mammals and invertebrates. This presentation highlights practical, research-based strategies for integrating snag conservation into sustainable forestry, demonstrating that the future of many owl species depends on the trees we choose to leave behind. For more information, contact us at [email protected].

Fairy Hunts

Fairy HuntsSaturday, May 16, 2026 Saturday, July 4, 2026Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Fairy Festival) 10 AM – 4 PM Included with Admission to VINS Nature Center Where do milkweed pods become bathtubs and beds, and acorn caps become dinnerware? In Fairy Town at VINS, of cou......More

Fairy HuntsSaturday, May 16, 2026 Saturday, July 4, 2026Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Fairy Festival) 10 AM – 4 PM Included with Admission to VINS Nature Center Where do milkweed pods become bathtubs and beds, and acorn caps become dinnerware? In Fairy Town at VINS, of course! Join the Fairy Court to help search the forest for our hidden fairy friends in a scavenger hunt adventure. Learn about and connect with the natural world and discover a little magic along the way. You never know who is waiting for you behind the next tree or resting under the next bush. After the hunt, get hands-on in nature by using natural materials to build your very own fairy house in VINS’ Fairy Town. Wings and fairy costumes are encouraged! Recommended for ages 4 and up.

VINS Nature Center, 149 Natures Way, Quechee, 05059, United States

Fairy Hunts

Fairy HuntsSaturday, July 4, 2026Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Fairy Festival) 10 AM – 4 PM Included with Admission to VINS Nature Center Where do milkweed pods become bathtubs and beds, and acorn caps become dinnerware? In Fairy Town at VINS, of course! Join the Fairy Cou......More

Fairy HuntsSaturday, July 4, 2026Saturday, August 22, 2026 (Fairy Festival) 10 AM – 4 PM Included with Admission to VINS Nature Center Where do milkweed pods become bathtubs and beds, and acorn caps become dinnerware? In Fairy Town at VINS, of course! Join the Fairy Court to help search the forest for our hidden fairy friends in a scavenger hunt adventure. Learn about and connect with the natural world and discover a little magic along the way. You never know who is waiting for you behind the next tree or resting under the next bush. After the hunt, get hands-on in nature by using natural materials to build your very own fairy house in VINS’ Fairy Town. Wings and fairy costumes are encouraged! Recommended for ages 4 and up.

VINS Nature Center, 149 Natures Way, Quechee, 05059, United States