In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~ John Muir
Be the first to know about new events! Sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter.
Personalized Programs: A program of your choice with a naturalist, just for your family group.
Ideas for nature watching in your neighborhood: Nature from Home
Find recordings of webinars here.
At BEEC we believe that everyone deserves to be able to access, enjoy, and engage with nature and the natural world. If you would like to participate in a program, but costs are are prohibitive, please contact us to discuss options.
Questions about programs? Call 257-5785 or email .
Upcoming Programs:
May 31, June 21, July 19, August 2: Art of Observation
June 14: Café Botanica Ethnobotany Workshops with Dr. Jessica Dolan
The Art of Observation—Nature Journaling
Four Saturdays from 1-3:30 at BEEC
$25 members/$30 non-members/session
Keeping a nature journal is like Jack’s magic bean. The simple act of sitting, observing, and recording can transport you to a world of wonder. This four-part series will help participants build confidence and joy in nature journaling—no talent required! Foster a habit of curiosity and scientific thinking—asking questions, making comparisons, tracking patterns in nature. Develop drawing skills and explore writing as a tool for connection to the natural world.
May 31, Seeing like an Artist—Botany
With plants as models, learn to see and capture essential details. This intro session also includes tips for comfort in the field, journaling materials, and how to meet your personal goals.
June 21: Birds and Mammals
If only they’d hold still! This session will focus on where and how to observe wildlife and practice tricks for capturing their form.
July 19: Landscape and Storytelling
This session will focus on interactions, the stories of a place—what to look for and how to capture it.
August 2: Sensory Awareness for Nature Writing
The fourth session awakens all of the external and internal senses to observation of the natural world and our relationship with it. Amanda Kenyon of Landkind Guide will lead this session with Patti and will provide guided sensory experiences and writing prompts for journaling.
Café Botanica Ethnobotany Workshops with Dr. Jessica Dolan
Saturday, June 14th, 2-4p at BEEC: Everything’s Coming up Rosehips ~ Wild Fruits, Flowers, and Greens
This is part three of a four-part series; still to come – September date TBD – stay tuned!
$40 for members, $45 for non-members
Summertime is the time of berries, fruit, and flowers, galore! Between June and September, we can experience waves of biocultural bounty on the landscapes of Southern Vermont, treating us to an experience of truly being able to “eat the landscape.” Café Botanica #3 will review 25 wild plant species that you can harvest to compliment your farm-and-garden diets of fresh produce! This workshop will mostly be about identifying edible fruits and berries (the right ones!), flowers and summer greens. We will include knowledge of recipes for nutritious meals, medicinal teas, and some herbal bodycare, to become one with all of the beauty and abundance around us. We’ll feature native species, such as nannyberry, wild plum, sumac, elder, ground cherries, hopniss, and milkweed, as well as newcomer species like purslane.
Dr. Jessica Dolan’s Café Botanica
Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please register early to ensure your spot.
Personalized Programs
Are you looking for a unique gift for a nature-lover? Would you like some inspiration to deepen your connection with the natural world? BEEC naturalist Patti Smith will take you to her favorite places or join you in yours. Because these programs are just for YOU, they can be adapted to your level of fitness, adventurousness, and particular interests.
The per hour rate is $75 for BEEC members / $95 for non-members. Gift certificates are available.
Email with questions or to arrange a program.
Purchase a gift certificate here
Know the Night
Evenings
Would you like to feel more comfortable in the night forest? There is much to enjoy! Patti has spent countless hours in the woods after dark and looks forward to sharing these pleasures with you. Learn some navigation tricks and find out what to bring to feel safe and comfortable. We will take a hike, tell tales of nocturnal creatures around a campfire, and finish up with some star-gazing from the summit of Heifer Hill. E-mail to schedule.
By the Shores of Moose Meadow Pond
Evenings
Night-singing insects
Evenings, August-September, 1-2 hrs
Beginning in August, the songs of birds give way to the songs of insects. Meet Patti at Heifer Hill at dusk to listen to some of the many singers. We will work our way to the summit of Heifer Hill listening to and looking for katydids, tree crickets, ground crickets, and more. Using insect nets and magnifying boxes, we will get a close-up look at these musical insects. We’ll tell the temperature from the rich chirps of a snowy tree cricket and admire the antennae of a sword-bearing conehead. Which one is the “Nixon bug?” Learn to recognize the songs of some of the most recognizable species and you will hear them in your own backyards. If you choose the right date, you might also watch the moon rise from the summit of Heifer Hill.
What’s in YOUR Woods
Anytime
Naturalist Patti Smith will join you for an amble in your woods (or another favorite place). Arrange a trip during snow season to find tracks and other wildlife sign. Which birds are there and what are they up to? What trees and plants grow there and why? Patti has spent a lot of time in a lot of different woods in our regions and would love to find out what’s unique about yours. We can tag plant species you’d like to remember. You will receive a digital map showing the walking route and what was found where. E-mail to schedule.
Porcupines in Winter
Evenings, January through mid-April
Visit porcupine den sites and feeding areas to learn about these charming creatures and how they manage in the season of ice and snow. Meet one of Patti’s study porcupines? Possibly.
Your Requests
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~ John Muir
Be the first to know about new events! Sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter.
Personalized Programs: A program of your choice with a naturalist, just for your family group.
Ideas for nature watching in your neighborhood: Nature from Home
Find recordings of webinars here.
At BEEC we believe that everyone deserves to be able to access, enjoy, and engage with nature and the natural world. If you would like to participate in a program, but costs are are prohibitive, please contact us to discuss options.
Questions about programs? Call 257-5785 or email .
Upcoming Programs:
May 31, June 21, July 19, August 2: Art of Observation
June 14: Café Botanica Ethnobotany Workshops with Dr. Jessica Dolan
The Art of Observation—Nature Journaling
Four Saturdays from 1-3:30 at BEEC
$25 members/$30 non-members/session
Keeping a nature journal is like Jack’s magic bean. The simple act of sitting, observing, and recording can transport you to a world of wonder. This four-part series will help participants build confidence and joy in nature journaling—no talent required! Foster a habit of curiosity and scientific thinking—asking questions, making comparisons, tracking patterns in nature. Develop drawing skills and explore writing as a tool for connection to the natural world.
May 31, Seeing like an Artist—Botany
With plants as models, learn to see and capture essential details. This intro session also includes tips for comfort in the field, journaling materials, and how to meet your personal goals.
June 21: Birds and Mammals
If only they’d hold still! This session will focus on where and how to observe wildlife and practice tricks for capturing their form.
July 19: Landscape and Storytelling
This session will focus on interactions, the stories of a place—what to look for and how to capture it.
August 2: Sensory Awareness for Nature Writing
The fourth session awakens all of the external and internal senses to observation of the natural world and our relationship with it. Amanda Kenyon of Landkind Guide will lead this session with Patti and will provide guided sensory experiences and writing prompts for journaling.
Café Botanica Ethnobotany Workshops with Dr. Jessica Dolan
Saturday, June 14th, 2-4p at BEEC: Everything’s Coming up Rosehips ~ Wild Fruits, Flowers, and Greens
This is part three of a four-part series; still to come – September date TBD – stay tuned!
$40 for members, $45 for non-members
Summertime is the time of berries, fruit, and flowers, galore! Between June and September, we can experience waves of biocultural bounty on the landscapes of Southern Vermont, treating us to an experience of truly being able to “eat the landscape.” Café Botanica #3 will review 25 wild plant species that you can harvest to compliment your farm-and-garden diets of fresh produce! This workshop will mostly be about identifying edible fruits and berries (the right ones!), flowers and summer greens. We will include knowledge of recipes for nutritious meals, medicinal teas, and some herbal bodycare, to become one with all of the beauty and abundance around us. We’ll feature native species, such as nannyberry, wild plum, sumac, elder, ground cherries, hopniss, and milkweed, as well as newcomer species like purslane.
Dr. Jessica Dolan’s Café Botanica
Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please register early to ensure your spot.
Personalized Programs
Are you looking for a unique gift for a nature-lover? Would you like some inspiration to deepen your connection with the natural world? BEEC naturalist Patti Smith will take you to her favorite places or join you in yours. Because these programs are just for YOU, they can be adapted to your level of fitness, adventurousness, and particular interests.
The per hour rate is $75 for BEEC members / $95 for non-members. Gift certificates are available.
Email with questions or to arrange a program.
Purchase a gift certificate here
Know the Night
Evenings
Would you like to feel more comfortable in the night forest? There is much to enjoy! Patti has spent countless hours in the woods after dark and looks forward to sharing these pleasures with you. Learn some navigation tricks and find out what to bring to feel safe and comfortable. We will take a hike, tell tales of nocturnal creatures around a campfire, and finish up with some star-gazing from the summit of Heifer Hill. E-mail to schedule.
By the Shores of Moose Meadow Pond
Evenings
Night-singing insects
Evenings, August-September, 1-2 hrs
Beginning in August, the songs of birds give way to the songs of insects. Meet Patti at Heifer Hill at dusk to listen to some of the many singers. We will work our way to the summit of Heifer Hill listening to and looking for katydids, tree crickets, ground crickets, and more. Using insect nets and magnifying boxes, we will get a close-up look at these musical insects. We’ll tell the temperature from the rich chirps of a snowy tree cricket and admire the antennae of a sword-bearing conehead. Which one is the “Nixon bug?” Learn to recognize the songs of some of the most recognizable species and you will hear them in your own backyards. If you choose the right date, you might also watch the moon rise from the summit of Heifer Hill.
What’s in YOUR Woods
Anytime
Naturalist Patti Smith will join you for an amble in your woods (or another favorite place). Arrange a trip during snow season to find tracks and other wildlife sign. Which birds are there and what are they up to? What trees and plants grow there and why? Patti has spent a lot of time in a lot of different woods in our regions and would love to find out what’s unique about yours. We can tag plant species you’d like to remember. You will receive a digital map showing the walking route and what was found where. E-mail to schedule.
Porcupines in Winter
Evenings, January through mid-April
Visit porcupine den sites and feeding areas to learn about these charming creatures and how they manage in the season of ice and snow. Meet one of Patti’s study porcupines? Possibly.
Your Requests