BRATTLEBORO — The Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center is offering a number of programs to encourage people to stay active during the winter months:
Explore Hogback
A Naturalist Club Outing will explore Hogback Mountain on Feb. 26 beginning at 1 p.m. This is an informal gathering for nature enthusiasts of every level. Participants will poke along, admire every discovery, and learn from each other.
Organizers are hoping for good tracking snow to explore off-trail in the Hogback Mountain Conservation Area in Marlboro. This high-elevation forest is rich in wildlife and wetlands, and if there’s good snow anywhere, it will be on Hogback. Snowshoes may be needed. Let BEEC know if you need to borrow a pair. Participants will be bushwhacking, so be prepared for uneven terrain, negotiating wet places, and short scrambles. The pace will be slow since there is always a lot to look at and wonder about.
Meet in the parking area on the north side of Route 9 (across from the distillery).
This program is co-sponsored by BEEC and the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association. While there is no fee for these outings, donations are essential to keeping them going. Register at secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/ZvusiB05e3PMTdhpg7O-lg.
Owls of New England
A special webinar on Owls of New England will be held March 1 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
With 11 different species of owls found in New England, there’s plenty to hoot about. This group of birds will capture one's imagination and heart, whether it’s with their adorable size, their booming voices or incredible hunting skills.
Join Bird Diva Bridget Butler for a lively online presentation on these charismatic birds. Learn where and when to look for owls as well as how to recognize the calls of the most common owls. Butler will have you hooting, literally, by the end of the show. Find out why these birds are so amazing and what you can do to keep owls a part of the landscape.
This presentation is a warmup for BEEC's March 4 Owl Prowl.
Register at secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/6oIRNNXf8H4F7nxujDLizA.
Owl Prowl
Another Naturalist Club Outing — Owl Prowl — will be an informal gathering for nature enthusiasts of every level, on March 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Under the light of a gibbous moon, participants will set out in quest of owls. The group will be joining with Southeastern Vermont Audubon for this outing, so it's expected there will be some great birders along to help identify owls by silhouette and calls. Owlers will be prowling before this event to try to line up a couple of places where some hooting is most likely to be heard. Dress to be comfortable standing quietly for up to 10 minutes.
While there is no fee for these outings, donations are essential to keeping them going.
Meeting place to be announced. Register at secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/Dt26eGzxl-UL6mgO31a3Rg.
