VINS Offers Exciting Array of Live Animal Programs This Summer
This summer, there are new live animal education programs at the VINS Nature Center! We are so excited to diversify the types of interactive experiences we offer visitors, all while maintaining an expert level of care and training for our collection of ambassador animals. Beginning June 17, visitors will enjoy new and long-running favorite programs throughout the summer months.
The Return of Escaped Harris’s Hawk Paige
The Vermont Institute of Natural Science is excited and relieved to announce that Paige, a Harris’s Hawk who flew off during a training session last month, is back home at the VINS Nature Center. Paige came to VINS in November of 2019 from a licensed falconer in Texas.
Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation Research
VINS Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation (CWBR) staff is aiding in monitoring the health of avian wildlife. Partnering with various organizations, CWBR is contributing to research efforts focused on Common Loon and Ruffed Grouse conservation, as well as leading a study on blood parasites in Vermont wild birds.
New Spring Program Schedule
VINS welcomes the spring season by extending open hours at the VINS Nature Center and offering new daily programs. Beginning May 1, VINS Nature Center will resume live bird programs, and the Forest Exhibit and Reptile Room will be open to viewers of all ages.
VINS Announces Winter Raptor Research Project
This winter and early spring, VINS is collecting information about the winter distribution of Red-tailed Hawks in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. The goal is to better understand the size of the wintering ranges required by individual Red-tailed Hawks, as well as the available food supply.
VINS Works to Meet Educational Needs
The education sector is looking to the outdoors for solutions, and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee, Vermont, is working on ways to help. Teaching kids about the natural world is central to the VINS mission, and as the start of school nears on Sept. 8, the organization is in full planning mode.