Workshops, Webinars, Field Trips, and Other Events

Join us for September’s Youth Birding Club meetup!

Campbell Flats is a well-known eBird “hotspot” that was the site of the Youth Birding Club’s second monthly outing in May of 2025. It features a flat walking loop of ~1/2 mile on a quiet gravel road with a wide mowed path that winds between the Ompompanoosuc River and a cornfield (which can be surprisingly full of birds).

Trip leaders will be Kyle Jones, Erica Faughnan, Joe Ransdell-Green, and Chris Rimmer. We’ll move at a leisurely pace, with a goal of having every young birder see every bird well, rather than maximizing the number of species we tally. With four seasoned co-leaders, there should be plenty of one-on-one interaction and mentoring. We’ll park and meet along the split rail fence on the left just after Patterson Road, then bird until 9:00 am, with the usual option to continue on for anyone who would like.

We encourage any youth between the ages of 7-13 with an interest in birds to join us on  September 12, with or without a parent or grandparent. It is not necessary to have attended any of our previous sessions—every outing is open and inclusive to beginners. Binoculars will be provided for anyone who doesn’t have them.

There are 15 spots for kids and registration will be first come, first serve.

Join VCE and Sustainable Woodstock for the premiere of The Cost of Control: Tick Spraying and Backyard Diversity. This short documentary explores a dilemma facing a growing number of New England homeowners: How do we protect ourselves and our families from ticks without harming the other life that shares our backyards?  Blending scientific discovery with the perspectives of landowners and conservation experts, our film asks us to think more deeply and holistically about how we interact with the ecosystems that surround us. Following the screening, audience members are invited to stay for a Q&A with Vermont Center for Ecostudies ecologists Dr. Jason Hill and Amber Jones.

At a time when the news for birds—and for the planet—has rarely seemed more grim, there is reason for hope. All around the world, people are reviving bird populations and providing a roadmap for wider recovery. In his newest book, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet, best-selling author and researcher Scott Weidensaul shows why we should never underestimate the resiliency of birds, and why creating a world that works for birds will work for everything—including us.  

Join VCE and Birds and Beans Coffee for a special evening with ornithologist and New York Times best-selling author Scott Weidensaul on October 2nd at the Theater at Lake Morey Resort, featuring stories from his latest book The Return of the Oystercatcher. Reception with hors d’oeuvres 4:00 – 5:00, talk 5:00 – 6:00, book signing 6:00 – 6:30. Books available for purchase courtesy of the Norwich Bookstore.

At a time when the news for birds—and for the planet—has rarely seemed more grim, there is reason for hope. All around the world, people are reviving bird populations and providing a roadmap for wider recovery. In his newest book, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet, best-selling author and researcher Scott Weidensaul shows why we should never underestimate the resiliency of birds, and why creating a world that works for birds will work for everything—including us.  

Join VCE and Birds and Beans Coffee for a special evening with ornithologist and New York Times best-selling author Scott Weidensaul on October 3rd at the North Chapel in Woodstock, VT featuring stories from his latest book The Return of the Oystercatcher. Talk 4:00 – 5:00, book signing 5:00 – 5:30. Books available for purchase courtesy of the Yankee Bookshop.