Destination
FILE: TOM MCNEILL
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
ST6H-BillingsFarm1020 1
9/18/20 9:56 AM
We’ve got you covered!
View of the Forest Canopy Walk from the ground
Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 149 Natures Way, Quechee, vinsweb.org
How often does a raptor swoop two feet above your head? At the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, visitors can experience this any day of the week. VINS offers environmental education, promotes field research and operates an avian wildlife rehabilitation clinic on its 47-acre campus in Quechee. Open year-round, it presents daily outdoor raptor programs with live owls, hawks, falcons and kestrels. Staff share information and anecdotes about their feathered friends while the raptors fly from one trainer to another for tasty treats. Some fly right over and between viewers’ seats! Large outdoor raptor enclosures near the education area provide closeup views of where all the raptors live, including ravens, vultures and eagles. “They live here because their injuries make it impossible for them to survive in the wild,” said lead environmental educator Anna Morris at a recent program. For a view of the world from a bird’s perspective, head into the woods. The newest addition to VINS’ nature trails, exhibits, picnic tables and play areas is the Forest Canopy Walk. The sturdy ADA-accessible boardwalk begins at ground level and extends out over a forest hill that drops away beneath. More than 900 feet long and 50 feet high, the walkway loops through the woods, connecting three human-made features. The most spectacular is the Tree House, where a circular stairway leads to a deck more than 100 feet in the air, above the treetops, where birds soar. Throughout the VINS campus, interpretive signs encourage people of all ages to see, hear, understand and appreciate nature in new ways. Though masks and social distancing are required and monitored, visiting VINS is a liberating venture into a magical world.
Check out the patio seating, take out or grab a picnic table in the City Green. Noted for our dedication to cooking from scratch, serving generous portions, and supporting local producers, we have been pumping nourishment into the heart of the Vergennes community and those who visit since 2007. Come by today!
Little City. Big Flavor. catering available
141 Main Street, Vergennes ■ 3squarescafe.com ■ 802-877-2772 6H-3squares090220.indd 1
8/31/20 4:57 PM
ELIZABET H M. SEYLER
Also try: • •
MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, 1 Montshire Rd., Norwich, montshire.org NORTH BRANCH NATURE CENTER, 713 Elm St., Montpelier, northbranchnaturecenter.org ST6H-oldspokes092320 1
SEVEN DAYS STAYTRIPPER OCTOBER 2020
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9/18/20 9:25 AM