EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Here’s a brief rundown of activities and programs for you and your family to enjoy during the summer months up at Merck Forest & Farmland Center. Full details may be found at www.merckforest.org/product/events. Register for events online at https://www.merckforest.org/shop/.

The August Bluegrass Concert has been cancelled, but MFFC hopes to organize the Annual Harvest Festival in September. We are taking a wait-and-see approach - stay tuned!

Especially for Youngsters

Wilderness Day Camp for Rising 4-6th Graders. 7/13 through 7/17 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, $250/child. Week-long summer day camp for kids going into Grades 4 – 6 in the fall. Our focus will be on the wild creatures who inhabit the forest, fields, and pond.

Forest Day Camp for Rising 1st to 3rd Graders.

Session 1): 7/20 through 7/24, 9 am to 3:00 pm, $250 per child.

(Session 2): 8/3 through 8/7, 9 am to 3:00 pm, $250 per child. Adventures in the forest are in store for rising first-, second- and third-grade campers. Our woodland classroom — the new yurt — will be our forest base camp, and a Vermont-certified educator will be on the ground with the children.

Mushroom Hunt for Youngsters, 8/23 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am, $5pp. Find elusive woodland mushrooms with your youngsters. Bring a basket to gather them up.

Under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian

Summer events, hikes and volunteer opportunities

Bio-Blitz at Merck Forest. 7/25 - 7/26, noon to noon, FREE.

Calling all adventurers, naturalists and curious minds! Join experts and friends at Merck Forest & Farmland Center between noon Saturday, July 25th, to noon on Sunday, July 26th, for both guided and self-led exploration of life on MFFC’s 3200acre property.

Mushroom Identification. 8/23 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm, $10pp. A workshop focusing on identifying mushrooms: mycologist Sue Hook will have mushrooms to identify; participants may bring in their own mushrooms as well. Mushroom Hunt for Youngsters is on 8/23 10am - 11:30 am. See above for details.

Farm Chores. Thursday afternoons, 7/2 through 8/13, 2 to 4:00 pm, $5pp. Participate in daily farm chores with MFFC staff, including feeding the chickens and collecting eggs, and feeding the sheep, horses and pigs. Maybe we’ll weed the children’s garden or pick berries!

Meet & Feed Afternoons for Families. Sunday afternoons, 6/28 through 10/11, 3pm to 4:00 pm, $5pp. Join Merck staff on Sunday afternoons as they go about afternoon chores. Get to know our sheep, horses, chickens, and pigs during our daily routine.

Second Saturday Hikes

7/11 @ 2 to 4 pm, $5pp.

8/8 @ 2 to 4 pm, $5pp.

9/12 @ 2 to 4pm, $5pp.

Staff-guided hikes of only moderate difficulty; routes are selected to feature a particularly beautiful feature of the landscape.

Volunteer Work Parties

8/29 @ 10am - 3pm 9/26 @ 10am - 3pm

Join MFFC Field Staff for the day to have an invigorating time on the property undertaking maintenance and improvement projects. Details of monthly projects can be found on our website.