Staying Flexible in a Changing World

By Chris Hubbard, Education Director

It’s hard to believe, looking back a year ago, that we were holding workshops and our Second Saturday hikes in person. Our annual Owl presentation and hike in February drew over 50 people to the Visitor Center and into the landscape. We started working with a group of Mettawee Community School students during our “Field and Forest Fridays,” an afterschool program, and our Winter in the Woods vacation campers were tracking animals and examining snowflakes. Planning for our Annual Pancake Breakfast was underway. But all that was about to change.

While in early March we were sharing our excitement of the upcoming Pancake Breakfast on our Facebook page, one week later we made the decision to cancel, given the news of the quickly spreading virus. Field and Forest Friday wrapped up just in the nick of time, and schools were cancelling field trips. We realized we’d have to pivot how we delivered programming, and we’d have to remain flexible as conditions changed.

Since we weren’t able to hold gatherings in-person, we shifted to creating digital content, by offering our Nearby Nature videos. Northshire Grown: Direct, led by our team in collaboration with some amazing local food advocates, connected farmers and consumers as farmers markets closed; NG:D continues to this day. Our annual Meet the Lambs went virtual. Warmer weather allowed us to have in-person programming, as we limited the number of participants for our hikes, Farm Chores, and Meet and Feed program. Our summer camp schedule included sessions for the children of essential workers. As the summer ended and we moved into fall, “Wilderness Wednesdays” allowed students to explore the natural world through guided, hands-on explorations during non-instructional school days. Winter brought a shift from in-person workshops and hikes. We offered “Wreath and Fixings,” in place of our annual wreath workshop, allowing participants to decorate a Merck-made wreath at home. Currently we are offering a totally virtual workshop in tracking, available online. Future workshops are scheduled, with a presentation available for viewing at home and accompanied by a hike at Merck Forest, if conditions permit.

Looking forward to spring and warmer weather, we have a line-up of Game of Logging and Wilderness First Aid classes scheduled. We’ll be out on the landscape as we offer our popular Farm Chores and Meet and Feed programs, allowing participants to give a hand as we take care of our animals. Our children’s summer camp season is being planned, expanding to eight weeks of camp, starting in mid-June. And whatever the upcoming months bring, we’ll be following guidelines from the Vermont Department of Health and the CDC, as we work to provide engaging programs, staying flexible in this changing world.