Nature Museum at Grafton Announces Winter Speakers

GRAFTON, VT - The Nature Museum today announced the first of its year-round public program speaker series for adults featuring preeminent speakers who will address issues related to biology, earth science and natural history. The winter lineup will feature nationally known naturalist and distinguished wildlife tracker, Sue Morse; biologist, field naturalist and writer, Bryan Pfeiffer; award winning author and organic orchardist, Michael Phillips.

Celebrating its 3rd season this year, the year-long speaker series is aimed at heightening awareness and understanding of the planet's most valuable natural resources and threats posed due to climate change.

First up is Sue Morse, nationally known naturalist, wildlife biologist and photographer, and executive director of Keeping Track, who will present a program entitled "Animals of the North, What Will Global Climate Change Mean for Them?" This program will be presented on Wednesday, February 22, at 7 p.m. at the Cavendish Elementary School, 573 Main Street, Proctorsville, Vermont. The presentation includes remarkable images of animals in both the arctic and northern habitats.

The second speaker in the series is Bryan Pfeiffer, biologist, field naturalist and writer, who will present "Birds, Butterflies, Backyards and Beyond," a fresh view of the wild right outside your backdoor. The program is slated for Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 7pm at Newsbank Conference Center, 352 Main Street, Chester, VT. With vivid images from nature and tales from the frontiers of wildlife science, Pfeiffer will offer practical advice for creating wildlife habitat in our own backyards and developing a wildlife ethic on a warming planet.

On Friday, March 10, organic orchardist Michael Phillips, winner of the American Horticultural Society Book Award, will present "Growing Healthy Fruit Trees and Berries the Biological Way." This program will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Newsbank Conference Center, 352 Main Street, Chester, VT. The following morning Phillips will offer a workshop entitled "Creating a Fruitful Landscape: A Field Intensive" for a maximum of ten people. The field workshop will take place at Soul Song Farm on Saturday, March 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Chester, VT. The Nature Museum is co-sponsoring these two events with Michael Phillips' Soul Song Farm of Chester, owned by Jeff Hanavan and Kate Lunde.

The Nature Museum's speaker series is geared for adults and children over 10. Light refreshments will be served. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to www.nature-museum.org or call 802-843-2111.

The Nature Museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every Thursday, year-round. Open to the public since 1989, The Nature Museum at Grafton focuses on the region's plants, animals, and geology. Hands-on exhibits, dioramas, and mounted specimens engage learners of all ages and connect visitors to the natural world in New England. Visitors can crawl through an underground bear den; dig for fossils; find out about bats, bees, and catamounts; and learn about animal adaptations by dressing up as their favorite creature. Gift store offers engaging books, and other nature-inspired wonders.