February is Full of Activities For Kids of All Ages at The Nature Museum

GRAFTON, VT - From February vacation camps including Brave Bears and Wild Walkers to the Mighty Acorns Club and The Nature Museum's new program Kindred Spirits, The Grafton Nature Museum offers ample opportunities for youngsters and families to enjoy the outdoors exercising their minds and bodies. Accredited environmental educators teach lessons that build resiliency skills in a safe and nurturing environment.

The February Mighty Acorns Club for budding naturalists aged 3-5 and their caregivers meets on the third Thursday of every month of the school year. The Thursday, February 16 Club features snowshoeing and winter animal adaptations. The group will venture outside to learn how to use snowshoes after a short lesson about how animals survive cold Vermont winters. Is that an animal track we see? Who has been here, and where is that animal going? This is a great program to introduce your preschooler to snowshoeing, with time outside exploring and tromping through The Nature Museum's field. Children's snowshoes are available to borrow upon reservation for this program. The cost per child is $5, and caregivers are free. Children should bring a snack and clothes for outside. Drops-ins welcome! Pre-registration is encouraged, but is not required. Programs for the year can be found at www.nature-museum.org.

February's Kindred Spirits program welcomes all ages, including families, and features animal tracking and winter adaptations with environmental educator Jay DeGregorio. This program is slated for Saturday, February 18, from 10-11:30 a.m. Many native wildlife species remain active during winter and move about in their habitats to find food, shelter, and mates. This program will help participants notice clues that animals leave behind as they trek through ice and snow, providing opportunity to learn more about their lives. RSVP is strongly encouraged. Admission is by donation. Snowshoes required. A limited number of snowshoes are available for children; please call to reserve a pair at nature-museum.org.

Brave Bears Camp for ages 6-9 is slated for Tuesday, February 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and teach kids about animals that live in Vermont - including their winter adaptations and how humans track them. This will be followed by a snowshoeing adventure in the forest and field to collect clues left in the snow by wild animals. Campers will practice snowshoeing skills through entertaining games and a scavenger hunt. The afternoon features special guest Charles Norris-Brown, PhD, social anthropologist, author and illustrator who will read his book Did Tiger Take the Rain? The cost for Brave Bears is $25 if registered by February 1 or $30 after that. Register at www.nature-museum.org. In case of inclement weather, this program will be rescheduled for Friday, February 24th.

Older children will enjoy Wild Walkers Camp that offers daylong outdoor adventures suited for youth ages 10 to 14. The Wild Walkers Camp is a partnership between The Nature Museum and Vermont Wilderness School, a Brattleboro-based non-profit. Wild Walkers takes place on Wednesday, February 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the woods and fields around The Nature Museum. This session of Wiled Walkers will teach youth how to coal-burn, a method used for making spoons, bowls and even canoes dating back to the First People. Youth will use coal-burning and knives to carve their own wild spoons. The cost for Wild Walkers is $35 if registered by February 1 or $40 after that. In case of inclement weather, this program will be rescheduled for Friday, February 24th.

For the camp programs, kids should bring a hearty bagged snack, lunch, and a water bottle carried in a backpack and wear appropriate winter clothing and gear to winter camps. Upon request, The Nature Museum can loan snowshoes for children who do not have their own.

Registration is now open for all camps at www.nature-museum.org, or call (802) 843-2111. Scholarships are available. Please inquire for multiple day or sibling discounts.

More information about all of these events and programs can be found at www.nature-museum.org.