Calendar

2023

 

Peggy Lincoln Beckwith
Remembering Peggy Lincoln Beckwith

Opening to the public on Friday, March 17, 2023, this new exhibit will explore the dynamic life and memory of the last member of the Lincoln family to live at Hildene. In addition to seeing many of Peggy’s personal belongings, visitors will delight in a collection of oral histories gathered over the years featuring many entertaining and illuminating stories. For more information, contact Jesse Keel, Collections & Exhibits Manager at jesse@hildene.org

White footed mouse in spring time
March 18: Guided Nature Walk

From 1:00 to 2:00pm ECO AmeriCorps member Rose West will guide participants in an investigation of Hildene's glorious forested landscape; $5/person with admission; members free. Registration is strongly encouraged, but not required. Contact stephanie@hildene.org or call (802) 367-7980

Red bellied woodpecker
April 8: Bird Walk

From 8:00 to 10:00am  at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. Free. 

Join local birders to admire the wondrous feathered creatures in our midst, while gathering data for long-term studies on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. A more recent year-round woodpecker in VT is the Red-bellied. This species has expanded its range north in the past 10 years; it is a breeding, resident bird now. Its rolling churr call is very different and distinct from other woodpeckers in VT. Like most woodpeckers, its flight pattern undulates through the air as it flashes a white rump patch and white wing patches. The male has a solid red crown and nape. Only the back of the head (nape) is red on the female. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along forest, meadow and wetland trails around the main house and/or the dene.  Free. For more information, contact stephanie@hildene.org or call 802-367-7960. 

Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo
April 21 & April 29: Intro to Birding

From 9:00 to 11:00am.  Join experts Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo for a beginning birders primer. Participants will begin in the classroom, covering basics such as using binoculars, birding etiquette, and bird identification. Then the group will head outdoors to have some fun finding birds and practicing the skills covered in the classroom. Gentle to moderate walking; be prepared for changing weather. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Space limited; registration required (by April 20 for the Friday session; by April 28 for the Saturday session); $15  for members, $20  for non-members.  Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7967 or stephanie@hildene.org

Bobolink
April 22: Bird Walk

From 7:00 to 9:30am [note earlier start time] . At Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home. Free.

Celebrate Earth Day with us! The Bobolink is a grassland nesting bird. Listen to the Bobolink call. Its numbers have declined significantly due in part to hayfield mowing during its nesting period. To help protect these birds, Hildene participates in the Bobolink Project, a program that pays farmers to modify their mowing schedules so grassland nesting birds can successfully raise their young. Bobolinks can be heard and seen down in the songbird sanctuary in the dene.

Learn about the Bobolink Project

Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along forest, meadow and wetland trails around the main house and/or the dene.  Free. For more information, contact stephanie@hildene.org or call 802-367-7960.

lichen
April 22: Guided Nature Walk

How will you celebrate Earth Day? Join us for a walk with Rose from 1:00 to 2:00pm

ECO AmeriCorps member Rose West will guide participants in an investigation of Hildene's glorious forested landscape; $5/person with admission; members free. Registration is strongly encouraged, but not required. Contact stephanie@hildene.org or call (802) 367-7980

 

 

robin
May 5 & 27: Easy Birding

8:00 to 10:00am at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, in Manchester, VT.  Free.

Join expert birders Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo for a gentle to moderate bird walk designed to help beginning birders have fun as they develop their birding skills. Rather than trying to identify as many birds as possible, the group will take a holistic approach, taking time to look at bird size and structure, habitat, and behavior. Suggested for ages 12 and up. Space limited; registration required (by May 4 for the Saturday, May 5 session; by May 26 for the Saturday, May 27 session); $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7967 or stephanie@hildene.org

Warbler
May 6 & 20: Bird Walk

7:00 to 9:30am at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, in Manchester, VT.  Free. 

May is an intense time in the natural world – rains, new growth, insect hatches, migrating dragonflies, bats, and birds – especially the warblers, small, colorful, insectivorous songbirds. Warblers sharpen our observation skills with a need to note colors in specific places, eye rings, eye lines, wing bars and behaviors. There are 54 warbler species in North America. The Checklist of Vermont Birds includes 30 of those warblers that are possible to see in the state. In fifteen years of monthly surveys at Hildene, 25 warbler species have been recorded.

Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along forest and meadow trails and around the main house. For more information, contact stephanie@hildene.org or call 802-367-7960

backpack program
Exploration Backpack Program, June - October

Looking for a fun way to nurture your child’s appreciation for the natural world? Check out one of our Exploration Backpacks which contain all the essential tools for hands-on discovery. Suggested for ages 5 to 10, the adventure is intended to take between 1- 2 hours. Packs can be checked out from The Museum Store: $5 with admission. Questions? Pease contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or stephanie@hildene.org.

nature walk
June 3 - July 29: Guided Nature Walks for the Budding Naturalist

Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:00am, ECO AmeriCorps member Rose West will guide participants on a different exploratory walk every week, focusing on in-the-field species identification of local flora and fauna and their ecological connections to our landscape; $5/person with admission;  Members free.  Registration is strongly encouraged, but not required.  Contact stephanie@hildene.org or call (802) 367-7980 (Hildene.org).