Programs & Events
EXPLORE WHAT THE VIC HAS TO OFFERTo Register for Programs Call 518-327-6241
**Important Information: When registering, be sure to register your whole party at once. Our programs only permit group tours for members of the same household or party, and with a maximum capacity of six (6) individuals in total. Once one party or family unit registers for a program, registration for that date will be closed. Thank you for your patience and understanding in these times.**
Make sure to check back with our calendar of events throughout the year!
Which Trees are These? - Deciduous Diversity
Sundays – July 19 August 2, 16, 30 – 1:00-2:30 PM
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Take a walk with a VIC Naturalist and see the amazing diversity of deciduous trees here at the VIC!
Wake Up and Write
Fridays – July 10, August 7 – 10:00 am- 11:30 am
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Be inspired by some of the wild spaces the VIC has to offer and participate in activities designed to get your pen moving! All writing styles and skill levels are welcome.
Bluebird Box Building
Friday – July 10 – 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
$25/ Box
Want more visitors to your backyard? Help our native Bluebird populations by building your own nesting box to take home and install!
Which Trees are These? - Curious Conifers
Sundays- July 12, 26, August 9, 23 – 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
From spruces to pines, our native conifers are full of surprises! Led by VIC Naturalist
Wildflower ID Series
Wednesdays – July 15, 22, 29, August 12, 26 – 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Participants will learn basic wildflower identification skills including field guide and hand lens usage, botanical terminology, and enjoy a walk on our trails in search of native flowers.
Roosevelt Bird Walks- Everyday Adirondack Birds
Thursdays – July 16, August 6, 27 – 10:00 am-11:30 am
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Get to know the most common backyard birds that visit your feeders year ‘round in the Adirondacks. If interested, learn how to participate in the citizen science projects “Great Backyard Bird Count” and/or “Project FeederWatch.”
Roosevelt Bird Walks - Wetland Waders
Thursdays – July 23. August 13, September 3 – 10:00 am- 11:30 am
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Search for herons, ducks, and other fishing birds around our wetlands at the VIC.
Roosevelt Bird Walks - Woodland Woodpeckers
Thursdays – July 9, 30, August 20 – 10:00 am- 11:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Explore woodpecker holes, drumming, and get to know what it takes to be a woodpecker in northern forests.
Fascinating Fungi
Fridays – July 17, 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28 – 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Come get to know some of the forests’ most beneficial organisms on this beginner level mycology program.
Searching for Salamanders
Friday, July 17th – 8:00 pm- 10:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Get ready to get your hands dirty as we sleuth through the woods in search of our slimy friends! Participants will learn about the diversity and role of native salamanders as we explore their habitat.
Flower Pounding
Fridays – July 24, August 6 – 10:00 am- 11:30 am
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Create beautiful watercolor-inspired art with nature’s pigments in this plant-based program.
Bat Box Building
Friday, July 24 – 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm
$25/ Box
Participants will learn about bat diversity and importance in the Adirondacks and assemble a box to take home and install.
Wetland Ecology
Saturdays – July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, September 5, 12, 19, 26 – 10:00 am- 11:30 am
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Enjoy a walk around our beautiful Heron Marsh and get to know the plants and animals that make it unique. Led by a VIC Naturalist.
Boreal and Bog Ecology
Saturdays – July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, September 5, 12, 19, 26 – 1:30 pm- 3:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Explore the Boreal Life trail with one of our Naturalists and learn about the biodiversity of northern forests.
Pollinate the Park!
Thursdays – July 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, September 3 – 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
From butterflies to bees, get to know the animals responsible for helping our forests and gardens grow! Each week a new pollinator will be explored.
Mushroom Foray
July 11, 21, August 11, September 1, 19 – 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Join mushroom expert Susan Hopkins for a casual walk in the woods to look at all the mushrooms and fungi. Discuss and identify posionous and edible species as well as ones of medicinal value. Walk will take at least 2-2.5 hours and be held rain or shine.
Wild Edibles Walk with Pat Banker
Wednesdays, July 15, 22, August 19, September 9, 16 – 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Learn how to identify wild, local edible plants with expert Pat Banker from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Be amazed by what Mother Nature has to offer, from gluten free options to easy-to-harvest solutions right at your feet!
Loons and Moons with Milt Adams
Friday, July 31 – 6:00 pm- 9:30 pm
$15/ Person $40/ Group of 4
Travel to Black Pond with intructor Milt Adams for a night of listening to loon calls and hearing nature facts and stories by a wood fire!
Batty for Bugs
Friday, August 28 – 7:30 pm- 9:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Enjoy this two-in-one program with a headlamp lit walk to a wetland, where participants can watch and listen to the world’s only flying mammals enjoy their dinner and witness the incredible diversity of moths the VIC has to offer.
Which Trees are These? - Fall Foliage
Sundays – September 6, 13, 20 – 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
What’s more beautiful than fall in the Adirondacks? Enjoy the colors and learn about the changing leaves on a walk with our VIC Naturalists!
Bat Walk
Friday, September 25 – 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Grab your headlamp (we have a few to borrow) and walk our trails to a wetland, where participants can watch and listen to the world’s only flying mammals enjoy their dinner.
Lights of Night with Milt Adams
Friday, September 11 – 7:30 pm- 9:00pm
$15/ Adult – $7.50/ Child
Go on a treasure hunt for firefly larve with naturalist Milt Adams! Search for thse bioluminescent critters and leatn about this interesting insect that’s struggling to maintain populations across the globe.
ABOUT THE VIC
Building Hours
Closed until further notice.
Trails
Dawn to Dusk
Stay in Touch
8023 State Route 30
Paul Smiths, New York 12970
518-327-6241
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