VTica film & arts events; St. Luke’s Maple dinner & Seder; Nature Museum

At 7 p.m. on Friday, March 15, the Vermont Institute for Contemporary Arts will present the documentary Happy as part of its Projections: Reel to Real Conversation series at 15 Depot St., Chester.

Happy explores the secrets behind this valued emotion. Immediately following the movie will be a discussion of the film with Jon Bliss, M.A. , of Andover. Trained in ministry at the Yale Divinity School, he leads the congregation at the Old Parish Church in Weston.

A $10 donation is suggested. Parking is available at People’s United Bank or Chester Hardware nearby on Main Street.

Other VTica March events include:

• Artist’s Town Meeting Potluck: in conjunction with The Rockingham Arts and Museum Project 6–8 p.m., Thursday, March 7

• Art Workshop: Grass and Natural Objects in the creation of art, Instructor: fiber artist Emily Traynor, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday, March 9; Fee: $45

For more information, call (802) 875-1018 or email info@vtica.org.

St. Luke’s Church Maple Fest dinner, Seder

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s 5th annual Maple Fest Dinner and raffle will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16 in the church’s Willard Hall, 313 Main St. Chester. A roast turkey dinner and dessert will be served. Raffle winners will be announced immediately following.

The Maple Fest dinner is St. Luke’s popular annual fundraiser for Partners in Service, which brings together faith communities with human service agencies. Over the years St. Luke’s has provided camp and school supplies and backpacks for PINS foster children.

Dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Reservations are advised and can be made by calling 875-2784.

On Sunday, March 24, a Passover Seder will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. in Willard Hall at St. Luke’s Church. During the Seder, the Haggadah will be read along with explanations of the various symbolic foods used to tell the Exodus story.

For information visit http://www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org. For Seder reservations call  875-2784. Seder celebration is $10 for ages 12 and up; $7.50, ages 5–11; and under 5 free. Proceeds benefit St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Events at Nature Museum

The Nature Museum’s announced next speaker in the Connecting the Drops will be author, educator and ecologist Amy Seidl at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25 at NewsBank in Chester. The program will focus on opportunities for resilience and adaptation on both the ecological level and the level of human culture as we experience being part of our new climate.

• A Rainwater Harvesting workshop will be held 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 27. Learn about rainwater catchment systems and discover ways to make use of rainwater at home. The workshop will be held at the Davis home in Chester, where a system of rain barrels, gutters, a cistern and a man-made pond with a solar-powered pump supply their extensive vegetable gardens and greenhouse. Your Best Rain Barrels of Springfield will demonstrate equipment and answer questions. For more information or to register visit http://www.nature-museum.org or call (802) 843-2111.

• A Native Tree and Shrub Sale continues through March 15. Six native plants are for sale: serviceberry, winterberry, sweetshrub, white fringetree, alternate-leaf dogwood and fothergilla. Order online at www.nature-museum.org/Native-Tree-and-Shrub-Sale.html. All proceeds benefit The Nature Museum.

Other Nature Museum programs of note:

• April Camp #1 for ages 6-8. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.  Tuesday, April 16; Pre-register by April 10.

• April Camp #2 for ages 8-12. 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 17; Pre-register by April 10.

• Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk. 9 a.m. –noon Saturday May 4. Antioch University New England Professor Emeritus Tom Wessels will lead a spring wildflower walk to find these short-lived blooms: the Putney Central School Forest, 182 Westminster Road. Pre-register by May 1; space will be limited. Pre-register online in April or by phone anytime. Price to be determined.

• Follow That Bird: Phenology, Citizen Science and Ornithology. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Thursday, May 9; This is a homeschool program.

Upcoming programs for the Nature Centers Mighty Acorns Preschool Explorers Club

The MAPEC is a program for children ages 3–5 and their parents or caregivers. Programs are free for members and $7 per child for non-members. Pre-register to guarantee space and supplies for your child.

• Your Day As a Bat. 10–11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 21. Find out about Vermont bats and their importance to our health, safety, and food supply. Learn how bats get around, how they catch their food, and where they sleep through a puppet show and indoor and outdoor games and activities.

• Get Growing, Little Seed! 10–11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 18. Explore the parts of a plant and how they work with the sun, water, and soil to produce fruits and seeds.

• Busy, Busy Bees. 10–11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 16.

• Who Lives in My Pond?10–11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 20

Museum Hours

In March and April, the Nature Museum will be open on Thursdays from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., or by appointment.
All programs take place at The Nature Museum at 186 Townshend Road, Grafton, unless otherwise noted. For more information on any of the programs visit http://www.nature-museum.org or call (802) 843-2111.