>> THE BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM IS A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT BIRDS, AND TO LEARN ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND US.

>> ANYBODY THAT ENJOYS WORKING WITH WOOD, ANYBODY THAT ENJOYS ART, THAT ENJOYS BIRDS, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO COME.

>> WHEN AN ART MUSEUM, ALSO A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, DESIGNED TO REALLY TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT BIRDS, AND ALSO, JUST LEARN TO APPRECIATE THEM.

THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE QUITE LIKE THIS, AND THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, REALLY, BY ONE MAN'S VISION.

>> BOB OPENED THE MUSEUM IN THE 1987.

AT THAT POINT, THERE WERE 231 CARVINGS IN THE MUSEUM.

BOB CONTINUED TO CARVE UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY IN 2014.

AND AT THAT POINT, THERE WERE OVER 500 CARVINGS IN THE MUSEUM.

HIS INITIAL GOAL WAS TO CARVE EVERY BIRD THAT NESTED IN THE STATE OR THE ONES THAT MIGRATED THROUGH THE STATE.

HE STARTED WITH A BIG IDEA, AND IT GOT BIGGER FROM THERE, REALLY.

HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO DO A MALE AND A FEMALE OF EVERY SPECIES.

I THINK WHAT MY FATHER WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY TRYING TO CREATE HERE WAS A MUSEUM THAT FUNCTIONED ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.

HE WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT PRESERVING BIRDS IN THEIR HABITATS AND SHOWING HOW YOU CAN HAVE BIRDS, YOU CAN'T HAVE BIRDS IN THE STATE IF THE HABITAT IS NOT THERE ANY LONGER SO I THINK THAT'S PARTLY WHY HE WENT INTO SUCH DETAILS WHEN CREATING THIS.

TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL OF THAT.

>> WHEN I STARTED, MY ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO MAKE A COLLECTION, AND GIVE IT TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS.

WE COULDN'T FIND ONE THAT HAD THE SPACE AND WANTED TO DO IT, SO WE DECIDED TO KEEP IT HERE, SO IT'S SORT OF GROWN AND EXPANDED OVER THE YEARS, AND I WOULD HOPE THE, AN AVERAGE VISITOR THAT COMES TO THE MUSEUM, WOULD GO AWAY WITH AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE BIRDS AND HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE -- IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT, MAYBE MORE WILL BE DONE TO TRY TO PRESERVE IT.

>> I JUST HAVE A GREAT ADMIRATION FOR HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THIS MUSEUM, AND THE FACT THAT HE PUT ALL THESE CARVINGS TOGETHER, AND SPENT HOURS AND HOURS MAKING THE DISPLAYS SO THAT THEY ARE MEANINGFUL.

>> HE KEPT M METICULOUS RECORDS, AND HE HAS O'ER 20,000 HOURS.

>> WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE OVER THE YEARS, IT'S AMAZING.

HE HAS DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES THAN OTHER CARVERS THAT OTHER CARVERS USE AND DON'T USE, SO HE'S JUST REALLY EXPANDED HOW PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT BIRDS.

>> HE REALLY JUST EXPERIMENTED BECAUSE NOBODY HAD EVER REALLY DONE THIS BEFORE.

HE WAS MAKING THESE OUT OF ALUMINUM FOIL, AND EACH OF THESE HAD TO BE CUT OUT INITIALLY, BUT EVERYTHING HAD TO BE DRAWN IN, AND THEN IT HAD TO BE PAINTED, AND HE MADE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THAT WOULD COME UP, AND HE WOULD SIT ME DOWN WITH 50 LEAVES BEFORE LUNCH AND 75 BEFORE, AND THE NEXT WEEKEND, HE WOULD SAY, WANT TO BRING A FRIEND?

>> HE DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB OF PUTTING THESE THINGS TOGETHER FOR US, AND IT'S A GREAT LEGACY TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND YOU.

>> EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT BIRDS IS A KEY COMPONENT TO CONSERVATION, BY BRINGING AWARENESS TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN, YOU BROADEN THEIR IDEA AND CONCEPT OF BIRDS, AND INTRODUCE THEM TO THE UNIQUENESS, THE COOL ASPECT OF ALL BIRDS THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND ONCE FOLKS BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THEN CONSERVATION REALLY HAS A CHANCE TO GROW AND TAKE HOLD.

THE MUSEUM HAS THAT, JUST THE AWESOME DISPLAY AND THE CARVINGS THAT BOB SPEAR HAS DONE, SO WHERE IT MAY BE CHALLENGING TO SEE BIRDS WHEN YOU ARE OUT WITH A PAIR OF BINOCULARS, YOU CAN GO DOWN TO THE MUSEUM AND THEY ARE DOWN THERE FOR YOU IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT SETTING.

>> AFTER VISITING INSIDE, BE SURE TO HEAD OUTSIDE.

THERE IS A TREEHOUSE, GARDEN, PICNIC AREA, A POND, AND TRAILS TO EXPLORE.

WE HOLD SUNDAY MORNING BIRD WALKS EVERY SUNDAY IN MAY AND JUNE STARTING AT 7:00.

>> EVERYBODY IS INVITED.

IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE TAKE A WALK THROUGH THE TRAILS, AND WE SEE MANY DIFFERENT BIRDS, AND AS THE, AS THE MONTHS GO ON, WE SEE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIRDS.

>> FOR KIDS WHO WANT TO LEARN ABOUT BIRDS, WE HAVE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SCAVENGER HUNTS, THERE IS A STORY-TIME AND A BIWEEKLY PROGRAM.

IN ADDITION TO OUR MANY SPECIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

>> THE BIRDS OF VERMONT MUSEUM HAS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION.

AND ANYONE CAN COME, EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GO OUT BIRDING, AND THEY CAN SEE THE CARVINGS, AND THEY CAN TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, WHO ARE EXPERIENCING BIRDING, AND THEY WILL GET AN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THE WILDLIFE OF VERMONT HAS TO OFFER AND UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PRESERVE THAT.

>> WE HOPE PEOPLE CAN COME TO THE MUSEUM AND BE AS EXCITED ABOUT BIRDS AND NATURAL HISTORY AS WE ARE.

>> VERMONT PBS, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILM-MAKERS TO BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.

FOR MORE, VISIT VERMONTPBS.ORG.