Mission

Founded in 1972, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a nonprofit environmental education organization based in Quechee, Vermont. VINS' mission is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment through education, research, and avian wildlife rehabilitation. VINS delivers locally relevant environmental education programs, combining environmental science concepts with hands-on exploration to empower individuals to care for local natural ecosystems. Thousands of school children, teachers, conservation volunteers, and other adult learners from throughout New England participate in VINS' environmental education, research, and rehabilitation programs each year at the VINS Nature Center (VNC) and in area schools, camps, and community organizations. VINS empowers traditionally underserved citizens as active, productive, and informed decision-makers, capable of engaging with confidence in the complex environmental issues that directly impact them and their communities.