HONEYBEES AND BEEKEEPERS—TODAY'S CHALLENGES, TOMORROW'S SOLUTIONS
Dan Conlon, Warm Colors Apiary
Tuesday, February 7, 7-8:30 p.m.
$5 Donation Requested
Pre-registration is not required, but is helpful; please call 413-256-6006.
Have you been curious about the state of the honeybees locally and nationally? Come join us for this evening with local expert Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary. Dan will present a brief history of beekeeping (1950-present) to provide an overview of the last fifty years, including past bee declines and how they improved. Followed by a focus on the primary concerns beekeepers and researchers have been investigating as possible cause for honeybee and native pollinator decline. These include nutrition, loss of genetic diversity, shrinking habitat, as well as environmental threats from weather, toxins, and the introduction of many new diseases and pests. He will show pictures and charts and include suggestions on how landowners can help and what bees need in our region to continue to thrive.

HARDWORKING NATIVE PERENNIALS
Melinda Reid, Landscape Designer
Saturday, February 11, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Snow Date: Sunday, February 12)
Members: $36 / Non-members: $43
Co-Sponsored with New England Wildflower Society
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Winter is the perfect time to plan on adding punch to our spring, summer and fall gardens. Discover which native plants can be counted on to grow vigorously, bloom generously, and provide a strong backbone to your garden. Learn about their growing conditions, their habit, and ways to provide for striking combinations of flowers and foliage. After the presentation, an informal round-table discussion will allow for questions, answers and instructor suggestions.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES WITH SUSAN SMITH
Susan Smith, Mt. Holyoke Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
Thursday, February 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
$5 Donation Requested
Pre-registration is not required, but is helpful; please call 413-256-6006.
Susan has been intrigued for decades with the interrelationship of population ecology and animal behavior. She has undertaken a long-term study of the social behavior of black-capped chickadees through multiple generations, studying individuals' positions in the dominance hierarchy and how rank effects survivorship. Her ground-breaking study also looks at what behavioral factors regulate breeding densities and how these have been changing through the years. This is an ongoing study so if you've had the pleasure of seeing her before there will be new data included. This little bird is one of our favorite year-round resident birds and has much to teach us.

SPRING BIRDING COURSE
Scott Surner, Birder Extraordinaire
Evening Classes: Wednesdays, February 22, March 7,14, April 25, May 2, 9, 23, 30, 6:30-8 p.m.
Field Trips: Saturdays, February 25, March 17, 24, April 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, June 2, 9, start times vary between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Members: $215 / Non-members: $235
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Take advantage of this opportunity to get out and truly observe the pageant of our spring bird migration, with its myriad colors, plumages, and behaviors. As the weeks pass, new species arrive, adding to the spectacular biodiversity of our area. Scott has taught this course for many years and is accomplished at gearing instruction for beginners and experienced birders alike. Evening classes preview species expected on the Saturday field trips using slides, stories from the field, and life history details. Field trips are planned to varied locations around the state, including Cape Ann and Plum Island, the Southern Berkshires and even Westover Air Force Base. Call the Center for more field trip details. All field trips and classes meet at the Hitchcock Center. Registration is limited to 20. Pre-registration starts Tuesday, January 3.

NATURE'S ODYSSEY SLIDESHOW
John Green, Naturalist and Nature Photographer
Tuesday, February 28, 7-8:30 p.m.
Members: $5/Non-members: $8
Pre-registration is not required, but is helpful; please call 413-256-6006.
Join naturalist and nature photographer John Green in a natural history journey to selected North American locations. This narrated slide program begins with a visit to Newfoundland and the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada. It then traverses across the U.S. from Northern New England to Alaska and back via Montana, Utah, Southeast Arizona, South Florida and up the east coast to Massachusetts. Towering mountains, exotic ice formations, and a wide variety of animals and plants are among the many subjects you will experience.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR THE PIONEER VALLEY
Watson Collins, Northeast Utilities
Thursday, March 1, 7-8:30 p.m.
$5 Donation Requested
Pre-registration is not required, but is helpful; please call 413-256-6006.
Northeast Utilities is actively promoting electric vehicle transportation in our area. Watson Collins works with vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers, and our communities to build support for this approach to transportation. Several charging stations are already in place in the Valley and others are planned. Watson will explain current plans for both bringing vehicles to market as well as infrastructure expansions. He will bring a Chevy Volt for us to look at and will also show us samples of charging station equipment. Relevant environmental benefits and tradeoffs will also be part of the discussion.

WHERE DOES OUR RECYCLING GO?  MRF TOUR
Justine Fallon, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Tuesday, March 6, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Free; Meet at Hitchcock Center to carpool
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Have you been curious about where our waste goes and how recycling works? Come with us for a tour of the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility (the MRF). It only takes forty-five minutes to complete a tour of the facility. The tour begins with an educational video about recycling, waste reduction, and how recyclables move through the facility. Then there is a walk-through component where you will view the sorting process, material baling, and truck weighing. We also talk about what the recyclables are remanufactured into after they leave the MRF and how we can "get in the loop" and buy recycled products to keep recycling sustainable.

THE HEALTH OF OUR MASSACHUSETTS FORESTS
Ken Gooch, Massachusetts DCR Forest Health Program Director
Tuesday, March 6, 7-8:30 p.m.
$5 Donation Requested
Pre-registration is not required, but is helpful; please call 413-256-6006.
Ken will give a wide-ranging presentation about the many varied threats that our native forests face. Come learn about the varied pests and climatic factors that have been important over the last year and what the prospects are for the future health of our trees. Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorn Beetle, Winter Moth, Hickory Tussock Moth, Anthracnose ... quite a list of insects and diseases. Ken will describe and show images of these so you will know how to identify them.

NATIVE NEW ENGLAND ORCHIDS SLIDESHOW
Nancy Goodman, Native Orchid Enthusiast
Thursday, March 15, 7-8:30 p.m.
Members: $5/Non-members: $8
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Pink and Yellow Lady's slippers, the Fairy Slipper, the Purple-Fringed Orchids ... all these and more can be found in New England if you know where and when to look for them. Join us for an evening slideshow exploration of our native orchids. Of the 58 orchid species to be found in New England we will look at images of 35 that Nancy has found. We will discuss their habitats and bloom times. Nancy has been looking for and photographing wild orchids for the last 20 years and has seen most of the species in MA, CT, and NH and many from the other three states. Come and share her photos and experiences with these orchids over the years.

NATURE DRAWING FOR THE NON-ARTIST
Elizabeth Farnsworth, Ecologist and Illustrator
Saturday, March 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Members: $20/Non-members: $25
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Drawing a scene or a living thing is one of the best ways to truly observe and appreciate natural wonders. This three-hour, fun-packed drawing workshop is designed for people who are convinced they cannot draw, or who would like to experience anew the joy they once had doing art as a kid. Several informal exercises, using media as varied as crayons and laundry markers, will loosen us up and get us closely seeing the world. All art materials will be provided, but participants should bring one favorite natural object they would like to draw.

NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM (AGES 6-9)
Katie Koerten, Hitchcock Center Educator
Winter Session: Wednesdays, January 4-March 21 (No program February 22), 1:30-5 p.m.
Spring Session: Wednesdays, March 28-June 13 (No program April 18), 1:30-5 p.m.
Members: $365 per session/Non-members: $385 per session
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Our popular afterschool program continues in 2012 with Wednesday afternoons full of outdoor fun. Each day we spend as much time outside as possible, using the Larch Hill conservation area and neighboring Bramble Hill farm as our playground. We make crafts and play games based on whatever nature provides, letting our imaginations do the rest! Program limited to 10 participants.

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WINTER & SPRING HOMESCHOOL 2: ANIMAL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES (AGES 9-12)
Patty O'Donnell, Hitchcock Center Educator
Thursday, January 12, Monday, February 6, Tuesdays, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 5 (6 classes), 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Members: $252/Non-members: $264
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Come learn about animal survival strategies from winter to spring. Winter is fast approaching! We may take for granted our warm clothing and heated homes, but what about the animals in nature? How do they get through our long, cold and snowy winters? During our winter programs, we will explore different strategies local animals use to survive winter as well as distinguishing characteristics of predator and prey animals. Inside we will use real animal mounts and skulls to look closely at adaptations that enable animals to survive New England winters. Outside we will become tracking detectives, looking for signs of animal activity. Once Spring comes, we'll shift gears and explore the emergence of all the animals that weren't active during the winter months, including hibernating and sleeping mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and more. Our explorations will take place in the habitats of Larch Hill Conservation Area, and neighboring Bramble Hill Farm. Dress for the weather and be prepared to spend extended time outdoors in the cold. Bring a change of clothes, lunch and water. Limited to 12 participants.

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NATURE DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL: WONDROUS WINTER (AGES 3-6)
Seal LaMadeleine, Environmental Educator
Fridays, January 27-March 2 (5 weeks, no class February 24)
Session 1: 10 a.m.-Noon
Session 2: 1-3pm
Members: $90/Non-members: $100
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Winter is a wonderful time for explorations and young children know this best of all! We will enjoy the sunny snow days together while also learning how to look a little deeper into the winter world. We will learn how to identify some the tracks in the snow and also look more closely at the snow itself. We'll find out what is hibernating underfoot and who may come out occasionally for a winter stroll or snack. This class is a great way to ensure outdoor exploration in winter for you and your preschooler. A small snack is provided. Each class will end with about a half hour of outdoor exploration so wear appropriate clothing. An adult is required to attend with each child and siblings are welcome. Space is limited.

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SLIP SLIDING AWAY ON CURRICULUM DAY (AGES 7-9; GRADES 1-4)
(Amherst Public Schools have no school on this day.)
Katie Koerten and Colleen Kelley, Hitchcock Center Educators
Friday, January 27, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Members: $50 per day/Non-members: $60 per day
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Come join us on this special day off from school for a day of winter exploration and fun! Depending on what Nature gives us, we will build snow shelters, sled down the farm hill, slide on the pond ice and adventure through the winter woods. We will search for tracks and signs of animals and learn about adaptations and winter survival. Dress warm with snow pants, boots, hats and gloves. Bring a snack, lunch, water bottle, and a full change of clothes. Get excited for a healthy day of outdoor adventure!

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WINTER VACATION CAMP
Young Naturalists, ages 6-8 (grades K-2)
Nature Explorers, ages 9-11 (grades 3-5)
Monday-Friday, February 20-24, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Members: $50 per day/Non-members: $60 per day
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Get ready for wild winter fun at the Hitchcock Center this February! Join us for as many days as you wish during winter vacation week as we explore nature in winter. We’ll go outside every day, following animal tracks, searching for scat, and investigating what’s alive under the snow. Come for one day or the whole week. Winter crafts, songs, games and live animal observations are a part of every day.

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SPRING HOMESCHOOL 1: AMAZING ADAPTATIONS (AGES 6-8)
Katie Koerten, Hitchcock Center Educator
Tuesdays, March 13-May 22 (No class April 17), 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Members: $420/Non-members: $440
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Why does a beaver have webbed hind feet? Why does a hawk have such good eyesight? In spring homeschool, we will discover the amazing adaptations that help our local animals do what they do best: find food, move through their habitat, and protect themselves and their families. Through habitat hikes, field trips and live animal observation, homeschoolers will explore the ways animals, including humans, are adapted for survival. Class limited to 12 participants.

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NATURE DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL: OUR RAINBOW WORLD (AGES 3-6)
Colleen Kelley, Hitchcock Center Educator
Fridays, March 23-June 15 (No class April 6, 20 and June 1)
Session 1: 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Session 2: 1-3 p.m.
Members: $175/Non-members: $195
Pre-registration is required; please call 413-256-6006.
Welcome Spring and all its colors at nature preschool. Children will fill their art palettes with many colors and discover how these colors affect animals, plants and their own lives. Through movement, songs, crafts and live animal observations, children will investigate camouflage, natural plant dyes, plant patterns, chlorophyll and much more. An adult is required to attend with each child and siblings are welcome. Space is limited. This class often fills so call soon!!

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MOTHER NATURE'S CHILD FILM SCREENING
Thursday, March 29, 7-9 p.m.
Held at US Fish and Wildlife in Hadley
This event is made possible by a grant from Western Massachusetts Electric Company.
Free; pre-registration is not required.
"Mother Nature's Child: Growing Up in the Media Age" explores nature's powerful role in children's health and development. The film asks the questions: Why do children need unstructured time outside? What is the place of risk-taking in healthy child development? How is play a form of learning? What does it mean to educate the 'whole' child? "Mother Nature’s Child" will be followed by small group break-out discussion sessions so that participants can go deeper into the topic that interests them. Parents, educators, school administrators and other interested adults, please join us to explore this timely topic relevant to children’s development, health and education.

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