Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Get native plants and predesigned pollinator gardens shipped from a nursery to your door!

We’re partnering with My Home Park again for an online native plant sale- this time, you can order individual plants as well as complete garden kits right to your door for spring planting.

We’re working together to make it easy to transform your yard into a thriving, eco-friendly habitat. By choosing native plants, you support local wildlife, strengthen biodiversity, and help Hitchcock Center expand its work to educate and engage the community in environmental stewardship.

Use code HITCHCOCK26 to participate in the sale! https://www.myhomepark.com/hitchcock-center-plant-sale

Join us in protecting the environment, one yard at a time, starting right outside your door.

#WesternMass #Garden #Gardening

We were thrilled to be part of WinterFest Amherst again this year! On a cold and snowy February morning, numerous young children and their caregivers adventured along the snow-covered trails of Hickory Ridge Conservation Area.

Hitchcock Preschool Educator, Chrissy Larson, explored with children as they scooped and stomped on snow castles, touched dried thistle seeds, followed bunny tracks and looked at snowflakes with magnifying lenses.

We've kicked off a new season of Little Bear Nature Walks! Adventures await all over Western Mass for children as 0-5 and their caregivers.

Find the full schedule and sign up here: hitchcockcenter.org/little-bear-nature-walks/

Despite the snow, spring will arrive soon! Registration for spring afterschool programs (grades K-6) opens today, Thursday, February 26, at 8 PM. Log onto Active then to grab your spots. Spring preschool classes (ages 3-5 with an adult) are open to join now!

You can also register to join one or many Little Bear Nature Walks (ages 0-5 with an adult) right now! Our next walk is March 3 at Sweet Alice Conservation Area. Join our group of toddlers and parents exploring nature together 🌲

See our spring afterschool offerings: https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/afterschool/

We love our community! 🥰

On February 11, we joined Resilient Valley and 70+ local nonprofit leaders, donors, and community advocates for a special community lunch and visioning project.

Resilient Valley is a coalition of climate, food system, and farm justice organizations working together to collaborate around joint fundraising. They’re raising money to support all nonprofits in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties by matching Donor Advised Fund (DAF) giving.

We gathered in Holyoke for a community lunch and visioning of a sustainable, healthy, resilient, and just future for Western Mass. Folks from Resilient Valley presented on who they are, how to get involved, and gave out checks to local nonprofits who recently won matching funds. The campaign’s first lottery, held on Feb. 2, distributed just under $75,000 in matching funds.

Nonprofit leaders, donors, and community advocates wrote their visions for a “resilient valley” on post-its, and artist @ALLIE interpreted those into illustrations during the presentation. The mural we made together calls for affordable housing and arts programming, safe and nurturing communities where all are welcome, food security, honoring the voices of youth and seniors, protected green spaces, and more.

*Resilient Valley is encouraging people to support local orgs through their DAFs and nominate those gifts for a match. The deadline for the next Resilient Valley matching funds drawing is May 2, 2026.

Read about the event and matching funds: https://businesswest.com/blog/resilient-valley-coalition-celebrates-first-match-my-daf-winners/

Learn about Resilient Valley’s launch: https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/in-the-news/resilient-valley-coalition-launches/

#ResilientValley #MyLocalMa #OtherSideMa #PioneerValley