Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Homeschool I: Magnificent Mammals
2023-10-17 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-24 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-31 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Homeschool I: Magnificent Mammals
With Lauren Dausch
Grades 1-3, Ages 6-8
Tuesdays 10:00am -2:00 pm
September 12 -December 5 (No program September 26, November 21, and December 12 for Discovery Days and November 7th for Curriculum Day)
Tier A:$781 Tier B:$651 Tier C:$553 Tier D:$423
Limited to 12 participants
What are mammals and why are they unique? Are all mammal life cycles the same? What roles do different mammals play in our local ecosystems? This fall we will study a variety of local mammals and learn about their behavior. Together we’ll interact with the land around us as we utilize outdoor play, hands-on activities, journaling, songs, and more to enhance our understanding and knowledge of our incredible local mammal friends!

Homeschool II: Outdoor Skills and Exploration
2023-10-17 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-24 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-31 10:00 - 14:00
Homeschool II: Outdoor Skills and Exploration
With Jeff Mazur
Grades 4-6, Ages 9-12
Tuesdays 10:00am – 2:00 pm
September 12 -December 5 (No program September 26, November 21, and December 12 for Discovery Days and November 7th for Curriculum Day)
Tier A:$781 Tier B:$651 Tier C:$553 Tier D:$423
Limited to 12 participants (if over enrolled, we may open a second class on Thursdays)
Join us as we explore the woods of Hampshire College Campus and other beautiful areas in and around Amherst. During this series, we will build our wilderness skills and overcome challenges together. As we enter into our own survival story, we will need to develop skills to help us to survive, such as, orienteering, fire building, shelter making, plant identification, tracking, and more! This class will also have time built in for free play, journal time to reflect on our experiences and organized games. For this class there may be drop off and pick up locations at the Hitchcock Center, or within a 20 minute drive from the Center.

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2023-10-18 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-10-25 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-11-01 15:30 - 17:30
JUNIOR NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL

With Lauren Dausch
Ages 5-7 or Grades K-2
Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
September 6 – December 20 (no program November 22)
Tier A:$453 Tier B:$378 Tier C:$321 Tier D:$245
Limited to 12 participants
Hitchcock’s Junior Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Fall Junior Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play pretend in our mud kitchen, and make leaf crowns. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-10-18 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-10-25 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-11-01 15:30 - 17:30
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL

With Jeff Mazur
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30
September 6 – December 20 (no program November 22)
Tier A:$453 | Tier B:$378 | Tier C:$321 | Tier D:$245
Limited to 12 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Fall Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, jump in leaf piles, build forts, climb trees, and make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-10-19 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-10-26 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-11-02 15:30 - 17:30
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL

With Lauren Dausch
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30
September 7 – December 21 (*Extended day Oct 26, no program November 23)
Tier A:$480 | Tier B:$400 | Tier C:$340 | Tier D:$260
Limited to 12 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Fall Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, jump in leaf piles, build forts, climb trees, and make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Girls into the Wild
2023-10-19 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-10-26 15:30 - 17:30
GIRLS INTO THE WILD AFTERSCHOOL
with Katie Koerten
Ages 9-12 or Grades 4-6
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 7 – December 21 (*Extended day Oct 26, no program November 23)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$480 | Tier B-$400| Tier C-$340 | Tier D-$260
Limited to 12 participants
Girls into the Wild is back in Fall 2023 for more romping wildly through the field and forests of the Hitchcock Center. Please note the age adjustment: GITW has shifted to be for students in grades 4 through 6. As always we’ll visit our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump City, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods – exploring the seasonal beauty of nature as we go. Play games, make friends, and create nature projects outdoors! Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Genderqueer, nonbinary, agender and trans young people are welcome! *Extended day hours on Oct 26 are 1pm-5:30pm due to early release for Amherst Public Schools.

Fall Birding Class
2023-10-20 - 2023-10-22, 2023-10-28 07:00 - 12:00
Fall Birding Class with Scott Surner
The Hitchcock Center is offering a six-week Fall Birding class with Scott Surner. There will be five local trips to various areas in Hampshire and Franklin Counties and a weekend trip to Cape Cod. Scott will help you navigate the fall plumages of Warblers, Sparrows, and waterfowl, plus much more. Fall is Scott’s favorite time of year when it comes to birding. Please join Scott this fall.
Sept 2nd. 7:00 AM – 12:00 Local. Focusing on fall Warblers and possibly inland shorebirds.
Sept 23rd- 7:00 AM- 12:00. Local. Seeking out more fall Warblers, Hawks, and early Sparrows.
Sept 30th. 7:00 AM -12:00. Local. Fall warblers are starting to decrease and Sparrows increasing.
Oct 7th. 7:00 AM-12:00. Local- Prime time for Sparrows.
Oct 20th-22nd, Cape Cod Weekend. Seabirds, Shorebirds, Shearwaters, and maybe even a Whale or two. More info after signing up.
Oct 28th. Local. 7:00 AM – 12:00. Last class of the fall season.
Please note- All trips depart from the Hitchcock Center.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Nature Discovery Preschool: From Here to There (AM)
2023-10-20 09:30 - 11:30, 2023-10-27 09:30 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Fall Nature Discovery Preschool Series – From Here to There: How Things Move in Nature
Colleen Kelley
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
Fridays, September 15 – December 8 (no programs October 13, November 10 & 24)
Morning session: 9:30am-11:30 am
Afternoon session: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Fee per Child: Tier A-$477 | Tier B-$398 | Tier C-$338 | Tier D-$258
Limited to 16 participants. Limit of 2 children per adult. Siblings under 3 are free.
Welcome back to a fun Fall with Colleen. Children and their parents will discover all the wonderful ways that nature’s creatures get around- flying, hopping, slithering and swimming. This program encourages learning through movement, singing, crafts ,games, stories and great adventures. A parent or guardian must attend with the child.
This Nature Discovery Preschool is a ten week series that takes place outdoors unless there is extreme weather.

Nature Discovery Preschool: From Here to There (PM)
2023-10-20 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-10-27 13:00 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002

Fun Friday Frolics Afterschool
2023-10-20 13:00 - 17:30
FUN FRIDAY FROLICS **NEW!!**
with Lauren Dausch
Ages: Ages 6-9 or grades 1 – 3*
Fridays, 1:00 – 5:30pm
Fee per Child: Tier A-$82 | Tier B-$68| Tier C-$58 | Tier D-$44
Limited to 12 participants

New! Come frolic in the forest on this Friday afternoon early release day for Amherst elementary schoolers! Bring a snack, lunch and water bottle and come prepared to play outside, no matter what the weather! Limited to 12 participants. *Depending on enrollment, your Kindergartner or 4th grader may be able to join.
October 20: Preparing for Hibernation and Migration

Wild Children of the Woods
2023-10-23 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-10-30 15:30 - 17:30
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS SERIES
With Monya Relles
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Mondays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 11 – December 18 (no program September 25 and October 9)
Tier A:$393 Tier B:$327 Tier C:$278 Tier D:$213
Limited to 12 participants
We go to the woods to think, learn, play, and explore in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. We will roam the grounds of the Hitchcock Center as we watch Fall turn to Winter. We will visit stump city, ferns, and the far-away woods, play some organized games, and learn about the animals, plants, and life in these woods, including ourselves.

Climate Action Series: Electrification Workshop Session 1
2023-10-24 18:30 - 19:30
Electrification: The Conservation Conversion Conversation
Workshops with Jonathan Wright
Session 1: Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30 PM
Session 2: Wednesday, November 1st at 6:30 PM
at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment
Registration required, donations appreciated
Session 1: A deep dive for the eager and curious novice. Core facts and figures will be folded into what we can do NOW, and why it matters.The sources and uses of electricity, how it works, and how it is so different from any other utility. Where are the conversion opportunities that do not add fossil fuel load on the generating side, or at least reduce more than enough to offset the new grid load? Getting to what good looks like- reducing building operations carbon. Why we can’t just turnoff the gas and plug in the electricity.
REGISTER FOR SESSION 1
Meet Workshop Leader, Jonathan A. Wright
Jonathan A. Wright is a writer, author, poet, retired builder, artisan, and designer with a 50-year history in sustainable buildings, methods, materials, and communities. His former company, Wright Builders Inc., under his guidance, completed over fifty LEED certified projects, and was the first in the world to complete two Living Building Challenge projects. He lives In Northampton and consults regionally on sustainable practices.

Fun Friday Frolics Afterschool
2023-10-27 13:00 - 17:30
FUN FRIDAY FROLICS **NEW!!**
with Lauren Dausch
Ages: Ages 6-9 or grades 1 – 3*
Fridays, 1:00 – 5:30pm
Fee per Child: Tier A-$82 | Tier B-$68| Tier C-$58 | Tier D-$44
Limited to 12 participants

New! Come frolic in the forest on this Friday afternoon early release day for Amherst elementary schoolers! Bring a snack, lunch and water bottle and come prepared to play outside, no matter what the weather! Limited to 12 participants. *Depending on enrollment, your Kindergartner or 4th grader may be able to join.
October 27: Spoooooky Creatures!

Climate Action Series: Electrification Workshop Session 2
2023-11-01 18:30 - 19:30
Electrification: The Conservation Conversion Conversation
Workshops with Jonathan Wright
Session 1: Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30 PM
Session 2: Wednesday, November 1st at 6:30 PM
at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment
Registration required, donations appreciated
Session 2: How to fix our homes and buildings, reduce loads, utilize changing HVAC technologies, have healthier air, in all communities. The easy and not-so-easy. Heat Pumps and how they work and where they shine, and falter. Traveling cleaner, and how to make your EV or Hybrid vehicle usage most sustainable working with utilities, rebates, incentives, HEAT loans and financing options.
REGISTER FOR SESSION 2
Meet Workshop Leader, Jonathan A. Wright
Jonathan A. Wright is a writer, author, poet, retired builder, artisan, and designer with a 50-year history in sustainable buildings, methods, materials, and communities. His former company, Wright Builders Inc., under his guidance, completed over fifty LEED certified projects, and was the first in the world to complete two Living Building Challenge projects. He lives In Northampton and consults regionally on sustainable practices.

Day 1: Youth Climate Summit 2023
2023-11-02
learn more and sign up: https://sites.google.com/view/ycanupcomingevents/home
