Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Nature Discovery Preschool: Mammal Friends
2018-12-07 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-11-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-11-16 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-11-09 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Colleen Kelley
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
Fridays, Afternoon session: 1:00-3:00pm
September 14, 28 (no September 21) October 12, 19, 26 (no October 5) November 9, 16, 30 (no November 2, 23) December 7, 14
Members: $205/Non-members: $255
Through live animal observations, puppets, stories, games and crafts, Colleen will introduce the children to local mammals living right in our backyards. Squirrels, deer, skunks, and raccoons will be just a few of the friends we’ll make during our ten weeks together. An adult is required to attend with each child. Limited to 12 families per session.

Nature Discovery Preschool: Mammal Friends
2018-12-07 09:30 - 11:30, 2018-11-30 09:30 - 11:30, 2018-11-16 09:30 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Colleen Kelley
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
Fridays, Morning session: 9:30-11:30am
September 14, 28 (no September 21) October 12, 19, 26 (no October 5) November 9, 16, 30 (no November 2, 23) December 7, 14
Members: $205/Non-members: $255
Through live animal observations, puppets, stories, games and crafts, Colleen will introduce the children to local mammals living right in our backyards. Squirrels, deer, skunks, and raccoons will be just a few of the friends we’ll make during our ten weeks together. An adult is required to attend with each child. Limited to 12 families per session.

Girls into the Wild
2018-12-06 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-29 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Sometimes you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! That’s what we do at Girls into the Wild, and lots more. Now going into its fifth year, Girls into the Wild is designed to get girls outside, playing and engaging with nature in their own way. Instructor Katie Koerten strives to offer games and activities that each girl can participate in at her own comfort level, from climbing trees, to playing camouflage in the forest, to running and whooping wildly through fields – all while noticing the birds that are singing, the flowers that are blooming and the animals that are leaving tracks behind. Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Families provide their own transportation to the Hitchcock Center.
with Katie Koerten
Ages 8-11, Grades 3-5
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 13 – December 20 (no program Nov. 22)
Members: $355/Non-members: $425

Current Environmental Justice Legislation & Initiatives
2018-12-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Featuring Ellen Story, Claire Higgins, and Jo Comerford.
More details to come…
Organized in partnership with Pete Westover, Hampshire College, and the Roddenberry Foundation.
Wednesday, December 5th, 7-8:30pm
Registration appreciated

Nature Play Afterschool
2018-12-05 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-28 08:00 - 17:00, 2018-11-14 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Fall is here, and school has started, and your kids still want to be outside! Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be a free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Fall Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in and near streams, build forts, climb trees, make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us and use our imaginations. Our instructors provide a safe structure for children to explore nature and encourages children to stretch their limits as they balance on logs, hold salamanders, or co-create new games with their peers. Please note: there will be a different educators for Mondays and Wednesdays.

Wednesdays: 3:30pm-5:30pm, extended days 1:30pm-5:30pm
September 12 – December 19 (no class November 21)
Extended days: Sept 26, Oct 17, Dec 12
Members: $380/Non-members: $475

Homeschool II: Citizen Science!
2018-12-04 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-27 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-20 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-13 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Calling all future scientists! Citizen scientists are people — young or old — who help collect data for research projects. We will work with local researchers and on national science projects, collecting data that matters! For this homeschool series we will be diving into different science projects and asking lots of questions, such as: How healthy is our local population of salamanders? When do our monarch butterflies migrate? When do our leaves drop? And more! Kids can offer a new way of looking at an issue, so bring your scientific mind, observation skills and unique perspective to our class. Through observation, special guests, field trips, and surveys, we will study the world around us and contribute to science while also having fun, exploring and playing games. Limited to 12 participants
with Jeff Mazur
Tuesdays, 10am-2pm
September 18, 25, October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 13, 20, 27, December 4 (No class October 2 or November 6)
Members: $450/Non-members: $560

Homeschool I: Incredible Insects (And Other Arthropods!)
2018-12-04 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-27 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-20 10:00 - 14:00, 2018-11-13 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Honey, we shrunk the homeschoolers! Get ready to become very tiny this fall as we get down on a bug’s level. At Homeschool I we’ll discover the insects and other arthropods, such as spiders, millipedes and crustaceans that share our home with us. From butterfly to bumblebee, and cockroach to click beetle we’ll find out the characteristics that make these animals amazing survivors. We’ll learn about insect defense strategies, communication, and how many insects help humans in our everyday lives! Through collection and observation, field trips and art projects, we will study the insects and arthropods of our local habitats and beyond. By the end of our class, you might just ask yourself, where would the world “bee” without insects? Space is limited. Limited to 12 participants.
with Katie Koerten
Tuesdays, 10am-2pm
September 18, 25, October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 13, 20, 27, December 4 (No class October 2 or November 6)
Members: $450/Non-members: $560

Nature Play Afterschool
2018-12-03 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-26 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-19 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-11-12 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Fall is here, and school has started, and your kids still want to be outside! Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be a free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Fall Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in and near streams, build forts, climb trees, make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us and use our imaginations. Our instructors provide a safe structure for children to explore nature and encourages children to stretch their limits as they balance on logs, hold salamanders, or co-create new games with their peers. Please note: there will be a different educators for Mondays and Wednesdays.
Mondays: 3:30pm-5:30pm
September 17 – December 17 (no class October 8)
Members: $295/Non-members $365

Explore an Old Growth Habitat
2018-12-02 09:00 - 12:00
Join us for a trip to remnant old growth forest in Cummington.
with Ted Watt
$30/course
Register here
About Ted:
Ted is an environmental educator and naturalist at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. He has worked here for over 30 years and loves exploring nature with others who are
passionate about their desire to connect with all aspects of the natural world
About this program:
This program is a part of our fifth year of offering an in-depth natural history course for naturalists and citizen scientists. Each month, in our series of nature explorations with different local naturalists, we explore a focused, seasonal, natural history topic. We’ll look at nature in new ways, from broad habitat perspectives to close details of individual species. Over the course of the year we’ll visit a variety of natural habitats in the greater Pioneer Valley area. Identification skills, ecological connections, adaptations, and life cycles of organisms will be the focus of our observations. Bring your curiosity and observation skills and be prepared to spend time outdoors. Dress for the weather as we rarely cancel due to inclement weather. Bring binoculars and a hand lens, water and snacks if you would like.

From Fear to Confidence: Preventing Tick-Borne Illnesses
2018-11-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Have you found a tick on yourself or your child and felt worried? Are you concerned about tick-borne disease? The Hitchcock Center is delighted to welcome back Dr. Stephen Rich, chief medical zoologist at the UMASS Amherst Laboratory of Medical Zoology. Steve will present his work at the “Tick Lab” and his important findings over their 12 years of tick testing. In addition, Ted Watt will open with a brief presentation of the natural history and life cycles of the ticks that can be found in our area. Our goal is for you to leave more informed, at ease, and prepared for preventing tick-borne illness!
with Dr. Stephen Rich, UMASS “Tick Lab”
Donations and registration appreciated

Geology: The Valley's 'Deep' History
2018-11-18 09:00 - 12:00
Learn why the Pioneer Valley is one of the best places to study geology. Starting at the Hitchcock Center with a visit to nearby sites.
with Richard Little
$30/course
Register here
About Richard:
Richard is Professor Emeritus at Greenfield Community College. He has geology degrees from Clark University and the University of Southern California. He taught geology and oceanography at GCC for 45 years, leads “Fantastic Landscape Tours” to Iceland, Scotland and other locations, and has published 2 books and 2 videos about Connecticut Valley.
About this program:
This program is a part of our fifth year of offering an in-depth natural history course for naturalists and citizen scientists. Each month, in our series of nature explorations with different local naturalists, we explore a focused, seasonal, natural history topic. We’ll look at nature in new ways, from broad habitat perspectives to close details of individual species. Over the course of the year we’ll visit a variety of natural habitats in the greater Pioneer Valley area. Identification skills, ecological connections, adaptations, and life cycles of organisms will be the focus of our observations. Bring your curiosity and observation skills and be prepared to spend time outdoors. Dress for the weather as we rarely cancel due to inclement weather. Bring binoculars and a hand lens, water and snacks if you would like.

Saturday Family Science: Oh Deer!
2018-11-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Join us for seasonal nature and science programs each second Saturday of the month. Designed for children with their parents, these programs will explore cool topics in nature.
Saturdays, September 8, October 13, November 10, December 8
10-11am
Free
Registration appreciated. Groups of 6 or more please call ahead.
September 8: What Do Snakes Do?
What are turtles and snakes doing this time of year? Come visit the Hitchcock reptiles and meet Cob, our new corn snake!
October 13: Colors of Fall
How many colors of leaves can you find? Learn about why the leaves change colors in fall.
November 10: Oh Deer!
One of our most common, yet quiet mammals: come learn about the lives of white-tailed deer.
December 8: Counting Winter Birds with Heidi Stemple, Guest Teacher
Learn about the birds that stay all winter, and the citizen scientists that count them, with local children’s author Heidi Stemple.

Weather Cancellation Policy
If we cancel this program due to in-climate weather, we will post the cancellation on our website by 9am. Please check the website before coming to the program.
