Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2022-09-14 15:30 - 17:30, 2022-09-07 15:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
JUNIOR NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
Ages 5-7 or grades K-1
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 7 – December 21 (no program October 5, November 23)
Extended Days: October 12 & December 7
Fee per Child: Tier A-$469 | Tier B-$382 | Tier C-$325 | Tier D-$248
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 Aftershool
2022-09-14 15:30 - 17:30, 2022-09-07 15:30 - 17:30
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 7 – December 21 (no program October 5, November 23)
Extended Days: October 12 & December 7
Fee per Child: Tier A-$469 | Tier B-$382 | Tier C-$325 | Tier D-$248
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.

Wednesdays with the Animals
2022-09-14 15:30 - 17:30, 2022-09-07 15:30 - 17:30
WEDNESDAYS WITH THE ANIMALS
Ages 8-11 or grades 3-5
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 7 – December 21 (no program October 5, November 23)
Extended Days: October 12 & December 7
Fee per Child: Tier A-$412 | Tier B-$358 | Tier C-$304 | Tier D-$232
Come spend some time with animals inside and outside at the Hitchcock Center. Some weeks we’ll meet and spend some quality time with the Hitchcock Center teaching animals and some weeks we’ll go out in search of what we can find. We’ll also have some time for outdoor free play and visit all our favorite places in the woods. **This program will only be available in the fall.**

Wild Children of the Woods
2022-09-13 15:30 - 17:30, 2022-09-06 15:30 - 17:30
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS SERIES
Ages 8–11 or Grades 3–5
Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 6 – December 20 (no program Nov. 8) Fee per Child: Tier A-$414 | Tier B-$360 | Tier C-$306 | Tier D-$234

Wild Children of the Woods is a nature based after school for upper-elementary schoolers. We will learn, play, and explore outdoors, roaming the grounds of the Hitchcock Center and watching 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.

Homeschool II: Community Science
2022-09-13 10:00 - 14:00
With Jeff Mazur
Grades 4-6, Ages 9-12
Tuesdays 10:00am – 2:00 pm
September 13 -December 13 (No program September 27, October 18, and November 22 for Discovery Days and November 8 for Curriculum Day)
Tier A:$747 Tier B:$649 Tier C:$552 Tier D:$422
Calling all future scientists! Community scientists are people — young or old — who help collect data for research projects conducted around the world. We will work with local researchers and on national science projects collecting data that matters! Areas that we will investigate include – Climate change’s impact on when leaves fall? Monarch migration? What is living in our streams and more! Bring your scientific mind, observation skills and unique perspective to our class. Through field visits, surveys, and special guests we will study the world around us and contribute to science while also having fun, exploring and playing games.

Homeschool I: Cycles and Systems
2022-09-13 10:00 - 14:00
With Monya Relles
Grades 1-3, Ages 6-8
Tuesdays 10:00am -2:00 pm
September 13 -December 13 (No program September 27, October 18, and November 22 for Discovery Days and November 8 for Curriculum Day)
Tier A:$730 Tier B:$635 Tier C:$540 Tier D:$413
What does it mean to be in an ecosystem? How are we connected to each other? We will study ecosystems, nutrient cycles, energy cycles, and the ways we can interact with all the systems around us. We will approach learning with outdoor play, hands-on activities, journaling, songs, and more.

Nature Play Afterschool
2022-09-12 15:30 - 17:30
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Mondays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 12 – December 19 (no program October 10)
Extended Day: September 26
Fee per Child: Tier A-$411 | Tier B-$358 | Tier C-$304 | Tier D-$232

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

Wild Children of the Woods
2022-09-12 15:30 - 17:30
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS SERIES
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Mondays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
September 12 – December 19 (no program October 10)
Extended Day: September 26
Fee per Child: Tier A-$411 | Tier B-$358 | Tier C-$304 | Tier D-$232
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.

Second Saturday Family Science
2022-09-10 10:00 - 11:00
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Saturdays, 10–11am
September 10, October 8, November 12, December 10
Suggested Donation: $5–$30 per family
Join us for seasonal nature and science programs each second Saturday of the month. Designed for children (ages 5–7) with their parents, these programs will explore cool topics in nature.
September 10 – Pond Life (Outside)
October 8 – Night Animals (Outside)
November 12 – Fall Colors (Outside)
December 10 – Reptiles In Winter (Inside)

Fall Birding Course with Scott Surner
2022-09-10 07:00 - 12:00, 2022-09-03 07:00 - 12:00, 2022-08-20
Join the Hitchcock Center’s beloved Fall Birding Class with birding extraordinaire, Scott Surner. This fall class will consist of ten field trips to various locations in the Connecticut River Valley, plus three coastal areas. Scott will help you work through the confusing plumages of fall warblers, and the streak and unstreaked plumages of fall sparrows. Our trips to the coast should provide us with an opportunity to study the different plumages of adult and juvenile southbound Shorebirds, Herons, Gulls, Terns, and with a little luck, some pelagic birds (Shearwaters, Storm-Petrels, and Jaegers) off the beaches of Cape cod. All trips depart from the Hitchcock Center and car-pooling will be encouraged. The class will be limited to fifteen observers.
Scott has been birding for more than forty-five years all around the Connecticut River Valley, Canada, and North and Central America. Scott just finished up a very successful Spring Class that traveled to more than thirty-six different locations and encountered 201 species of birds!
Course is limited to 15 participants and will be outdoor only for COVID Safety.
Participants must be vaccinated and willing to carpool.
Sliding Scale Pricing; $700, $650, $600, and $550.
FALL BIRDING REGISTRATION

Registration opens Friday, July 29 at 9:00 AM.
Field Trip Dates and Details:
Aug 20: 5:00 AM – all day. Plum Island or another coastal location within a two-hour drive. This trip’s primary focus will be migrating Shorebirds from their breeding grounds in the Arctic.
Sept 3: Local. 7:00 AM -12:00 PM. Fall Warblers/Shorebirds of Hampshire & Franklin County.
Sept 10: Local. 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Warblers, with a special focus on locating the elusive Connecticut Warbler.
Sept 17: Local. 7:00 AM -12:00 PM. Warblers, Vireos, Flycatchers, etc.
Oct 1: Local. 7:00 AM -12:00 PM. Sparrows & Late Warblers.
Oct 15: Local. 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Prime time for migrating Sparrows!
Oct 21 – 23: Cape Cod Weekend. We’ll explore areas from Chatham down to Provincetown. More info after signing up. If accommodations are hard to come by, we may do a one-day trip to the Connecticut shore.
Oct 29: Local. 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Waterfowl & Sparrows
Nov 5: Local. 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Dec 3rd: 5:00 AM – all day. Last class, back to the MA Coast. Probably Cape Ann (Gloucester/Rockport area) Sea ducks, Grebes, and more.
All trips depart from the Hitchcock Center and car-pooling will be encouraged.

GIRLS INTO THE WILD AFTERSCHOOL
2022-09-08 15:30 - 17:30
Ages 8-11 or grades 3-5
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 8 – December 22 (no program November 24)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$418 | Tier B-$364 | Tier C-$309 | Tier D-$236
Girls into the Wild is back in Fall 2022 for more romping wildly through the field and forests of the Hitchcock Center. 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!

Nature Summer Camp: Ew, That's Gross
2022-08-12 08:45 - 15:00, 2022-08-11 08:45 - 15:00, 2022-08-10 08:45 - 15:00, 2022-08-09 08:45 - 15:00, 2022-08-08 08:45 - 15:00
Young Naturalists: Entering grades 1-2
Eco-investigators: Entering grades 3-4
Nature Explorers: Entering grades 5-6
Mondays-Fridays, 8:45am-3pm
Session 5: August 8– 12(one week)
Tier A: $480 Tier B: $385 Tier C: $290 Tier D: $195
Do you love bugs, snakes and slugs? What about digging in the dirt and making mud sculptures? Do get excited by the idea of being grossed out? Then join us for Ew, That’s Gross! During this week we’ll make slime, play in the mud and discover the insects and other creatures that live in the soil. We’ll find out who’s who in the creepy crawly world, search for scat, and discover why all the stuff we think is gross is also so important in our world. Hands-on animal observation, hikes and crafts are all part of the fun! There will be no field trips this session.

Chickadee Camp
2022-08-12 08:45 - 13:00, 2022-08-11 08:45 - 13:00, 2022-08-10 08:45 - 13:00, 2022-08-09 08:45 - 13:00, 2022-08-08 08:45 - 13:00, 2022-08-05 08:45 - 13:00
Age 5 (must be entering Kindergarten in fall 2022)
Mondays-Fridays, 8:45am-1pm
Session 1: June 27 – July 1 (one week)
Session 2: July 5 – 15 (two weeks – No camp July 4)
Session 3: July 18 – 22(one week)
Session 4: July 25 – August 5 (two weeks)
Session 5: August 8– 12(one week)
1 Week Sessions: Tier A – $344 Tier B – $275 Tier C – $206 Tier D – $138
Session 2: Tier A – $625 Tier B – $500 Tier C – $375 Tier D – $250
Session 4: Tier A – $688 Tier B – $550 Tier C – $412 Tier D – $275
For the first time ever, the Hitchcock Center is offering a summer program for 5 year olds! Each morning we will have circle time before playing at our favorite Hitchcock places: the mud kitchen, the Discovery Yard, Root City, Ferns and more! Each day has a playful nature theme and we will make nature projects, sing songs, and play games as well as have story and snack, and end with lunch. Space is limited. Children must be five years old and entering Kindergarten in fall 2022 to be eligible to participate.

Leadership Training Camp
2022-08-05 08:45 - 15:00
Entering grades 7-9, only
Session 2: With Monya Relles and Katie Koerten
Session 4: With Peter Lamdin and Monya Relles
Mondays-Fridays, 8:45am-3pm
Session 2: July 5 – 15 (two weeks – No camp July 4)
Session 4: July 25 – August 5 (two weeks)
Session 2: Tier A: $906 Tier B: $725 Tier C: $544 Tier D: $362
Session 4: Tier A: $995 Tier B: $795 Tier C: $600 Tier D: $400
LTC is where new leaders can develop their skills as naturalists, activity leaders, outdoors people, and community members, and returning leaders can strengthen the skills they’ve been developing. This is done through our “spiral” system, with spirals representing your experience in LTC (spiral 1 for first year campers, spiral 2 for second year campers, etc.) and each spiral holding different expectations and skills. While camp will, by necessity, look different this year, we plan to continue with the same spirit of fun, trust, learning, and skill building that are the hallmarks of LTC. We’ll find ways to adapt favorite games, challenges, and activities from years past, and to develop new ones.
Leadership Training Camp is jam-packed with outdoor adventures, group challenges, nature hikes and discussions on what makes good leaders. We offer up a combination of games and songs with leadership skills you can use as a Hitchcock Junior Counselor, at school, and just in life! We plan to incorporate some of our favorite activities from previous years, such as rock climbing, ropes course challenges and our camping overnight, along with new activities, challenges and field trips. We’ll take time to develop as a group, to work with the younger campers to put what we learn into practice, and to be campers ourselves: playing in the woods and learning about and exploring nature.
LTC is an active camp, but time is also spent listening and learning from each other by sharing knowledge and talking about our experiences and how they help us become better leaders. It is designed for all Hitchcock campers entering grades 7-9 looking to learn what it takes to lead others in the outdoors. It is designed for those who may want to be a Counselor-in-Training or Junior Counselor at Hitchcock or other camps, who want a chance to develop leadership skills that can apply to other parts of their life, or who just want to learn new skills and have some fun. Please note that drop-off and pick-up times for LTC may change on some days depending on our schedule for that day.

Nature Summer Camp: No Place Like Home
2022-08-05 08:45 - 15:00
Young Naturalists: Entering grades 1-2
Eco-investigators: Entering grades 3-4
Nature Explorers: Entering grades 5-6
Mondays-Fridays, 8:45am-3pm
Session 4: July 25 – August 5 (two weeks)
Tier A: $900 Tier B: $725 Tier C: $545 Tier D: $365
Explore the interconnectedness of our lives and our community by diving into our local habitats! We will build our sense of place as we investigate where our food comes from, how our ecosystems work, and who has resided on this land across time. Field trips to local mountains and rivers will allow us to investigate our ancient past with hands-on exploration. We will also investigate how our home has changed over time, examining the effects of climate change on our environment. There is so much to learn about the special place we live, and we’ll do so while singing, exploring, playing games, and learning from one another!
