Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2024-10-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-09 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-16 15:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
Junior Nature Play Afterschool
with Lauren Dausch
Grades K – 2
Wednesdays, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
September 4 – December 18 (Extended day (1 PM) on October 23, no program November 27)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$487 | Tier B-$406 | Tier C-$345 | Tier D-$264
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
2024-10-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-09 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-16 15:30 - 17:30
Nature Play Afterschool
with Jeff Mazur
Grades 2 – 4
Wednesdays, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
September 4 – December 18 (Extended day (1 PM) on October 23, no program November 27)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$487 | Tier B-$406 | Tier C-$345 | Tier D-$264
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. For those parents deciding between the junior and nature play programs, the latter often travels further and is away from the Hitchcock Center’s play yard longer.

Autumn Herbal Foraging with Jade Alicandro
2024-10-03 16:30 - 18:30
Autumn Herbal Foraging with Jade Alicandro
Thursday, October 3, 4:30-6:30pm
Join us for a walk identifying our bio regionally abundant medicinal herbs that come into season in the fall. We’ll learn identification, medicinal uses, harvesting techniques, medicinal preparations and more. Participants will be given time to do some foraging of their own and we’ll end our walk by sharing some medicinal wild food recipes.
Sliding Scale: $25, $35, or $45
REGISTER HERE

Nature Discovery Preschool (AM)
2024-10-04 09:30 - 11:30, 2024-10-11 09:30 - 11:30, 2024-10-18 09:30 - 11:30
Nature Discovery Preschool Series:
Life in the Canopy! (Leaves, Seeds and the Animals Above Us)
with Chrissy Larson
Ages 3 – 5 (Adult required to attend with child)
Fridays, September 13 – December 6 (no programs September 27, October 25, November 29)
Morning session: 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Afternoon session: 1:00 – 3:00 PM
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.
The leafy branches above our heads create a habitat for birds, mammals, and invertebrates. Children and their grown-ups investigate together and spend the fall learning about the unique inhabitants of the tree canopy. Birds and squirrels use the branches to find food and shelter. Hawks peer down watching for prey. As fall continues, leaves change color and fall to the ground, creating a cozy layer of food and shelter for nature’s recyclers. This program encourages learning through exploration, movement, songs, stories, and crafts. An adult caregiver 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 (PM)
2024-10-04 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-10-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-10-18 13:00 - 15:00

Fall Birding Field Trip with Scott Surner
2024-10-05 07:00 - 12:00, 2024-10-19 07:00 - 12:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Fall Birding Class with Scott Surner
August 24 – October 26, 2024

Birding in the fall is just as wonderful as birding in the spring, see hawks migrating, fall warblers, waterfowl migration and more. Join lifelong birder Scott Surner as well as other local birders to get out and enjoy nature, birds and the company of others who also love birds.
Sliding Scale cost: $300, $270 or $240
Saturday Field Trips:
Aug 24 – 5AM – Dusk We start off the fall 2024 season with a trip to a coastal location in search of south bound Shorebirds, Herons, Terns etc. The likely location would be Plum Island, but a trip to the Connecticut shore can’t be ruled out. Bring Lunch.
Aug 31 – No Class
Sept 7 – 7AM – 12 Local, Looking for fall Warblers, Philadelphia Vireo, and keeping an eye out for south bound American Golden-Plovers.
Sept 14 – 7AM – 12 Local, More fall Warblers, Vireos, Flycatchers. Etc.
Sept 21 – 7AM – 12 Local, Looking for more warblers, early sparrows and, depending on the weather, looking for migrating hawks at MT.Holyoke.
Sept 28- 7AM – 12. Local. Looking for Sparrows! We’ll be visiting local weedy fields in Amherst, Hadley and Northampton.
Oct 5- 6AM – 4PM. Lighthouse point, Connecticut. This is a well-known location for hawk migration, in particular for accipiters. Bring lunch.

Oct 12th– No Class
Oct 19th– 7AM-12. Local. Waterfowl migration is starting up. We could visit a number of sites locally from Quabbin to Northampton.
Oct 26th– 7AM-12. Franklin County- Waterfowl. We’ll visit Barton’s Cove, Power Canal and in the spirit of Halloween, we’ll also visit Satan’s Kingdom and Hell’s Kitchen.
Classroom Programs-
Aug 21st– 6PM-8PM- Shorebirds & Terns
Sept 4th– 6PM – 8PM- Fall Warblers
Sept 25th– 6PM-8PM- Sparrows

Wild Children of the Woods
2024-10-07 15:30 - 17:30
with Monya Relles
Grades 3 – 5
Mondays 3:30 – 5:30 PM
September 9 – December 16 (no class October 14 or November 11)
Fee per Child: 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.

Homeschool I: Our Changing World
2024-10-08 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-10-15 10:00 - 14:00
Homeschool I: Our Changing World: Transformations in Nature
with Lauren Dausch
Grades 1 – 3, Ages 6 – 8
Tuesdays 10 AM – 2 PM
September 17 – December 10
(No program October 22, November 26 for Homeschool Discovery Days. No program November 5 for election day)
Fee per Child: Tier A: $773 | Tier B: $645 | Tier C: $548 | Tier D: $419
Limited to 12 participants
What does it mean to “transform?” Do all transformations happen in the same way? What changes do we experience as humans? Join us this Fall to study the intricacies of change and transformation in the natural world. We will learn about changes among plant life, the animal kingdom, soil and substrates, planetary history, chemicals and more! Our world is constantly changing, and if we train our senses finely enough, we will be able to sense our own transformations occurring right in tune with the Earth’s.

Homeschool II: CSI Nature Detectives
2024-10-08 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-10-15 10:00 - 14:00
Homeschool II: CSI (Children Science Investigators) Nature Detectives
with Alanna Johnston-Rutledge
Grades 4 – 6, Ages 9 – 12
Tuesdays 10 AM – 2 PM
September 17 – December 10
(No program October 22, November 26 for Discovery Days. No program Nov 5 for election day)
Fee per Child: Tier A: $773 | Tier B:$645 | Tier C:$548 | Tier D:$419
Limited to 12 participants
Put on your detective hats, because it’s science investigation time! Nature has many mysteries for us to explore: Why do leaves change color in the fall? What can we learn from an animal’s bones? What makes static electricity? How do trees think? We will be investigating these cases and many more. We will learn investigative skills, ask questions and solve puzzles about the world around us. This program will feature field trips, engineering challenges, games, crafts, journaling, and more.

Nature Play Afterschool
2024-10-08 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-15 15:30 - 17:30
with Jeff Mazur
Grades 1 – 3
Tuesdays, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
September 10 – December 17 (no program November 5)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$447 | Tier B-$372 | Tier C-$316 | Tier D-$242
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
2024-10-08 15:30 - 17:30, 2024-10-15 15:30 - 17:30
with Katie Koerten
Grades 4 – 6
Tuesdays, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
September 3 – December 17 (no program November 5)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$453 | Tier B-$378 | Tier C-$321 | Tier D-$245
Limited to 12 participants
Girls into the Wild is back in Fall 2024 for more romping wildly through the field and forests of the Hitchcock Center with Katie! 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.

Second Saturday Family Science
2024-10-12 10:00 - 11:00
Second Saturday Family Science
with Lauren Dausch
Ages 5 – 7 or Grades K – 1
Saturdays, 10 – 11 AM
September 14, October 12, November 9, December 14
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. We will be learning while moving, often exploring the woods behind our building.
October 12: Lovely Leaves (Outside)
Why do leaves change colors in autumn? And why do they fall off? Join us for an exploration about the life of leaves!

Senior Nature Hike with John Green
2024-10-17 09:00 - 11:00
Senior Nature Hikes with John Green
Thursday, October 17, 9-11am – Fitzgerald Lake

These nature hikes will be led by naturalist John Green, they are all at locations with f
airly level ground, they will move slowly and not cover a lot of distance. Please wear solid footwear, and binoculars are welcome.
Registration is required, exact location and meeting spot will be provided upon registration. Sliding Scale: $10, $20, or $30

Fireside Chat: Astronomy
2024-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Fireside Chat: Astronomy
Friday, October 18, 7pm
Join us for an evening in our gardens under the stars. We have a nice open landscape for stargazing, come for a chat and nibbles around the fire and hear a bit about astronomy and its history, look through telescopes and see what we can see. Weather permitting. Sliding Scale: $10, $20, or $30
REGISTER HERE
