Springtime Little Bear Nature Walk
2026-05-27 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-06-02 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-06-08 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-06-12 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-06-13 10:00 - 11:15, 2026-06-17 10:00 - 11:15 (America/New_York)
Little Bear Nature Walks
With Chrissy Larson
Ages 0-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Walks are outdoors and take place unless there is extreme weather.
See dates and locations here
Little Bear Nature Walks are guided, open-ended walks that allow toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers explore nature in an age-appropriate way. While on the walk, children borrow a backpack filled with simple tools for exploring and are led by a preschool educator. Children investigate plants and animals, engage with rocks, soil and water, and use their imaginations to play with the world. Walks incorporate observation, inquiry, and sensory learning. Each has a loose theme and includes a trail-side storytime. Come along with us!
See dates and locations here

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2026-05-27 13:00 - 17:30, 2026-06-03 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-06-10 15:30 - 17:30
Junior Nature Play Afterschool Series
With: Isaiah Brown
Grades K-2
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 25 – June 10 (Extended days (1PM) on March 25, April 29, May 27, no program April 22)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$434 | Tier B-$378 | Tier C-$321
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 Spring Junior Nature Play we will play in the mud and spring rains, look for bugs, and enjoy the warming outdoors. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Play Afterschool
2026-05-27 13:00 - 17:30, 2026-06-03 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-06-10 15:30 - 17:30
Nature Play Afterschool Series
With Jeff Mazur
Grades 3-5
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 25 – June 10 (Extended days (1PM) on March 25, April 29, May 27, no program April 22)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$434 | Tier B-$378 | Tier C-$321
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. In spring Nature Play Afterschool we will explore, watch the trees bud, celebrate the green and blooming springtime, and play in the mud. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Discovery: Sky Explorers (Group A)
2026-05-29 09:30 - 11:30
Nature Discovery Series for 3-5 year olds (Adult/Child) Spring 2026
Sky Explorers: The Great Bird Adventure
with Chrissy Larson
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
All sessions 9:30-11:30 AM

Alternating Weeks on Fridays (activities are the same for Group A & Group B):
Please note: no classes scheduled on 4/24 or 5/22.
Group A Sessions: 3/6, 3/20, 4/3, 4/17, 5/8, 5/29
OR
Group B Sessions: 3/13, 3/27, 4/10, 5/1, 5/15, 6/5

Limited to 12 children. Limit of 2 preK children per adult. Each preK student must register. Siblings under 3 are free.
Grab your wings and join the Sky Explorers on a magical adventure! From clever crows to soaring hawks, each class uncovers the wonders of a different New England bird — how they fly, hunt, and play. Children will learn about bird families, their homes, and all the amazing ways they move, eat, and communicate. This program encourages learning through exploration, movement, songs, stories, and crafts. An adult caregiver must attend with the child.
Please note: Nature Discovery classes typically start indoors with table activities and circle time, followed by an outdoor adventure that includes hands-on activities and a story.

Tree Walk with arborist Alex Klein
2026-05-31 13:00 - 15:00
Tree Walk
Sunday, May 31, 1pm – 3pm
with local herbalist and arborist, Alex Klein
Sliding scale $25, $32 or $40

Now that the trees have fully leafed out, there’s no mistaking who’s who, or at least it might seem that way… Join local herbalist and arborist, Alex Klein, for a walk through the trees, getting to know the species by not just their leaves, but by their bark and branching patterns, habitat and form. We’ll go over some identification techniques to parse out different genera and species and discuss the different forest types and levels of ecological succession where we’d expect to find different groupings of trees. Trees are foundational to the life of the forest and the growth of humanity, so we’ll carve out some time to think about the roles our woody friends are playing in the environment and how they have contributed to human history as well.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2026-06-01 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-06-08 15:30 - 17:30
Junior Nature Play Afterschool
With: Isaiah Brown
Grades 1-3
Mondays 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 23 – June 8 (no program April 20 and May 25)
Limited to 12 participants
Come explore the outdoors as we travel in and around the Hitchcock Center’s outdoor spaces! We explore woodlands, fields, underbush and streams in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. Participants engage in a variety of games, activities, and discovery-based adventures every week. The hope with this program is to grow and develop young people’s appreciation for the outdoors while exploring their feelings of joy and curiosity in both play and exploration.

Girls into the Wild
2026-06-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-06-09 15:30 - 17:30
Girls into the Wild
with: Katie Koerten
Grades 4-6
Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 24 – June 9 (no program April 21)
Limited to 12 participants
Girls into the Wild continues into 2026 for more romping wildly through the fields and forests of the Hitchcock Center. As always we’ll visit our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Slug City, the Forest Garden, and the Faraway Woods – exploring the seasonal beauty of nature as we go. Play games, make friends, and create nature projects in the outdoors! Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Any young people with an experience of gender marginalization are welcome!

Nature Play Afterschool
2026-06-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-06-09 15:30 - 17:30
Nature Play Afterschool Series
With Jeff Mazur
Grades 1-3
Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 24 – June 9 (no program April 21)
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. In Winter Nature Play Afterschool we will explore snowy wooded trails and fields, make snow villages, and sled down the HCE hill. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Spring Birding Course: Overnight Trip
2026-06-12 - 2026-06-15
Spring Birding Course: Weekend Trip to Connecticut Lakes, New Hampshire
Led by Scott Surner
June 12th – 15th
Sliding Scale : $130 / $150 / $170
for bird field trips & instruction throughout the weekend
Travel, food and lodging not included
Join this spring tradition. Are you wanting to delight in birds more often, learn what you are seeing and hearing, seek new species you haven’t seen, or just be in community with other birders?
June 12th – Depart on Thursday and head to New Hampshire. Night in Colebrook.
June 13th – Depart very early for Dixville Turbines. We hope to hear & see Bicknell’s Thrush, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and more.
From Dixville Turbines, we’ll make our way to Pittsburg, NH. Once in Pittsburg, we’ll look for American Bittern, Cliff Swallows, Wilson’s Snipe, and Bobolinks. Check into the motel late afternoon.
June 14th – Early departure for East Inlet Rd & Scott’s Bog. Breeding warblers: Bay-breasted, Mourning, No.Parula and more. Plus Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive- sided Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, and maybe a Philadelphia Vireo.
June 15th -Early departure for Moose Bog. More boreal species, Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, maybe Black-backed Woodpecker, and Spruce Grouse. Depart for home around 11:00 AM.
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Edible Plant Series with arborist Alex Klein
2026-06-14 10:00 - 12:00
Edible Plant Series
with local herbalist and arborist, Alex Klein
Three sundays: June 14, August 9, September 20
At Hitchcock Center, 2pm – 4pm
Sign up for 1 or all 3 programs
Sliding Scale $60, $75 or $90 for the 3 sessions.
Single classes $25, $32 or $40.
Ever wondered if you could eat that? This is your chance to find out! Join local herbalist and avid forager, Alex Klein, for a series of walks to learn about foraging for and eating wild food. Classes will focus on botanical identification, ethical harvest practices, and safety concerns around eating plants from wild and not-so-wild spaces. We’ll also talk about processing wild plant material and turning it into gourmet food. If we’re lucky, we might even get a snack while we’re out there!
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Battle of the Botanicals 2026
2026-06-18 18:00 - 20:00
Battle of the Botanicals
Thursday, June 18, 6pm – 9 pm
Amherst College Powerhouse
Tickets required, 21+ only
We will be inviting some of our region’s top bartender/chef teams to profile their talents and help us raise funds for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment’s environmental justice programs.
Held on Thursday, June 18 from 6 – 9 p.m. this ticketed fundraiser is expected to draw 300+ people. Each restaurant team will present a tasting station with an appetizer and cocktail sample that highlight a signature botanical feature. The three top-voted bartenders will then take the stage for a live cocktail mix-off!
A panel of local celebrity judges will name the winner!
Learn more and get tickets

The Heart of the Season: Summer
2026-06-24 18:00 - 20:00
With Dave Eyerman
Wednesdays, June 24, July 1 & 8, 6pm – 8pm
Sliding scale: $60, $75 or $90 for the series
Explore the seasonal themes of summer through the lenses of Chinese Medicine and other Earth-based spiritual practices. In this three-week class, licensed acupuncturist and shamanic practitioner Dave Eyerman will guide participants in understanding how this season affects their body, emotions, and energy, through a mix of teaching, group discussion, time outdoors, and guided meditation.
Summer is the season of full vibrancy and aliveness, of expression and reveling in the abundance that is around. It is the time to live with hearts wide open and enjoy the splendor of life at full throttle. We can be prone to overdoing it in summer, with FOMO and trying to take advantage of every opportunity available, and we run the risk of not taking the necessary time for breaks and rest.
In Chinese Medicine, summer is the season of the Fire element and its channels Heart, Pericardium, Small Intestine, and Triple Warmer. Lessons of boundaries, appropriately opening and protecting our hearts, sorting through the chaos, and letting our soul shine bright are rich this season.
Participants will learn practical seasonal self-care strategies, ways to support physical and emotional balance, and simple techniques for connecting with natural cycles. All the practices shown are designed to help everyone develop their own personal relationship with the land and its seasonal rhythms.

Chickadee Camp
2026-06-29 08:45 - 13:00, 2026-06-30 08:45 - 13:00, 2026-07-01 08:45 - 13:00
Chickadee Camp
Entering Kindergarten*
Mondays – Fridays, 8:45 am – 1 pm
Session 1: June 29th – July 3rd (one week)
Session 2: July 6th -July 17th (two weeks)
Session 3: July 20th – July 24th (one week)
Session 4: July 27th-August 7th (two weeks)
Session 5: August 10-14 (one week)
The Chickadee program is a safe, nurturing first outdoor day camp experience for young ones. Attentive and loving counselors facilitate safe and curious exploration of the Discovery Yard and Hitchcock trails while sharing enthusiasm and joyful nature connection. Chickadee Camp is primarily for rising Kindergartners (children entering Kindergarten in the fall)

Nature Summer Camp: Ew That's Gross!
2026-06-29 08:45 - 15:00, 2026-06-30 08:45 - 15:00
Ew, That’s Gross! (One-week Session)
Session 1: June 29th – July 3rd
Session 5: August 10-14
Do you love bugs, snakes, and slugs? Do you love digging in the dirt? Then this is the session for you! During this week, we’ll make slime, play in the mud, and discover creatures that live in the soil. We’ll find out who’s who in the creepy crawly world and learn about the important roles these animals serve for the environment as decomposers, predators, and food for other animals. Hands-on animal observation, hikes, and crafts are all part of the fun! There will be no field trips this week.

Summertime Little Bear Nature Walk
2026-06-29 10:00 - 11:15
