Hitchcock Center for the Environment

10:00am-12:00pm Junior Nature Play (In-person
2020-11-12 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
We are pleased to offer for the first time a new Nature Play program that includes kindergartners— Junior Nature Play! Children in kindergarten and first grade may sign up for this immersive, lightly-structured program that lets kids be “free-range” while being safely supervised. Instructor Katie Koerten will lead us to our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump Town, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods. Each day includes games, free play, a story and snack time.
with Katie Koerten
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Thursdays, September 24–December 17 (No program November 5 and 26)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$432 | Tier B-$345 | Tier C-$259 | Tier D-$129
Limited to 8 participants per day

9:30am-12:30pm The Ology of Ologists Homeschool Adventure Thursday Series
2020-11-12 09:30 - 12:30, 2020-11-05 09:30 - 12:30
Join us in this fall program series as we learn the jobs that scientists do. We will focus on a different “ology” each week — from archeology to zoology we will explore different realms of science. This will be an all-outdoor program, and will include a morning circle, an activity focused on the ology of the day, followed by a snack, nature exploration and games.
with Jeff Mazur
Ages 9–11 or Grades 4–6
Thursdays, 9:30am–12:30pm
September 17–November 19
Fee per Child: Tier A-$554 | Tier B-$443 | Tier C-$332 | Tier D-$166
Limited to 10 participants

7:00-8:30pm Hitchcock Nature Trivia Night: A monthly virtual trivia contest fundraiser
2020-11-11 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for a monthly online trivia contest fundraiser for environmental education. The quiz will test you on a wide breadth of science, nature and environmental knowledge. The winning team will split the award with the Hitchcock Center’s scholarship fund.

Sign up as teams of 1–4 people, with a flat fee of $50 per team per game. The more teams, the bigger the prize (see table below), so invite your friends!
Advanced registration required and available up until the evening before the contest. Upon registration the team will be provided a Zoom link.
Teams will be able to play as a team even if in different locations. Each team will be assigned a breakout room in advance, that will allow them to discuss answers as a team.
The game will be played in 2 rounds of 15 questions with a break in the middle to score and learn where your team stands in the contest.
We will need a minimum of 6 teams to play and have a maximum of 22 teams, with a maximum winning of $500 if 22 teams were playing (see table below)
We will ask that all players follow the honor system and not consult other sources for answers while playing, we will have everyone do a playful oath at the beginning of play.
The contest and questions are geared towards adults, in the future we may offer Family Nature Trivia Nights as well, stay tuned.

Here is how the evening will run:
Game Play:
7:00-7:10 Greetings and Directions, each team will need to assign a scribe who will have a private chat with the host to submit your teams answers.
7:10 -7:30 Round 1 – 15 Questions – Play begins 3 questions at a time with 2 minutes to answer. Questions will be read aloud and posted in the chat, each team then goes into their team break out room to discuss answers. At the end of the round you will have 2 minutes to look back over all your 15 answers and submit.
7:30- 7:40 Halftime Break – All players together to chat, use the bathroom, get a snack, etc.
7:40 – 7:50 Review answers from Round 1 as a large group and report top 3 teams at Halftime.
7:50 – 8:10 Round 2 – 15 Questions, played in the same format as Round 1
8:10- 8:15 Scoring break and again an open Zoom format so folks can chat.
8:15 – 8:25 Go over answers and announce the winners.
Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30pm
September 23, October 21, November 11, December 9
Registration available here, soon!

3:30-5:30pm Games in Nature Afterschool Wednesday Series (In-person)
2020-11-11 15:30 - 17:30, 2020-11-04 15:30 - 17:30
Play is an essential part of childhood, and playing games can cultivate social-emotional skills that keep us connected. Games in Nature After School will use a combination of structured games and free nature play to build interpersonal skills and to just have fun in an increasingly stressful world. Each week the group will spend time together beginning with games and move into nature play and free game building. Structured games will focus on confidence building, leadership, communication, laughing. Free nature play will give individuals time to observe, experiment, and play, using the inspiration of the natural world. It will also be an opportunity for the co-creation of new simple games (think racing sticks down a river) and an opportunity for kids to practice rule negotiation and boundary set up. This program will provide a space to continue important social-emotional learning during a time of social distancing.
with Aemelia Thompson
Ages 9–11 or Grades 4–6
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
September 23–December 16
Fee per Child: Tier A-$254 | Tier B-$203 | Tier C-$152 | Tier D-$76
Limited to 12 participants

1:00-2:00pm Class Program (Virtual)
2020-11-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2020-11-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2020-11-09 13:00 - 14:00, 2020-11-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2020-11-03 13:00 - 14:00
Have a Hitchcock educator pay a virtual visit to your classroom or home! Our virtual class programs will be focused on specific topics to fit with your science curriculum. You will receive special topic-focused, take-home resources, and a remotely accessible video of a Hitchcock educator that will spark student interest. This will be paired with a 40-minute interactive lesson on Zoom with a Hitchcock educator that will end with a fun game that will check for students’ understanding and reinforce lesson goals.
When registering, choose your first and second preference for a date and time and one of the Virtual Class Program themes below:

Life Underground
Predator and Prey
Flowers and Plants
Insects
Animal Observations
Decomposers
Metamorphosis

with Aemelia Thompson
Ages 5–8 or Grades K–2
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 1–2pm
September 21–December 18 (no program September 28 or November 2)
Fee per program: Tier A-$61 | Tier B-$50 | Tier C-$37 | Tier D-$18
Group size: up to 22 students, including at least one adult

10:00am-12:00pm Junior Discovery Day: Super Cool Seeds
2020-11-11 10:00 - 12:00
Attention kindergartners and first graders! Junior Discovery Days are one-time nature programs where we notice what’s happening in nature and explore specific topics. Sign up for as many days as you like. Our morning includes snack time, story, a nature project and a game.
With Katie Koerten
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Wednesdays, 10am–12pm
September 23–December 16
Fee per Child: Tier A-$46 per day | Tier B-$37 per day | Tier C-$27 per day | Tier D-$14 per day
Limited to 8 participants per day

September 23: Colors of Nature
September 30: Catching Crickets
October 7: Insect Life Cycles
October 14: A Leaf Rainbow
October 21: Wonderful Water
October 28: Spiders Are Friends
November 4: Being Birds
November 11: Super Cool Seeds
November 18: White-Tailed Deer Games
December 2: Gnome Homes
December 9: Faraway Woods Foray
December 16: Gifts from Nature

10:00am-12:00pm Art in the Forest Wednesday Series
2020-11-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2020-11-04 10:00 - 12:00
The natural world has served as inspiration for artists of all varieties for all of humankind’s history. While surrounded by the undeniable beauty of the outdoors, children in the Art in the Forest program will be encouraged to develop awareness of the details in the natural world and learn how to utilize its beauty in artistic expression. Throughout the fall and into winter we will explore our own imagination and expression with activities that include drawing, poetry, structure building, painting and sculpture. We’ll spend part of our time, in-person, working together towards creating works of art and part free time in the woods, playing, talking and building community. This series is being offered two times per week on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please sign up for one of the two days.
with Aemelia Thompson
Ages 7–10 or Grades 2–4
Wednesdays, 10am–12pm
September 16–December 16
Fee per Child: Tier A-$437 | Tier B-$349 | Tier C-$252 | Tier D-$131
Limited to 10 participants

3:30-5:30pm Games in Nature Afterschool Series
2020-11-10 15:30 - 17:30
Play is an essential part of childhood, and playing games can cultivate social-emotional skills that keep us connected. Games in Nature After School will use a combination of structured games and free nature play to build interpersonal skills and to just have fun in an increasingly stressful world. Each week the group will spend time together beginning with games and move into nature play and free game building. Structured games will focus on confidence building, leadership, communication, laughing. Free nature play will give individuals time to observe, experiment, and play, using the inspiration of the natural world. It will also be an opportunity for the co-creation of new simple games (think racing sticks down a river) and an opportunity for kids to practice rule negotiation and boundary set up. This program will provide a space to continue important social-emotional learning during a time of social distancing.
with Aemelia Thompson
Ages 9–11 or Grades 4–6
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm
September 22–December 15 (no class November 3)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$254 | Tier B-$203 | Tier C-$152 | Tier D-$76
Limited to 10 participants

9:30am-12:30pm Morning Nature Play Series
2020-11-10 09:30 - 12:30, 2020-11-03 09:30 - 12:30
Spend Tuesday mornings playing outside in the woods! Challenge your body by balancing on logs and climbing trees. Get as dirty as you like as we romp through the forest, explore under logs, make mud pie feasts and splash in puddles. Notice the changes in nature as we go through the season together. Instructor Katie Koerten will lead kids to our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump Town, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods. Please note: lunch is not part of this program, so please pack a robust snack that includes protein for a mid-program snack.
with Katie Koerten
Ages 6–8 or Grades 1–3
Tuesdays, 9:30am–12:30pm
September 22–December 15
Fee per Child: Tier A-$604 | Tier B-$483 | Tier C-$363 | Tier D-$181
Limited to 10 participants per day

The 9:30am-12:30pm Ology of Ologists Homeschool Adventure Tuesday Series
2020-11-10 09:30 - 12:30
Join us in this fall program series as we learn the jobs that scientists do. We will focus on a different “ology” each week — from archeology to zoology we will explore different realms of science. This will be an all-outdoor program, and will include a morning circle, an activity focused on the ology of the day, followed by a snack, nature exploration and games.
with Jeff Mazur
Ages 9–11 or Grades 4–6
Tuesdays, 9:30am–12:30pm
September 15–November 17
Fee per Child: Tier A-$554 | Tier B-$443 | Tier C-$332 | Tier D-$166
Limited to 10 participants

3:30-5:30pm Nature Play Afterschool Monday Series
2020-11-09 15:30 - 17:30
Our Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range children, all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. We will explore wooded trails and fields, play in the leaves, build forts, climb trees, make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us and use our imaginations. Children will be provided with a safe setting for children to explore nature and stretch their limits as they balance on logs, hold salamanders, or co-create new games with their peers.
with Aemelia Thompson
Ages 6–8 or Grades 1–3
Mondays, 3:30–5:30pm
September 21–December 14 (no class October 12)
Extended days: September 28 and November 2, 1:30–5:30pm
Fee per Child: Tier A-$335 | Tier B-$268 | Tier C-$201 | Tier D-$101
Limited to 10 participants

10:00-12:00pm Junior Nature Play Series
2020-11-09 10:00 - 12:00
We are pleased to offer for the first time a new Nature Play program that includes kindergartners— Junior Nature Play! Children in kindergarten and first grade may sign up for this immersive, lightly-structured program that lets kids be “free-range” while being safely supervised. Instructor Katie Koerten will lead us to our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump Town, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods. Each day includes games, free play, a story and snack time.
with Katie Koerten
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Mondays, 10am–12pm
September 21–December 14 (no program October 12)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$470 | Tier B-$376 | Tier C-$282 | Tier D-$141
Limited to 8 participants per day

1:00-2:30pm Nature Discovery Preschool Adventure: Squirrel Stories
2020-11-06 13:00 - 14:30
This award-winning adult and child preschool program–the adult accompanies their child(ren)–offers weekly outdoor exploration together combined with multi-modal learning experiences to foster wonder and curiosity about the natural world. Sign up for one or or more days and choose one of two time offerings: Friday mornings or afternoons.
with Colleen Kelley
Ages 3–5 or Grade Pre-K
Fridays, 10:00–11:30am or 1–2:30pm
September 4–December 11
Fee per Child: Tier A-$18 per day | Tier B-$14 per day | Tier C-$10 per day | Tier D- $5
Fee per Adult: Tier A-$23 per day | Tier B-$18 per day | Tier C-$13 per day | Tier D- $7
Limited to 12 participants (Limit of 2 children per adult.)

September 4: Beautiful Butterflies
September 11: Seed Surprises
September 25: Ladybug Love
October 2: Leave it to Leaves
October 9: Secret Soil Recipe
October 30: Mouse Houses
November 6: Squirrel Stories
November 20: Bountiful Birds
December 11: Animals Getting Ready for Winter

10:00-11:30am Nature Discovery Preschool Adventure: Squirrel Stories (In-person)
2020-11-06 10:00 - 11:30
This award-winning adult and child preschool program–the adult accompanies their child(ren)–offers weekly outdoor exploration together combined with multi-modal learning experiences to foster wonder and curiosity about the natural world. Sign up for one or or more days.
with Helen Ann Sephton
Ages 3–5 or Grade Pre-K
Selected Fridays, 10:00–11:30am

Fee per Child: Tier A-$18 per day | Tier B-$14 per day | Tier C-$10 per day | Tier D- $5
Fee per Adult: Tier A-$23 per day | Tier B-$18 per day | Tier C-$13 per day | Tier D- $7
Limited to 12 participants (Limit of 2 children per adult.)

October 9: Secret Soil Recipe
October 30: Mouse Houses
November 6: Squirrel Stories
December 11: Animals Getting Ready for Winter

10:00-11:30am Nature Discovery Preschool Adventure: Squirrel Stories
2020-11-06 10:00 - 11:30

3:30-5:30pm Nature Play Afterschool Wednesday Series
2020-11-04 15:30 - 17:30
Our Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range children, all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. We will explore wooded trails and fields, play in the leaves, build forts, climb trees, make new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us and use our imaginations. Children will be provided with a safe setting for children to explore nature and stretch their limits as they balance on logs, hold salamanders, or co-create new games with their peers.
with Jeff Mazur
Ages 6–8 or Grades 1–3
Wednesdays, 3:30–5:30pm
September 16–December 16 (no class November 11 or 25)
Extended days: October 21, November 18, and December 16, 1:30–5:30pm
Fee per Child: Tier A-$315 | Tier B-$252 | Tier C-$189 | Tier D-$94
Limited to 10 participants

10:00am-12:00pm Junior Discovery Day: Being Birds
2020-11-04 10:00 - 12:00

9:30am-12:30pm The Ology of Ologists Homeschool Adventure Tuesday Series
2020-11-03 09:30 - 12:30

1:30-5:30pm Nature Play Afterschool Monday Series
2020-11-02 13:30 - 17:30

10:00am-12:00pm Junior Nature Play Series
2020-11-02 10:00 - 12:00

1:00-2:30pm Nature Discovery Preschool Adventure: Mouse Houses
2020-10-30 13:00 - 14:30

10:00-11:30am Nature Discovery Preschool Adventure: Mouse Houses (In-person)
2020-10-30 10:00 - 11:30
