Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Drive Green
2017-02-18 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with The Center for EcoTechnology
Saturday, February 18, 9am – 1pm
Free registration appreciated

Green your ride and your electric bill with Drive Green and New England Green Start! The Center for EcoTechnology, in partnership with Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, is promoting a limited time opportunity to buy or lease a brand new Electric Vehicle at a deeply discounted price. And you can power your new EV with 100% New England generated renewable energy, making a dramatic reduction in your carbon footprint!
CET will be at the Hitchcock Center from 9am to 1pm to answer your questions about these exciting programs that can help you dramatically reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, and will offer a presentation on the programs from 11AM-Noon. You will also have an opportunity to see and test drive an electric car!

Screech Owls are Cool!
2017-02-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Ted Watt
Saturday, February 18, 10-noon
$25 per family, per house, all materials included, recommended for young people 4th grade and up
Registration required

Come to the Hitchcock Center and learn about these cool, nocturnal predators! They’re little (less than 10“ tall) and they eat all kinds of creatures! We’ll start off with a 20 minute presentation on these wonderful critters – how they live and what they love to eat! We’ll hear recordings of their ghostly calls! Then we’ll move to the work tables and each family will assemble a nesting box for screech owls. Families will take their boxes home to see if they can put them up and get nesting ‘screechies’ in your backyard! Directions on where and how to put up the boxes will be provided. Bring your own Phillips head screw driver.
To register: Please visit our Community Programs, scroll to the event and click the event to register. Registration opens January 3, 2017.

Winter Vacation Camp
2017-02-20 08:30 - 15:00, 2017-02-22 08:30 - 15:00, 2017-02-24 08:30 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Winter Vacation Camp
Grades K-5
February 20-24, 2017
8:30am-3:00pm
Members: $60 per day / Nonmembers: $70 per day
Come play and explore at the new Hitchcock Center this winter break. Sign up for as many days as you wish. Space is limited, so sign up early!
Register here.

Winter Vacation Camp
2017-02-21 08:30 - 15:00, 2017-02-23 08:30 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Winter Vacation Camp
Grades K-5
February 20-25, 2017
8:30am-3:00pm
Members: $60 per day / Nonmembers: $70 per day
Come play and explore at the new Hitchcock Center this winter break. Sign up for as many days as you wish. Space is limited, so sign up early!
Register here.

Girls into the Wild
2017-02-23 15:30 - 17:30, 2017-03-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2017-03-09 15:30 - 17:30, 2017-03-16 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Katie Koerten
Ages 8-11, Grades 3-5
Thursdays, January 5–March 16 (no class February 23)
3:30pm-5:30pm
Members: $270/Non-members: $320
Calling all girls ages 8-11! Get to know nature, and make friends at the same time at this weekly afterschool program. Now in its third year, Girls into the Wild is designed to bring girls together in a supportive environment that fosters creativity, nature skills and inquiry. Each afternoon will consist of hands-on projects and free outdoor exploration at the Larch Hill Conservation Area. Through playing games, exploring nearby habitats, and connecting with nature, we will develop our confidence, build friendships and have a lot of fun learning! Families provide their own transportation to the Hitchcock Center. Limited to 10 participants.

Community Read (4 of 5) discussion: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
2017-02-25 14:30 - 16:00 | Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst, MA, 01002, United States
Community Read
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
This year we will be collaborating with the Jones Library for the 2017 community read On the Same Page—Amherst. To learn more, please visit: joneslibrary.org/onthesamepage
Programs:

Tuesday, January 31 at 7 pm: Dr. Richard Palmer from UMass-Amherst will speak on global warming and the Connecticut River at the Jones Library Woodbury Room
Tuesday, February 7 at 7 pm: Dr. Ray Bradley will present a program entitled “The Human Footprint on the Earth’s Environment” at the Jones Library Woodbury Room
Thursday, February 16 at 7 pm: Book discussion at the Hitchcock Center, led by a Jones Library librarian and an environmental educator from the Hitchcock Center
Saturday, February 25th at 2:30 pm: Book discussion at the Jones Library, led by a Jones Library librarian and an environmental educator from the Hitchcock Center

Culminating Event:

Evening with the Elizabeth Kolbert – Tuesday, February 28 at 7pm at the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium

Community Read (5 of 5) Evening with Elizabeth Kolbert
2017-02-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst, MA, 01002, United States
Community Read
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
This year we will be collaborating with the Jones Library for the 2017 community read On the Same Page—Amherst. To learn more, please visit: joneslibrary.org/onthesamepage
Programs:

Tuesday, January 31 at 7 pm: Dr. Richard Palmer from UMass-Amherst will speak on global warming and the Connecticut River at the Jones Library Woodbury Room
Tuesday, February 7 at 7 pm: Dr. Ray Bradley will present a program entitled “The Human Footprint on the Earth’s Environment” at the Jones Library Woodbury Room
Thursday, February 16 at 7 pm: Book discussion at the Hitchcock Center, led by a Jones Library librarian and an environmental educator from the Hitchcock Center
Saturday, February 25th at 2:30 pm: Book discussion at the Jones Library, led by a Jones Library librarian and an environmental educator from the Hitchcock Center

Culminating Event:

Evening with the Elizabeth Kolbert – Tuesday, February 28 at 7pm at the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium with introduction by Julie Johnson, Hitchcock Center’s Executive Director

Nature Play Afterschool
2017-03-01 03:30 - 17:30, 2017-03-08 15:30 - 17:30, 2017-03-15 03:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Winter Session
with Jeff Mazur
Wednesdays – 3:30pm-5:30pm, extended days 1:30pm-5:30pm
January 4 – March 15 (no class February 22)
Extended day: February 8
Members: $230/Non-members: $254
Open to all children in grades 1-3. Limited to 10 participants.

Spring Birding Class
2017-03-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Scott Surner
Classes: Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8pm – 2/1, 3/1, 4/12, 5/3, 5/17
Field Trips: 2/3-4, 3/5, 3/18, 4/8, 4/15, 4/29, 5/6, 5/13, 5/20, 6/10-11
Join this Hitchcock tradition! Scott has been leading this class since 1979. Space is limited and in high demand. Class dates and locations. Online registration opens on January 10th at 9am. Members $275/Non-members $315.

Drinking Water, From Source to Your Tap: Quantity and Quality of a Precious Resource
2017-03-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with John Tobiason and Joanna Spaulding
Wednesday, March 1, 7pm
FREE registration appreciated

It is easy to take for granted the availability of high quality drinking water from convenient faucets and taps in our homes and workplaces. We are able to do so because of long-term and continuing investment and attention to maintaining the physical infrastructure and human resources needed to supply us safe water. This evening’s presentation will provide an overview of our local (Amherst) drinking water system from sources to your tap, and consider our local situation in the context of regional, national and global water issues. Topics include water supply and usage in light of drought concerns as well as current water quality concerns including lead and copper at consumer taps. Ample time will be allotted for discussion of questions and issues that are of interest and importance to the audience. The program presenters are John E. Tobiason, PhD, PE, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UMass Amherst and Joanna Spaulding, EIT, Graduate student in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at UMass. The evening program is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Drinking Water Program.

Amherst’s Famous Spotted Salamanders
2017-03-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Ted Watt
Thursday, February 9, 6:30pm
FREE registration appreciated

Come learn about another of Amherst’s claims to fame – the spotted salamander tunnels under Henry Street. Ted will detail the finely-tuned life history of this creature along with some of the amazing adaptations exhibited by the salamanders. Ted will also describe the history of the first amphibian tunnels in North America and how they came to be located in our town. He will finish the evening by providing ways you can be helpful to these creatures, both on Henry Street or at your favorite road crossing.

Our Living Building Tour
2017-03-03 16:00 - 17:00, 2017-03-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Winter Tour Dates
1st Fridays at 4pm – January 6, February 3, March 3
3rd Wednesdays at 12pm – January 18, February 15, March 15
FREE registration appreciated
Come meet our newest educator – our building! It is designed to model systems in nature, it is net zero energy, net zero water, has composting toilets, and has been made with responsibly sourced non-toxic materials, come check it out at one of our bi-monthly tours.

Prowling for Owls
2017-03-04 04:30 - 06:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Dan Ziomek, local birder and naturalist
Saturday, January 28, 8pm-10pm
Saturday, February 11, 8pm -10pm
Saturday, March 4, 4:30-6:30am
Members $10/Non-members $15 per night, youth 8 and older welcome with an adult
Space is limited, please register
Dress INCREDIBLY warm because we’ll be standing around in the dark a lot. Bring your sharp ears, a flashlight, and a thermos of something hot to drink. We’ll meet at the Hitchcock Center.

Homeschool Discovery Day
2017-03-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Backyard Birds
with Katie Koerten
Tuesdays 10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 6-12
Members: $42 per program /Non-members: $46 per program
Tuesdays, January 10, January 24, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 13
Do you love science and nature? Do you want to see what the Hitchcock Homeschool program is all about? Sign up for our Discovery Days, our one-time programs about science and nature. In a mixed-age setting, we explore cool topics at the Hitchcock Center, meet science experts, and sometimes go on field trips. Our Discovery Day programs are appropriate for everyone from first time to veteran homeschoolers, and we welcome almost-6 year olds who are interested in joining our class in the spring. This is designed as a drop-off program, although the occasional parents and younger siblings stay as long as disruptions are kept to a minimum. Limited to 12 participants per program.
Register here.

Understanding Everyday Toxins
2017-03-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Emily Monosson, author and toxicologist
Tuesday, March 7, 6pm-8pm
FREE registration appreciated

Local author and toxicologist Emily Monosson will be offering a discussion/workshop about toxicology and the kinds of things toxicologists think about. She will begin with the familiar, the drugs we take: dosing; problems with combinations; and why do we hear so often about liver and kidney toxicity? Then have us consider the toxic chemicals we don’t choose to ingest, pesticides, plastics, pcbs and others, which pose more of a problem and to whom? Emily’s goal is for you to be able to be well prepared when you read about toxic chemicals in the news. This program is supported by a grant from the Toxics Use Reduction Institute.

Wildflowers of Spring
2017-03-10 17:30 - 20:30
A special dinner with presentation by Ted Watt
Friday, March 10, 5:30-8:30pm
Held at Red Gate Farm Education Center, 4 Norman Rd., Buckland, MA
Tickets $25/person or $40/two people
Information & registration.

Got the winter blues and longing for spring? Spend an evening with naturalist Ted Watt immersed in images of our most beautiful native wildflowers and learn about their natural history. Share information about the many species, where to find them and their roles in the complex ecology of our fields and woods. Ted is the Naturalist for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. Join us at the farm for a fresh cooked dinner and dessert followed by a slide show presentation.

Saturdays at the Hitchcock Center
2017-03-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Second and third Saturdays, 9am-1pm
Free
January through June
Drop in, see Hitchcock’s new home, and learn about our living building.

Second Saturday Science - Meet the Trees
2017-03-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Second Saturdays, January through June
Free
10am-11am
January 14, February 11, March 11, April 15, May 13, June 10
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. No registration required. Groups of 6 or more please call ahead.
Saturday Science themes:
January 14 – Scutes and Scales
February 11 – The Science of Snow
March 11 – Meet the Trees
April 15 – Energy Is Electrifying!
May 13 – Backyard Birds
June 10 – Wonderful Water

Nature All Year Study Club
2017-03-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Fieldtrip Location
Sundays once per month, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon (some class times may vary depending on topics)
Members $275/Non-members $325 for the full course
Drop-in cost is $27. For the Plum Island field trip, the drop-in cost is $45.
Register here
Join us for our fourth 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.
Course dates and leaders are available here. 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. Carpooling to more distant locations will be encouraged.

Homeschool I
2017-03-14 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Raindrop to Reservoir: All About Water
Katie Koerten, Hitchcock Educator
Ages 6-8
Tuesdays, 10:00am-2:00pm
10 classes: March 14, 21, 28, April 11 & 25, May 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6
Members: $420/Non-members: $448
Limited to 12 participants. Non-refundable within a week of the program; all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Homeschool II
2017-03-14 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Biologists in Training
Jeff Mazur, Hitchcock Educator
Ages 9-12
Tuesdays, 10:00am-2:00pm
10 classes: March 14, 21, 28, April 11, 25, May 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6
Members: $420/Non-members: $448
Limited to 10 participants. Non-refundable within a week of the program; all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.
