Mary Booth, Director of Partnership for Policy Integrity, will discuss her extensive research about Biomass. Biomass energy is booming because in theory, biomass energy is renewable and “carbon neutral” and can reduce carbon emissions that accelerate global warming. Because it is considered renewable it is eligible for multiple tax credits, subsidies, and incentives. In practice, however, wood-burning […]

Public Building Tours Did you know the Hitchcock Center is a Living Building? It is designed to model systems in nature, it's net zero energy and water, has composting toilets, and has been made with responsibly sourced non-toxic materials. Bring your questions and come find out what good can look like in the built environment […]

Join Scott Surner for the 2019 winter and early spring birding class. This year because of Scott’s schedule we have him from January through mid- April. This will give participants an opportunity to explore the winter birdlife here in the valley as well as along the north shore of Massachusetts. As March approaches we’ll start […]

Join us for our sixth 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, varying from broad habitat-wide perspectives to the finer details of […]

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean your kids need to stay inside to play. Have them join Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program, which is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be a free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During […]

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 […]

We will be observing and gathering data during Big Night, the annual salamander migration from their year-round forest territories to their breeding pool at Henry Street in North Amherst. These are the first amphibian migration tunnels installed in North America in 1987. And we are inventorying animal movements and their use of the tunnels. Come […]

Hitchcock’s mascot, the spotted salamander, is a fascinating creature. Ted will describe the salamander’s life history and some of its fascinating adaptations to a life largely underground; except for the risky, spring migration journey to the breeding pools. We may even have a special salamander guest for you to view. Salamander Big Night will be […]

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean your kids need to stay inside to play. Have them join Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program, which is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be a free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During […]

Sometimes you just need to run, explore and play! That’s what we do at Girls into the Wild, and lots more. Girls into the Wild is designed to get girls outside, playing and engaging with nature in their own way. Instructor Katie Koerten strives to offer games and activities that each girl can participate in […]