Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Exploring Swamp Trees at Nasami Farm
2015-11-08 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Nasami Farm, 128 North St., Whately
Nancy Goodman, Naturalist
Sunday, November 8, 10am-2pm
Nasami Farm in Whately lies within the Great Swamp, one of the largest and best examples of a perched swamp left in Massachusetts. We’ll examine the trees and look for any wildflowers we might encounter at this time of year. Bring a bag lunch, binoculars, and , if you have it, a copy of Bark by Michael Wojtech. Dress for the weather and wear waterproof shoes. Members $28 Non-members $34 Space is limited Co-sponsored with New England Wildflower Society

Fall Birding with Scott Surner
2015-11-08 06:00 - 15:00 | Fieldtrip Location
Join local bird expert Scott Surner for this special fall birding course. There will be an evening class component to prepare for each following field trip. Evening classes will be held at the Hitchcock Center. For all field trips bring binoculars and guides, food and water and dress for the weather. Carpooling will be arranged in class. Space is limited. August 26-November 15. Members $200/Non-members $240 for the series.

REGISTER HERE
This course is currently full. Please register to be added to the wait list.

Wednesday Evening Classes at the Hitchcock Center:
August 26, September 9, October 7, October 28, November 11
6:30pm-8:00pm
Field Trips:
August 29th (Saturday All Day) 5:00am – Dusk
Plum Island
South bound shorebirds, Egrets, Terns, Gulls and perhaps fall warblers.
September 12th (Saturday) 7:00am-12:00pm
Amherst/Hadley
Fall Warblers/Vireo’s, etc.
September 19th (Saturday) 7:00am-12:00pm
Amherst/Hadley
October 10th (Saturday All Day)
Quabbin Reservoir
We will bird a number Gates and access roads including Dana Spruces, Dana Common, Graves Landing etc. Waterfowl, Warblers, Vireos, Sparrows etc. Bring Lunch.
October 18th (Sunday) 7:00am – 12:00pm
Honey Pot-East Meadows
Late Warblers/Sparrows
November 8th (Sunday) 6:00am – 3:00pm
Berkshire Lakes
Waterfowl. We’ll visit Cheshire Reservoir, Lake Pontoosuc, Lake Onota, Richmond Pond and Mudd Pond. Bring Lunch.
November 14 & 15th (Weekend Trip)
Saturday: Coastal Maine/Salisbury/Plum Island.
Sunday: Depending on the reports. Continue in Newburyport area or make our way to Cape Ann. (Depart for home by 2:00pm.)
Harlequin Duck, King Eider, Red-throated Loon, Purple Sandpipers, etc. More information to come.

Prowling For Owls
2015-11-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Dan Ziomek, local birder and naturalist
Saturdays, November 7 and/or 21
8pm-10pm
Owls are setting up their winter and spring breeding territories right now. And they do that by hooting or making other cool sounds in the night! We’ll learn what the calls of the different species sound like and then go out and see if we can locate them vocalizing in the dark. We’ll visit a variety of habitats and try to call some in closer. Maybe we’ll even get lucky and catch a glimpse of one! 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 and carpool to several locations. Members $10 / Non-members $12 per night, youth 8 and older welcome with an adult. Space is limited, please call to register.

Hike a Portion of the New England National Scenic Trail
2015-11-07 09:00 - 13:00 | Directions upon registration
Ted Watt, Hitchcock Center Naturalist
Saturday, November 7
9am-1pm
We’ll hike along a northern section of the New England National Scenic Trail in Erving. We’ll have a nice fairly level hike into a short, steep side trail that leads down to the Hermit’s Cave. After the cave we’ll complete a loop with a nice overlook over the Miller’s River Valley and the Wendell State Forest. Bring snacks and water and binoculars. We’ll be hiking most of the time so dress appropriately for the seasonal weather conditions. Sturdy boots are recommended. FREE Space is limited, please call to register.

Nature Discovery Preschool
2015-11-06 13:00 - 15:00, 2015-10-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2015-10-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Afternoon Session
with Colleen Kelley, Hitchcock Center Educator
Fridays, September 18 – December 11 (No class October 23, November 13 & 27)
Ages 3-5

This season we will travel back in time to the days of the dinosaurs. Children will learn about dinosaurs through stories, songs, movement and crafts. We will compare different dinosaurs, dig for bones, and learn about the plants they munched on. Come have a dinomite time!
Registration opens Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Space is limited. Pre-registration required. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Adult is required to attend with child. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Hitchcock’s new “living” building site tour
2015-11-06 12:30 - 13:00
At our construction site
1st Friday of each month
12:30 – 1:00
Open to all, no registration required. Park and meet in the Red Barn parking lot at Hampshire College. Locate it on the map.

Nature Discovery Preschool
2015-11-06 09:30 - 11:30, 2015-10-30 09:30 - 11:30, 2015-10-16 09:30 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Morning Session
with Colleen Kelley, Hitchcock Center Educator
Fridays, September 18 – December 11 (No class October 23, November 13 & 27)
Ages 3-5

This season we will travel back in time to the days of the dinosaurs. Children will learn about dinosaurs through stories, songs, movement and crafts. We will compare different dinosaurs, dig for bones, and learn about the plants they munched on. Come have a dinomite time!
Registration opens Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Space is limited. Pre-registration required. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Adult is required to attend with child. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Has Ecotourism Saved the Rainforest? Lessons from Costa Rica
2015-11-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
David Moon, Environmental Educator and Program Leader
Thursday, November 5
7pm
In the 1980’s, educational programs about tropical rainforests and other conservation efforts to help slow accelerating deforestation helped spawn a new industry, ecotourism. Promoted as a solution in struggling economies, this form of travel has grown large in many countries. Critics, however, say that ecotourism causes more harm than help. David Moon has taught in Costa Rica since 1991, and will share experiences, research, and examples from communities he has worked with over the history of the ecotourism phenomenon. Donations and registration appreciated.

Nature Play Afterschool
2015-11-04 15:30 - 17:30, 2015-10-28 15:30 - 17:30, 2015-10-21 13:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock educator
Wednesdays – September 9* – December 16 (no class 11/11 or 11/25)
3:30pm-5:30pm
Extended days: Wednesdays, 9/16, 10/21, and 12/16, 1:30pm-5:30pm
Ages 6-9, Grades 1-3
Do you just wanna play outside? Do you love mud puddles and muck, climbing trees and making friends? Need more outdoor recess in your life? Then Nature Play Afterschool at the Hitchcock Center is for you! Each Wednesday afterschool we play outside in rain or shine, building shelters, playing games and exploring the woods. Bus transportation is available from Amherst schools. We follow the Amherst public school calendar. On early-release Wednesdays we meet from 1:30pm-5:30pm.
Online registration opens Tuesday, June 16. Space is limited. This program begins on the second Wednesday of the school year. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Homeschool Discovery Day: The Forest that Stinks!
2015-11-03 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock Center educator
Tuesday, October 6, 10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 6-12
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.
Follow your nose to the Hitchcock Center for a program all about smells in nature. We’ll discover plants, birds, insects and mammals that rely on the sense of smell for their survival! We’ll play games, explore the forest and do experiments to test our own sense of smell. By the time you leave, it will all make scents!
Online registration opens Tuesday, June 16. 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. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

What’s that Tree? – Tree ID Using Bark and Habitat Clues
2015-10-31 10:00 - 14:00 | Directions upon registration
Nancy Goodman and Ted Watt, Naturalists
Poet’s Seat Reservation in Greenfield
Saturday, Oct 31, 10-2pm
Have you ever looked at a tree in winter and wondered what it might be? For nearly half the year bark provides the best clues to tree ID. We’ll be keying out the trees using bark characters, among others, to see what we can learn. Poet’s Seat is a dry ridge top with a variety of habitats. We’ll hike up the paved access road, with a mostly gentle up-hill grade, heading to the tower and the top of the cliffs. This area was named by Frederick Goddard Tuckerman, a poet, who spent many hours writing and being inspired by the location. This is one of the most visited sites in this area and the west view across the valley to the Berkshire foothills is spectacular. Bring binoculars, water, lunch and the book Bark by Michael Wojtech if you have a copy. There are no facilities at this spot. Directions to meeting location will be provided upon registration. Registration required • Members $20 / Non-members $24

Girls into the Wild
2015-10-29 15:30 - 17:30, 2015-10-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock educator
Every other Thursday, September 17, October 1, 15, 29, November 12, December 3,
and OVERNIGHT Friday December 11!
3:30pm-5:30pm
Overnight hours: Friday, December 11 5:30pm to Saturday December 12 at 8:00am.
Ages 8-11, Grades 3-5
Get to know nature, and make friends at the same time! This afterschool program 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!
Online registration opens Tuesday, June 16. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Families provide their own transportation to the Hitchcock Center. Limited to 10 participants. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Fall Birding Course with Scott Surner
2015-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002

Homeschool II
2015-10-27 10:00 - 14:00, 2015-10-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Patrick O’Roark, Hitchcock educator
Tuesdays, September 15 – December 1 (9 classes)
(No class 10/6, 11/3 and 11/10)
10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 9-12
Join us this fall as we travel deep into the past to explore the age of the dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were one of the dominant groups of animals on Earth for 140 million years – that’s 700 times longer than modern humans have existed! Our class will take a journey from dinosaur’s humble beginnings as dog-sized predators, through their glory days when herbivores the size of a house battled with hungry carnivores longer than a school bus, all the way to their sudden extinction. Through outdoor activities, crafts, games and field trips we’ll become familiar with the amazing variety of dinosaur groups, become detectives of life past as we learn the techniques of paleontology, and examine the evidence of dinosaurs that lived right here in western Massachusetts.
Online registration opens Tuesday, June 16. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Class meets: September 15, 22, 29, October 13, 20, 27, November 17, 24, December 1. Space is limited. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Homeschool I
2015-10-27 08:00 - 17:00, 2015-10-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Incredible Insects (and other Arthropods!)
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock educator
Tuesdays, September 15 – December 1 (9 classes)
(No class 10/6, 11/3 and 11/10)
10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 6-8

Honey, we shrunk the homeschoolers! Get ready to become very tiny this fall as we get down on a bug’s level. At Homeschool I we’ll discover the insects and other arthropods, such as spiders, millipedes and crustaceans that share our home with us. From butterfly to bumblebee, and cockroach to click beetle we’ll find out the characteristics that make these animals amazing survivors. We’ll learn about insect defense strategies, communication, and how many insects help humans in our everyday lives! Through collection and observation, field trips and art projects, we will study the insects and arthropods of our local habitats and beyond. By the end of our class, you might just ask yourself, where would the world “bee” without insects?
Online registration opens Tuesday, June 16. This program is part of a series and is not open as a drop-in class. Class meets: September 15, 22, 29, October 13, 20, 27, November 17, 24, December 1. Space is limited. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Exploring Larch Hill – All Welcome Monthly Sunday Nature Walk
2015-10-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Come young, old, novice or seasoned and join one of our naturalists to see what you can see each month on our new fourth Sunday of the month nature walk around Larch Hill. Fourth Sunday afternoons from 1-3pm – FREE all welcome. This month’s walk will be led by John Green.

Enchanted Forest
2015-10-24 17:00 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Nature’s Myth Busters
Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24, 5pm-8pm
Come to the Enchanted Forest for a magical treat. You will be led along our pumpkin lit forest trails where creatures will emerge to share their stories. This year, learn fact from fiction from some of your favorite local critters. Fun for all ages. Adult: Members $10/ Non-members $12 Children: Members $5/ Non-members $6 /under 3 years free • Registration required, please call to sign up for a walk time, space is limited.

The Enchanted Forest: A Non-scary Halloween Event
2015-10-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002

Pumpkin Carving
2015-10-22 17:30 - 19:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Thursday, October 22, 5:30pm-7pm
Help us carve pumpkins for the Enchanted Forest, a fun family community service event. FREE • Call to sign up.

Fall Birding Course with Scott Surner
2015-10-18 07:00 - 12:00 | Fieldtrip Location

Mountains and Valleys – Geology Field Class
2015-10-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Directions upon registration
Ted Watt, Hitchcock Center Naturalist
Saturday, October 17, 9am-12pm
Join Ted for a hike up Mount Holyoke in Skinner State Park. We’ll meet at the entrance gate and hike the auto road part way and then take the New England National Scenic Trail to the summit of the mountain. Along the way we’ll look at geologic formations and discuss the formation of our Valley and the many forces that have acted on this area over time. At the summit we’ll enjoy the panoramic view and make geologic sense of what we see. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and dress for the weather; some steep sections of trail families welcome; recommended for young people fourth grade and up. Heavy rain cancels. Registration required • Members $20 / Non-members $24 • Children are Free
