Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Nature Play Afterschool
2018-05-02 15:30 - 17:30, 2018-04-25 15:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Spring fever is in the air, and it is time to get the kids outside to let out some of their energy! 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 Spring Nature Play, we explore vernal pools, notice the first signs of spring, build forts, make up games and use our imagination as we explore the wooded trails and fields. Instructor Jeff Mazur provides a safe structure for children to explore nature and encourages children to stretch their limits as they balance on logs, hold salamanders, or co-create new games with their peers.
with Jeff Mazur
Ages 6-9, Graces 1-3
Wednesdays, March 28 – June 13 (No program 4/18)
3:30-5:30pm, extended days 1:30-5:30pm (4/4 and 5/9)
$275 members/$300 nonmembers

Homeschool Discovery Day
2018-05-01 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
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.
with Katie Koerten or Jeff Mazur
Tuesdays 10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 6-12
Members: $42 per program/Non-members: $46 per program
Tuesdays, January 9, January 23, February 27, March 6, April 3, May 1, June 12

January 9 Animals in Winter with Jeff Mazur
January 23 How Does Water Get To Our Faucet? Field Trip with Jeff Mazur
February 27 How Sweet It Is: Making Maple Syrup with Jeff Mazur
March 6 Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands with Katie Koerten
April 3 Poisonous or Venomous? An Exploration of Natural Defenses with Jeff Mazur
May 1 Making and Tinkering Workshop with Katie Koerten
June 12 The River in Our Backyard: Field Trip to Groff Park with Katie Koerten

Native Plants: What’s Good for Nature is also Easier on the Gardener! Full, Wait list only!
2018-04-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Learn about the importance and ease of creating native gardens which are long-lasting, lovely and bolster biodiversity by supporting native insects, including pollinators and other wildlife such as nesting or migrating birds and mammals including us. Dan’s discussion will include underutilized native shrubs for rural, suburban and urban gardens and why plants are better than mulch. Historically, native flowers, ground covers, shrubs, trees, ferns and grasses evolved and adapted perfectly to New England’s growing conditions so they don’t need pampering. His presentation, like the book, will help even novice gardeners learn how to landscape in a way that helps heal our ailing environment. The one and a half hour presentation is followed by a book signing and mini-tours of the gardens by master gardeners. Books will be available for purchase.
Presenter: Dan Jaffe, Propagator and Stock Grower at New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods, and co-author with colleague Mark Richardson of the new book, Native Plants for New England Gardens. The 100 native plants selected by the authors and photographed by Dan are stunning enough to grace any garden, and are accompanied by their expert advice about the best place to plant each species and how to care for it.
PLEASE NOTE: This program is full and wait list only.
with Dan Jaffe
Sunday, April 29, 2-3:30pm
Register here
Co-sponsored by the Hitchcock Center and the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association

Nature All Year Study Club: Vernal Pools
2018-04-29 09:00 - 12:00 | Fieldtrip Location
Join us for our fifth 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. 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.
Sundays once per month, 9am-12pm (some class times may vary depending on topics)
Members: $300/Non-members: $350 for the full course
Drop-in cost is $30.
Register here

Nature Photography: Rock, Flower, Water at the Holyoke Range (Cancelled)
2018-04-29 09:00 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Join naturalist and photographer John Green to explore one or all three of these themes of nature photography. Bring tripods and extra lenses if you have them, but they are not necessary.
with John Green, naturalist and photographer
ROCK: Sunday, April 29, 9-11:30am at Sunderland Falls – Cancelled for April 29 only
FLOWER & TREE: Sunday, May 20, 9-11:30am at Holyoke Range
WATER: Sunday, June 10, 9-11:30am at Mt. Toby
Single Class: Members $20/Non-members $25
3 Class Series: Members $50/Non-members $65
Registration required

Family StoryWalk Series with Dawn Marvin Ward
2018-04-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Saturdays, 10:30am-11:30am
April 28: Looking for a Moose
May 19: A Fairy Went A-Marketing
June 16: Turtle Splash!
FREE
Register here
Looking for a fun Saturday morning activity with your young children? This spring, we are excited to be offering a free StoryWalk series with Dawn Ward! Designed for pre-readers and their families, Dawn’s StoryWalks will include an outdoor family walk and indoor natural history touch-table activities. Join us for one or all! Many thanks to the Amherst Cultural Council for generously funding this series.

Youth and Family Birding
2018-04-28 07:30 - 10:00 | Fieldtrip Location
Spring migration is the most exciting time of year to get out and see birds! Come learn the new species returning from the south wearing their spring colors. Be the next generation of birders!
with Dan Ziomek, Local Birder and WRSI’s Bird Songs Radio Program
For young people ages 8-13 and their families
Saturday, April 28 and/or Saturday, May 12
7:30am-10am
Individual/Youth: Members $12 Non-members $15 per class
Parent/Child: Members $18/Non-members $22 per class
Space is limited, registration required

Nature Discovery Preschool
2018-04-27 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-04-27 09:30 - 11:30, 2018-04-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Spineless Wonders – Animals without Backbones
Pretend to shrink down real small to explore the spineless wonders of our natural world! This Spring, Colleen will introduce children to the crawling, sliding, hopping, flying world of worms, spiders, snails, pill bugs and insects. All those spineless wonders are animals without backbones. Through live observations, puppets, stories, model making, songs and snacks, children will become more familiar with these creatures. An adult is required to attend with each child. Space is limited. For children ages 3-5 years.
with Colleen Kelley, Hitchcock educator
Ages 3-5 (Caregiver required to attend with child)
Fridays, March 23 – June 8 (no program 4/20 or 5/4)
Morning session: 9:30am-11:30pm
Afternoon session: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Members: $205/Non-members: $225

Adventures When Nothing Goes to Plan: A Story Slam from Wildlife Scientists
2018-04-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Too often, the stories behind conducting science are kept within the science community. Conducting wildlife science research inevitably involves facing adversity like dangerous field conditions, risky data collection methods, and confrontations with mother nature, and this makes for some great stories. Adversity can also create unexpected moments of beauty, adventure, and emotional power that can be life changing. The Pioneer Valley hosts many wildlife scientists who conduct domestic and international research. They are ready to share their adventures with you in a story slam. Come join us for this story slam and hear these untold stories from wildlife scientist from the Pioneer Valley.
Thursday, April 26th 5:00-6:30pm
FREE
Registration and donations appreciated

Girls into the Wild
2018-04-26 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Sometimes you just need to run, explore and play! That’s what we do at Girls into the Wild, and lots more. Now in its fourth year, 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 at her own comfort level, from climbing trees, to playing camouflage in the forest, to running and whooping wildly through fields – all while noticing the birds that are singing, the flowers that are blooming and the animals that are leaving tracks behind. Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Families provide their own transportation to the Hitchcock Center.
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock Educator
Ages 8-11, Grades 3-5
Thursdays, March 29 – June 14, 2018 (No program 4/19)
3:30pm-5:30pm
$270 members/$354 nonmembers

The Home Garden: Small Scale Practices for Soil improvement and Carbon Sequestration
2018-04-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Maintaining living plant cover is one of the essential practices of building soil health. This workshop provides practical guidance on using cover crops in a small-scale, non-mechanized, no-till context to improve soil health for growing more nutritious food, more vibrant ornamentals and for sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil. Sharon is a homesteader /organic grower/educator 38+ years using no-till & cover crop soil building practices on a small scale. She and her partner and are co-directors of the Wild Browse Farm and Sustainability Center on their homestead in Wendell, MA. She is the NOFA/Mass Soil Carbon Outreach Coordinator.
with Sharon Gensler, Northeast Organic Farming Association
Tuesday, April 24, 7-8:30pm
$6 Suggested donation, registration appreciated

Homeschool I
2018-04-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Feathers to Flight
It’s spring! What better time of year is there to discover the birds all around us? At Homeschool I we will explore the wonderful adaptations that makes a bird a bird, and how specialized beaks, feet and feathers make them suited for their habitats. We’ll learn tools for identifying a bird by examining field markings, size, and flight patterns. We will observe birds at our feeders and in different habitats on field trips. We’ll also meet live birds of prey with special visitor Tom Ricardi! Get ready for an amazing birding adventure with spring homeschool! Bring binoculars if you have them. Limited to 12 participants.
with Katie Koerten, Hitchcock educator
Tuesdays, March 13, 20, 27, April 10, 24, May 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5
(no program 4/3, 4/17, or 5/1)
10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 6-8
$420 members/$450 nonmembers – financial aid available

Homeschool II
2018-04-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Rocks and Water: The Shaping of Our Valley
Discover the stories in the stones around us! We live in a geologically unique area, and the landscape provides intriguing clues to the past. At Homeschool II we will find evidence of shifting plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, and the power of water. We will hike up mountains, collect rocks, and explore the rivers that have cut through the land. Join the fun as we conduct experiments, create crafts, explore home projects, and play outside.
with Jeff Mazur, Hitchcock educator
Tuesdays, March 13, 20, 27, April 10, 24, May 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5
(no program 4/3, 4/17, or 5/1)
10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 9-12
$420 members/$450 nonmembers – financial aid available

Repair Public: Fixery through Community
2018-04-22 12:00 - 15:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Repair Public is an exercise in community resourcefulness. The basic idea is to encourage people to learn how and/or where to fix broken items instead of tossing them into a landfill and buying replacements. The participants and facilitators are local community members just like you. You bring a broken item that you want help repairing as well as a willingness to try to fix it. There will be repair facilitators on-hand to help you figure out how to fix your treasure, each with one or more areas of specialty. We’ll have various tools available for use, as well as some basic supplies like screws, tape, glue, wire nuts, needles, threads, and probably appliance cord with some plug-ends. With all these ingredients, we intend to repair whatever you decide to bring in – To learn more https://repairpublic.org/.
Sunday, April 22, 12-3:30pm
Sunday, July 22, 12-3:30pm
Donations and registration appreciated

Nature Play and Learning Places Garden Work Day
2018-04-22 12:00 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
The Hitchcock Center is expanding its nature play area. Join this community effort and come help us dig, weed, plant, mulch, haul, etc. Bring tools and gloves if you have them.
Saturday, March 31, 12-3pm
Sunday, April 22, 12-3pm
Saturday, May 5, 12-3pm
Sunday, June 3, 12-3pm
Registration appreciated

Organic Lawn Care: What is Lawn? POSTPONED
2018-04-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Lawn is not simply grass. It is a relationship between grass plants, soil conditions, and a complex soil ecology. This ecology is known as the soil food web. A handful of healthy soil has billions of microflora and fauna, fungi, earthworms, micro and macro arthopods, etc. Not every green lawn is a healthy lawn. This living system is in stark contrast to a chemical lawn care system. Whether home-owner or professionally applied, chemical based fertilizers and pesticides destroy the delicate soil food web, killing the soil, creating a breeding ground for pest and weed problems. This creates a downward spiral of chemical-dependency to maintain a green-looking lawn, and to address the problems that chemicals have caused in the first place. What is the organic approach? A holistic approach to plant health care that includes soil health, regeneration, and appropriate cultural techniques. Through working with the elements of a healthy soil, instead of against them, it encourages greater soil health and, over time, conditions the soil to a nearly self-sustaining level requiring few, if any, added inputs.
with Andrew Hatfield, Pioneer Valley Organic Landscaping
Saturday, April 21, 1-2pm
Donations and registration appreciated

Spring Vacation Camp
2018-04-20 08:30 - 15:00, 2018-04-19 08:30 - 15:00, 2018-04-18 08:30 - 15:00, 2018-04-17 08:30 - 15:00, 2018-04-16 08:30 - 15:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Spend your days off from school learning and playing outside at the Hitchcock Center! We’ll explore topics in spring ecology while playing games, making crafts and spending time with our live animals. Sign up for as many days as you wish. Online registration opens January 14.
Ages 6-10, Grades K-5
Monday through Friday, April 16-20
Members: $60 per day/Non-members: $70 per day

Living Building Tour
2018-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
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. Tours typically last from 1-1.5 hours.
Spring tour schedule:
First Fridays at 4pm: April 6, May 4, June 1
Third Wednesdays at 12pm: March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20
FREE but please register online

Private Building Tours
The Hitchcock Center offers private group building tours, based on availability. The fee for these tours is $50/group for a one hour weekday tour (during business hours). Please limit group size to 15-20 for the best experience. Please contact Jessica Schultz, Living Building Coordinator, to arrange your group’s tour.

Massachusetts Forests in the Era of Climate Change
2018-04-15 14:00 - 15:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
The protection of Massachusetts forests is vital in: storing carbon to help mitigate and reverse climate change; providing critical habitat for native plants and wildlife; saving historic and sacred sites; and offering opportunities for nature-based tourism. Yet, almost all of our forests are currently open to resource extraction, thereby undermining these values. With more than 30 years of experience working to protect forests, wildlife, and parks and wilderness, Mr. Kellett will retrace steps leading to our current dilemma and suggest possible remedies. Q&A will follow.
Join the Hitchcock Center and the Massachusetts Forest Rescue Campaign in this Forests and Climate Change Series.
with Michael Kellett
Sunday, April 15, 2-3:30pm
Suggested donation $10
Registration appreciated

Amherst Sustainability Fair
2018-04-14 10:00 - 16:00
Join the Hitchcock Center for this Amherst tradition of sharing ways to make our world a better place. Learn more…
Saturday, April 14, 10am-4pm
Amherst Town Common

Saturday Family Science Series
2018-04-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Second Saturdays: December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9
The Hitchcock Center is open to families and the community second Saturdays of the month, December thru June from 9am-1pm. Stop by to explore our building, talk with an educator, read a book with your kids or grandkids in our visitor center, and join us for one of our family science programs.
9am-1pm
Saturday Family Science Series
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.
10am-11am
Free, registration appreciated. Groups of 6 or more please call ahead.

Second Saturdays at Hitchcock
2018-04-14 09:00 - 13:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002

Woodcock: Skydancer
2018-04-13 20:00 - 22:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Have you heard the telltale peep of the woodcock looking for a mate to do its early spring sky dance? If not you are in for a treat that will likely become an annual tradition, you’ll be hooked. Join bird song radio personality and our favorite garden advisor Dan Ziomek to enjoy this special spring event.
with Dan Ziomek, local birder and naturalist
Friday, April 13, 8-10pm
Members $12/Non-members $16
Register here
