Homeschool II: Rocks and Water
2023-03-07 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-03-21 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-03-28 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
HOMESCHOOL II: ROCKS AND WATER: THE SHAPING OF OUR VALLEY
With Jeff Mazur
Grades 4-6, Ages 9-12
Tuesdays 10:00am – 2:00 pm
March 7 – May 30
(No program Mar 14, Apr 11 for Discovery Days, no class April 18 for April Vacation Week)
Tier A: $757 Tier B:$658 Tier C:$560 Tier D:$428
Limited to 13 participants
We will start at the beginning, the very beginning – the Big Bang, and travel through time discovering how the earth was formed, our continent shaped, and end with where we are today. We will explore the geological and erosional forces that shaped the valley together. This class will be filled with field trips to explore mountains and caves, games, journaling, home projects and more. Together we will develop an appreciation for some of the beautiful parts of our valley as well as how it was formed.
Non-refundable within a week of the start of the program; all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-08 13:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
JUNIOR NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With: Lauren Dausch
Ages 5-7 or Grades K-1
Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
January 4 – March 15 (no program February 22)
Extended Days on February 15, March 8
Fee per Child: Tier A-$353 | Tier B-$307 | Tier C-$261 | Tier D-$200
Limited to 11 participants
Hitchcock’s Junior Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Winter Junior Nature Play we will explore snowy wooded trails and fields, make snow villages, and sled down the HCE hill! Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-08 13:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With: Jeff Mazur
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30
January 4 – March 15 (no program on February 22)
Extended Days on February 15, March 8
Fee per Child: Tier A-$353 | Tier B-$307 | Tier C-$261 | Tier D-$200
Limited to 13 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. In Winter Nature Play After School we will explore snowy wooded trails and fields, make snow villages, and sled down the HCE hill. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Wild Children of the Woods
2023-03-08 13:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS
With: Emily Schuttenberg
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Wednesdays 3:30 – 5:30
January 4 – March 15 (no program on February 22)
Extended Days on February 15, March 8
Fee per Child: Tier A-$353 | Tier B-$307 | Tier C-$261 | Tier D-$200
Limited to 13 participants
We go to the woods to think, learn, play, and explore in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. We will roam the grounds of the Hitchcock Center as we watch the seasons change in our beautiful woods. We will visit stump city, ferns, and the far-away woods, play some organized games, and learn about the animals, plants, and life in these woods, including ourselves.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-09 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-16 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With: Emily Schuttenberg
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30
January 5 – March 16 (no program February 23)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$296 | Tier B-$257 | Tier C-$219 | Tier D-$167
Limited to 13 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. In Winter Nature Play After School we will explore snowy wooded trails and fields, make snow villages, and sled down the HCE hill. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Girls into the Wild Afterschool
2023-03-09 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-16 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
GIRLS INTO THE WILD AFTERSCHOOL
with Katie Koerten
Ages 8–11 or Grades 3–5
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
January 5 – March 16 (no program February 23)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$296 | Tier B-$257| Tier C-$219 | Tier D-$167
Limited to 13 participants
Join us in winter 2023 for more romping wildly through the field and forests of the Hitchcock Center. As always we’ll visit our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump City, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods – exploring the seasonal beauty of nature as we go. Play games, make friends, and create nature projects outdoors! Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Any young people with an experience of gender marginalization are welcome!

Nature Discovery Preschool Days
2023-03-10 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-03-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Nature Discovery Winter Preschool Days
With Colleen Kelley and Helen Ann Sephton
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
10:00am-11:30 am (Please note the later start time for winter)
Fee per child per day: Tier A-$23 per day | Tier B-$20 per day | Tier C-$17 per day | Tier D- $13
Limited to 8 families. Limit of 2 children per adult.
Celebrate the outdoors in winter with your preschooler! Colleen and Helen Ann will teach these four winter programs. Sign up for one, two or all three programs. Come prepared for winter outdoor exploration! Limited to 8 families per day. Non-refundable within a week of the program, all refunds incur a 10% administrative fee.
Friday, January 27: How Animals Live in Winter
Friday, February 17: Signs of Animals and Tracking
Friday, March 10: Slip, Slide – Ice and Snow!
Friday, March 24: Signs of Spring

20th Annual Spring Birding Course
2023-03-11 07:00 - 12:00, 2023-03-18 07:00 - 12:00
20th Annual Spring Birding Course
with Scott Surner
Have you wanted to bird? Do you love birding but don’t get out enough on your own? Then this course is for you, join other birders and the amazing birder Scott Surner for this spring course of going to all the best spots to see all the coolest of birds! This is an intensive course through the spring with many wonderful hours of field trips around New England.
For ages 12 and up. Space is limited to 15 birders. Cost Sliding Scale $750, $700, $650, $600.Class Schedule:

Feb 4th-Local- 7:00-12:00. Kick off the spring class- Winter specialties in the Valley.
Feb 24th-26. Coastal Trip Weekend. Weather permitting of course. Either the North Shore or Cape Cod.
March 4th- 7:00 AM- 12:00 – Local. Returning Waterfowl and late-season winter birds.
March 11th- 7:00-12:00. Local. Waterfowl.
March 18th – 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. More waterfowl. (Hatfield/Turners Falls Area)
April 1st- 7:00-12:00. Local
April 8th- 7:00 AM- 12:00. Local
April 15th- 7:00 AM-12:00. Westover and Tilley Street, Ludlow. Upland Sandpipers, Eastern Meadowlark, early warblers, Rusty Blackbirds?
April 29th- Plum Island. 5:00-Dusk. All Day. Waterfowl, early shorebirds, warblers etc. Last year we encountered a huge flock of Glossy Ibis at the end of the day, over 120 birds. Bring lunch.
May 6th – 6:30 AM- 12:00. Amherst Area. Migration starting to kick into gear. Warblers, Vireo’s etc.
May 13th- 6:30 AM-12:00. Mt. Holyoke. Breeding Cerulean & Worm-eating Warblers.
May 20th- 6;30AM-12:00- Local. Amherst/Hadley Area. Migration at its peak! Warblers, Flycatchers, Vireos, Sparrows etc.
May 27th- NO Class. Memorial Day Weekend.
June 3rd- 5:30-12:00. Southwick Wildlife Area. Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Indigo Bunting, and Prairie Warblers to name a few.
June 8th- 11th. Connecticut Lakes, Moose Bog, and a new stop in New Hampshire to look for Bicknell’s Thrush. More details to come, but we’ll need to make motel reservations in February. Last year’s trip to this area was very successful. Many species of breeding warblers, Philadelphia Vireo, Canada Jay, Spruce Grouse, American Bittern, Wilson’s Snipe, Cliff Swallows, etc.

Registration opens Friday, January 20 at 9:00 AM
REGISTER HERE

Second Saturday Family Science
2023-03-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
with Emily Schuttenberg
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Second Saturdays, 10–11am
Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10
Suggested Donation: $5–$30 per family
Join us for seasonal nature and science programs each second Saturday of the month. Designed for children (ages 5–7) with their parents, these programs will explore cool topics in nature. We will be learning while moving, often exploring the woods behind our building.
March 11: Plants in Winter
Some plants die in the Winter, others retreat unseen below the ground, still others seem completely unchanged. Learn about the adaptations of different plants in Winter time and investigate some evergreens in an attempt to understand their survival strategies.

Wild Children of the Woods
2023-03-13 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS SERIES
With: Monya Relles
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Mondays 3:30-5:30
January 9 – March 13 (no class January 16 or February 20)
Tier A:$234 Tier B:$203 Tier C:$173 Tier D:$132
Limited to 13 participants
We go to the woods to think, learn, play, and explore in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. We will roam the grounds of the Hitchcock Center as we watch the seasons change in our beautiful woods. We will visit stump city, ferns, and the far-away woods, play some organized games, and learn about the animals, plants, and life in these woods, including ourselves.

Discovery Day: Marvelous Mammals
2023-03-14 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
Marvelous Mammals
With Emily Schuttenberg
March 14, 2023 10am – 2pm
Ages 6-12 or grades 1 – 6
Tier A:$70 Tier B:$61 Tier C:$52 Tier D:$40
Limited to 12 participants
What do porcupines, blue whales and little brown bats have in common? They’re all mammals! And so are we! Join us as we learn about mammal adaptations and the mammals we might run into in our backyards.

Third Saturday Science
2023-03-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
With Monya Relles
Ages 5–7 or Grades K–1
Third saturdays, 10–11am
Suggested Donation: $5–$30 per family
Come meet one of the Hitchcock Center’s animal ambassadors. Designed for children (ages 5–7) with their parents, these programs will include some time with one of the Hitchcock Center teaching animals and a craft.
January 21 – Snails
March 18 – Frogs
May 20 – Sticks

Wild Children of the Woods
2023-03-20 15:30 - 17:30, 2023-03-27 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS SERIES
With: Monya Relles
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Mondays 3:30-5:30
March 20 – June 5 (no program April 17 and May 29)
Tier A:$234 Tier B:$203 Tier C:$173 Tier D:$132
Limited to 13 participants
We go to the woods to think, learn, play, and explore in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. We will roam the grounds of the Hitchcock Center as we watch the seasons change in our beautiful woods. We will visit stump city, ferns, and the far-away woods, play some organized games, and learn about the animals, plants, and life in these woods, including ourselves.

Homeschool I: The Science of Small Things
2023-03-21 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-03-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
HOMESCHOOL I: THE SCIENCE OF SMALL THINGS
With Emily Schuttenberg
Grades 1-3, Ages 6-8
Tuesdays 10:00am -2:00 pm
March 7 – May 30
(No program Mar 14, Apr 11 for Discovery Days, no class April 18 for April Vacation Week)
Tier A: $757 Tier B: $658 Tier C: $560 Tier D: $428
Limited to 13 participants
In Homeschool I: the Science of Small Things, we will investigate the tiny but mighty parts of the world that are often overlooked. Through exploration of insects, seeds, fungi, chemical compounds and more, we will discover that these small things have a big impact! We will approach learning with outdoor play, hands-on activities, journaling, songs, and more.

Junior Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-22 13:30 - 17:30
JUNIOR NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With: Lauren Dausch
Ages 5-7 or Grades K-1
Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
March 22 – June 7 (no program April 19)
Extended Days on March 22, April 5, May 10
Fee per Child: Tier A-$415 | Tier B-$361 | Tier C-$307 | Tier D-$234
Limited to 11 participants
Hitchcock’s Junior Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. During Spring Junior Nature Play we will play in the mud and spring rains, look for bugs, and enjoy the warming outdoors. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-22 13:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With Jeff Mazur
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
March 22 – June 7 (no program April 19)
Extended Days on March 22, April 5, May 10
Fee per Child: Tier A-$411 | Tier B-$357 | Tier C-$304 | Tier D-$232
Limited to 13 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. In spring Nature Play After School we will explore, watch the trees bud, celebrate the green and blooming springtime, and play in the mud. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Wild Children of the Woods
2023-03-22 13:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
WILD CHILDREN OF THE WOODS
With: Emily Schuttenberg
Ages 8-11 or Grades 3-5
Wednesdays 3:30-5:30
March 22 – June 7 (no program April 19)
Extended Days on March 22, April 5, May 10
Fee per Child: Tier A-$411 | Tier B-$357 | Tier C-$304 | Tier D-$232
Limited to 13 participants
We go to the woods to think, learn, play, and explore in this afterschool series for upper-elementary schoolers. We will roam the grounds of the Hitchcock Center as we watch the seasons change in our beautiful woods. We will visit stump city, ferns, and the far-away woods, play some organized games, and learn about the animals, plants, and life in these woods, including ourselves.

Nature Play Afterschool
2023-03-23 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
NATURE PLAY AFTERSCHOOL
With: Emily Schuttenberg
Ages 6-9 or grades 1-3
Thursdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
March 23 – June 8 (no program April 20)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$325 | Tier B-$282 | Tier C-$240 | Tier D-$183
Limited to 13 participants
Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program is designed to let kids be kids. Together we will run, jump, climb, invent, imagine, play and be free-range kids all while developing self-confidence and learning valuable social skills. In spring Nature Play After School we will explore, watch the trees bud, celebrate the green and blooming springtime, and play in the mud. Our instructors provide a safe setting for children to explore nature and encourage children to stretch their limits.

Girls into the Wild Afterschool
2023-03-23 15:30 - 17:30 | Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA, 01002
GIRLS INTO THE WILD AFTERSCHOOL
With: Katie Koerten
Ages 8–11 or Grades 3–5
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
March 23 – June 8 (no program April 20)
Fee per Child: Tier A-$325 | Tier B-$282| Tier C-$240 | Tier D-$183
Girls into the Wild continues into 2023 for more romping wildly through the field and forests of the Hitchcock Center. As always we’ll visit our favorite places to play in the forest, such as Stump City, the Ferns, and the Faraway Woods – exploring the seasonal beauty of nature as we go. Play games, make friends, and create nature projects in the outdoors! Come build your confidence and show your wild side! Any young people with an experience of gender marginalization are welcome!
