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

Join Todd who has worked to develop a user-friendly online map and guide to the wonderful variety of trees on the UMASS Amherst campus. He will introduce us to some of the most interesting trees on the campus. He is filled with natural history and historical information about individual trees. And he also knows the campus champion trees. Come learn about ornamentals and natives, evergreens and deciduous, and experience the wonderful diversity of temperate trees; and see the trees in their autumn colors. Todd will explain his online campus trees database and map so you can continue to learn on your own.

You've observed mushrooms in the woods and may even be able to identify some. Here's an opportunity to investigate these fascinating and beautiful structures in the lab. Lisa will begin with an overview of mushroom anatomy and then assist us with observing various diagnostic features of mushrooms using microscopes. Lab observations will include spore shape, reactions of mushrooms to reagents, hyphal type, etc. Lisa will provide instruction on how to be successful with compound microscopes. We will provide microscopes and relevant mushroom dyes. Bring your curiosity, questions and any fresh mushrooms you want to identify!

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?

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

Join Dianna for a fascinating glimpse into the diversity of fungi in our autumn woods. She is a walking field guide to our myriad fungi and will identify, complete with latin name, all we can find. She knows the fungi's habitat preferences, plant associates, fruiting period and so much more. Her style is accessible and supportive of whatever level of knowledge you bring to the walk! You will leave knowing so much more about our native fungi!

Water is wonderful! Today we’ll learn about H20, from raindrop to reservoir. We’ll follow a drop of water on its journey through the water cycle, explore the properties of water, and discover just how important it is to conserve water in our everyday lives!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

The new, accessible boardwalk and nature trail, part of the Silvio O Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Hadley, is a terrific place to see what's happening in nature. The walk is very easy, with gentle inclines and views of fields, forests, wetlands, and the Fort River itself. We'll keep a relaxed pace and observe the autumn colors, migrating birds, a variety of micro-ecosystems, and anything else that catches our attention. Bring binoculars, field guides, and your observation skills.

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?

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.

Join the folks from the Caterpillar Lab and see their collection of butterfly and moth caterpillars. They'll display them on tables in our classroom for all to see up close. You'll observe cool camouflage, warning coloration, spikey spines, horns and false eyes!

with John Green, naturalist Wednesday, October 14, 9am-11am FREE • Registration required • Space is limited, location provided with registration

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Help us carve pumpkins for the Enchanted Forest, a fun family community service event.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.