This class will consist of five Saturday mornings (7am- 12pm) during the peak of spring migration. We will visit five local hot spots and try to highlight not only the birds but the habitats that they prefer. We will walk at a leisurely pace and look and listen for the many species that use our […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

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 […]

Nature play can awaken children’s senses, challenge their bodies, inspire their imaginations and build self-confidence. In order to grow up healthy and happy, children need abundant, unstructured time to play and explore in the natural world, but today’s children rarely have the opportunity to roam free outdoors. Bringing nature to the places where children spend […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

Join Ted and Jeff for a talk about spotted salamanders, the ones that migrate under Henry Street in North Amherst. We will explain their wonderful yearly life cycle, including the first night of spring migration that has come to be called Big Night. We’ll also describe some of the fascinating adaptations unique to these creatures. […]

Often you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! 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 offers games and activities that each girl can participate in at […]

Did you know the Hitchcock Center is a Living Building? It is the 23rd building in the world and the 4th in Massachusetts to achieve the Certified Living Building designation! 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 […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

For all creatures on Earth, water is life. In this weekly homeschool class, we will explore the wonders of water, from the molecular level to the watershed level and everything in between. We will discover how vital water is in our lives, and the lives of all living creatures, and improve our “aqua-literacy” by learning […]

Join us to become Eco-photographers! We will be using the camera as a tool to study nature and enhance our observation skills. We’ll explore our world by viewing it through different lenses. During this spring’s Homeschool II class we will delve into the environment through outdoor activities, games, observations and investigations, field trips, art and […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

Often you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! 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 offers games and activities that each girl can participate in at […]

Forests provide a critical natural solution to reduce the effects of climate change. There is a growing debate about the most appropriate strategy to maximize this benefit. Ultimately, we need landscapes with both active and passive approaches to maintain the many benefits forests provide, including carbon sequestration and storage. The intent of this presentation is […]

This program has been cancelled. Hitchcock Center’s COVID-19 Public Statement and Updates 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. March 14: Backbones Not Required Ranging in size from microscopic to gigantic, invertebrates make up […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

For all creatures on Earth, water is life. In this weekly homeschool class, we will explore the wonders of water, from the molecular level to the watershed level and everything in between. We will discover how vital water is in our lives, and the lives of all living creatures, and improve our “aqua-literacy” by learning […]

Join us to become Eco-photographers! We will be using the camera as a tool to study nature and enhance our observation skills. We’ll explore our world by viewing it through different lenses. During this spring’s Homeschool II class we will delve into the environment through outdoor activities, games, observations and investigations, field trips, art and […]

Did you know the Hitchcock Center is a Living Building? It is the 23rd building in the world and the 4th in Massachusetts to achieve the Certified Living Building designation! 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 […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

Often you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! 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 offers games and activities that each girl can participate in at […]

Spring fever is coming, and your kids need to be outside! Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program 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 will explore wooded trails […]

For all creatures on Earth, water is life. In this weekly homeschool class, we will explore the wonders of water, from the molecular level to the watershed level and everything in between. We will discover how vital water is in our lives, and the lives of all living creatures, and improve our “aqua-literacy” by learning […]

Join us to become Eco-photographers! We will be using the camera as a tool to study nature and enhance our observation skills. We’ll explore our world by viewing it through different lenses. During this spring’s Homeschool II class we will delve into the environment through outdoor activities, games, observations and investigations, field trips, art and […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

Often you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! 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 offers games and activities that each girl can participate in at […]

Metamorphosis and how things change in nature is the theme for this popular program. Children will compare their own lives, from newborn to preschooler, with the life cycles of other living things. Through live animal and plant observations, stories, songs, movement, imagery and crafts, children will learn about how and why changes happen. Start your […]

Metamorphosis and how things change in nature is the theme for this popular program. Children will compare their own lives, from newborn to preschooler, with the life cycles of other living things. Through live animal and plant observations, stories, songs, movement, imagery and crafts, children will learn about how and why changes happen. Start your […]

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 […]

Spring fever is coming, and your kids need to be outside! Hitchcock’s Nature Play Afterschool Program 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 will explore wooded trails […]

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 […]

Playing outside in the winter is super awesome! 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. During Winter Nature Play we will explore wooded trails and fields, play in […]

Join this Hitchcock tradition! Scott has been leading classes since 1979. Space is limited and in high demand. with Scott Surner Evening classes at Hitchcock: Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm, February 12, April 1, April 15, June 10 Fieldtrips: see schedule $315 for members/$380 Non-members Registration opens online HERE January 15 at 9am. Follow the link to set-up […]

Often you just need to run, explore and play outdoors! 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 offers games and activities that each girl can participate in at […]

Metamorphosis and how things change in nature is the theme for this popular program. Children will compare their own lives, from newborn to preschooler, with the life cycles of other living things. Through live animal and plant observations, stories, songs, movement, imagery and crafts, children will learn about how and why changes happen. Start your […]

Metamorphosis and how things change in nature is the theme for this popular program. Children will compare their own lives, from newborn to preschooler, with the life cycles of other living things. Through live animal and plant observations, stories, songs, movement, imagery and crafts, children will learn about how and why changes happen. Start your […]

Did you know the Hitchcock Center is a Living Building? It is the 23rd building in the world and the 4th in Massachusetts to achieve the Certified Living Building designation! 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 […]

Bring your muscles and get ready to dig in the dirt! We’ll be digging holes for the new fence stakes and making a trench along the fence-line to bury the bottom of the new fence. It’s going to be tough work but should help a lot to reduce the number of salamanders that have been […]

Playful Engineers teaching artist and engineering enthusiast Jay Mankita will present a hands-on workshop in which participants will have a chance to design, build, test, and play with Rube Goldberg “Machines”, and other chain reactions, connecting focused play with serious science. Participants learn through demonstration and play, exploring basic force and motion physics, as they […]