Come join an all-outdoor group experience where we’ll hike, explore the woods, catch creatures in a stream, and play games. From the Hitchcock Center, we will hike to the Hampshire woods. Once there, we will spread out along the banks of a stream, each with our own net and basin, to cool our feet in […]

A pond is much more than frogs and fish! It demonstrates a beautiful web of life from algae and microscopic organisms to insect larvae and amphibians. We will use our limnology lab tools to practice techniques for observing small aquatic creatures and learning about their unique life cycles and adaptations. At the pond, we will […]

Games are a great way to embrace summer fun. In this two-hour all outdoors program, children can be a part of a small group and enjoy the company of other kids playing classic camp games in safety. We’ll spend our time playing verbal games maintaining social distance, and physical games, which can be played in […]

Go on a butterfly walk with Jennifer to discover the fluttering friends among us. We will start with some basic tools and background about butterflies and then head to a flowering field with edges that should have a good variety of colorful butterflies. Join one of our talented Hitchcock Center educators and choose among many […]

In a world where lawns wreak havoc on our natural ecosystems, landscape designer Owen Wormser encourages another approach. Owen’s recently released book, Lawns Into Meadows, Growing a Regenerative Landscape, explains how to plant an organic meadow that’s right for your site. Meadows create wildlife and pollinator habitat. They’re low maintenance and low cost. They have […]

In a world where lawns wreak havoc on our natural ecosystems, landscape designer Owen Wormser encourages another approach. Owen’s recently released book, Lawns Into Meadows, Growing a Regenerative Landscape, explains how to plant an organic meadow that’s right for your site. Meadows create wildlife and pollinator habitat. They’re low maintenance and low cost. They have […]

Discover the stories in the stones around us! The Holyoke Range can tell us much about how the Earth’s crust is shaped. It is a geologically unique area, where we can find evidence of shifting tectonic plates, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, and erosion, all in one day’s field trip! We will learn how fascinating geology can […]

Every living thing needs a home or a habitat to survive. The Hitchcock Center has a variety of local habitats on site to experience first-hand. Just as each neighborhood has its own needs and inhabitants, each habitat has its own animals, plants, and interactions. Our trip will take us through forest, field and wetland where […]

A pond is much more than frogs and fish! It demonstrates a beautiful web of life from algae and microscopic organisms to insect larvae and amphibians. We will use our limnology lab tools to practice techniques for observing small aquatic creatures and learning about their unique life cycles and adaptations. At the pond, we will […]

This family program is a wonderful way to spend time outdoors with your young one(s), discovering nature together with Colleen Kelley. We will socially distance for circle time. Each family will be given their own discovery tools to use on our adventure together. We will enjoy a fun story at the end of each session. […]

Discover the stories in the stones around us! The Holyoke Range can tell us much about how the Earth’s crust is shaped. It is a geologically unique area, where we can find evidence of shifting tectonic plates, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, and erosion, all in one day’s field trip! We will learn how fascinating geology can […]

A pond is much more than frogs and fish! It demonstrates a beautiful web of life from algae and microscopic organisms to insect larvae and amphibians. We will use our limnology lab tools to practice techniques for observing small aquatic creatures and learning about their unique life cycles and adaptations. At the pond, we will […]