Adult Community Programs
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
A John Green Slide Show:
Beneath the Woodland Canopy: The Understory
Wednesday, March 18, 6pm
Free to attend, registration appreciated
Have you seen a John Green Slideshow? It is literally an old fashion slideshow, click of the machine and whir of the fan. John has a lifetime of beautiful nature photography that he puts together along with his stories. This is a new compilation over and under. Don’t miss it.
On the Same Page 2026: Community Reading Program
A program series in collaboration with The Jones Library
See the Jones Library website for the full lineup of events
All events are free and open to the public
March 19 through March 25, 2026
Featuring the book Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip
*It is encouraged but not necessary to have read the book to attend these programs!
The entire Amherst community is invited to read the book and participate in the programs offered this year, with a variety of programs for all ages exploring the unique animal that is the beaver. A variety of programs are being offered to enrich the reading experience of this best-selling title and to encourage dialog about the themes the book presents, including a book discussion to delve into the book itself.
Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. – North Amherst Library Meeting Room
Beaver Tales: Native Traditions and Colonial Relations – This talk by Dr. Margaret M. Bruchac considers shifts in Indigenous approaches to hunting beaver in the Connecticut River valley. For millennia, hunting practices were rooted in reciprocity and sustainability, as recorded in oral traditions and archaeological records. During the 1600s, however, the English colonial settler fur trade encouraged over-hunting and introduced a debt economy, provoking land loss and conflicts that resonate into the present day.
Dr. Margaret M. Bruchac is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she founded the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative. For more than 30 years, she has also served as a consultant to Historic Northampton, Historic Deerfield, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, and Old Sturbridge Village Museum.
Saturday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. – Wentworth Farm Conservation Area
Family Beaver StoryWalk and Program – Wood you believe that beavers are some of nature’s most important engineers? Join the Hitchcock Center for a beaver StoryWalk for young ones! We’ll waddle through beaver habitat, reading the pages of a beaver-themed StoryWalk as we go. We’ll slap our “tails,” waddle like beavers, and sing a song about our favorite lodge-builders. Spend time in the outdoors engaging in early literacy and movement. Best for little explorers ages 1-6 with their caregivers. Led by Katie Koerten of the Hitchcock Center.
Katie Koerten is the Education Director at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst, MA.
Monday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m. – Hitchcock Center @ 845 West Street
Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00 pm – Munson Memorial Library Hall
Praised by reviewers (“Fascinating” ~ The Washington Post; “Full of charm and wonder” ~ The Wall Street Journal; “Inspiring” ~ The New York Times), Beaverland offers a revelatory dive into the world of the beaver – the wonderfully weird rodent that has surprisingly shaped American history and may save its ecological future.
Award-winning author Leila Philip follows fur trappers through waist-high water, as well as wildlife managers, PETA activists, Native American environmental vigilantes, scientists, engineers, and the colorful group of activists known as beaver believers. Philip describes the ways in which beavers can repair our broken landscapes – cleaning water of nitrogen and phosphorus, helping to stave off droughts, providing refuges for wildlife during massive wildfires, reducing the impacts of flooding, protecting valuable topsoil. She presents solutions that allow people and beavers to coexist, and shows why this keystone species deserves the public’s support.
This book was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an NPR Science Friday Book Club Selection.
We hope to see you at one, some, or all of these Beaver Land-related events!
Raptors, Rodenticides and Ricardi: Rescue Area Wildlife from Rodenticides – POSTPONED TO APRIL 25
Saturday, February 28th, April 25th, 10am – 12pm
Free, hybrid program
In person at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment
or virtually via a Zoom link provided after you register
Raptors, foxes, and other predators balance Massachusetts’ ecosystems. But shocking numbers of these iconic creatures have been sickened and killed after eating poisoned rodents. Mass Audubon’s Rescue Raptors team has partnered with a local group of wildlife advocates, Save the Raptors Connecticut River and Quabbin Valley, and Tom Ricardi’s Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center in Conway, MA to offer this free hybrid program to educate the public about this issue. Join us to learn about the harms of rodent poisons, wildlife-safe rodent control options, and how to get involved. This event is co-sponsored by Mass Audubon, Kestrel Land Trust, and the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. Photo by Jenny Zhao.
RECENT PAST PROGRAMS
Film Screening: In Our Nature
Presented by Hitchcock Center for the Environment and Massachusetts Environmental Education Society
Saturday February 28th
Film Screening – 2:00-3:30
Community Discussion & Refreshments – 3:30-4:00
Location: Hitchcock Center, Amherst, MA.
What if environmental education were seen as essential to mental health, civic connection, and strong communities? This film is for everyone who is interested in helping to make a change.
Glimpses of Winter Wildlife
Photo by Jenny Zhao
Wednesday, February 25, 7pm
Free or by donation, registration required.
Glimpses of Winter Wildlife — Trail cameras give us a window into the natural world, capturing details of animals’ lives we rarely see in person. Naturalist Allison Bell will share what her cameras reveal about wildlife in winter—bobcats, coyotes, otters, porcupines, mink and more. Allison Bell is a field guide author and co-owner of Quonquont Farm in Whately. Her wildlife videos can be seen on Quonquont Farm and ValleyWild social media.
John Green Winter Nature Walk 
Sunday, February 22, 10 am
Space is limited, please register now.
Sliding Scale: $15, $20, $25 | Further Financial Assistance (limited)
Winter is a magical time to go on a guided nature walk, it is fun to see who is awake and about, different snow or ice formations, and marvel in the wonder with others. Join John Green for an exploration at Quabbin.
Spring Birding Course
Led by Scott Surner
Space is limited, and this program sells out fast!
Sliding Scale: $380 / $440 /$500 | Further Financial Assistance (limited)
**This program is full! Thank you!**
Join this spring tradition. Are you wanting to delight in birds more often, learn what you are seeing and hearing, seek new species you haven’t seen, or just be in community with other birders?
Classroom Nights: Feb 18th- 6-8 PM, March 4th- 6-8 PM, May 6th- 6-8 PM
Feb 21st –5:00 AM-dusk. Plum Island or Cape Ann. Winter Sea ducks, Black Guillemots, Razorbill, Loons, Gulls, Purple Sandpipers, and maybe a Snowy Owl. Bring Lunch and dress warm.
March 7th– 7:00 AM-12:00. Local- early waterfowl, lingering winter finches, Horned Lark, Longspurs, and Snow Buntings
March 21st– 7:00 AM -12:00. Local- Waterfowl.
April 11th – 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. Early migrants. Pine & Palm Warblers, Wilson Snipe, Eastern Phoebe, plus more.
April 18th– 7:00 AM- 12:00. Westover grasslands. Upland Sandpiper, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and more early warblers.
April 25th– 5:00 AM- dusk. Plum Island. Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Ibis & Herons. Bring Lunch.
May 2nd– 6:30-12:00. Local. Warblers, Vireos, and more.
May 9th– 6:30-12:00. Ashley Reservoir. Warblers, Flycatchers, Vireos and more.
May 16th– 6:30-12:00. Mt. Holyoke. Looking for nesting Cerulean & Worm-eating Warblers. Plus other migrants.
May 23rd– 5:30-12:00. Local. Southwick WMA. Grasshopper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and maybe a returning Blue Grosbeak. Bring snacks & drinks.
Additional Optional Weekend Trip to Connecticut Lakes, New Hampshire
June 4th-7th.
Sliding Scale : $130 / $150 / $170
for bird field trips & instruction throughout the weekend.
Travel, food and lodging not included.
June 4th – Depart on Thursday and head to New Hampshire. Night in Colebrook.
June 5th – Depart very early for Dixville Turbines. We hope to hear & see Bicknell’s Thrush, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and more.
From Dixville Turbines, we’ll make our way to Pittsburg, NH. Once in Pittsburg, we’ll look for American Bittern, Cliff Swallows, Wilson’s Snipe, and Bobolinks. Check into the motel late afternoon.
June 6th – Early departure for East Inlet Rd & Scott’s Bog. Breeding warblers: Bay-breasted, Mourning, No.Parula and more. Plus Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive- sided Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, and maybe a Philadelphia Vireo.
June 7th -Early departure for Moose Bog. More boreal species, Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, maybe Black-backed Woodpecker, and Spruce Grouse. Depart for home around 11:00 AM.
How Healthy is Our Air? 
with Dr. Billy Spitzer- Hitchcock Center Executive Director
Wednesday, February 11th, 6pm
Free to attend, registration appreciated
How healthy is the air we breathe? In this program we will share:
- What we have learned from several years of data from more than 100 air quality sensors in Western Massachusetts
- How extreme heat, wildfires, wood burning, local geography, and temperature inversions can worsen air quality and affect our health
- How an air sensor works, and how you can build a DIY air cleaner
- How you can find out the air quality near you, what you can do to protect your health, and what we can do to improve air quality in our region
Owl Prowls 
with Dan Ziomek
Saturday, January 3rd, 6:30 – 9pm
or Friday, January 16th, 6:30 – 9pm
with a bad weather date of Saturday, January 24th
Sliding Scale: $20, $30, $40
Forest Bathing
One session $25 or $40 for both sessions
Connecting with nature an essential part of who we are as people. Time spent in forests has been proven to reduce stress-hormone levels and lower blood pressure, a perfect way to navigate the challenges of the modern world. A Forest Bathing experience allows you to slow down and immerse yourself in the world around you. Our time together will consist of a leisurely walk with stops along the way to explore themagic of the Hitchcock Center woodland.
This is a very relaxed, slow, and mindful wayof spending time in nature. Walks typically last about 2-3 hours and finish with an herbal tea from Todd’s garden. There is hardly a better antidote for these times!
Hitchcock Community Read- The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer 
November 12, 6-8 PM
Free or by donation, registration required
Join us for a discussion of Braiding Sweetgrass author Robin Wall Kimmerer’s new book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World. We will come together to discuss and share our experience of this special and timely book. This gathering will take place in the garden if weather allows and we will be able to visit our own Amelanchier (or Shadbush as we tend to call it here at Hitchcock) somewhere between its flowering and fruiting.
Building Tours for Classes or Groups
The Hitchcock Center is the 23rd building in the world and the 4th in Massachusetts to achieve the Certified Living Building designation! The building is designed to model systems in nature- it is net zero energy and water, has composting toilets, and has been made with responsibly sourced non-toxic materials. Find out what makes our building a special teaching tool empowering visitors to ask, “what does sustainability look like in the built environment and in my community?” Using Zoom, we’ll explore the systems and features of the building. Bring your questions so we can learn together. Tours typically last from 1-1.5 hours and have a sliding scale fee of $100-$200. Please email dan@hitchcockcenter.org to schedule a tour.
Fees
Out of a strong commitment to improve access to our programs we are now offering a sliding scale fee structure aimed to provide greater flexibility in choosing a price that is right for you and your family.
- Tier A: The fee is set higher than what it costs to run the program and helps to support those who cannot afford the full cost of the program.
- Tier B: The fee is set to cover 100% of the program costs.
- Tier C: The fee is set less than what it costs to run the program.
- Some additional financial aid is available to help make this program accessible. Please complete the form, or contact Barb or Shelly at 413-256-6006 for more information. This option is available for EBT, WIC, Connector Care, and Card to Culture participants, that is, households receiving benefits through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and the Massachusetts Health Connector.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation policy for Hitchcock’s seasonal programs: You may cancel your registration for any of our programs up to a week prior to the program’s start date to receive a refund minus a 10% administrative fee. If you cancel within 7 days or less of the program’s start date, we cannot offer a refund unless we are able to fill your spot in the program.
COVID-19 Safety
As per the State of Massachusetts guidelines, if you have symptoms of a respiratory virus, such as a fever, sore throat, cough or a runny or stuffy nose, you should stay home. If you have been exposed to someone with a virus we ask that you please wear a mask and wash hands often to protect others.
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