By Jessica Schultz
We had so much fun with the Nature’s Myth Busters theme during Enchanted Forest! With this year’s characters Batilda the Bat, Goldenrod and Ragweed, Groundhog and Worm, Porcupine, Tom the Toad, and Worry the Worm, adults and children alike learned about our wild friends…and tested our knowledge as well!
By Patrick O’Roark
Few things are more satisfying to me as a Hitchcock educator than seeing the wonder and focus that appear on a visitor’s face during an up-close encounter with one of our teaching animals. As Speedy the eastern box turtle cruises along a classroom floor or one of our walking stick insects crawls up the arm of a mesmerized camper, the conversation in the room flows easily from ecology to adaptations to animal behavior. Learning is happening, but just as importantly positive memories are being made. Our animal ambassadors help the Hitchcock Center staff to foster a greater awareness and knowledge of the natural world in our visitors – just by being themselves.
By Helen Ann Sephton
On the mountain, kids make music. Rock music. It’s a natural introduction to the geology of the Holyoke Range and its trails – the sound its rock fragments make when struck or scuffed. It’s a minor note, but a memorable auditory experience as students begin to learn about the properties and geology in local formations.
By Colleen Kelley
Mary Dunn has been volunteering at the center for five and a half years and has assisted Hitchcock staff with a broad range of countless mailings, program registrations, library shelving, cleaning and organizing materials, decorating rooms for Enchanted Forest, cutting and crafting endless children program materials. She has even drawn her husband in to projects on occasion to build some beautiful wooden shelves, and repair a very well loved miniature tree house used by our pre-school program.
By Jessica Schultz
Living Building Challenge projects like our new building are daunting to design and construct – but created to make change. To fully appreciate the magnitude of work involved in this challenge, we are committed to educating through our building – what principles of nature are replicated in our building, what materials research is required, how do our choices impact our children and future generations. Opportunities for this education have now started and we are excited to be sharing the building with our community!
By Jessica Schultz
Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the industry, but is commonly known to be highly energy intensive, emitting green house gases during production, processing, and transportation. So why then would we use concrete in a super-green Living Building ChallengeTM building? The short answer is that there is still no other material currently on the market that matches the durability of concrete for the life of a building as well. Invented by the ancient Romans, concrete has been used for thousands of years in various formulations, and is one of the longest lasting building products over its expected lifetime.
By Jessica Schultz
This summer the footing and foundation work has been underway on our building, and is now mostly complete. Our staff and community have enjoyed seeing the project begin to physically take shape on the site. In addition to the pouring of concrete, waterproofing work has been completed around the basement in the north wing. Styrofoam insulation has been added around the entire foundation of both wings and soil has been back-filled around it, nearly completely hiding the footings.
By Patty O’Donnell and Colleen Kelley
Hitchcock Center educators have been paying close attention to the evolution of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) since the 2011 release of the Framework for K-12 Science Education, a key guiding document that elucidates the need for revising how and what we teach about science.
By Peter Lamdin
Over the course of two weeks, from July 6th – July 17th, instructors Katie Koerten and Peter Lamdin helped lead twelve 11 – 13 year-olds through a series of activities and challenges aimed at learning leadership and teamwork skills with a goal of preparing these future leaders for being junior counselors at Hitchcock, or other summer camp programs, and hopefully also for being leaders in other group situations they might find themselves in. Indeed, two of the campers began working as junior counselors soon after camp ended!
By Katie Koerten
Nysha Sanchez, 16 and Kaylla Fairbanks, 15 spent the month of July working at the Hitchcock Center as “externs” from the Girls Inc. of Holyoke Eureka! Program. Eureka! is a nationally recognized five-year program designed to engage girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, build leadership skills, and promote college education. Eureka! combines STEM education with personal development, health and wellness to grow girls’ confidence and skills as they approach the next phase of their lives.
Share this page with friends!
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax