Events

with John Green

At the new Fort River Wildlife Sanctuary on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley
Join John at this wonderful time of year to explore this beautiful new accessible trail of the USFWS Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge system. It weaves through many lovely habitats and is sure to offer some great spring plant and bird sightings. FREE, but space is limited and registration required.

8-10am at the Fort River Wildlife Sanctuary on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley
10am-2pm at the Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Sanctuary at 127 Combs Road in Easthampton

Join us for a fun day of activities and demonstrations about the birds of the Connecticut River Valley. A variety of local organizations and experts will be on hand to answer your bird questions. We’ll have live bird and bird banding demonstrations and there will be bird walks throughout the event. Check our web site as the date approaches for a complete schedule.

New this year, registration opens online Tuesday, June 16th for all Fall Children, Youth and Family Programs. Access the program registration page by visiting any program page. You may log into the system at any time to set up an account in order to register, but programs will not become available until 1AM on June 16th. Phone calls and drop-in registration are available, but we direct all who can to register online in order to reduce wait times.

with Ted Watt

Join Ted for a couple hours exploring the varied landscape of the northeast Hampshire College campus. Vernal pools, a diverse woodland, farm roads and trails, and a farm pond will all be included. You’ll get an introduction to the Hitchcock Center’s new home and start learning about the natural history of the site.

*Session full for both age groups, wait list only.*
Ages 6-7 & 8-10

Get ready to get very tiny this week as we explore all things small. Who are the creatures that can fit in your hand, or on a penny? We’ll investigate teeny tiny ants, pillbugs, worms and other invertebrates who have important jobs in nature. We’ll pay attention to the tiniest flowers and plants and discover how important they are to their ecosystems. Through field trips, live animal exploration, hikes and art projects, campers will investigate the tiny things in life!

*Session full for both age groups, wait list only.*
Ages 6-7 & 8-10

In this session, campers will connect with the land we call home. From farmland to forest, mountains to meadows, we’ll discover the ecosystems all around us and the interconnectedness of the animals that live here. We’ll learn about our rich farm soil, our fascinating geological stories and the serene wilderness of the Quabbin Reservoir by traveling on field trips, telling stories, playing nature-themed games and making crafts. From enjoying the view from a mountaintop to tasting fresh local food, we’ll experience the finest natural features of the Pioneer Valley.

*Session full, wait list only.*
Ages 11-13

Are you a current or aspiring junior counselor between the ages of 11-13 looking for leadership skills? Join us for Leadership Training Camp! Hitchcock Nature Camp’s newest program is back in summer 2015 – this time for two weeks! This camp is designed to give 11-13 year-olds a summer camp experience that includes outdoor adventures, team building and nature mentoring skills. Over the course of the two weeks, campers will work with instructors Peter Lamdin and Katie Koerten to develop confidence being a team member, leading a group, and mentoring young children, all culminating in a camping overnight! This camp is for young people looking to develop leadership and outdoor skills, whether it’s to take along with them as a junior counselor in another camp later in the summer, or just for an adventurous camp experience!

*Session full for both age groups, wait list only.*
Ages 6-7 & 8-10

Come fine-tune your senses and sharpen your nature observation skills. Campers will learn how to silently fox-walk through the forest and camouflage themselves so they can’t be seen. We will learn about the animals around us and their strategies for survival in the wild. With field trips, live animal observations, predator/prey games and songs we’ll discover how all living things, including us, depend on each other. By the end of this session, you might just feel a bit more at home in the wild!

Ages 6-7 & 8-10

Who are the only animals that have feathers? Birds, of course! This session we will take flight to learn about a bird’s life, from egg to adult. From hummingbird to ostrich, campers will discover how birds are adapted to the lives they lead. We’ll travel to meadow, forest, wetland and farm to explore the birds that call these places home. We’ll learn about what people can do to protect our feathered neighbors. Outdoor adventures, free play, songs and games are part of every day as we soar through the avian world!

*Session full for both age groups, wait list only.*
Ages 6-7 & 8-10

Do you love watching energy flow from one thing to another, like in marble runs, water walls and falling dominoes? Then you will love Rube Goldberg Machine week! We will spend this camp session collaborating and building Rube Goldberg machines – contraptions that perform a simple task in the most complicated way possible. In both individual and group settings, campers will get to experiment with everyday objects to create Rube Goldberg machines and complete challenges. While this session has a physical science focus, we will still hike outside and play active running games each day. All campers will have field trips, and Young Naturalists will have sprinkler time and Explorers will have pool time as in other sessions.