Little Bear Nature Walks

With Chrissy Larson
Ages 0-5 (Adult required to attend with child)
March – June, 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Fee per child (adults and children under 18 months are free): Tier A-$15 | Tier B-$13 | Tier C-$11

Links to register for this new program are coming soon! 

NEW for Spring 2025 – Come along on a Little Bear Nature Walk! Little Bear Nature Walks are a way for toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers to explore nature in an age-appropriate way. While on the walk, children borrow a backpack filled with simple tools for exploring. Nature educators guide children in small groups and explore plants, animals, rocks, and soil. Walks incorporate observation, inquiry, and sensory learning, but also make space for imagination and play. Each walk has a loose theme and includes a story and a song.

Each walk is limited to 12 children. Limit of 2 children per adult.

Day of Week	Date	Location	Theme	Meeting spot/Parking information
Tuesday	March 4	Mill River Recreation Area	Chickadees	(95 Montague Rd, Amherst) Park in the parking lot adjacent to the pool building and meet by the baseball fields.
Thursday	March 13	Sweet Alice Conservation Area (Pond Loop)	Spring Colors	(73 Bay Rd, Amherst) Park in the gravel lot and meet at the blacktop path adjacent to the parking lot.
Monday	March 17	Wentworth Farm Conservation Area (Old Farm Rd entrance)	Bluebirds	Park in the small gravel lot or along Old Farm Rd and meet at the kiosk by the trailhead.
Wednesday	March 26	Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge	Amphibians	(63 Moody Bridge Rd) Park in the gravel parking lot and meet at the kiosk.
Tuesday	April 1	Plum Spring Conservation Area (Ken Cuddeback Trail at Chapel Rd)	Vultures	Park along the street on Chapel Rd (off Bay Rd), adjacent to the Ken Cuddeback trailhead. Meet at the trailhead.
Monday	April 7	Puffers Pond (South – Robert Frost Trail)	Nests	(171 State St, Amherst) Park along State St past the South end swimming area and meet at the Robert Frost trailhead. (Take note that the road is one way)
Wednesday	April 16	Lawrence Swamp (Rail Trail at Station Rd)	Buds	Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail parking lot on Station Rd and meet at the Caroline Arnold Trail sign across Station Rd.
Monday	April 28	Larch Hill Conservation Area (Common School driveway entrance)	Slugs and snails	(503 S. Pleasant St, Amherst) Park at either the parking lot closest to S. Pleasant St or the gravel lot part-way up the Common School driveway. Meet at the boardwalk.
Thursday	May 1	Mill River Recreation Area	Robins	(95 Montague Rd, Amherst) Park in the parking lot adjacent to the pool building and meet by the baseball fields.
Wednesday	May 7	Sweet Alice Conservation Area (Pond Loop)	Pillbugs	(73 Bay Rd, Amherst) Park in the gravel lot and meet at the blacktop path adjacent to the parking lot.
Tuesday	May 13	Wentworth Farm Conservation Area (Old Farm Rd entrance)	Leaves	Park in the small gravel lot or along Old Farm Rd and meet at the kiosk at the trailhead.
Monday	May 19	Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge	Spiders	(63 Moody Bridge Rd) Park in the gravel parking lot and meet at the kiosk.
Thursday	May 29	Plum Spring Conservation Area (Ken Cuddeback Trail at Chapel Rd)	Bumble bees	Park along the street on Chapel Rd (off Bay Rd), adjacent to the Ken Cuddeback trailhead. Meet at the trailhead.
Wednesday	June 4	Podick & Katherine Cole Conservation Area	Flowers	(390 Sunderland Rd, Amherst) Park in the gravel lot (just off Hwy 116) and meet at the north end of the lot.
Monday	June 9	Lawrence Swamp (Rail Trail at Station Rd)	Butterflies	Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail parking lot on Station Rd and meet at the Caroline Arnold Trail sign across Station Rd.
Friday	June 13	Larch Hill Conservation Area (Robert McClung trail – Hillcrest Pl)	Robins	(Hillcrest Place entrance off S. Pleasant St) Park in the cul-du-sac or along the street and meet at the trailhead at the end of the cul-du-sac. (Please be mindful of residential driveways when parking.)

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 at 15% less than what it costs to run the program.

Some additional financial aid is available to help make this program accessible. Please contact Barb or Shelly at 413-256-6006 for more information. This option is available for EBT, WIC, and Connector Care 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

Read our complete COVID-19 Program Participant Guidelines.

Our programs are designed to be fun and engaging and above all safe. The COVID-19 program guidelines are designed to help protect everyone as we meet the strict health and safety requirements of the CDC and our state. Please take the time to read the information thoroughly. If you feel that you or your child(ren) cannot follow these guidelines, we ask that you wait until these restrictions have been lifted to join one of our programs or events. We may change our guidelines to reflect new guidance from CDC and Massachusetts.

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