Adult Community Programs
Spring Birding Course with Scott Surner
Sliding Scale $425 / $375 / $325
There is a maximum of 15 people
Yellow Warbler, October MT State Forest, Lee, MA, Berkshire County, by Scott Surner
The Hitchcock Center is announcing its annual Spring Birding Class for the 2025 season. The class will focus on the Identification and migration of birds that regularly occur in New England. It will begin in late February and conclude at the end of May. There will be eight half-day and three full-day trips, plus three Classroom sessions. There will be an optional trip to Maine in June to look for Atlantic Puffins.
Spring Birding Class Dates:
February 22nd. Coastal Trip- All Day. Meet at 5:00 AM at Hitchcock Center. Bring lunch and dress for the weather. Depending on recent reports, we’ll visit either Plum Island or Gloucester. We’ll be looking for wintering sea ducks, Loons, and hopefully an Owl or two.
March 8th– 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. Lingering winter birds, (Tree Sparrows, Horned Larks, Longspurs) and early migrating waterfowl.
March 15th– 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. (Hadley/Northampton area) Migrating Waterfowl.
March 22nd– 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. More waterfowl……
April 5th—7:00 AM-12:00. Local. We’re looking for early migrating Warblers, Tree Swallows, eastern phoebes, etc.
April 19th– 7:00 AM-12:00. Local. Westover Airbase- Looking for newly arriving Upland Sandpipers.
April 26th– 5:00 AM- All Day. Plum Island. Bring Lunch. Waterfowl, Herons, early shorebirds, and Glossy Ibis.
May 3rd – 7:00 AM-12:00. Local- Migrating Warblers and Vireo’s.
May 10th– 7:00 AM-12:00 Local. Migrating Warblers.
May 17th– 5:00 AM- Coastal Connecticut. All Day. Bring Lunch. Shorebirds, Warblers, vireos.
May 31st – 5:30 AM- 12:00. Southwick. Grasshopper Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Prairie Warblers.
Classroom sessions-
Feb 19 – 6:00 PM -8:00 PM
April 9- 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
April 30- 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Optional June Trip to Maine- June 20th-22nd:
Sliding Scale $190 /$160 /$130
There is a maximum of 15 people
Leave Friday morning from Hitchcock Center, and bird our way up to Maine. Saturday, Boat trip to Eastern Egg Rock- Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Black Guillemot, Common and Arctic Terns, and Common Eiders. Sunday- depart early and bird our way back to Amherst. Arrive late afternoon. Participants will be responsible for their motel rooms, food, and boat tickets. More details to come.
Registration opens February 20th
A John Green Slideshow: Nature’s Odyssey East – Part 1 & 2
Wednesday, March 26, 6pm – Newfoundland to Southern New England
Wednesday, April 16, 6pm – Connecticut River Valley to the Everglades
Join Naturalist John Green on a photographic exploration of eastern North America. This visual trek begins in the wild landscapes of Newfoundland, Canada then moves south of the St. Lawrence River to southern Quebec to study and photograph Northern Gannets on Bonaventure Island. Next we’re off to Baxter State Park in Maine then to a coastal Maine island to see Puffins and other seabirds. The slideshow continues to New Hampshire to visit the White Mountains and then a stand of orchids in southern Vermont.
Part 2 brings us to three areas in Massachusetts John loves to photograph, Mt. Greylock, the Connecticut River Valley and Cape Cod. He then leapfrogs down to the mysterious Okefenokee swamp of southern Georgia and ends the journey in the unique Florida Everglades.
John Green’s slideshows are a real treat, especially with the nostalgic hum of the old slide projector and click of the slides, and his love and connection to nature come through in his work and stories along the way.
Earth Day Week Flora and Fauna Walks
Celebrate Earth Day with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, participate in one or more of our Flora and Fauna Walks. Join expert naturalists and survey for biodiversity while fundraising for a healthy planet. Space is limited, register now!
Birds with John Green – Tuesday, April 22
Earth Day Family Walk – Tuesday, April 22
Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers with Katie – Wednesday, April 23 – Greenfield
Birds with Dan Ziomek – Thursday, April 24
Low Maintenance Native Gardens – Thursday, April 24
Native Plant Gardens with Master Gardener Bridgit – Saturday, April 26
Vernal Pool Walk with Jennifer – Sunday, April 27th
Forest Bathing
Thursday, May 1, 6-8pm
Saturday, May 17, 10am-12pm
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 the
magic of the Hitchcock Center woodland. This is a very relaxed, slow, and mindful way
of 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! Space is limited.
One session $25 or $40 for both sessions.
Salamander Egg Mass Survey
Saturday, May 3rd, 1pm- 3pm
Space is limited and registration is required.
Free, donations appreciated.
Join us for this hearty trek into the red maple swamp and adjacent vernal pool on Henry Street, for annual count of the yellow spotted salamander egg masses. This community science project has been collecting data in this location since 1993. There will be a short discussion/ training followed by delving into knee to waist high water, navigating muddy uneven terrain and traveling from tussock to tussock looking for egg masses. Recommended for ages 10 and up, anyone under 16 needs to be accompanied by an adult. Waders and polarized sunglasses are highly recommended.
Planting for Pollinators Demo with a My Home Park Native Plant Kit
with Casey Beebe
Sunday, May 18th
10am – 11:30am
As part of our native plant sale collaboration with My Home Park, we will be demonstrating how to plant your kit and generally how to plant well for pollinators as we expand one of our many pollinator gardens. Teaching participants what plants support what pollinators throughout the season. Space is limited, and come ready to try out some planting yourself. This is for folks who have purchased a kit from My Home Park.
Hitchcock Community Read- The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Thursday, May 22, 6pm– 8pm
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.
Firefly Ecology Fireside Program
with John Green
Thursday, June 12, 8:30pm
Sliding Scale $10, $20, $30
Do you love the ephemeral season of fireflies? Or maybe you call them lightning bugs, either way come and learn about and enjoy some guided firefly watching. We will have a fire going and snacks so we can talk about fireflies in Hitchcock gardens before we head to fields to revel in them together, a truly magical group experience.
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 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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