New in 2025!
We are excited to offer two optional post-conference field trips on Sunday, November 16: a morning bird walk, and an afternoon mushroom foray. Field trips are included with your conference registration fee; you’ll receive information on how to sign up after purchasing a conference ticket. Each outing will be capped at 30 participants. For more information or for help with registration, please email monadnock.natural.history@
Bird Walk at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport
Sunday, November 16, from 8 to 11 a.m. in Swanzey
More than 200 bird species have been documented at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport, where an accessible paved road provides great views of wetlands, woodlands, and fields.
(photo © Ben Conant)
Join Monadnock Bird and Nature Club founders Nate Marchessault and Chris Liazos for a bird walk at the Dillant-Hopkins airport — one of the most productive birding locations in Cheshire County, with diverse upland and wetland habitats that support a diverse array of species. November is a transitional month for many birds: ducks are moving from their breeding grounds to wintering areas further south, and wintering sparrows have just arrived. We’ll walk the airport access road at a leisurely pace to see what we can find. Beginner birders welcome! Exact meeting location will be shared with participants prior to the event. Co-sponsored with the Monadnock Bird & Nature Club.
Accessibility Details
Expect up to three miles of walking on flat, paved terrain. This site is wheelchair-accessible.
Trip Leaders
Nate Marchessault works as an ecologist with the Harris Center and Moosewood Ecological, and is a graduate student at Antioch University. Chris Liazos is a graduate student at Antioch University, focusing on how landowners can manage their woodlots as high-value bird habitat. Both Chris and Nate are avid birders, watching and listening for birds both professionally and in their free time.
Although November isn’t the birdiest month, wintering sparrows are a highlight. (photo © Nate Marchessault)
Mushroom Foray at the Horatio Colony Preserve
Sunday, November 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Keene
In addition to their MMC excursions, John Benjamin (pictured) and George Caughey lead the Harris Center’s monthly Morel Quandary Mushroom Club for the mushroom-curious. (photo © Ben Conant)
Join Monadnock Mushroom Club (MMC) Foray Director George Caughey and Harris Center naturalist John Benjamin to explore the fungi of the Horatio Colony Nature Preserve. First, we’ll break into groups and venture into the woods to identify and collect fungi, then we’ll return to the parking area to discuss and display our finds. November is the tail end of the mushroom season in the Monadnock Region, but with some rain there should be many fall species, including edibles. Exact meeting location will be shared with participants prior to the event. Co-sponsored with the Monadnock Mushroom Club & the Horatio Colony Nature Preserve.
Accessibility Details
Expect approximately one mile of walking on uneven terrain, with moderate slopes.
Trip Leaders
George Caughey is Monadnock Mushroom Club’s Toxicologist and Foray Director. He retired to this area from Northern California, where he was active in the Mycological Society of San Francisco. John Benjamin is a teacher-naturalist for the Harris Center for Conservation Education, with a keen interest in mushrooms.
MMC has conducted forays at the Horatio Colony Preserve every year since the club was founded over 25 years ago.
(photo © Nate Marchessault)
Contact Us
For more information or to be added to the conference email list, please contact .
