Calendar of Events
Events
Field Foray with the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club
Join Mark Ellingwood and the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club as we search for swallowtails, satyrs, skippers, and other butterflies — and learn to identify them by their field marks, flight patterns, and behavior.
Discover the Forest: A Nature Journaling Workshop Series
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesSlow down, notice more, and reconnect with the everyday wild during this immersive four-part workshop series that blends nature journaling, contour drawing, and ecological exploration through the eyes of both an artist and a naturalist.
Weed Watchers Volunteer Training
Left unchecked, aquatic invasive plants can displace native plants and wildlife, degrade water quality, and entangle boats. Early detection is key! In this workshop with Georgia Bunnell of NH DES, you'll learn how to identify common aquatic invasives — and what to do if you find one in your local lake.
Beginner Birding in Surry
Join lifelong birders Wendy Gibbons and Jane Wing for an introduction to birding at one of the Keene area's best birding spots. Our 1.5-mile roundtrip route along a hard-packed gravel trail will take us through habitats ideal for raptors, songbirds, and more.
Family Nature Walk at Beech Hill
Spend the morning uncovering nature’s secrets through scavenger hunts, color searches, and sound counts along the high ridge of Beech Hill. Wake up your senses and get to know the wild world!
Beatrix Potter Celebration with Snoopy the Rabbit
Celebrate Beatrix Potter’s birth month with stories, art, and a special visit from Snoopy the Rabbit and his human, Claudia Dery.
Eleanor Briggs Open Lodge Ice Cream Social & Open House
Celebrate our newest outdoor community space — the Eleanor Briggs Open Lodge. Join us for a short presentation, live music, a scavenger hunt, guided tours, a gelato bar, and other refreshments. All ages are welcome!
Wild Paddlers at Willard Pond
Join the Harris Center and Peterborough Rec for a morning paddle on the quiet waters of Willard Pond, a secluded pond surrounded by conservation land — searching for turtles, herons, loons, and other wildlife as we go.
Babies in Backpacks & Toddlers in Tow at Ashuelot River Park
Ashuelot River Park West Street, Keene, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol to explore, wander, and discover the magic of nearby nature! These pint-sized adventures are perfect for little legs and for babies in front packs, backpacks, slings, or wraps.
Author Talk: The Promise of Sunrise with Ted Levin
Join award-winning nature writer Ted Levin to hear about his newest book, The Promise of Sunrise: Finding Solace in a Broken World, which chronicles Ted’s daily joys and observations of a hillside in Thetford, Vermont.
Easygoing Hike to MacDowell Lake
Join Jeremy Wilson and Susie Spikol for a 1-mile roundtrip hike along a sandy, rolling path, with a stop at a turtle habitat restoration site. If we’re lucky, we’ll also spot some basking turtles at the lake!
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at the Harris Center
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin mushroom mavens John Benjamin and George Caughey for a fungtastic foray at the Harris Center. From boletes to amanitas, explore the fascinating world of fungi!
Bogs, Swamps, and Forests: Exploring the Lands of Loverens Mill
Join Mary Verrilli and Tom Eid for this 3-mile walk and talk at the Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp Preserve, where we’ll learn about the history of Loverens Mill and explore a rare boreal white cedar swamp on a 200-foot boardwalk.
Partnering with the Animal World with Sy Montgomery, Leila Philip, & Susie Spikol
Join authors Sy Montgomery, Leila Philip, and Susie Spikol for an evening of science, storytelling, and inspiration exploring what animals — from turtles and beavers to owls and rain walkers — can teach us about living in a changing world.
SuperSanctuary Butterfly Count
Join the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club to survey for coppers, crescents, skippers, swallowtails, monarchs, and more! The data we collect will be submitted to both the North American Butterfly Association and the NH Butterfly Monitoring Network.
Monitoring for Monarchs
Take part in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz by joining Harris Center ecologists Brett Amy Thelen and Nate Marchessault to survey for monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies in a local milkweed patch. No experience necessary!
The Kestrels Young Birders Club and LAB GIRLS+: NH Bat Count Survey
Hancock, NH Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin a growing movement of teens who are learning to contribute to wildlife research by working alongside real scientists! In July, we'll conduct a nighttime survey for little and big brown bats as part of a statewide conservation effort.
Fern Identification 201: Common Ferns of the Monadnock Region
Join fern experts Michael Nerrie and Nate Marchessault for a primer on identifying local ferns, featuring a presentation, live specimens, and a short field walk.
Insects in the Schoolyard: A Workshop for Teachers
Gain the skills and confidence to teach insect studies in your classroom through this hands-on workshop. Explore insect anatomy, life cycles, and identification, and leave with ready-to-use, NGSS-aligned lessons and practical strategies for outdoor learning.
Starting the School Year with Nature as Your Co-Teacher
Join Harris Center teacher-naturalists Jenna Spear and Jaime Hutchinson for this fun and energizing professional development workshop for K to 5th-grade teachers. The first two months of school are the perfect time to establish a class culture that includes focused, nature-based learning. This workshop will kick off your outdoor planning by offering numerous strategies for including fresh-air learning during the school day.
Butterflies Without Borders: Tracking the Monarch Migration
Join NH Audubon biologist Lindsay Herlihy to explore some of the cutting-edge technologies used to track the long-distance monarch butterfly migration — and to learn how you can help support monarch conservation and research here in the Granite State.
Reception for Lynne Cherry: New & Old Art
This month-long exhibition features new and classic artwork by celebrated author and illustrator Lynne Cherry, with an artist reception on August 6 offering a chance to meet the artist and learn more about her work.
Film Showing: The Extraordinary Caterpillar
From blooming meadows and backyard gardens to city parks and the forests of the Monadnock Region, this inspiring new documentary celebrates the hidden world of caterpillars and the simple ways we can all help conserve these remarkable creatures.
Managing Fields for Grassland Birds
Grassland birds, including bobolinks and meadowlarks, are declining faster than any other group of birds in the Northeast. Join Kate McKay, avian technician with the Windham County Conservation District, to learn more about our grassland bird species — and how you can help protect them on your property.
Biodiversity in the SuperSanctuary: Mini BioBlitz at Bailey Brook
Join naturalists Nate Marchessault and Kate McKay to explore the marshy wetlands of Bailey Brook. We'll keep our eyes open for insects, plants, mushrooms, and anything else that crosses our path, documenting our finds on iNaturalist.
Easygoing Hike at Cathedral of the Pines
Explore the trails of Cathedral of the Pines with hikers Mary Verrilli and Miki Clements as we discover the connections between forest ecology, wildlife, and the rich human history of this remarkable landscape.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at Goose Pond
Goose Pond 183 East Surry Road, Keene, United StatesJoin mushroom mavens John Benjamin and George Caughey for a fungtastic foray at Goose Pond in Keene. From boletes to amanitas, explore the fascinating world of fungi!
Monitoring for Monarchs
Join Harris Center ecologists Brett Amy Thelen and Nate Marchessault to survey for monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies in a local milkweed patch. No experience necessary!
Babies in Backpacks & Toddlers in Tow at RiverMead
RiverMead 150 RiverMead Road, Peterborough, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol to explore, wander, and discover the magic of nearby nature! These pint-sized adventures are perfect for little legs and for babies in front packs, backpacks, slings, or wraps. For this special outing, we’ll enjoy a ramble at RiverMead, with RiverMead residents joining in the fun!
Nature for All: Birding the Nighthawk Migration
Nighthawks are among the last migrants to arrive each spring and the earliest to depart each “fall,” with southbound migration peaking in late August. Join nighthawk enthusiasts Cliff Seifer and Brett Amy Thelen to search for the spectacle!
