Calendar of Events
Hikes
Events
ESI Course: MicroExploring the SuperSanctuary — Mindful Meanders & Nature-based Practices
local field sitesJoin Phil Brown and Ignacio Oreamuno for a series of spring-season wanderings in tucked-away places close to the Harris Center. Each exploration will focus on a different natural history theme related to the conditions that present themselves that day.
Spring Beauties of Partridge Woods
Join avid hikers Kathy Schillemat and Rick Church to hike the Town of Nelson’s Partridge Woods, where we’ll search for ephemeral wildflowers and other signs of spring along the Ridge Trail.
Exploring Stream Restoration at Great Brook
Join Michael Nerrie to learn how Strategic Wood Addition is helping restore two miles of Great Brook in Walpole — improving habitat for native fish, enhancing stream health, and reducing flood impacts — and hike to the site for a firsthand look at this innovative restoration project.
Easygoing Hike in Francestown
Join avid hikers Ben Haubrich and Mary Verrilli for a gentle 2.5-mile roundtrip walk on conserved land in Francestown, where you’ll follow a meandering brook, visit beaver ponds, and climb a short, steep esker formed by ancient glacial deposits.
Nature for All: An Accessible, Inclusive Outing at MacDowell Lake
Join naturalists Phil Brown and Susie Spikol for a leisurely, less-than-two-mile exploration of MacDowell Lake’s flat, hard-packed trails, where we’ll look and listen for birds and other wetland wildlife during this inclusive Nature for All outing designed to welcome participants of all abilities.
Small Mammals of Field & Forest
Join naturalist Susie Spikol for an afternoon meander through the Harris Center’s fields and forest edges in search of small mammals and the signs they leave behind. You’ll leave with a whole new appreciation for these tiny, but ecologically important creatures!
Easygoing Hike on Road Number One
Laid out in 1773, Road Number One to Dublin — which actually leads to Harrisville — is the oldest documented road in Nelson. Join ecologist Brett Amy Thelen and Nelson historian Rick Church to discover the natural and cultural history of this hidden gem.
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!
Easygoing Hike at MacDowell Reservoir
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!








