Calendar of Events
Hikes
Sunset and Full Moon Ramble for Families
Join Harris Center naturalist Janet Altobello to enjoy the beautiful light of the Sun setting and Moon rising from the open, rolling fields of Peterborough’s Lower Cranberry Meadow Pond and Wheeler Trails.
Winter Wander at the Friedsam Town Forest
Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Jenna Spear to search for animal tracks and sign in the wintry woods, and to learn about the many adaptations New Hampshire animals have for surviving the cold. Perfect for families with elementary-aged children!
Natural History and Tracking of the River Otter
Join wildlife biologist Mike Bottini for a morning devoted to the natural history and ecology of New England's river otters. We’ll start indoors, then head outside in search of local otter sign.
Hiking Pisgah State Park’s Western Ridges and Ponds
Join Denny Wheeler and Brian Bishoff for a strenuous, 4-mile roundtrip hike to wild and remote portions of New Hampshire’s largest state park.
Sunset and Full Moon Ramble for Families
Join Harris Center naturalist Janet Altobello to enjoy the light of the Sun setting and the Moon rising from the open, rolling fields of Peterborough’s Lower Cranberry Meadow Pond and Wheeler Trails.
Shattuck Winter Wander
Join Harris Center naturalists Jaime Hutchinson and Karen Rent for an afternoon wander along the wild edges of The Shattuck Golf Course in search of winter birds, animal tracks, and more.
Owl Prowl at Beech Hill
Join Harris Center naturalists and owl lovers Phil Brown and Susie Spikol as we hoot it up in search of owls in the wild woods of Dublin. Adventure awaits on silent wings...
Winter Tree Identification Walk
Join Mike Gagnon and Matt Tarr of UNH Cooperative Extension for a relaxed winter tree ID walk. We'll focus on branching, buds, and bark while the leaves are off the trees, and discuss how each species functions as habitat for wildlife.
Spring Warm-Up Hike
Come along with Harris Center naturalists as we listen to streams swelling, find buds sprouting, and use our senses to search for the first signs of spring.
Vernal Pool Exploration at the Tippin’ Rock Trail
Join vernal pool enthusiasts Brett Amy Thelen and Cheri Domina for a hike to a hilltop vernal pool, where we’ll search for spotted salamander eggs and other springtime wonders.
Vernal Pool Hike at the Horatio Colony Nature Preserve
Join Brett Amy Thelen for a moderately strenuous, 1.2-mile roundtrip climb to a hilltop vernal pool at the Horatio Colony Nature Preserve, where we’ll explore the fascinating world of spring-breeding amphibians.
Following in the Footsteps of John Kulish: King’s Highway to Rye Pond
Join Stan Smith and Vic Starzynski for a moderately strenuous, 3-mile roundtrip hike along the old King’s Highway from Lake Nubanusit to Rye Pond.
Search for Signs of Spring at Beech Hill
Join the Harris Center’s newest naturalist, Nikko Gagnon, for a morning of scavenger hunts and sensory games as we mosey up the trails around Beech Hill. Perfect for families with elementary-aged kids.
LGBTQ+ Community Hike at Madame Sherri Forest
Join Dee Denehy (she, her), Richard Doherty (he, him), and Hunter Kirschner (he, him) for a moderately strenuous, 2-mile loop hike featuring exceptional views of Chesterfield and Indian Pond.
Easygoing Hike from Old Dublin to Eaton Road
Join naturalists Brett Amy Thelen and Susie Spikol for good company and great views on this gentle, 2-mile loop walk along scenic country roads and an old railroad bed.
Hiking the East Side Trails
Join Ben Haubrich and Peter Harrison for a 1.5-mile loop hike along the Harris Center’s newly re-routed East Side trail network, where cool hemlock and hardwood forests give way to huge glacial boulders.
Easygoing Hike at Camp Chenoa
Join Phil Brown and Ben Haubrich for an easygoing summer stroll through the Harris Center’s Camp Chenoa land – home to both young and older forest, a mix of wetlands, and other interesting landscape features that provide habitat connectivity between the Willard Pond and Gregg Lake watersheds.
Hiking the Nissitissit Headwaters
Join avid hiker Miki Clements and birder Gail Coffey for a 1.3-mile loop hike through the Nissitissit River Headwaters Preserve, which features a pond, a meadow, and varied woodlands, which are home to many species of breeding and migratory birds.
Easygoing Hike at Cathedral of the Pines
Join Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol, longtime outing leader Ben Haubrich, and Cathedral of the Pines Executive Director Michelle Lowe for an easygoing amble along the trails at Cathedral of the Pines.
All About Jack’s Pond: A History Hike
Join Hancock writer Eric Aldrich, Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol, and Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Director JerriAnne Boggis for a 2.5-mile roundtrip hike to Jack’s Pond, where we'll hear about Jack's life, the families he was connected with, and how Black history — so long in the shadows — is now coming to light.
Hiking the Wapack Trail: Windblown to Barrett Mountain
Join Friends of the Wapack Board member Gail Coffey and trail steward Gerry Coffey for a 3.5-mile roundtrip hike along the Wapack Trail from Windblown to Barrett Mountain.
LGBTQ+ Community Hike on Skatutakee and Thumb Mountains
Join Dee Denehy (she, her), Richard Doherty (he, him), and Hunter Kirschner (he, they) for an LGBTQ+ community hike on the Harris Center’s West Side Trails to Skatutakee and Thumb Mountains.
Hiking the West Side Trails
Join Harris Center trustees and local hiking enthusiasts Denise Zimmer and Tara Kessler for an autumn hike of the Harris Center’s West Side Trails to Skatutakee and Thumb Mountains.
Easygoing Hike at the Zophar Willard Woods
Join Harris Center ecologist Brett Amy Thelen, longtime outing leader Ben Haubrich, and Historic Harrisville Director Erin Hammerstadt for a 1.75-mile loop hike from Harrisville's historic mill village through the Zophar Willard Woods – once a woodlot for a 19th-century clothespin and wooden box factory, now conservation land protected by Historic Harrisville.
Following in the Footsteps of John Kulish to White Swamp and Spoonwood Pond
Join Stan Smith and Vic Starzynski for a 5-mile roundtrip hike through the wilds of the SuperSanctuary. We’ll start at the end of King’s Highway along Nubanusit Lake and then take a bearing by compass to White Swamp and Spoonwood Pond.
Hiking the Mason Rail Trail
Join avid hiker and amateur historian Miki Clements and trail builder extraordinaire Curt Spacht for a 1.75-mile roundtrip hike on a newly developed loop off the Mason Rail Trail, through the woodland behind the quarry.
Easygoing Hike on Monadnock’s Old Toll Road to Little Mountain
Join Phil Brown and Ben Haubrich for a leisurely hike on the Old Toll Road to “Little Mountain” for some stellar views of the southern Monadnock Region.
Easygoing Hike at the Shattuck Golf Course
Join Harris Center naturalist Nikko Gagnon and longtime trip leader Ben Haubrich for a leisurely, 3-mile meander along the paths of The Shattuck. We’ll explore both edges and open landscapes, searching for animal tracks and signs as we go.
Hiking Cathedral of the Pines & Emerson Pond
Join skilled hike leaders Brian Bishoff and Denny Wheeler for an exploration of two beautiful properties in Rindge. We’ll cover about 3 miles roundtrip and gain 150 feet of elevation as we hike along well-kept trails featuring lovely views of Emerson Pond.
Easygoing Hike at Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp
Join Harris Center naturalist Phil Brown and longtime trip leader Ben Haubrich for a 2-mile hike along gently rolling terrain at The Nature Conservancy’s Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp Preserve, where we’ll search for signs of winter wildlife on our way to a view of the cedars.
