Calendar of Events
Outings
Events
Nature for All: An Accessible, Inclusive Nature Outing at Beech Hill
Join naturalists Phil Brown and Susie Spikol for a morning of nature pondering at Beech Hill, where a hard-packed gravel path along the ridge provides ample opportunity to enjoy all kinds of wild finds, from birds and flowers to mammal sign and butterflies.
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.
Wild Paddlers at Cunningham Pond
Join the Harris Center and Peterborough Rec for a morning meander on Cunningham Pond, where we’ll look for turtles, frogs, herons, and other wildlife. This pond offers the perfect flatwater experience for new paddlers, and an enjoyable exploration for more experienced paddlers as well.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
The Kestrels Young Birders Club and LAB GIRLS+: Nighthawk Migration Count
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 August, we'll look skyward to count migrating Common Nighthawks, adding our data to a long-term Harris Center monitoring effort.
Nature by Blacklight
Join naturalists Steven Lamonde, Nate Marchessault, and Susie Spikol for a nocturnal natural history adventure! Discover the fascinating world of fluorescence, and see a summer night in a whole new light.
Kids Count: Monarchs & Milkweed Survey
If you love monarch butterflies and want to help scientists find out more about these remarkable insects, here’s your chance! Spend a morning with a team of Harris Center naturalists as we count monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies for science.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at McCabe Forest
A fung-tastic fall foray through McCabe Forest with John Benjamin and George Caughey, where you'll learn the basics of mushroom identification and discover how fungi and mycorrhizal networks help sustain healthy forest ecosystems.
