Calendar of Events
50th Annual Peterborough-Hancock Christmas Bird Count
Every winter for 50 consecutive years, volunteers have scoured a 15-mile diameter circle in the Peterborough-Hancock area for birds as part of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) – the largest and longest-running community science project in the world. In addition to the teams who fan out in the field, birds are also tallied at backyard feeders.
The Kestrels Young Birders Club: Christmas Bird Count
Are you a teenager or tween with an interest in birds and birding? Join a growing movement of young adults who are honing their wildlife observation skills, learning to recognize birds and their calls, and spending time outside building community with other young birders.
Ask A Naturalist: Best of 2023
Join our team of talented naturalists as they explore some of this year’s most intriguing natural history mysteries. With topics ranging from bird behavior to turtle treks to enigmatic scat, there will be something for everyone!
Afterschool Program: Small Worlds and Wild Imaginations
Hancock Town Library 25 Main Street, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center teacher-naturalist Nikko Gagnon for a weekly adventure focused on creating our own small worlds! Together, we’ll build small creatures, their homes, and their worlds using natural materials found in our environment.
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.
Environmental Studies Institute: Coffee with the Birds
local field sitesJoin Phil Brown and Ignacio Oreamuno for a series of winter 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.
Unraveling the Mysteries of a Murder: The Roosting Crows of Lawrence, Massachusetts
Join fellow Corvid enthusiasts Phil Brown and Dan Gardoqui in the urban wilds of downtown Lawrence, Massachusetts, where we’ll watch, enjoy, and learn more about the annual winter roost of American Crows that approaches 20,000 birds nightly.
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.
Bark: Identifying Trees in Winter
Join Michael Wojtech, author of "Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast," to sharpen your tree identification skills and learn how to identify New Hampshire trees by their bark alone.
Exploring the Hiroshi Loop Trail
Join Harris Center teacher-naturalists Nikko Gagnon and Kara Reynolds to hike the 1.9-mile Hiroshi Loop Trail, which winds gently through field and forest and along Nubanusit Brook to gorgeous views of Dinsmore Pond.
Environmental Studies Institute: Coffee with the Birds
local field sitesJoin Phil Brown and Ignacio Oreamuno for a series of winter 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.
Field Trip: Identifying Trees by Bark
Join Michael Wojtech, author of "Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast," for this bark-inspired field trip, where we’ll explore bark patterns and characteristics for some of our more common New Hampshire trees.
Homeschool Program: At Home in Nature
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side out this winter.
Nature on Tap: Trivia Night
Calling all bird nerds, frog fanatics, and botany buffs! Put your nature knowledge to the test during an evening of nature trivia in Post & Beam’s cozy taproom.
Environmental Studies Institute: Tracking Basics
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesAre you curious about who’s been wandering your woodlands and meadows? Do you want to know more about the lives of our local wild mammals? Explore the ancient skill of animal tracking in this four-part course with Harris Center naturalist and mammal expert Susie Spikol.
Nature’s Playground Play Group
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalists and parent educators from The Grapevine and The River Center for three mornings of child-centered, unstructured outdoor winter play. While your little ones build snow forts and sculptures, slide like otters, and practice using snowshoes, you’ll have a chance to talk with other parents and caregivers.
Film Showing: “Monadnock: The Mountain That Stands Alone”
Now the second most climbed peak in the world, Mount Monadnock was revered by the Abenaki, ignored by the first European settlers, and beloved by artists from Thayer to Thoreau. Join us for a special, big-screen showing of this acclaimed local documentary, which uses cinematography, original music, and archival images to tell the story of “our” mountain.
Robin Hood Winter Wander
Join Harris Center teacher-naturalists Jenna Spear and Karen Rent for a winter wander in Robin Hood Park. As we hike along the trail we’ll become track and sign detectives, searching for clues about which mammals are out and about in winter.
Trees & Tracks at Cathedral of the Pines
Join Jeremy Wilson and Susie Spikol for an afternoon of exploring the trails at Cathedral of the Pines, where we’ll learn about the connections between forest ecology and wildlife. Michelle Lowe, Executive Director of Cathedral of the Pines, will also share the human history of this remarkable site.
Homeschool Program: At Home in Nature
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side out this winter.
Environmental Studies Institute: Tracking Basics
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesAre you curious about who’s been wandering your woodlands and meadows? Do you want to know more about the lives of our local wild mammals? Explore the ancient skill of animal tracking in this four-part course with Harris Center naturalist and mammal expert Susie Spikol.
New Hope for Ash: Breeding EAB-Resistant Trees
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that has decimated ash trees throughout North America, dramatically changing the face of our forests — but new research offers hope for the future of ash on our landscape.
LGBTQ+ Hike on Beech Hill
Join Hunter Kirschner (he, they), Dee Denehy (she, her), and Richard Doherty (he, him) for an excursion along Beech Hill’s beautiful trail system. We’ll hike or snowshoe about 2 miles of trail, gaining 500 feet of elevation on our way to the spectacular Eagle Rock viewpoint.
Winter Ecology Snowshoe for Veterans
Join Harris Center naturalists Susie Spikol and Nikko Gagnon for a morning exploration of the Hiroshi Property in Peterborough, New Hampshire. We'll snowshoe or hike along the trails of this spectacular property, exploring the survival techniques of winter active animals like beavers, otters, and owls.
Environmental Studies Institute: Coffee with the Birds
local field sitesJoin Phil Brown and Ignacio Oreamuno for a series of winter 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.
Homeschool Program: At Home in Nature
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side out this winter.
ESI: Book Group — Christian Cooper’s “Better Living Through Birding”
Zoom , United StatesJoin us for a series of discussions about Christian Cooper's bestselling memoir, in which he imparts birding tips and ignites a passion for birds of all feathers, globe-trots readers throughout the globe, and shares what it’s meant to grow up and live as a Black, queer nerd and avid birder in the US.
Environmental Studies Institute: Tracking Basics
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesAre you curious about who’s been wandering your woodlands and meadows? Do you want to know more about the lives of our local wild mammals? Explore the ancient skill of animal tracking in this four-part course with Harris Center naturalist and mammal expert Susie Spikol.
Nature’s Playground Play Group
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalists and parent educators from The Grapevine and The River Center for three mornings of child-centered, unstructured outdoor winter play. While your little ones build snow forts and sculptures, slide like otters, and practice using snowshoes, you’ll have a chance to talk with other parents and caregivers.
