Calendar of Events
Afterschool Club: LAB GIRLS+ Experiments from the Wild
Robin Hood Park Reservoir Street, Keene, NH, United StatesIf you like having hands-on experiences in nature, making observations and discoveries, and studying wild animals, then this afterschool club at Robin Hood Park in Keene is for you! From crayfish and turtles to squirrels and other small mammals, come explore the wild side of STEM. For 6th graders and up. Free of charge, with snacks provided.
Babies in Backpacks & Toddlers in Tow at Robin Hood Park
Robin Hood Park Reservoir Street, Keene, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center educator Jazimina MacNeil-Creamer 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 — and a great way to meet other families with little ones who love spending time outside.
Yeti Club: Afterschool Wilderness Adventure for Middle Schoolers
Robin Hood Park Reservoir Street, Keene, NH, United StatesCome be a part of fun and adventure with Yeti Club at Robin Hood Park in Keene! We’ll practice wilderness skills like orienteering, fire building, outdoor survival skills, tracking, and more. Open to students in grade 6 and up. Free of charge, with snacks provided.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at Willard Pond
Join the fung-tastic duo of John Benjamin and George Caughey for an early spring meander in search for polypores, slime molds, morels, and fungi long gone by.
Afterschool Club: LAB GIRLS+ Experiments from the Wild
Robin Hood Park Reservoir Street, Keene, NH, United StatesIf you like having hands-on experiences in nature, making observations and discoveries, and studying wild animals, then this afterschool club at Robin Hood Park in Keene is for you! From crayfish and turtles to squirrels and other small mammals, come explore the wild side of STEM. For 6th graders and up. Free of charge, with snacks provided.
Birding for All: An Accessible, Inclusive Birding Outing at the Distant Hill Nature Trail
Join naturalists Wendy Ward, Michael Nerrie, and Nate Marchessault for a morning of birding along the Distant Hill Nature Trail, a wheelchair-accessible, hard-packed gravel trail that winds through a rich hardwood-hemlock forest.
Field Foray with the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club
Join the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club as we search for crescents, blues, sulfurs, and other butterflies – and learn to identify them by their field marks, flight patterns, and behavior.
Afterschool Club: LAB GIRLS+ Experiments from the Wild
Robin Hood Park Reservoir Street, Keene, NH, United StatesIf you like having hands-on experiences in nature, making observations and discoveries, and studying wild animals, then this afterschool club at Robin Hood Park in Keene is for you! From crayfish and turtles to squirrels and other small mammals, come explore the wild side of STEM. For 6th graders and up. Free of charge, with snacks provided.
4th Annual Bird ID, Ecology & Habitat Management Workshop at Stone Fence Farm
Join Phil Brown, Matt Tarr, and others for a morning of birding and learning at Stone Fence Farm, a property owned and managed for a diversity of native species by professional foresters Jeremy Turner and Laura French.
Forest Bathing Under the Full Strawberry Moon
Join naturalist Susie Spikol and yoga instructor Marilyn Wyzga to experience the quiet power of nature connection under the light of the full Strawberry Moon. Also known as Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing is an invitation to slow down and immerse yourself in the natural world through sensory awareness, standing yoga poses, breathwork, and other mindfulness techniques.
Paddling the North Branch
Join adventurers Kathy Schillemat and Al Stoops for a moderately strenuous paddle down the North Branch of the Contoocook River from below the Robb Reservoir dam to North Branch Pond. With luck, we may see herons, osprey, turtles, beavers, and maybe even otter or moose.
ESI Course: Entomology for Everyone
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockJoin Harris Center naturalist and entomologist Jenna Spear for an overview of the fascinating and diverse world of insects. We’ll explore basic insect biology, as well as the natural history and ecological significance of some commonly found species. 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 along with residents from RiverMead. These pint-sized adventures are perfect for little legs and for babies in front packs, backpacks, slings, or wraps.
Trouble with Toads: Emerging Disease in the American Toad Population
Join veterinary pathologist Dr. David Needle to learn about a new threat to New England’s American toads — and how researchers used electron microscopy and genetic sequencing to identify it. We’ll also explore why toad health matters and what this discovery might mean for other wildlife.
Easygoing Hike at Elmwood Junction
Join historian Alan Rumrill and naturalist Susie Spikol for a historical exploration of the old railroad station at Elmwood Junction. Take a walk back in time as we visit different parts of this important former railyard, and discover how the railroad helped shape the history of the Monadnock Region.
Lost and Found: Looking for Native American History in Peterborough
Explore Native American history with archaeologist Dr. Robert Goodby in Peterborough’s Depot Square. Learn how to dig a test pit, then visit the Monadnock Center to view local archaeological finds and discover what they reveal about Native American life in the area.
Kestrels Young Birders Club: Kestrel & Bobolink Adventure
Are you a teenager or tween with an interest in birds and birding? Join Phil Brown and Susie Spikol on a special outing to a field where American Kestrels, Bobolinks, and other grassland birds breed. June is the peak month for activity, and with some luck, the resident kestrel pair will have returned to raise their young.
Exploring the Gramwick Trail
Join avid hikers Brian Bishoff, Betsy Marshall, and Denny Wheeler for a 2-mile roundtrip hike of the Monadnock Conservancy’s Gramwick Trail, with beautiful views of Mountain Brook Reservoir and Mount Monadnock.
ESI Course: Entomology for Everyone
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockJoin Harris Center naturalist and entomologist Jenna Spear for an overview of the fascinating and diverse world of insects. We’ll explore basic insect biology, as well as the natural history and ecological significance of some commonly found species. No experience necessary.
Pollinator Palooza!
Join the Harris Center and many other organizations for an afternoon of learning and celebration for National Pollinator Week! Activities will include: pollinator bingo, painting your own pot for a native plant, caterpillar exploration, native plant sales, and more.
Wild Paddlers at Cunningham Pond
Join Harris Center and Peterborough Recreation staff 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.
Wild STEM Scientists Investigate: Puke, Poop, and Slime!
Jaffrey Public Library 38 Main St., Jaffrey, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalists Jaime Hutchinson and Susie Spikol to discover how scientists learn about our wild world by investigating some of nature's grosser offerings. Dissect owl “puke,” learn to identify animals from their poop, and stir up a batch of slime that rivals a slug's slimy trail. For ages 6 through 12.
Beginner Birding in Surry
Join avid birders Wendy Gibbons and Jane Wing for an introduction to birding at the Joslin Road gravel pits, one of the best birding spots in the Keene area. Our 1.5-mile roundtrip route along a hard-packed gravel trail will take us through habitats ideal for raptors, ducks, shorebirds, and songbirds.
SuperSanctuary BioBlitz
Our SuperSanctuary of protected lands encompasses more than 26,000 acres, and it’s chock full of native biodiversity. We’re documenting as many of these species as possible via the community science platform iNaturalist, and we need your help to find even more. There are two sessions — 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Register for one session or both!
Summer Camp: Voyagers 1.0
Voyagers will spend most days paddling and swimming at nearby Nubanusit Lake and Spoonwood Pond or hiking local mountains. For the true explorer at heart entering grades 7 through 8. This camp is from June 30 to July 3.
ESI Course: Entomology for Everyone
Harris Center & local field sites 83 King's Highway, HancockJoin Harris Center naturalist and entomologist Jenna Spear for an overview of the fascinating and diverse world of insects. We’ll explore basic insect biology, as well as the natural history and ecological significance of some commonly found species. No experience necessary.
Field Foray with the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club
Join the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club as we search for swallowtails, sulfurs, and other butterflies – and learn to identify them by their field marks, flight patterns, and behavior.
Bug Safari
Join naturalists Jaime Hutchinson and Susie Spikol for an hour-long adventure into the world of backyard bugs! Discover the fascinating lives of invertebrates as we search for slugs, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, crickets, caterpillars, inchworms, and more.
Wild STEM Scientists Investigate: Puke, Poop, and Slime!
Jaffrey Public Library 38 Main St., Jaffrey, NH, United StatesJoin Harris Center naturalists Jaime Hutchinson and Susie Spikol to discover how scientists learn about our wild world by investigating some of nature's grosser offerings. Dissect owl “puke,” learn to identify animals from their poop, and stir up a batch of slime that rivals a slug's slimy trail. For ages 6 through 12.
What We Know About Bird Flu
Join Dr. David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, to learn more about the emerging concern of avian influenza. Dr. Needle will review the biology behind this virus, how it’s transmitted, its impact on wildlife, and how it’s affecting humans.
From My Gnome to Yours
Join Susie Spikol, author of Forest Magic for Kids, to explore the whimsical world of gnomes! Hear tales of these wee folk, play traditional gnome games, create your own crew of charming characters, and build a sweet cozy gnome home outdoors. For ages 5 and up.
