Calendar of Events
ESI Course: Lichens of New England
Join Kay Hurley, author of Lichenpedia, for a day devoted to the fascinating world of these composite organisms. We’ll start indoors, then head outside to practice our skills, and document nearby lichen diversity.
Closing Reception: Journey to the Rhizosphere
Featuring handmade paper objects, interpretive illustrations, interactive puzzles, and a rhizosphere-inspired soundscape, this exhibit by Susan Edwards and friends celebrates the fascinating relationships between plant roots, soil organisms, and healthy ecosystems. This art show will be on exhibit from April 1 to June 3, with a reception on April 26.
Rock Hounders Family Rock Club: Chickering Mine
Calling all rock hounds! Join naturalists Susie Spikol and Julie Brown for a rockin’ adventure at an old mine, where we’ll search for feldspar, mica, quartz, beryl, and other geological treasures. For families with elementary-aged children and up.
Birding for All: An Accessible, Inclusive Birding Outing at MacDowell Lake
Join Phil Brown and Susie Spikol for a morning of birding at MacDowell Lake, where a hard-packed gravel path provides ample opportunity to enjoy birds of wetland and woodland alike. Beginning birders and all ages welcome!
Turtles of New Hampshire & How You Can Help
Join NH Fish and Game wildlife biologist Josh Megyesy for an introduction to turtle conservation in the Granite State. Josh will discuss how to identify turtle habitat, the impact of road mortality on turtles, strategies to reduce roadkill, what landowners can do to help, and more.
Coffee with the Birds ESI Course: Mindful Meanderings through Micro-Exploring
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.
Bird Walk for Families in Antrim
Every spring, millions of migratory birds bring color and joyful sounds to our landscape. Uncover some of their secrets on this leisurely walk with Phil Brown, the Harris Center’s Bird Conservation Director. Our route will cover up to a half-mile along paved paths or roads.
LGBTQIA+ Community Hike at Bear’s Den
Join Richard Doherty (he/him) and Hunter Kirschner (he/they) for an LGBTQIA+ community hike through the Bear’s Den Natural Area. Expect “oohs” and “ahhs” from fellow trekkers as we explore this enchanting place! This hike is specifically for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Homeschool Program: Wild at Home
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center teacher-naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side roam free this spring — frogs, dandelion tea, the secret lives of turtles, and more!
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.
Coffee with the Birds ESI Course: Mindful Meanderings through Micro-Exploring
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.
Birding for All: World Migratory Bird Day Walk
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day by joining avid birders Nate Marchessault and Chris Liazos for an easygoing outing at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport – a local birding hotspot with great views of wetlands, woodlands, and fields. Beginning birders welcome!
Family Ponding Trip at Robin Hood Park
Hop, scoot, and dive into an adventure at Robin Hood Park with Harris Center teacher-naturalist Nikko Gagnon! Together, we’ll explore the pond and discover what watery critters call it home, from dragonflies and frogs to beetles and turtles.
Homeschool Program: Wild at Home
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center teacher-naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side roam free this spring — frogs, dandelion tea, the secret lives of turtles, and more!
Turtle Transport Volunteer Training
From spring through fall, turtles leave the water to find mates, nest sites, and habitat, facing dangers like cars, pets, and mowers. NH Turtle Rescue relies on volunteer "turtle transporters" to quickly get injured turtles into care — and more helpers are always needed. This training covers everything you need to join the team!
Ashuelot River Water Quality Monitoring Volunteer Training
The Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee is recruiting volunteers for their 25th season of water quality monitoring! To volunteer, join Barbara Skuly for this in-person training, where we'll review sampling techniques, go over the use of monitoring equipment, and share the 2025 sampling schedule.
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.
Nature Journaling for Veterans
Join Harris Center naturalist and author Susie Spikol for a morning of exploring nature through observation and journaling. Discover how the simple practice of noticing and recording can help to deepen your connection to the natural world! All materials will be provided. This event is only for veterans.
Easygoing Hike to Porcupine Falls
Join nature fan Nikko Gagnon and Harris Center ecologist Nate Marchessault for an easygoing, 2.6-mile roundtrip hike along the Monadnock Conservancy's Porcupine Falls Trail. We’ll take in the sights and sounds of the spring woods as we follow peaceful White Brook to the falls.
Coffee with the Birds ESI Course: Mindful Meanderings through Micro-Exploring
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.
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.
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.
