Calendar of Events
Harris Center for Conservation Education
Environmental Studies Institute: Creativity in the Artdoors
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin local environmental artist Sarah Wilson for this three-session class, where we’ll make beautiful works of outdoor art using materials sourced from nature.
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.
Surveying for Salamanders
Join Harris Center ecologist Brett Amy Thelen for an afternoon of salamander monitoring at the Harris Center’s long-term study plots.
Nature’s Playground Play Group
Join Harris Center naturalists and parent educators from The Grapevine and The River Center for a morning of child-centered, unstructured outdoor play. While your little ones collect acorns, build nests, pretend to be butterflies, build tiny forts, eat like chipmunks, and make new friends, you’ll have a chance to talk with other parents and caregivers.
Environmental Studies Institute: Creativity in the Artdoors
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin local environmental artist Sarah Wilson for this three-session class, where we’ll make beautiful works of outdoor art using materials sourced from nature.
Kids Count for Wildlife: Red-backed Salamander Survey
Calling all wildlife lovers ages 9 through 18! Try your hand at field research and develop your naturalist skills by joining Harris Center naturalists for an afternoon of salamander counting.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at the Harris Center
Join fungi fanatics John Benjamin and George Caughey to search for early fall mushrooms. Discover your inner fungiphile as we look for polypores, boletes, amanitas, russulas, slime molds, and more!
Book Launch Party: “Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell”
Join us for this special event with award-winning author Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson as we celebrate their newest book on publication day. "Of Time and Turtles" relates the dramas and insights gleaned from working in a hospital for injured, sick, and abandoned turtles and, at the same time, investigates the mystery of time itself.
Monarch Butterfly Tagging
Every fall, monarch butterflies undertake a spectacular, 3,000-mile migration from New England to central Mexico. Here’s your chance to marvel at monarchs up close while contributing to the scientific understanding of their impressive annual migration!
Nature’s Playground Play Group
Join Harris Center naturalists and parent educators from The Grapevine and The River Center for a morning of child-centered, unstructured outdoor play. While your little ones collect acorns, build nests, pretend to be butterflies, build tiny forts, eat like chipmunks, and make new friends, you’ll have a chance to talk with other parents and caregivers.
Tick Talk
Join us for a talk about the ecology of Lyme disease with Lyme expert Kathie Fife, who will share her knowledge and experiences as a patient of Lyme, natural resource specialist, and patient advocate.
Native Plant Sale
Great news: locally grown native plants are available in the Monadnock Region! Come meet grower Aaron Abitz — a man on a mission to help both pollinators and people — and take home some beautiful plants for your yard and garden.
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.
First Meeting of the Harris Center’s Rock Hound Club for Families
Join naturalists Susie Spikol and Julie Brown for a different rockin’ outing each month from August through November. We’ll explore rock and mineral collections, visit geological sites, and connect with geologists, all while keeping our eye out for special stones, fossils, and more.
Covered Bridges of New Hampshire
Join us for this special evening with Bill Caswell, President of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, and Kim Varney Chandler, author of Covered Bridges of New Hampshire, as they share the intriguing history of these historic structures.
Snake Search with Wildlife Artist Matt Patterson
Join wildlife artist, conservationist, and snake enthusiast Matt Patterson for an afternoon snake search around the Harris Center grounds! Perfect for families with children in elementary school and above.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club at the Harris Center
Let the warm summer rains bring on the mushrooms! Join Harris Center naturalist John Benjamin and mushroom enthusiast George Caughey to search for the fantastic fungi of summer.
Environmental Studies Institute: CyberTracker Track & Sign Evaluations
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin Nate Harvey for a two-day tracking intensive through CyberTracker's Track & Sign Evaluation program. This is both a certification for those who desire it and a rich learning experience for anyone who wants to learn more about wildlife track & sign.
Field Forays with the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club
Calling all butterfly fans! Join wildlife biologist Mark Ellingwood and other members of the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club for this two-part course as we practice identifying butterflies on the wing and in the net, in preparation for a statewide butterfly survey in July.
Environmental Studies Institute: CyberTracker Track & Sign Evaluations
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesJoin Nate Harvey for a two-day tracking intensive through CyberTracker's Track & Sign Evaluation program. This is both a certification for those who desire it and a rich learning experience for anyone who wants to learn more about wildlife track & sign.
Invasive Plant Pulling Party
Join ecologists Karen Seaver and Brett Amy Thelen for a morning of invasive plant removal along the edges of the Harris Center woods and fields. Many hands make light work — and, hopefully, more room for native plants to thrive!
Environmental Studies Institute: Field Ecology of Breeding Raptors
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesSpring is breeding season for hawks, eagles, and falcons in the Monadnock Region. Step into their world during this five-part field course with Harris Center Bird Conservation Director Phil Brown.
Special Event for Harris Center Supporters: Turtles All the Way!
Join us for a special morning with Squam Lakes Natural Science Center — featuring live turtles! This special event is offered by invitation only to Harris Center supporters.
5th Annual Norway Pond Symposium
Join us for a morning of talks highlighting recent research on the past, present, and future ecology of Hancock’s Norway Pond.
Kids Count for Wildlife: Red-backed Salamander Survey
Calling all wildlife lovers ages 9 through 18! Try your hand at field research and develop your naturalist skills by joining Harris Center naturalists Karen Seaver and Susie Spikol and LAB GIRLS teacher Emily Wrubel for an afternoon of salamander counting as part of long-term study.
Spring Tree Identification Walk
Tag along with UNH extension forester Mike Gagnon on a relaxed spring tree ID walk. Together, we’ll explore branching patterns, buds, and the shapes of newly-emerged leaves, and learn how each species functions as habitat for wildlife.
Homeschool Program: At Home in Nature
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side out this spring. Uncover your wonder, and let the natural world be your teacher during this four-session program.
Environmental Studies Institute: Field Ecology of Breeding Raptors
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesSpring is breeding season for hawks, eagles, and falcons in the Monadnock Region. Step into their world during this five-part field course with Harris Center Bird Conservation Director Phil Brown.
Homeschool Program: At Home in Nature
Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, United StatesCalling all animal allies, nature noticers, and outdoor explorers! Join Harris Center naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol to let your wild side out this spring. Uncover your wonder, and let the natural world be your teacher during this four-session program.
Art Auction and Talks: Celebrating the Broad-winged Hawk on World Migratory Bird Day
Join us for an art auction and evening of talks to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day! Meet the artist and presenters, make your bid on artwork featuring the Broad-winged Hawk and the SuperSanctuary, and enjoy refreshments.
