Hold Nature in Your Hand
Susie Spikol is a naturalist and writer who helps connect people of all ages to nature.
Book Trailer to The Animal Adventurer’s Guide
Thank you to SALT Project for this video.
Rain Walkers
Red efts, the eastern newt—they are a kid’s dream come true, so small and touchable, and their tangerine color so outlandish in a world dedicated to camouflage. No teeth, no fangs, claws, or quills. They are damp but not slimy, and it looks like they are smirking as if the joke’s on you.
Your Hummingbird Heart on Mother’s Day
I am holding a teacup-sized hummingbird nest in my hands. The outside is covered in silvery green lichen flakes, stitched together with spider silk. The silk not only holds this home together; it allows the nest to stretch and grow as the babies grow. The inside, no bigger than a thimble...
Fox Time
We're in the zone, totally caught up in the moment, and hot on the trail of a red fox.
Hope on Silent Wings
We try calling, a plaintive “who-cooks-for-you.” I see their faces full of anticipation, straining to hear a response. Children nestled tight against parent and grandparent, eyes wide, bright like those stars up above.
Upcoming Events
Birding for All: An Accessible, Inclusive Birding Outing at MacDowell Lake
Enjoy a morning of birding with naturalists Phil Brown and Susie Spikol 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! For more information »
Utterly Otters
Join naturalist Susie Spikol for a lively talk on the bounding, sliding, swimming otter! We’ll spend some time getting to know this charismatic local mammal and learning how to recognize its tracks and sign. For more information »
How to be an Animal Adventurer
Join Susie Spikol, a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education and author of "The Animal Adventurer's Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed" for this special Friday afternoon event. Sharpen up your wildlife-watching skills and tune into the secret world of our local New Hampshire animals. Get your wild on and come to this program. Perfect for elementary-aged children. For more information »
Sing in the Stories of Summer
Join Smithsonian Folkways master musician Mary Desrosiers and storyspinner and naturalist Susie Spikol for songs and stories of warmer days. Let your imagination run wild and lift your voices to help sing in the Story of Summer. For more information »
Babies in Backpacks and Toddlers in Tow
Join Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol and parent educators from the River Center and the Grapevine for a morning meander through springtime fields and forests. A perfect hike for little legs – and a great chance to chat about parenting questions as we walk! For more information »
