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
Kids Count for Wildlife: Monarch and Milkweeds Survey
Calling all kids ages 9 through 18 who care about wildlife! Try your hand at field research, develop your naturalist skills, and do something to help the wild animals of our world by counting critters with the Harris Center. In July, help scientists find out more about monarch butterflies by counting monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies with the Harris Center’s team of naturalists at a milkweed patch in Peterborough. If you like treasure hunts and have a sharp eye for finding things, this morning is for you! Be sure to check out our other Kids Count for Wildlife events, too. For more information »
Insect Safari and Bug Bonanza
Join naturalist Susie Spikol for a morning meadow adventure in search of crickets, leafhoppers, butterflies, and grasshoppers, to name just a few. Learn how to use a sweep net, hold a caterpillar, and stare into the million eyes of a grasshopper. A great way for families with elementary-age children to learn about the wild world of arthropods! For more information »
Kids Count for Wildlife: Aquatic MacroInvertebrate Survey of Moose Brook
Calling all kids ages 9 through 18 who care about wildlife! Try your hand at field research, develop your naturalist skills, and do something to help the wild animals of our world by counting critters with the Harris Center. In August, kick up stones and muck as we survey Hancock’s Moose Brook for water scorpions, predaceous diving beetles, water pennies, and more! Look under rocks for sparkling stone caddisfly cases and discover what creatures like stonefly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs can tell us about the water quality of the brook. For more information »
Babies in Backpacks and Toddlers in Tow
Join Harris Center naturalist Susie Spikol for a wild ramble in search of summer birds, wildflowers, salamanders, and other amazing finds. Spend time with other families interested in being outside and exploring this magical world we live in. A perfect hike for little legs! For more information »
