​​Second Saturdays at the Swanzey Airport

Saturday, September 13, 2025, 8 AM, morning only

Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu

Meet: Dillant-Hopkins Airport, Swanzey, side of parking lot furthest from main road (GPS directions)

Join us for our recurring walk at one of the most productive birding locations in the area, the Dillant-Hopkins Airport. This area is abuzz with bird activity no matter the time of year, and we'll spend a few hours poking around the uplands, wetlands, fields, and floodplains to see who is around. This walk will be three miles or less on mostly flat, paved ground.

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Easygoing Hike at Distant Hill Nature Trail

Thursday, September 18, 2025, 10 AM - noon

Michael Nerrie, michael@distanthill.org, and Brett Amy Thelen

Distant Hill Nature Trail, 66 March Hill Rd., Alstead (GPS directions)

Explore Distant Hill’s quieter corners on this relaxed ramble with Harris Center ecologist Brett Amy Thelen and Distant Hill’s CEO (Chief Environmental Observer), Michael Nerrie. Our 2-mile route will feature stone sheep fences, a hayfield, pollinator meadows, a geology trail, and a floating bog. Much of the hike will be along an accessible, gently sloping, hard-packed gravel trail; however, some sections will be on rougher terrain. Registration required, please register here.

*This trip is cosponsored with Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail and the Harris Center.

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Hawk Watch at Pack Monadnock with South Shore Bird Club
Sunday, September 28, 2025, 9 AM - 3 PM

Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu, and Pete Jacobson
Pack Monadnock Mountain, Peterborough NH
Come spend the day with the Harris Center hawkwatchers at the Pack Monadnock Raptor observatory, keeping an eye out for all the hawks, eagles, vultures, falcons, and sometimes songbirds that blow by. The summit can be accessed by driving the auto road, and the hawk watch is just a short walk from the parking lot. Bring a bag lunch, sunscreen, and layers! There is a $4 fee to enter the park, and reservations for the auto road are suggested.
*This trip is cosponsored with South Shore Bird Club of southeastern Massachusetts

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Late-season Insect Search at the Swanzey Airport with The Caterpillar Lab
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 9 AM, morning only
Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu and Sara Burrell, burrell@thecaterpillarlab.org
Meet: Dillant Hopkins Airport, side of parking lot furthest from main road (GPS directions)
Though October is thought to be a month with little insect activity, there are still many critters to be found! The Caterpillar Lab will guide us through the different airport habitats to see what late-season invertebrate life we find. As we search, we will discuss local insect ecology and phenology. Bring your phone loaded with the iNaturalist app so we can document all the caterpillars, plants, and other critters we see along the way! Please be prepared for up to one mile of walking at a leisurely pace, and ticks since we will be off-trail for most of the outing. *This trip is co-sponsored with The Caterpillar Lab.

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Haulin' Ash at Distant Hill

Sunday, October 5, 2025, 1 PM

Michael Nerrie, michael@distanthill.org

Meet: Distant Hill Gardens, 507 March Hill Rd, Walpole (GPS directions)

Help with a unique opportunity to haul black ash (AKA basket ash) out of the woods! Future workshops with these trees will show how to process the logs, also known as "ash-pounding", and potentially a basket-making workshop. Registration is required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This trip is sponsored by Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail