Winter Insect Signs at the Swanzey Airport with The Caterpillar Lab
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 10:30 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)
When we think of late winter, bugs aren't the first things that come to mind, but there are lots of signs if you're looking for them! The Caterpillar Lab will guide us through the different airport habitats to see what winter invertebrate evidence 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 critters we see along the way! Please dress warm enough for winter weather, and be prepared to walk at least short distances over snow.

*This trip is co-sponsored with The Caterpillar Lab.

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​Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, March 14, 2026, 8 AM, morning only

Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu

Meet: Beth-El Bible Church parking lot, Surry Village (GPS directions)

Surry is an extremely birdy town with a diversity of habitats like fields, marshes, woodlands, a gravel pit, and Surry Mountain Lake. We'll meet up at the church, and based on the time of year will spend the morning in one of the nearby birding locations. Most locations contain wide paths with only slight elevation change, and a maximum of three miles will be walked. 

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​​Birding on the Farm: Miller Farm, Vernon, VT

Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 8 - 10 AM​

Meet: Miller Farm (park at Vernon Free Library), 567 Governor Hunt Rd, Vernon, VT (GPS directions)

Join us for an exciting opportunity to bird on farms throughout our region! Join us for an exciting opportunity to bird on farms throughout our region! As Spring approaches, learn more about the importance of delayed mowing and other wildlife considerations! Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is co-sponsored with Cheshire County Conservation District, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Windham Natural Resource Conservation District, Monadnock Outdoors, and Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society.

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Woodcock Walk at YMCA Loop, Keene
Friday, March 20, 2026, 6:30 - 8 PM (rain date Saturday, March 22)
Chris Liazos, chrisliazos@outlook.com
Meet: Keene Community Garden Parking, 204 Summit Road, Keene (GPS directions)
American Woodcocks are an upland shorebird and a true sign of spring in the Northeast, best known for their spectacular mating displays. At dusk, males begin with their distinctive “peent!” calls from the ground before taking off into the air to perform dramatic, wing-twittering, figure-eight flights. We’ll walk about half a mile along the sidewalk on Summit Road before settling at the community garden to view woodcocks in the fields along Black Brook. Feel free to bring a camping chair and a flashlight if you’d like to relax and enjoy the woodcock’s elaborate display.

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Hadley Dikes, Hadley, MA
Saturday, March 28, 2026, 8:00 AM, morning only
Meet at the Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, 9 North Lane, Hadley, MA (next to the Connecticut River dike on North Lane between West Street and Route 47 in Hadley) (GPS directions)
Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com
Join us as we explore the Connecticut River shoreline, neighboring floodplain fields, meadows, agricultural fields, and forested areas in Hadley, MA.  We will search for waterfowl and possibly herons along the river, while keeping an eye out for raptors in the fields.  Of the several species of birds that winter here, we may have the opportunity to see snow buntings, longspurs, juncos, white-throated sparrows, and kinglets.  The fields are also known as 'The Honeypot' where, through the years, many rarities have turned up. Expect to walk 1-2 miles along the dike and paths at the edges of fields, with potentially uneven ground and/or windy conditions.  While there are no facilities available at this location, there are coffee shops and gas stations a short distance away.  If interested in carpooling, please enter your information into the carpool sheet.