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.
 

Coast Trip: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, MA

Saturday, April 4, 2026, 8:00 AM
Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com
Meet: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Newburyport, MA (GPS directions)
Please join us as we explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on a quarterly basis.  While the focus for bird species will change quarterly, we will always have some overlap. During the winter months we will be looking for waterfowl such as loons, scoters, pintails, shovelers and more (maybe a Snowy Owl or two also).  Spring, summer and fall, we will be looking for shorebirds, warblers, and potentially seabirds.  Raptors may be observed every season.  We may even encounter some rarities throughout the year! We will meet at the PRNWR Visitor Center and then carpool along the refuge.  Most of the travel will be by vehicle, but we will also do some walking on the beach. We will have scopes available for others to look through, however, feel free to bring your own, if you have one.  There is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter the refuge.  Restrooms are available at several stops. If interested in carpooling, please enter your information into the carpool sheet. Be sure to check the meetup time for each trip, as the start time varies slightly by season. 

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​Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, April 11, 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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Spring Ephemerals at Surry Mountain, co-sponsored with New England Botanical Society
Sunday, April 26, 2026, 9 AM - 1 PM
Nate Marchessault, natemarchessault@gmail.com, Wendy Ward, and Karro Frost
Meet: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Surry Mountain Lake (register for location information)
Join Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Conservation Planning Biologist Karro Frost, retired USDA-NRCS District Conservationist Wendy Ward, and ecologist Nate Marchessault for a leisurely walk along the base of Surry Mountain in search of the showy blooms of spring ephemeral wildflowers. Our exploration will take us through a diverse array of habitats—from fields and floodplain edges to upland forests, ranging from dark hemlock stands to bright, enriched forests teeming with ephemerals. The trip will be an out-and-back with a slight amount of elevation gain and up to four miles of walking, with optional off-trail excursions. Registration required, please register here.

*This event is co-sponsored with New England Botanical Society.

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Heald Street Orchard, Pepperell, MA
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 8 AM, morning only
Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com
Meet: Heald Street Orchard, Pepperell, MA (limited parking; carpooling recommended. GPS directions)
Heald Street Orchard is an 80-acre town-owned and maintained property that was once a working apple orchard. The property is actively being maintained with orchard, grassland, and early forest habitats. The diversity of habitats invites many species of birds, some of which are of conservation concern. While paths are mown for easy walking, be prepared for long grass and ticks. This site has a large parking lot but is heavily used so parking may be limited and carpooling is encouraged.​

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Pitcher Mountain Bug Hike
Sunday, May 3, 2026, 9 AM, morning only
Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu and Sara Burrell, burrell@thecaterpillarlab.org
Meet: Pitcher Mountain trailhead (GPS directions)
Let's join folks from the Caterpillar Lab and cover some ground at Pitcher Mountain while we hunt for caterpillars and other insects. We'll traverse several habitats productive for early-season bugs, including woodlands, rocky summits, and shrubby early successional growth. Bring your phone loaded with the iNaturalist app so we can document all the critters we see along the way! Please be prepared for hiking up to three miles, including some slopes, as well as sun and biting insects.

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

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​Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, May 9, 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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Birds and Blooms in Surry
Sunday, May 17th, 2026, 7 AM, - 12 PM
Wendy Ward, weward0@yahoo.com, and Dave Hoitt
Meet: Surry Town Hall (GPS directions)
Join local birder Dave Hoitt and wildflower enthusiast Wendy Ward on this easy walk looking for birds and wildflowers of the open field and wetland habitat. After exploring the habitats behind the town hall, the group will drive to Surry Lake to look at open water and the dam for woodland habitat. We will count total species of birds and native wildflowers in bloom observed. Dave and Wendy have led this trip for over 30 years at this location in mid-May. Bring binoculars, drinks, and snacks-- the trip should be over by noon, but participants should feel free to peel off as early as they'd like.

 

Birds, Botany, and Beans: Southern New Hampshire, co-sponsored with South Shore Bird Club of Southeastern Massachusetts
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 8 AM
Nate Marchessault: 508-304-3346 natemarchessault@gmail.com
Meet: Hancock, New Hampshire (location provided on signup)

Let’s be good hosts for our coastal counterparts by showing them some of the premier birding spots of the Monadnock Region. Arrive at 8 AM for coffee, tea, and birds in Nate's yard or by 9 for caravaning to birding and nature study locations around the area. The trip will last for the majority of the day, but cars can be arranged if people need to leave earlier. Please sign up with or contact Nate for more information.

*This trip is co-sponsored with South Shore Bird Club
 

Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, June 13, 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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Gilsum Rock Swap

June 27 - 28, 2026

Gilsum Steam Academy (GPS directions)

No trips scheduled this weekend, go check out the Rock Swap in Gilsum! More info about the Rock Swap can be found here. 

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Micromoth Caterpillar Walk at the Swanzey Airport with The Caterpillar Lab
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 9:30 AM, morning only
Nate Marchessault, nmarchessault@antioch.edu and Lucy McKay, graybunting00@gmail.com 
Meet: Dillant Hopkins Airport, side of parking lot furthest from main road (GPS directions)
Join us as we search for caterpillars along the road and trails at the Swanzey Airport with a focus on finding micromoth caterpillars. Micromoths are a fascinating and diverse group of moths that are often overlooked due to their small size. We’ll learn to spot their sign, from leaf rolls to leaf mines, and discuss their ecology and life history. Distances covered will be short and we’ll be going at a slow pace to carefully examine plants.
*This trip is co-sponsored with The Caterpillar Lab.

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Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, July 11, 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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Coast Trip: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, MA

Saturday, August 22, 2026, 8:00 AM
Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com 
Meet: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Newburyport, MA (GPS directions)
Please join us as we explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on a quarterly basis.  While the focus for bird species will change quarterly, we will always have some overlap. During the winter months we will be looking for waterfowl such as loons, scoters, pintails, shovelers and more (maybe a Snowy Owl or two also).  Spring, summer and fall, we will be looking for shorebirds, warblers, and potentially seabirds.  Raptors may be observed every season.  We may even encounter some rarities throughout the year! We will meet at the PRNWR Visitor Center and then carpool along the refuge.  Most of the travel will be by vehicle, but we will also do some walking on the beach. We will have scopes available for others to look through, however, feel free to bring your own, if you have one.  There is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter the refuge.  Restrooms are available at several stops. If interested in carpooling, please enter your information into the carpool sheet. Be sure to check the meetup time for each trip, as the start time varies slightly by season. 

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Coast Trip: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, MA

Saturday, November 21, 2026, 8:30 AM
Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com
Meet: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Newburyport, MA (GPS directions)
Please join us as we explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on a quarterly basis.  While the focus for bird species will change quarterly, we will always have some overlap. During the winter months we will be looking for waterfowl such as loons, scoters, pintails, shovelers and more (maybe a Snowy Owl or two also).  Spring, summer and fall, we will be looking for shorebirds, warblers, and potentially seabirds.  Raptors may be observed every season.  We may even encounter some rarities throughout the year! We will meet at the PRNWR Visitor Center and then carpool along the refuge.  Most of the travel will be by vehicle, but we will also do some walking on the beach. We will have scopes available for others to look through, however, feel free to bring your own, if you have one.  There is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter the refuge.  Restrooms are available at several stops. If interested in carpooling, please enter your information into the carpool sheet. Be sure to check the meetup time for each trip, as the start time varies slightly by season. 

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