​Monitoring for Monarchs

Thursday, July 23, 2026, 9 - 10:30 AM

Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org

Meet: Peterborough Community Garden, Scott Mitchell Road, Peterborough (GPS directions)

Take part in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz by joining Harris Center ecologists Brett Amy Thelen and Nate Marchessault to survey for monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies in a Harris Center-conserved milkweed patch. Our data will contribute to the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, a community science initiative aimed at understanding and protecting this iconic insect throughout North America. No experience necessary! Come prepared for sun, ticks, and other biting insects. Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is sponsored by the Harris Center.

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Birding the Dillant-Hopkins Airport

Sunday, July 26, 2026, 8 AM, morning only

Jane Wing, jeswing29@yahoo.com 

Meet: Dillant-Hopkins Airport main parking lot, Swanzey (GPS directions)

Airport Road at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport is one of the birdiest hotspots in the Monadnock Region with its diverse array of wetlands and uplands. We will walk along the wide, flat road for a maximum of three miles in search of birds and other wildlife. Beginners welcome!

*This event is co-sponsored with the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church

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Fern Identification 201: Common Ferns of the Monadnock Region

Sunday, July 26, 2026, 9:30 AM - 12 PM​

Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org

Meet: Distant Hill Nature Trail, Alstead (exact location provided upon registration)

Did you know that New Hampshire is home to over 40 fern species? Join fern fanatics Michael Nerrie and Nate Marchessault for a primer on the identification of ferns that grow in our region. This workshop will include a presentation, a collection of live specimens, and a short walk to practice our newly acquired skills. It builds on foundational skills learned during our Ferns 101 course last autumn, though all experience levels are welcome. Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is co-sponsored with Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail, and the Harris Center.

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Film Showing: The Extraordinary Caterpillar

Friday, August 7, 2026, 7 - 9 PM

Peterborough Community Theatre (GPS directions)

From blooming meadows to bustling city parks and lush backyard gardens — including footage shot right here in the Monadnock Region — this new documentary takes viewers on a journey that celebrates nature’s tiniest superheroes, while showing practical ways we can all contribute to caterpillar conservation. Don’t miss this chance to meet your caterpillar neighbors, ask the questions that have been “bugging” you all summer, and celebrate these incredible animals with knowledgeable naturalists from The Caterpillar Lab! Registration encouraged, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is sponsored by The Caterpillar Lab and the Harris Center.

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Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, August 8, 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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Biodiversity in the SuperSanctuary: Mini BioBlitz at Bailey Brook

Saturday, August 15, 2026 9 AM - 12 PM

Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org

Meet: Kulish Ledges parking area, Nelson (GPS directions)

Join naturalists Nate Marchessault and Kate McKay to search for signs of life on a leisurely stroll along the marshy wetlands of Bailey Brook. We’ll keep our eyes open for insects, plants, mushrooms, and anything else that crosses our path, documenting our finds on the community science platform iNaturalist. Bring a smartphone or tablet with the iNaturalist app already installed, and come prepared for sun and biting insects. Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is co-sponsored with the Harris Center.

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

Saturday, August 22, 2026, 8 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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Nature for All: Birding the Nighthawk Migration

Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 6 - 7 PM

Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org

Meet: Stone Arch Village rear parking lot, Keene (GPS directions)

Nighthawks are among the last migratory birds to arrive each spring and the earliest to depart each “fall,” with southbound migration peaking in late August. Join nighthawk enthusiasts Cliff Seifer and Brett Amy Thelen to search for the spectacle from a great vantage point in the Ashuelot River Valley. If it’s an average night, we should get good looks at a handful of these acrobatic flyers. If it’s better than average, we just might see hundreds of nighthawks foraging in giant flocks. Bring binoculars (or borrow some from us), and come prepared for biting insects. Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is co-sponsored with the Harris Center.

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Nature by Blacklight

Friday, August 28, 2026, 9 - 10:30 PM

Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org

Meet: Harris Center Headquarters, Hancock (GPS directions)

Join naturalists Steven Lamonde, Nate Marchessault, and Susie Spikol for a nocturnal natural history adventure! Using special blacklights and flashlights, we’ll search for moths, caterpillars, and other invertebrates, documenting our finds via iNaturalist. Discover the fascinating world of fluorescence, and see a summer night in a whole new light. Registration required, registration and more information can be found here.

*This event is co-sponsored with the Harris Center.

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Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, September 12, 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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Jaquith Rail Trail Mushroom Foray with Monadnock Mushroom Club
Sunday, September 20, 2026, 10 AM, morning only
Nate Marchessault, natemarchessault@gmail.com
Meet: Jaquith Rail Trail, Hancock (GPS directions)
We'll split up and spend a few hours collecting and learning about the mushrooms of the Jaquith Rail Trail. At the end of our exploration we'll all meet up and share our finds, and the experts at Monadnock Mushroom Club will help identify what we've found. Bring a (non-plastic) bag for collecting mushrooms, and expect lightly strenuous walking conditions. Optionally, bring a picnic lunch to socialize over lunch afterward.
*This trip is co-sponsored with Monadnock Mushroom Club.

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Meetinghouse Pond Mushroom Foray with Monadnock Mushroom Club
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 10 AM, morning only
Nate Marchessault, natemarchessault@gmail.com
Meet: Meetinghouse Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Marlborough (GPS directions)
We'll split up and spend a few hours collecting and learning about the mushrooms of the Meetinghouse Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. At the end of our exploration we'll all meet up and share our finds, and the experts at Monadnock Mushroom Club will help identify what we've found. Bring a (non-plastic) bag for collecting mushrooms, and expect lightly strenuous walking conditions. Optionally, bring a picnic lunch to socialize over lunch afterward.
*This trip is co-sponsored with Monadnock Mushroom Club.

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Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, October 10, 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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Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, November 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. 

​

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. 

​

Second Saturdays in Surry

Saturday, December 12, 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. 

​​