​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

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​Second Saturdays at the Swanzey Airport

Saturday, October 11, 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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Fern Identification 101: Evergreen and Tardy Ferns
Sunday, October 26, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Nate Marchessault, nate@harriscenter.org and Michael Nerrie, michael@distanthill.org
Distant Hill Gardens, Walpole (or DHNT Alstead?)
Join fern fanatics Michael Nerrie and Nate Marchessault for a primer on fern identification. We’ll take advantage of a time when the list of potential ferns is shorter to build ferndational skills that can then be applied to all species. The workshop will feature a presentation, a collection of live specimens, and a short walk to practice our newly learned skills. A follow-up workshop will be held during the growing season in 2026, building on these skills to discuss the entire suite of ferns that grow in our region. Registration required, please register here.

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

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​Second Saturdays at the Swanzey Airport

Saturday, November 8, 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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Monadnock Region Natural History Conference

Saturday, November 15, 2025, with trips for conference members on Sunday, November 16

Now in its third year, the Monadnock Region Natural History Conference is a full day of learning for anyone with an interest in nearby nature, including land managers, educators, students, community scientists, and backyard naturalists. We anticipate sessions on wildlife, biodiversity, wetlands and stream ecology, forest ecology and management, Mount Monadnock, community science, climate change, human connections to nature, and more. On Sunday, two trips will be offered for conference members; a bird walk hosted by MBNC, and a mushroom foray offered by Monadnock Mushroom Club. For more information and to register for the conference, see here.

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