Environmental Studies Institute
The Harris Center’s Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) courses provide opportunities for adults to learn about the Monadnock Region’s natural history, connect to the outdoors, and engage in meaningful discussion about the environment.
Spring 2013 courses:
The History, Culture, and Nature of Mount Monadnock
View of Monadnock, circa 1880; photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Cheshire County
Discover how this iconic mountain has come to define and describe our community’s character. Now’s your chance to learn how the mountain has been viewed through history, culture, and as home to many of New Hampshire’s wildlife species. Each week, a different local expert will highlight an aspect of the mountain. Speakers will include Howard Mansfield, Steve Hooper, Charlie Kerwin, Edie Clark, Eric Masterson, and Jeff Littleton. The course will conclude with an optional guided hike up Mount Monadnock or an opportunity to view the mountain from the summit parking area of Pack Monadnock. Co-sponsored with Keene State College’s Cheshire Academy of Lifelong Learning (CALL) program and RiverMead.
Class meets on Thursdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 and June 6 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the RiverMead Auditorium in Peterborough.
Cost: $45 for RiverMead-affiliated participants/$50 all others
RiverMead residents, wait-list members, and Village depositors can register by contacting Kim Mansfield at (603) 924-0033 x201. All others should register by contacting Keene State College’s Office of Continuing Education at (603) 358-2290. For more information, contact Susie Spikol Faber at spikol@harriscenter.org or (603) 525-3394.
Birding the Supersanctuary by Boat
kayaking Spoonwood Pond; photo: Russ Cobb
May is an ideal time to observe the spring migrations of raptors, water birds, and songbirds; more than 150 different bird species pass through our region each spring! Join naturalist Phil Brown to search for birds in some of the Monadnock Region’s finest landscapes….by water! The Harris Center’s land protection legacy spans 40 years, and its vast land resources are often best experienced on the tranquil waters of the Supersanctuary. This is also an exceptional way to experience the return of birdsong to the Monadnock Region.
Class meets on Fridays, May 3, 10, 17 & 31 (re-scheduled from 5/24) from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at various field sites within the Harris Center Supersanctuary and is BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat.)
Cost: $40 for Harris Center members/$60 nonmembers
Instructor: Phil Brown is a lifelong bird enthusiast who has traveled extensively in search of birds and natural places, but equally enjoys exploring close to home. He is a frequent field trip leader for the Harris Center and New Hampshire Audubon, as well as a leader of nature tours in New England and beyond for Merlin Wildlife Tours and for the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Phil is also the Editor of the “Where to Bird” column of the quarterly journal New Hampshire Bird Records. For the past eight years, he has managed bird habitat on New Hampshire Audubon’s wildlife sanctuaries as their Director of Land Management.
For more information or to register, call (603) 525-3394 or email Sara at lefebvre@harriscenter.org.
The Story and Science of Social Insects
photo: Mark Round
Join entomologist Jenna Spear O’Mara for an exploration of the lives and times of social insects. Field trips, combined with readings and videos, will reveal the complex lives of ants, bees, and wasps.
Class meets on Fridays, May 24 & 31 and June 7 & 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Harris Center in Hancock.
Cost: $40 for Harris Center members/$60 nonmembers
Instructor: Jenna Spear O’Mara is an entomologist currently teaching at Keene State College.
For more information or to register, call (603) 525-3394 or email Sara at lefebvre@harriscenter.org.