Editor’s Note: Listings in Trail Mix are free. Email: outdoor@recorder.com. The deadline is Thursday by noon. Questions? Call 413-772-0261, ext. 276. Weather may cancel or force the rescheduling of some of these events.
Great Falls Discovery Center
Kidleidoscope Fridays: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. of Fridays. Come each week to learn about our wildlife neighbors who share our home in the Connecticut River Watershed. Kidleidoscope is a free child-friendly, hands-on environmental experience for young children. Upcoming topics include snakes on Feb. 22. Each topic includes a story, interactive activities and a craft to introduce you and your child to the natural world. For ages 3 to 6. For more information, call 413-863-3221.
“Get in Touch with Winter, and Not Get (Too) Cold”: Tuesday, Feb. 19, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Meet the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Environmental Educator Gini Traub in the Great Hall for a hands-on family program of experiments and demonstrations that consider what hibernation is and which animals hibernate in winter. See and feel how wildlife copes with cold, snow and wind. Weather permitting, the program may include outdoor investigation.
“Discovering Trees”: Thursday, Feb. 21, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Join Student Conservation Association service members in the Great Hall to rediscover the magic of trees and take home some reminders of what trees mean to us. Bring weatherproof clothes and shoes.
Northfield Mountain
“Winter Wildlife Detectives”: Saturday, Feb. 23, 1 to 3 p.m. Join educator Kathy Richards for an outdoor adventure exploring wildlife in winter. Using detective skills, learn how to read the stories written upon the forest floor. Discover what animals are active in Northfield’s fields and forests. If Northfield Mountain is open for skiing, snowshoes are required. Suitable for ages 6 and up. Free with your own snowshoes; $10 with snowshoe rental ($30 maximum per family). Advance registration is required by calling 800-859-2960.
“On the Trail of Predator and Prey: Winter Wildlife Tracking”: Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This outdoor program will include an introduction to common track patterns and helpful tips for observing prints, as well as the opportunity to follow tracks and signs to learn more about an animal’s behavior. Includes some off-trail tracking. Participants should be in moderate shape. Appropriate for ages 13 and up. If Northfield Mountain is open for skiing, snowshoes are required. Free with your own snowshoes; $16 with rentals. Advance registration is required by calling 800-859-2960.
“Secrets of the Quabbin Watershed”: Thursday, March 7, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join author and photographer Dale Monette for an evening of wildlife images and engaging narrative. Monette will share his unique familiarity with the land and animals of Massachusetts and the Quabbin watershed, from eagles and loons, to otters, bears and more. His newly released book, “Secrets of the Quabbin Watershed” is the result of thousands of hours spent photographing wildlife. Monette is an expert in the nature and history of the Quabbin, where he worked 25 years as an educator and naturalist. For a preview of his photography, visit northquabbinphotography.com. Free. No registration required.
Wendell State Forest
All Out Adventures: Feb. 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy outdoor ice skating, gentle sled hockey, cross-country skiing, sit-skiing, snowshoeing, kicksledding and snowmobile rides, as weather conditions permit. Bring a lunch. Free, but advance registration is required by calling 413-577-3840 or emailing jackie.brown@mass.gov.
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
Second Saturday Family Science Series: 10 to 11 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Designed for children with their parents, these programs will explore cool topics in nature. Upcoming topics include wind and air on March 9, sounds of spring on April 13 and ladybugs on May 11. Free, but registration is encouraged at bit.ly/2zof6XW. Groups of six or more should call ahead at 413-256-6006.
Homeschool Discovery Days: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on one Tuesday each month. Explore science and nature topics with Katie Koerten and Jeff Mazur, meet science experts and sometimes go on field trips. Upcoming topics include the life of a tree on March 5, composting with worms on April 2, mountains and valleys on May 7, and life in a pond on June 11. Designed as a drop-off program for children ages 6 to 12. Limited to 12 participants per program. Register at bit.ly/2ECwLQF. $45 to $55.
