List of Programs & Events

From plants to animals to dirt, every week we will explore the
fields and forests of Tin Mountain’s Nature Learning Center,
using the outdoors as our classroom for these hands-on learning
adventures. Programs will be held outdoors except in cases of
deluge or subzero temperatures so dress accordingly.

We are excited to invite homeschool students back to our Albany Campus this spring .
There are a few differences this session so please take a look at the details:

Session Dates: Starting April 2nd and ending on June 4th.
Homeschool classes will take place every Thursday with the exception of 4/23 and 5/28.
Timing: 9am-11am
Session Ages and Capacity: one homeschool cohort for 9-12 year olds (there is some wiggle room with ages) and will cap the group size at 12.
Cost: $160/child for the full session, possibility of per class rate

Forest Fire Prevention campaigns began in the early 1900s after a series of destructive wildfires that killed thousands and threatened to deplete our shrinking timber supply. This program describes the art, artists, and media used to encourage the public to be cautious with fire. The campaign intensified during World War II, when enemy submarines and incendiary balloons aimed to ignite forests along the West Coast. A variety of animals, including a squirrel, Bambi the deer, and, finally, a bear in trousers and a hat, were chosen as the symbol for forest fire prevention. We will examine the campaign's impact on the health of our forests today. A variety of historic fire prevention posters will be on display.

David Govatski served as a fire management officer for the US Forest Service and, after retirement, continued to study the role of fire in forest ecosystems.

The streams and ponds are opening up and ducks are returning. We’ll explore the old course of the Saco River and other open water in search of wood ducks, hooded mergansers, common golden eyes, and other early migrants. Bring binoculars (or borrow ours) and we’ll bring the donuts!

Join us for a spring exploration of the geology of the Ossipee Mountains, a world famous example of a ring dike. The exploration will showcase ancient lava flows such as basalt columns and look at the different types of bedrock that are concentrically layered within the Ossipee ring dike. The planned hike is 4.5 miles RT; most of the hiking will be on graded carriage roads but there is some elevation gain, so please wear sturdy footwear. Participants should also bring plenty of water, snacks and a lunch.

Join us for an exploration of the first flowers of spring. The display is sure to please, and the date will be determined by the flowers. We will be visiting 2 separate sites; the first will be very easily accessible. The second will involve more uneven terrain. Feel free to join us for both locations or just the first. Click the link below to be notified of the date.

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Co-Sponsored with Upper Saco Valley Land Trust

Come walk on Tin Mountain Conservation Center's Bearpaw lands on Route 302 in East Conway with forester Dan Stepanauskas. The tour will include the silvicultural science behind choosing which trees to grow, and how these decisions will affect carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. Selecting trees that will adapt to climate change enables us to take the long view.

Join birders of all levels on this weekly bird walk through the Brownfield Bog and view the rich diversity of bird life that makes its way north to rest or nest. Bring binoculars (or borrow ours), rubber boots, and a snack.

From the seacoast to the White Mountains, to the Great North Woods, New Hampshire burial
grounds vary from urban park-like cemeteries to single lonely markers hidden deep in the
woods. Tombstones tell fascinating stories of the past and many tell of heroic deeds or great
Tragedies. Buried New Hampshire authors and photographers Rick Davidson and Bill Thompson spent a year researching legends, following clues, and photographing granite state cemeteries. Rick and Bill share their evocative color photographs and intriguing research. Celebrities, murderers, heroes, and various unusual characters, some tragic, some inspiring, come alive in their book and in this course. Some are well known; others lie in their final resting place shrouded in mystery.

Birds have been evolving for 160 million years, proliferating from a single ancestor to the 11,131 species that fill every corner of our planet today. Long-term drivers of this evolution have included pressure from predators, competitors and the environment. Compared to birds, Homo sapiens are evolutionarily young, but over the course of just the past 265 years, since the profligate use of fossil fuels sparked our Industrial Revolution, humans have changed the environment around us in profound ways. This talk will explore the ways that human culture, including our consumption of fossil fuels and land-use practices, have had grave consequences for birds. We will also discuss how, in this rapidly-changing landscape, each one of us can play a role in conserving our natural resources.

It’s been a while! Time to dust off your thinking cap and exercise your mental muscles with us during some environmental trivia! Come with a team of friends, or join one when you arrive. $5/per person donation.