Public Programs: Winter 2012

Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center's programs offer unique opportunities for hands-on environmental education and recreation. Our experienced educators allow learners the opportunity to explore subjects and habitats through focused, inquiry-based programs, taking advantage of the magic of the season. To register, please call (800) 859-2960.

For more information, please see the current Public/School Newsletter. Click here to get your own free e-mail news letter e-mailed directly to you. Newsletter e-mail lists are not shared with others.

Public Program Registration

Call (800) 859-2960


1. Register by phone with your Visa or MasterCard.


2. Register by mail with a check payable to Northfield Mountain. Please be sure to include program name, dates, and participant numbers and mail to 99 Millers Falls Road, Northfield, MA 013603.


3. If you are unable to attend a program for which you are registered, please call as soon as possible so that others can take your place. Refunds will be made when we are notified at least one week in advance of program date.


4. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult on all programs.

Public Programs

Carve a potato for printing and use it to make your own recycled wrapping paper. Or, use old calendars to make arty envelopes. Other green wrapping techniques will be shared at "Art and Soul", a groovy gift store chock-full of great kids toys and locally made crafts, cards and other creative and beautiful presents. Trolley and horse rides, delicious snacks, musical performances and more all scattered throughout the town of Northfield round out this Special Day.

		Solstice Headlamp Hike Thur., Dec. 22; 6 – 9 p.m. For ages 12 and older Fee: FREE Register by calling 800-859-2960
Trees stand leafless in December

A holiday celebration for hike lovers, this romp will be on the carriage width ski trails at Northfield. Our headlamps will light the way on this longest night of the year as we share solstice facts and quotes from literary lovers of the night. A visit to a mid- mountain campfire and shared cider and snacks will sweeten this night as we turn toward the sun.

Anyone set a fitness goal while making resolutions? Snowshoeing is fabulous exercise and exploring the winter night in the company of others is so intriguing that it makes meeting exercise goals fun! Participants will explore how to best navigate at night, share inspiring quotes from literary lovers of the moon and stars, and take a short “solo” walk by moonlight. A warm cup of cocoa and snacks will be the perfect ending to this two-mile hike. No previous snowshoeing experience is necessary for this adventure by the light of the moon. Wear wind pants or gaiters if you have them, dress in warm layers that can be shed as we get moving, and bring a water bottle to take on the trail.

Winter Trails Day offers older children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free, and to discover the great fitness and social benefits with these easy-to-learn winter sports. Winter Trails Day involves almost 100 resorts and Nordic Centers nationwide, and gets 11,000 kids and adults on the snow each year. At Northfield Mountain free clinics for first time skiers begin at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m. and last for 45 minutes. Twenty minute long snowshoe clinics are offered at 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 p.m. for those who have never tried the sport. Clinic participants must arrive 30 minutes in advance of their scheduled start time to sign in and pickup their equipment.

Learn how to snowshoe with other active women and put your new-found skills to work exploring Northfield Mountain’s snowshoe trails. We’ll begin indoors with a brief session on equipment, design and history and then venture outside. We’ll explore some of our favorite trails as well as the natural history of this special season. Add a new activity, and perhaps some new friends, to your winter repertoire. Tips on equipment and clothing, invigorating exercise and sharing hot chocolate and tea around our wood stove will complete the afternoon. It is proven that people learn faster and have more fun in a supportive environment. Here’s an opportunity you won’t want to miss, to learn from and with other women. Please note that we will be snowshoeing for 2 miles over moderately hilly terrain (elevation gain of 400’) and no prior snowshoeing experience is necessary. All levels of experience are welcome for this moderately strenuous afternoon of outdoor activity.

VEEC (Valley Environmental Education Collaborative) will sponsor two programs presented by Susan Morse, wildlife ecologist and science director of Keeping Track®. Keeping Track® is a non-profit organization devoted to providing technical training to professional biologists, citizen scientist volunteers, land trust officials and conservation planners. Sue is highly regarded as an expert in natural history and tracking and has more than thirty-seven years of field experience monitoring wildlife and interpreting habitat use all over North America. Her research has focused on cougar, bobcat, black bear and Canada lynx.

“Mammal Tracking in the Northeast” will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife headquarters in Hadley, MA. Sue’s keen wit, personal anecdotes, deep caring for wildlife, illustrated with spectacular photographs, is sure to provide an educational and inspiring evening. She will focus on mammals found in our valley and hill town region, and will introduce us to the tracks, sign and habitat needs of a variety of familiar species, as well as the exciting range expansion of moose and cougar. This program is for anyone interested in learning about animal tracking and natural history. In case of inclement weather cancellation call (413) 253-8303 after 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Here is your opportunity to learn to interpret and identify mammal tracks and sign in the field! At Graves Farm we hope to find evidence of porcupine, fisher, bear, moose and more. We will be looking for scat, browse and bark stripping, evidence of scent marking as well as tracks themselves. Please dress warmly, and definitely plan to bring a warm drink, snack and an extra jacket or sweater inside your daypack. Please read “How to prepare for a winter outing” which will be provided to you with directions when you register.

Who are the predators at Northfield Mountain and who are the prey? By looking at posters, mounts, skulls and books indoors and following tracks outdoors to observe behavior, the group will try to answer this essential question. Families will learn through activities and the use of tracking journals, and will do their best to find answers about who eats whom – or maybe discover even more fascinating questions! Please bring water bottles; wear wind pants or gaiters if you have them; and dress in warm layers that can be shed as we get moving. Granola bars will be shared on the trail and the group will return to the building to warm up with hot chocolate at the end of the program.

Learn to snowshoe with other active seniors . Enjoy a morning of camaraderie and exercise outdoors! Lightweight aluminum snowshoes are the perfect tools for gaining grip on snowy or icy terrain and using ski poles gives extra contact points to further increase stability in a variety of winter conditions. After an indoor introduction to equipment, participants will practice techniques on flat terrain and gentle hills. With our new skills we’ll visit wildlife hot-spots to look for signs of porcupine, fox, or deer. Hot drinks, snacks and handouts on snowshoeing and tracking will round out this morning with naturalist Kim Noyes. Wear wind pants or gaiters if you have them and dress in warm layers that can be shed as we get moving. No prior experience is necessary.

The Mountain is a magical place on a moonlit evening. Join us as we explore how to best navigate at night, share inspiring quotes from literary lovers of the moon and stars, and take a short “solo” walk by moonlight. A warm cup of cocoa and snacks will be the perfect ending to this two-mile hike. No previous snowshoeing experience is necessary for this adventure by the light of the moon. Wear wind pants or gaiters if you have them, dress in warm layers that can be shed as we get moving, and bring a water bottle to take on the trail. No prior experience is necessary.

Educators of kids in grades k-12 are invited to a special Project WILD workshop at Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center. Project WILD is an award winning interdisciplinary, conservation, and environmental education program that emphasizes wildlife, people and the environment. The program guide contains over 100 activities for K-12 educators. This workshop will explore wildlife in winter, including a variety of Massachusetts mammals, as well as highlighting both the animal tracks and sounds unique to those species. Taking place both indoors and outdoors, we’ll be tracking animals in the field and learning different track patterns as well as activities to teach about tracking. Workshop participants will receive a copy of the Project WILD Activity Guide, a Pocket Guide to MA Animal Tracks, natural history information about local mammals, a bibliography of mammal sounds, 6 hours towards PDP’s as well as a certificate of completion. The workshop will be taught by Kim Noyes, Education Coordinator at Northfield Mountain and Patti Steinman, Education Coordinator for Massachusetts Audubon’s Connecticut River Valley Sanctuaries. This workshop is part of several tracking programs throughout Western Massachusetts this winter sponsored by the Valley Environmental Education Collaborative. Please bring snowshoes if you have them or they are available to rent at Northfield for $12.

Wear your jammies and dance the cabin fever away with Roger Tincknell at Northfield Mountain. Young families will imitate animals, sing lively songs, learn interesting facts about local wildlife and even go “Waltzing with Bears,” while Roger plays Irish drum, Incan flute, Russian balalaika, banjo, guitar, mandolin and harmonica. Tincknell has been performing for children and adults throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe for over 30 years and is a two-time Parents' Choice Award-winning recording artist. Program meets inside the cozy, pellet-stove heated yurt behind the Visitor Center.

Learn about the aquatic foods fish eat and imitate some of them in this class by tying flies. You will create two different, simple patterns that are guaranteed to catch fish! Join Jim Lafley who has been teaching fly tying to a variety of audiences for over 15 years as he guides you through the steps for tying these deceptive flies. He will provide all the tools and materials you will need. Jim will also answer questions about what you need to outfit yourself to pursue this interesting hobby. Join us for an introductory clinic to fly fishing this spring, as well!

Barton Cove and the Power Canal in Turners Falls are two great spots to view migrating birds in March. We’ll begin indoors with a brief introduction to field identification tips, and then head out in our van searching for ducks, geese and other birds along the Connecticut River. Dress warmly and in layers, wear warm boots, and bring binoculars and a field guide. This program is an introduction to birding focusing on March migrants, particularly waterfowl along the Connecticut River.

The Valley Environmental Education Collaboration (VEEC) will be showing the new film, “Mother Nature’s Child: Growing Up in the Media Age.” “Mother Nature’s Child” explores nature’s powerful role in children’s health and development. The film asks the questions: Why do children need unstructured time outside? What is the place of risk-taking in healthy child development? How is play a form of learning? What does it mean to educate the ‘whole’ child?

“Mother Nature’s Child” will be followed by break-out sessions so that participants can go deeper into the topic that interests them. Parents, educators, school administrators and other interested adults - please join us to explore this timely topic relevant to children’s development, health and education. This event will be a springboard for a variety of programs that will be launched in the spring of 2012 aimed at getting families and children outdoors. The topic is of great relevance to the environmental education profession and the program is made possible by a grant from Northeast Utilities. In case of inclement weather cancellation call (413) 253-8303 after 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 20.

For the entire program listing, please see the latest Public/School Newsletter or the latest monthly public e-newsletter.