The Harris Center for Conservation Education is calling all youths ages 9 through 18 who care about wildlife to take part in a red-backed salamander survery Friday, Sept. 9, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the center, 83 King’s Highway in Hancock.
Youths are invited to try their hand at field research, develop naturalist skills and do something to help wild animals by joining teacher-naturalists Karen Seaver and Susie Spikol for an afternoon of counting salamanders.
Participants will flip over special wooden boards at six different spots in the Harris Center woods in search of red-backed salamanders to count, all part of SPARCnet — a long-term study of this common woodland species.
Children under the age of 12 need to be accompanied by an interested family member. All others can attend without parental supervision. The event is free, and registration is required at harriscenter.org/events. For information, contact Spikol at spikol@harriscenter.org.
The Harris Center will hold a family hawk watch Saturday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m. to noon at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory at Miller State Park in Peterborough
Join Harris Center naturalist Ben King for a morning of hawk-watching. Participants will scan the skies for migrating raptors, and learn why these birds make a long-distance journey every fall and how they do it. The group will also have a chance to meet a real raptor biologist.
Participants can make a day of it by hiking from the base of Pack Monadnock to the observatory platform at the summit, which is three miles round-trip with 840 feet of elevation gain, or drive up via the auto road.
This program will be canceled in the event of rain, so check harriscenter.org before heading out if there’s wet weather in the forecast. The event is free, although there is an entrance fee for Miller State Park, and park reservations are required.
For information on Miller State Park fees and reservations, visit nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/miller-state-park. For information on the event, contact King at king@harriscenter.org or 603-525-3394.