Beaver Brook Association

2008 Summer Youth Program Descriptions

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For descriptions by Grade:
Kindergarten  | 1st  |  2nd | 3rd  |  4th  |  5th  | 6th |  7th  |  8th  |  9th  | Ages 8 and up  | Ages 13 and up
MHF = Maple Hill Farm
BLB = Brown Lane Barn 		Please note: Your child must be the appropriate age or in the designated grade by 9/30/08.
4-Year Olds Summer Safari with Ginnie Hoffman
Date:
Session AM:
Session PM:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 June 16 - 19, M-TH
9:00 - 12:00 am
12:30 - 3:30 pm
MHF-Spear Room
$105/95 Friends
This class is especially designed for the 4-year-old child. Includes sensory activities, stories and games in each fun-filled day. Make a Brown Bag Backpack of your very own and a sun visor that you design. Play nature-oriented games such as "In the Beaver Lodge". Children take short hikes each day visiting the forest, the pond or the meadow to discover the wonders of nature. Child must be able to separate from their parent and be self sufficient.
4-Year Olds Knee-Hi Naturalists with Christina Daugherty NEW!
Date:
Session AM:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 June 23 - 27
9:00 - 12:00 pm
MHF-Spear Room
$125/113 Friends
Whether we view it from up high or down low, nature provides fascinating experiences for us all! 4 year olds can become naturalists at their level. Hands-on activities, artistic exploration, investigative hikes, games and songs designed to introduce nature’s beautiful gifts to young explorers. Child must be able to separate from her parent and be self sufficient.
Kindergarten Nature Quest with Ann Caldwell
Session 1:
Session 2:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 June 16 - 20
June 23 - 27
9:00 - 1:00 pm
BLB
$145/131 Friends
An outdoor nature class for children entering Kindergarten filled with stories, games and activities for the 5-year old. Ann Caldwell will lead the children on exciting explorations each day. Visit the Bird Observation Center and learn all about our fine feathered friends. Dip a net in the vernal pool and meet a frog! Play games and make crafts to take home. Lots of fun every day!
Kindergarten Nature Detectives with Ann Caldwell NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 11 - 15
9:00 - 1:00 pm
BLB
$145/131 Friends
Start the week off with a Five Senses Adventure Hike. Students will learn to sharpen their observation skills while hiking Beaver Brook’s trails. Meet some of our resident wildlife up close and learn interesting facts. Make your own detective kit, keep a nature journal, play games and learn wonderful new nature songs.
K - 1st Grade Nature Nuts with Christina Daugherty
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 14 - 18
9:00 - 1:00 pm
BLB
$145/131 Friends
Get nutty and play! Find out what nature has in store for you from jumping frogs to butterflies! Search high and low for the animals living in the woods, streams, ponds, and meadows of Beaver Brook. Games, crafts, stories, and experiments teach children what nature is, how we interact with it, and how to have a great time outside!
1st & 2nd Grades Animals and Their Habitats with Ginnie Hoffman
Session 1:
Session 2:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 7 - 11
July 14 - 18
9:00 - 1:00 pm
MHF
$145/131 Friends
Explore habitats - those places that every living thing considers "home" - in our fields, forests, wetlands, streams, and ponds. Make an "insect zoo" and habitat booklet; create a shoebox habitat; search for critters to observe and let them go safely.

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1st & 2nd Grades Backyard Fun with Rosemary Clough and Michelle Wilson

Date
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:

 July 21 - 25
9:00 - 1:00 pm
MHF
$145/131 Friends
Backyard Fun is a magical blend of story-telling, art, music, yoga, and creative dance. Students will have fun with yoga postures that build flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance while celebrating themes in nature. This class promotes cooperation and respect through group games and storytelling. Children will have the opportunity to express themselves and share their adventures in nature through a variety of playful projects. Come and learn how to move like a tree, turtle, fish or mountain!
1st & 2nd Grades Native American Trails with Ginnie Hoffman
Session 1:
Session 2:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 28 - Aug 1
August 4 - 8
9:00 - 1:00 pm
MHF
$145/131 Friends
Take a step back in time and learn how the first people in New Hampshire lived. Listen to legends and stories at the wigwam. Celebrate the green corn festival and learn why the raven always comes to the harvest. Try weaving, playing games, and discovering some plants that were useful to Native Americans.
1st & 2nd Grades Flying Creatures with Kat Dickau
Date:
Daily M,T,W,F:
Thursday:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 11 - 15
9:00 - 1:00 pm
4:00 - 8:00 pm
MHF
$145/131 Friends
Investigate creatures from pterosaurs to bats and butterflies. Design your own bug box and create gliders. Learn about the similarities and differences between flying creatures of the wetlands, woods, and meadows, as we "take to the air" together to explore these winged marvels. A special Thursday night class will explore the world of bats and owls!
Grades 3-6 “Unplugged” Play
Dates:
July 21 -25
August 4 -8
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:

July 14 - 18
July 28 - Aug 1
August 11- 15
2:00 - 4:00 pm
MHF
$50
Children going into Grades 3-6 have the opportunity to extend their Beaver Brook experience into the afternoon. Create summer memories with Beaver Brook staff while playing games, telling stories, hiking, stream wading and just plain having fun in some unforgettable, not-so-lazy, summer afternoons.
2nd & 3rd Grades Creature Feature with Kat Dickau
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 7 - 11
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
This class will "tour" the world of wacky and wild members of the five major classes of vertebrates - animals with backbones. Check out skulls and bones of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals to see how the features of these amazing creatures stack up. Hit the trail to look for NH vertebrates. Don't miss your chance to hike, explore, play games and learn in this exciting class.
2nd & 3rd Grades Farmyard Fun with Winnie Crouse NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 21 - 25
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
How do you care for a chicken? Can you make a sweater from rabbit fur? Do cows smell? In this class children have the opportunity to get their questions answered and make some important farmyard-to-table connections. In addition to interacting with the animals, children will investigate some agricultural “arts” such as spinning and making butter. Associated craft projects will complete the experience.
2nd & 3rd Grades Water Wonders with Kat Dickau
Session 1 at BLB:
Session 2 at MHF:
Time:
Cost/Session:		 July 28 - Aug 1
August 4 - 8
9:00 - 2:00 pm
$160/144 Friend
Water WondersExplore Beaver Brook's ponds and wetlands with dip nets and hand lenses. Examine and learn about the largest and the tiniest creatures that live in these aquatic environments. Be sure to wear shoes or boots and clothes that can get wet or muddy each day, as we get "up close and personal" with the water world!

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Grades 3-6 “Unplugged” Play
Dates:
July 21 -25
August 4 -8
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:

July 14 -18
July 28 - Aug 1
August 11-15
2:00 - 4:00 pm
MHF
$50
Children going into Grades 3-6 have the opportunity to extend their Beaver Brook experience into the afternoon. Create summer memories with Beaver Brook staff while playing games, telling stories, hiking, stream wading and just plain having fun in some unforgettable, not-so-lazy, summer afternoons.
3rd & 4th Grades Frogs, Toads and Turtles with Kat Dickau
Date:
Daily: M,T,Th,F
Wednesday
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 14 - 18
9:00 - 2:00 pm
5:00 - 9:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
What better way to explore summer than to get to know a frog?! Learn all about the characteristics of frogs from Spring Peepers to Bullfrogs. Visit the wetland habitats to observe and identify tadpoles. An evening class will focus on toads and making your own toad house! Turtles round out the week with an emphasis on their anatomy, life cycles, and need for protection. The final day will be an exploration of our Wildlife Pond area to search for Beaver Brook's frogs, toads and turtles.

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3rd & 4th Grades Let's Grow with Christina Daugherty
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 28 - Aug 1
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
Let's GrowThe focus of Let's Grow will be garden discoveries. Study some basic botany especially plant parts and functions. Examine plants from their beginnings as germinating seeds to the beauty of wildflowers that you dry and take home. Tend and mulch the Native American garden and learn how "a worm's work is never done". Other sensory experiences will include making teas, painting watercolors of the diverse Maple Hill gardens, finding wild edibles, and making jam from wild raspberries or blackberries..
3rd & 4th Grades Pawtucket Paths with Edith Couchman
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 11 - 15
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
For thousands of years, Native Americans lived well in this part of the world. Learn about the remarkable plants, animals and attitudes that helped sustain their way of life. Try your hand at shaping a stone tool, spin rope from basswood bark, help care for a Native American garden, work with clay and play lacrosse. Gain a new appreciation for your environment and the first people of this region.
3rd & 4th Grades Woodland Prints with Edith Couchman
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 21 - July 25
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
How can we echo the beauty of nature in our art work? Printmaking offers many options. Using leaves, sunlight, shells, sponges, fossil models, and even seaweed, we'll experiment with many different types of printing. We'll tie-dye t-shirts and create plaster tracks. At the same time, through hikes, games and stories, you'll be learning more about your fellow creatures - the amazing plants and animals of New England.
Grades 3-6 “Unplugged” Play
Dates:
July 21 -25
August 4 -8
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:

July 14 -18
July 28 - Aug 1
August 11 - 15
2:00 - 4:00 pm
MHF
$50
Children going into Grades 3-6 have the opportunity to extend their Beaver Brook experience into the afternoon. Create summer memories with Beaver Brook staff while playing games, telling stories, hiking, stream wading and just plain having fun in some unforgettable, not-so-lazy, summer afternoons.
3rd, 4th & 5th Grades Jungle Tales with Roberta Woolfson
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 11 - 15
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
From drum beats to touching tribal tales. From funny monkeys to Anansi, the spider. Stage stories into plays using visualization, mime, and movement to music and puppetry. End the week with a performance for parents that is designed by the participants. This class aims to stimulate imagination and intensify an awareness of nature.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.
4th & 5th Grades Farm Fresh with Winnie Crouse, Jolee Chase & Mike Koski NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 14 - 18
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends

Farm FreshFrom dairy cows to chickens, Maple Hill Farm will once again be connected with its agricultural roots. Join Winnie, Jolee, and Mike along with active 4-H participants of southern New Hampshire to learn about farming techniques, animal care, and the products these animals can produce. The early part of each day will focus on the animals. After lunch participants will enjoy hands-on crafts or cooking activities like creating felted fleece balls, spinning, or making butter.

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4th & 5th Grades What’s Bugging U? with Bruce Fessenden NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 21 - 25
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
A program for the junior entomologist. Everyone knows that summer and bugs go together – those pesky creatures! Did you know that many of these “pests” are actually helpful? Can they be changed from pests to pets? Learn how insects live, work, communicate, and fit into the food chain. Explore water and land habitats looking for signs of insect life - capturing, examining, and releasing them unharmed. We’ll study other “bugs” as well, like spiders. *This program can be selected in addition to any other program.
4th & 5th Grades Rockhounds with Bruce Fessenden
Date:
Daily: M,T,Th,F
Wednesday
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 28 - Aug 1
9:00 - 2:00 pm
6:00 - 10:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
This class rocks!! Get a close up look at the rocks that are under your feet, in stone walls, or come from the mountains of New Hampshire and other parts of the world. Make a rock collection and hike along the glacial fault that cuts through Beaver Brook. Learn about the formation of the Earth, the stars and other planets. Each day will include activities and trail adventures that will turn kids into backyard geologists and give you the opportunity to add to your rock collection! A fabulous Wednesday night class will focus on stargazing.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.
4th & 5th Grades Forest Forts I with Kap Siddall
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 4 - 8
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
Farm and ForestImagine a fort in the woods that you design and build! Explore and map your territory. Learn how to tell time by the sun, play scout games, and track the animals of the forest and more! Activities ranging from scavenger hunts to stalking exercises will teach kids to respect, care for and enjoy nature safely.
Grades 3-6 “Unplugged” Play
Dates:
July 21 -25
August 4 -8
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:

July 14 -18
July 28 - Aug 1
August 11 - 15
2:00 - 4:00 pm
MHF
$50
Children going into Grades 3-6 have the opportunity to extend their Beaver Brook experience into the afternoon. Create summer memories with Beaver Brook staff while playing games, telling stories, hiking, stream wading and just plain having fun in some unforgettable, not-so-lazy, summer afternoons.
4th, 5th & 6th Grades Brook To Bay with Bruce Fessenden
Date:
Daily: M,T,Th
Wednesday
Friday
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 7 -11
9:00 - 2:00 pm
9:00 - 4:30 pm
9:00 - 7:30 pm
MHF
$295/266 Friends
Each day visit different fresh water and ocean habitats for some hands-on exploration. We will collect live organisms for closer study in the field and in the classroom. Two ocean field trips are part of this course. On Tuesday visit several locations on the New Hampshire seacoast and explore a pebble beach, tide pools, a sunken forest and a fish pier! On Friday, visit historic Gloucester, Massachusetts and see some of the sights before heading out to sea with Cape Ann Whale Watch to look for a variety of whales, dolphins, sea birds and possibly sharks and sea turtles!
5th & 6th Grades Woods, Walks, & Wildlife with Chris Sommers
Date:
Daily: M, T
W - F
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 28 - Aug 1
9:00 - 2:00 pm
W 9:00 - F 11:00am
BLB
$295/266 Friends

This class is designed for the self-reliant young person with a real interest in the outdoors. Participants must carry their own equipment. Develop a keen awareness of your natural surroundings and learn some basic outdoor skills while spending four days and two nights in the woods! Discover and observe woodland plants and animals, learn to use a compass, make trail signs, and build a safe and effective campfire. Explore the sights and sounds of nighttime in the woods. A complete gear list will be sent to participants prior to the start date of the program. No visitors, please. Fee includes meals from Wednesday supper through Friday breakfast. An Overnight Program.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.

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5th, 6th & 7th Grades
 Forest Forts II with Chris Lalmond
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 11 - 15
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
Imagine a fort in the woods that you design and build! Explore and map your territory. Learn how to tell time by the sun, play scout games, and track the animals of the forest and more! Activities ranging from scavenger hunts to stalking exercises will teach kids to respect, care for and enjoy nature safely.
5th, 6th & 7th Grades Drawn From Nature with Edith Couchman
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 4 - 8
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
Drawn from NatureDo you enjoy drawing and painting? Here's a class that will help you to build your skills in representational art. The amazing landscapes of Beaver Brook and its extensive taxidermy collection of birds and mammals will provide many subjects for your artwork. You'll explore a variety of image-making techniques and a range of media including charcoal, chalk, pastel, clay, and watercolor and tempera paint. See for yourself how art and science can be blended for very positive results.
5th, 6th & 7th Grades Point, Click, Share with Christina Daugherty NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 21 - 25
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$175/158 Friends
Explore nature and the fun of digital photography at the same time! The class will learn the basics of photography and to expand the skills they already have in a variety of fun fast-paced games. Hikes covering Beaver Brook's ponds, streams, woods, and meadows give the photographer a chance to digitally capture whatever they find! In addition to learning how to take better photographs, the class will be preparing small portfolios to share, making a photo journal of their week, and creating cards to give to others! Digital cameras not provided.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.

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5th, 6th & 7th Grades WATER You Doing?? with Bruce Fessenden
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 14 -18
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$240/216 Friends
Discover the uniqueness of river and stream habitats with Bruce as your guide. Wear your old sneakers and wade the streams with a net to see what lives in the pebbled bottom. Use a minnow trap to study small fish and create a classroom habitat to raise crayfish. The highlight of the week is a trip to the River Classroom, the popular Nashua River Watershed program. Led by certified instructors from the NRWA, the morning begins with the students learning canoe and water safety, paddling techniques and the correct way to get into and out of a boat. Next students practice what they've learned on a quiet pond-like area of the Squannacook River. Once on the water, a search for wildlife begins. Great Blue Herons, turtles, fish, small invertebrates and amphibians all can be seen in their natural habitat. There is one adult in every canoe with 2 students.
6th & 7th Grades Adventures In Survival with Kap Siddall
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 7 - 11
9:00 - 2:00 pm
MHF
$160/144 Friends
Adventures in SurvivalAll the fun of Forest Forts and more! We will place greater emphasis on awareness of the environment, how to use a Native American approach to see deeper into the forest and skills for living from the land and using its resources. Learn how to build an emergency shelter and build and maintain a proper fire. Focus on basic survival needs, play tracking games, and experience team challenges.
6th, 7th, & 8th Grades NSI: Nature Scene Investigator with Chris Lalmond
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 August 4 - 8
9:00 - 2:00 pm
BLB
$160/144 Friends
Survey the scene. . .collect the evidence. . .decipher the clues. . .What happened here in the forest? Not just today but perhaps one hundred years ago? Trek through the woods with Chris Lalmond as your teacher and guide; look for the clues that most people walk right by. Tracks, burrows, mysterious mounds, and old stumps all tell a story that you can unravel. Play outdoor challenge games and create wood crafts. You will learn to see the forest in a whole new light!
7th, 8th & 9th Grades Backwoods Backpacking with Chris Lalmond
Date:
Time:

Location:

Cost/Session:		 July 28 - 30(M-W)
9:00am Monday -
Wed. 11:00am
BLB Gazebo & Cabins
$200/180 Friends
Learn to live off the land on a two day, two night backwoods camping trip. Chris Lalmond is a very experienced outdoor educator especially when it comes to knowing the "lay of the land" at Beaver Brook. Learn tracking skills, taste wild edibles, build safe fires with "no trace left behind", develop quiet observation skills and experience the ecology of the area. A complete list of needed supplies will be sent to each participant. Meals are included. An Overnight Program.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.
7th, 8th & 9th Grades Can You Survive It? with Chick Wetherbee
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 July 14 -16 (M-W)
9:00 - 4:00 pm
BLB
$150/135FFriends

What challenges lie ahead in the woods of Beaver Brook? Take this intensive, outdoor program and find out! This wilderness treasure hunt will introduce you to survival skills such as fire-building, shelter basics, wildlife stalking, and outdoor cooking. Be prepared for strenuous hiking each day to some of Beaver Brook's wilder spots. A Full Day Program.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.

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Age 13 and up Outdoor Leadership with Michelle Wilson NEW!
Date:
Time:
Location:
Cost/Session:		 June 30 - July 2
9:00 - 4:00 pm
MHF
$150/135 Friends

A unique opportunity for young leaders to develop their skill set! Learn how to role-model outdoor ethics and Leave No Trace. Play team games and initiatives such as Tiny Teach, Camouflage, Freeze Frame, Trust Walk, and Knot My Problem. Learn how to plan for a group expedition, build a shelter, use a map and compass, tell direction from the sun and stars, lead age-appropriate activities, and promote positive group dynamics. This program is great for your confidence and your resume!
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.

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Age 8 and up Night In The Wild with Chick Wetherbee
Campout with Chick
Date & Time:



Location:
Cost/Session:

Sat. July 19
10:00 am -
Sun. July 20
10:00 am
BLB and Campsite
$105/95 Friends

For Parents and Kids Minimum Age 8 years.

Hey kids, here's a chance for you to take your Mom or Dad out for A NIGHT IN THE WILD! In this short course, parents and kids will be introduced to the basic skills of camping and backpacking. The course starts with an informative evening session with Chick to learn how to pack and what to bring for a successful overnight camping experience. Apply what you learned in preparation for your night in the wild that next week! Arrive on Saturday the 19th ready to hike and carry your gear into the camp area. Fire making, shelter building, tracking games, and survival skills are all part of the fun. Bring a lunch on Saturday and enjoy an afternoon hike. Prepare for an overnight in your tent at our campsite. Dinner and the next morning's breakfast are provided. If a tent is needed please let us know and we will help you locate one.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.
Age 8 and up Advanced Night In The Wild with Chick Wetherbee NEW!
Campout with Chick
Date & Time:



Location:
Cost/Session:

Sat. July 12
10:00 am -
Sun. July 13
10:00 am
BLB and Campsite
$105/95 Friends

For Parents and Kids Minimum Age 8 years.

Designed to compliment our popular “Night in the Wild” program, this course will bring new survival challenges to bear for both parent and child. Begin the weekend adventure with a review of the basics: fire making, shelter building, tracking, etc.; then prepare to learn new skills such as carefully using a knife to carve a bowl and spoon. Bring a lunch on Saturday and enjoy afternoon activities in the woods. Prepare for an overnight in your tent at our campsite. Dinner and the next morning’s breakfast are again provided. If a tent is needed please let us know and we will help you locate one. Participants are asked to attend the preparation meeting on Thursday, June 26th.
*This program can be selected in addition to any other program.

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PREPARATION MEETING WITH CHICK FOR BOTH PROGRAMS
Date: Thursday, June 26th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: BLB