Exploring the Community   

This course will be a hands-on course conducted both inside and outside on the rocky shore. Various seaweeds will be gathered from the shore. We will research each seaweed, learn its lifecycle, growth habits, and understand its importance to the environment where it is found. We will gain an understanding of the different locations in the tidepools where each seaweed can be found. We will gather some seaweed that is free floating and take that inside the Seacoast Science Center and examine the seaweed further with microscopes and magnifying lenses. More seaweed will have been collected and available for selection to use with the pressing. Instructions will be given as to the process of seaweed pressing, examples shown, how best to place the seaweed, etc. Each student will be allowed to create two pressings to take home with them.

Bedrock Gardens is an oasis for horticulture, art and inspiration. It has been described as a haven in the ever-expanding land of stoplights and traffic jams on our formerly quiet by-ways. Over the last 30 years, this 37-acre 1740's farm site was recreated as a unique garden journey through numerous outdoor rooms with artful installations, rare botanical collections, diverse habitats, and a whole lot of joy. When you tour this garden, you are supporting the non-profit Friends of Bedrock Gardens, as this private garden is currently in the process of transferring ownership from the founders so that it might be shared with the general public for generations to come. A tour through the garden with executive director John Forti will take from 1.5 - 2 hours. The terrain is flat to gently sloping and covers about 3/4 of a mile. There are many places to pause and lots of seating along the way. Feel free to bring a lunch and stay a while. Bedrock Gardens was named 'Best Cultural Oasis' by NH Magazine and described by the Boston Globe as "one of the most beautiful and intriguing landscapes in New Hampshire. "In accordance with current recommendations, no masks are required in the garden." However, masks are suggested in close encounters, such as in the bathrooms, or for your comfort.

The Odiorne family settled near Rye in the mid-1660s and lived at Odiorne Point into the 1900s. From 1942 to 1947, Odiorne Point was the site of Fort Dearborn. Come explore the park with a mostly level approximately two-mile walk. Highlights include a walk along the shore with views of the Wood Island Life Saving Station and White Island Lighthouse, the Frost Point Breakwater, the Battery Seaman, the Dolphin Fountain, and the Odiorne Point Cemetery. Afterwards, participants can explore the grounds of the Seacoast Science Center and visit it for an admission fee collected at the door. Not recommended for people who have difficulty walking.

What does it take to put a TV show together? Learn more about the preparation, production and presentation of programming at NHPBS.

Join us for a walk around this hidden gem of the Seacoast, home to fox, deer, osprey, kestrel, and an occasional bald eagle. We will walk the William Furber Ferry Way Trail (2 miles) and, if time permits, the Peverly Pond Trail (1/2 mile). Both trails are graded and include gentle inclines. Wear good walking shoes (no sandals or flip-flops), long pants (there may be ticks) and a hat. Cameras, binoculars, and walking sticks are optional. No dogs allowed. Not recommended for people who have difficulty walking.

Starting at the Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests’ (SPNHF) Creek Farm Reservation we will walk through the woods and then along the Sagamore Creek mud flats and salt marsh with beautiful views and the possibility of seeing various shorebirds. Because there are lots of roots on this 1.5-mile trail, sturdy shoes are required and those with mobility issues may not wish to participate. As part of the trail is on private property, no dogs are allowed. Not recommended for people who have difficulty walking.

For more than 200 years, Yankee ingenuity and craftsmanship have been the keys to success for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In this popular tour, learn about the role and achievements of the Yard in times of war and peace from a military historian's perspective. A government-issued picture ID is required. Participants will be transported by school bus from the Kittery Lions Club parking lot at 117 State Road, Kittery to stops in the Shipyard. Participants must be able to use the bus and negotiate stairs. Neither the bus nor comfort facilities are handicapped accessible. Gather at the meeting spot by 9:15 a.m. so the tour can start at 9:30 a.m.

Join Sarah Kern, Creek Farm Education Program Coordinator for Creek Farm at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) for a presentation and walk at one of the society’s most beloved properties, Portsmouth’s Creek Farm. This program will start with a slideshow presentation in The Forest Society Education Center, discussing the long history of what we now call Creek Farm. Once part of the 18th-century farm of royal Governor Benning Wentworth, this coastal hideaway borders the shoreline of tidal Sagamore Creek. Following the slideshow presentation, we will take a short guided walk around the property to look at the historic landmarks that still stand as well as a visit to Agnes Carey's final resting place. Comfortable walking shoes, appropriate layers of clothing, snacks, water and weather gear are recommended.

The "theme and variations" is a tried-and-true classical music format that has spanned the ages. Join Pam Langley and her partner, Jim Bullock, for this live performance to hear how composers from Bach to Brahms to Brubeck used this form to create masterworks for both solo piano and two pianos.

If you've driven U.S. Route 4 between Durham and Dover you've been by Wagon Hill Farm. Come join us for a walk by the water, through the woods, through the bob-o-link breeding grounds and ending at the Monarch Butterfly habitat. Wear long pants (this will be tick season) and sturdy shoes (no sandals or flip-flops). Hats, water bottles, and cameras are encouraged. Not recommended for people who have difficulty walking.