Nice & Easy Walks
2025-08-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-28 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for seniors, but open to all. Enjoy natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Who Lives in the River?
2025-08-15 10:30 - 11:30
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Art Naturally: Source to Sea Mosaics
2025-08-16 10:30 - 12:00
Discover nature through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. With instruction and technique, you create an art piece to take home from tile, pebbles, marble and glue, inspired by the Connecticut River’s annual Source to Sea Clean-up in late September. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). All art materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete instructions.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bobcats
2025-08-22 10:30 - 11:30

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-08-23 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-08-30 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-09-20 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 13:00
Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. In case of rain, you can find our activities inside the center instead. For all ages.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Spiders
2025-08-29 10:30 - 11:30

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Butterflies
2025-09-05 10:30 - 11:30
Learn about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice and Easy Walks
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Skunks
2025-09-12 10:30 - 11:30
Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Snakes
2025-09-19 10:30 - 11:30

Nice and Easy Walk
2025-09-25 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-06 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-20 13:00 - 14:00

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - River Otters
2025-09-26 10:30 - 11:30

Source to Sea Cleanup
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00
Hard work, real fun, true impact: the annual fall trash cleanup of the Connecticut River and its tributaries. Join DCR staff to clean up the Canalside Rail Trail. To register, visit SourcetoSeaCleanup.org/event/Canalside-rail-trail, or contact DCR staff at 413-863-3221 for more information. Meet at the main entrance. For ages 8 and up.

National Public Lands Day Celebration
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:30
Join conservationists from New England to celebrate National Public Lands Day and learn about public wildlands in the region by pitching in with the Source to Sea River cleanup from 10:00 a.m. — noon, enjoy lunch, then dive into teach-ins and workshops to learn how you can protect wild nature and public lands in New England. Expect fun, food, music, and an opportunity to deepen your knowledge about New England public lands. RSVP and see the full agenda at: actionnetwork.org/forms/save-the-date-national-public-lands-day-celebration. Sponsors include Sierra Club Massachusetts, Climate Action Now Western Mass, Atowi, Standing Trees, and more.
For Source to Sea Cleanup, meet outside the main entrance.
For National Public Lands Day Celebration afternoon events, meet in the Great Hall.

Montague Community Fair - Mammal Investigation Station
2025-09-27 14:00 - 17:00
Celebrate “Good Neighbor Day” with an afternoon of free family activities and learn about local community organizations. Join DCR staff at the fair to learn all about our mammal neighbors at our activity table with mammal pelts and crafting. The fair has light refreshments, music, and fun activities for all ages, in collaboration with Montague Public Libraries. Unity Park is located at 56 First Street in Turners Falls.

Wings Without Borders: A Bird Migration Talk
2025-10-25 14:00 - 15:00
Birds are among nature’s most remarkable travelers, carrying stories across continents with every wingbeat. This talk explores migration as a biological wonder and a source of human inspiration, weaving connections between landscapes. Together we discover how the movements of birds echoes themes of resilience, belonging, and change. Join ornithologist Chad Witko (Birding University) for a journey into the science and symbolism of migration. For ages 12 and up and everyone is welcome to enjoy the Migrations exhibit art. Meet in the Great Hall.

First Friday: The Great Scavenger Hunt Challenge
2025-11-07 15:00 - 17:30
Join us for a self-guided scavenger hunt adventure to test your spotting skills in our Connecticut River watershed habitat dioramas. How many animals, trees, and plants can you find? Scavenger hunt worksheets will range from fun and easy to extra super hard where camouflage is the name of the game! Meet at the welcome desk.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-11-13 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-04 13:00 - 14:00

Wildflowers in Winter
2025-11-22 13:00 - 14:30
Embrace the identification challenge of matching summer wildflowers with their winter attire with naturalist Dawn Marvin Ward. Learn how through photographs, clues, and hands-on exploration to expand your knowledge of the winter landscape. Discover the amazing variety of shapes, forms and textures, learn lore and legend of our local plants, and gain an appreciation of wildflowers in their dormant state. Dawn is an educator and naturalist who has been sharing her knowledge and appreciation of nature for over 20 years. Note: This program is not a hike, specimens will be available inside. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Thanks to the Animals
2025-11-28 10:30 - 11:30

Gratitude After Gravy Walk
2025-11-28 13:00 - 14:30
Get moving this holiday weekend and connect with nature and local history! Join us for a leisurely walk along the Canalside Rail Trail. The walk is about 3 miles long, on a level paved surface. Makes for an easy stroll for adults and children ages 8 and up. Be prepared for cold weather, dress in layers. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water. Walk begins at the front entrance to the Great Falls Discovery Center. Inclement weather or icy trail conditions cancels.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Raccoons
2025-12-05 10:30 - 11:30
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome.
