Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center
The Great Falls Discovery Center hosts community programs and events, rotating art exhibits in our Great Hall and a Coffee House hosted by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center.
Join us for a talk by Annette Spaulding, an experienced master scuba diver, whose favorite place in the whole world to dive is in the Connecticut River, one of only 14 rivers in the United States that are designated heritage rivers. Annette is the first person to identify short-nosed sturgeon above dams in the river. […]
Join us in celebration of the arrival of an ancient boulder full of Jurassic Armored Mud Balls! Enjoy refreshments, a multi-media presentation by Professor of Geology, Richard Little, and meet our new favorite geologic sedimentary structure right here on the grounds of the Center. Learn about our Friends Group in a brief annual meeting, the […]
Join us for a dynamic presentation on climate, volcanos, and dinosaurs by Dr. Paul Olsen. The ancient Connecticut Valley rift basin is filled with spectacular, fossil-bearing alternations of deep and shallow water lake sediments that provide a timeline for the beginning of dinosaur dominance 200 million years ago. A huge volcanic event then set off […]
Starting at 2 p.m. Native American photographer Scott Strong Hawk Foster presents a talk about his exhibit, Ways of My Ancestors—We Are Still Here, which captures his travels throughout the ancestral homelands of the Native American Peoples of New England. Come early to see the photography and stay for the talk and refreshments. All ages. […]
Join us on a leisurely, family-friendly combined wildlife presentation and walk by Brad Timm, wildlife ecologist and founder of the Northeast Wildlife Team. This program is inspired by Brad’s book Wildlife Out Your Window: Fascinating Facts About 100 Animals Commonly Seen in the Northeastern U.S., which is full of interesting facts about common wildlife all […]
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 […]
What makes this mill village unique? Get an introduction to downtown Turners Falls as we walk its historic streets and answer why the village was designed this way. Meet outside the main entrance for a 1.5-mile walk over flat, paved terrain. For ages 8 and up.
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 […]
The Nolumbeka Project presents the annual Full Beaver Moon Gathering with guest speaker Willow Greene, Abenaki elder and award-winning storyteller. Raffle drawing. Free admission and all ages are welcome. For more information about the event visit nolumbekaproject.org. Meet in the Great Hall.
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 […]
How much is a block of ice worth? It depends on the weather! Learn about the ice harvesting empire that started in Massachusetts. See the tools used by local ice harvesters, making it easier to preserve staples like milk, meat and fish. For ages 10 and up. Downtown Turners Falls’ monthly First Friday event is […]
The Strathmore (a.k.a. Keith Paper) mill was the phoenix of Connecticut River mills. Few other mills could rally themselves and the town to come back from the brink. Join DCR staff for photos, maps, and stories that showcase the determination, labor, and paper that kept the Strathmore mill in business for 122 years. For ages […]