Hands on Nature

03/29/2026

Join us for our Summer Nature Program this summer! We still have a few spots left, especially in our preschool, kindergarten and homeschool week, the week of June 15th. This is open to all students, but many schools are still in session this week. We are an entirely outdoor program, with classes held in the center of Berlin from 9:30 to noon each day. Please email us with any questions and to register: [email protected]. We hope to see you this summer!

06/16/2023

We have a few new spots available in our Summer Nature Program! We currently have two spots open in each of these 3 weeks:

June 19-23
June 26-30
August 7-11th

All openings are for morning programs, from 9:30 to noon. Please email us at [email protected] to reserve a spot!

04/11/2023

Join us for our Summer Nature Program!

We still have spots available in two of our June weeks, June 12-16th and June 19-23rd, from 9:30 to noon. These outdoor programs are for children ages 4 and above, and take place in the center of Berlin. Please check out our website for more information: www.handsonnature.org, and email us to register: [email protected]. We hope to see you this summer!

Hands on Nature is an educational, outdoor nature program available to students from preschool to high school, located in Berlin, Massachusetts. 

11/15/2020

https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/the-item/2020/11/14/berlin-resident-helps-children-get-hands-nature-outdoor-program/6235962002/?fbclid=IwAR3HOIC_36vzqVjdqvzEDDTsmg2BzOs2OyAovjoPFd-cfE9BToqaT0VPP5k

Berlin's Heather Simpson has run Hands on Nature for 15 years, helping children connect with nature, even during COVID pandemic.

10/17/2020

Join us for our upcoming weekly classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays! We will meet from 1:00 - 2:30 pm in the center of Berlin, and learn about our local reptiles and explore our beautiful woods! We also will discover the fascinating changes that Fall brings.

Fascinating Reptiles!
For students ages 4 and up
Tuesdays from 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Beginning October 20th for 5 consecutive weeks

​Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Beginning October 22nd for 5 consecutive weeks

Email us at [email protected] to register.
Hope you can join us!

07/30/2020

We recently launched our new Instagram account, handsonnatureinc ! If you’d like to keep up with Hands On Nature through photos and videos, we encourage you to follow us! It’s a great way to see what kind of fun things we do each week at camp!

07/29/2020

Our Summer Nature Program has TWO openings for next week, the week of August 3rd! That session runs from 9:30 to noon and is entirely outdoors. Come join us and learn about our incredible natural world! Please reach out via email [email protected] - and share with families that might be interested!

05/31/2020

Join us for our ANIMAL HOMES classes - virtually!

Come join us as we learn about all the fascinating places that animals choose to make their homes in our New England woods! This class can enhance your family hikes, as you discover some of the unusual places our local animals choose to live. Our Animal Homes class is entirely live online via Zoom, so your child can ask questions, make comments and feel connected to the other students.

Interactive Class times are June 2 - 23rd as follows:
Preschoolers and Kindergartners, Tuesdays at 1:00 pm
Children in 1st Grade and above, Tuesdays at 3:00 pm

Classes are heavily discounted at just $50/child! Email us at [email protected] to register.

We hope you can join us!

05/22/2020

In case you haven't heard....

The Worcester Nature Challenge is a four-day-long exploration of nature where we live in the Greater Worcester area! This weekend from May 22nd - May 25th, we will go outside where we live, take pictures of the plants and animals we find, and share our discoveries using iNaturalist, an mobile phone app that can help us identify plants and animals. As people upload their findings into iNaturalist, we can see how alive our city is and come together around mutual support of our local communities and wildlife. While we may be physically apart, we can still learn together about our local environment, share our findings with one another, and take care of the plants, animals, and people around us.

Try and participate if you can! Hands on Nature is part of this fun nature challenge!

05/01/2020

We have put together another fun VIRTUAL nature series with the Haverhill Public Library for the month of May! Attached is the flyer they created. You are welcome to join us!

04/27/2020

Join us for Life in A Pond classes - virtually!

Spring is the best time of year to be outside and learn about our local wildlife, and we don't need to miss out just because we can't be together right now! We will still run everyone's favorite Life in A Pond class, but entirely online on Zoom, so your child can still learn about all the pond creatures that you might discover on some of your family walks.

Interactive Class times are as follows:
Preschoolers and Kindergartners, Tuesdays at 1:00 pm, May 5 - May 26th
Children in 1st Grade and above, Thursdays 3:00 pm, May 7 - May 28th

Classes are heavily discounted at just $50! Email us at [email protected] to register.

We hope you can join us!