Outdoor Winter Activities at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

Bringing the family to the Lakes Region for a weekend getaway or planning your winter school vacation? In addition to the ice skating, skiing, and sledding that’s abundant in New Hampshire, there are some great outdoor activities at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center that are sure to keep inquisitive kids engaged while they get some fresh air and sunshine this winter!

This Saturday, January 7^th, come to Holderness for the Bird Banding Open House from 9am – 12pm. For the past 30 years, the scientists at the Center have captured and banded birds at the Squam Lakes feeding station on the first weekend after the New Year. Visitors are welcome to drop in anytime during the morning and learn about the common birds that are winter visitors, why they are banded, and what insight is gained from tracking these wild creatures.

For those who wonder what happens to the other animals at the Science Center in the wintertime, there are several guided tours scheduled throughout the season. Every Saturday and Sunday from January 14^th through March 4^th, join others for a Wild Winter Walk from 10am – 12pm, when a staff naturalist will guide visitors on the Gephart Exhibit Trail and discuss the many ways native animals are well adapted for winter life in New Hampshire. Bring your snowshoes or borrow some at the center, and be ready to see some beautiful wild animals in their winter coats!

After your snowshoe hike, enjoy lunch at Longhaul Farm, an organic farm stand and café located less than a mile from the Science Center in Holderness. Although the farm stand is closed until spring, hearty lunches will be available at the farm’s Pavilion in the Woods on weekends. Longhaul Farm is offering snowshoe hikes on its trails as well this winter, and participants in the Science Center’s Wild Winter Walks will receive 10% off lunch at the Pavilion. What a wonderful way to warm up a winter afternoon!

For more information on these and other winter activities, contact the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center at 603-968-7194 or Longhaul Farm at 603-968-9381.

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Photo courtesy of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center