Open year-round Prescott Farm has much to offer both to local residents and those just visiting the area! This summer, in addition to our WildQuest Summer Camp (June 20-August 19), we are offering a variety of programs designed to encourage environmental exploration for all ages. Tours, Workshops/Talks, Family Programs and a 160 acre property (with hiking trails, gardens, pond, Natural Playscape, etc.) are just some of things you can enjoy this summer at the farm.
Garden & Property Tours will take place every Thursday, July 7-October 27 from 10:00-11:00. Prescott Farm is truly a gem of the Lakes Region! Situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Paugus Bay, our 160 acre property is home to forests and field habitats as well as beautiful flower, herb and vegetable gardens. Join us for a one-hour naturalist-guided tour which will immerse you in nature, our gardens and the many ways in which the two interact with one another. The Magnificent Big Trees of Prescott Farm Tours will take place every Friday, July 8- October 28 from 10:00-11:00. Prescott Farm is home to some pretty big old trees, including a black walnut which is in the running to be recorded as the largest one in Belknap County! These trees are quite magnificent to behold, and can also teach us a great deal — just imagine what they have “seen” over the course of their lives! On this one-hour naturalist-guided tour, you will learn about trees (of course!), but also fascinating facts about ecology, history and how our landscape has changed over the years.
Our Herbal Pathfinder Series will continue monthly with Master Herbalist, Melissa Morrison through the summer on July 16 and August 20 from 10:00-12:30. New Workshops/Talks this summer include:
· Seeing Smartly: Connecting Through the Lens of Your Smartphone – Saturdays, July 9 & August 13; 2:00-4:00
· Interesting Features of Old Barns (FREE) – Thursday, July 14; 6:30-8:30
· Purple Martins for the Masses – Saturday, July 16; 10:00-11:00
· Wild Mushroom Walk – Saturday, August 6; 10:00-12:00
Looking for something the whole family can enjoy? Check out our Camp Sampler programs which will take place every Wednesday, July 6-August 17 from 10:00-12:00. Experience what the Lakes Region is all about and get your family out in nature! Join us for a morning of fun activities with a different theme each week. From art projects to wildlife to gardening and more, these diverse topics are a fun way to spend a morning outside as a family! Weekly themes include:
· July 6 – Circle of Life
· July 13 – The Sensational Sun
· July 20 – Eco-Artists
· July 27 – Nature Detectives
· August 3 – Garden to Table
· August 10 – Water, Water Everywhere!
· August 17 – A Little Bit of Everything
We also will be offering Campfire Sing-Along on Fridays, July 8 & 22 and August 12 from 7:00-8:30. Join us for a fun evening of music and new friends! Our resident musician (and Fledglings preschool director) extraordinaire, Jayne Hastings, will get you singing along in no time while you enjoy piping hot flatbread pizza samples from our cob oven. What a great way to spend a beautiful summer evening!
In addition to our programs feel free to come enjoy Prescott Farm’s 160 acre property at your own leisure. Views of the Belknap Mountain Range and Lake Winnipesaukee can be seen while out exploring it. On our property you will find hiking trails, gardens, ponds and streams, a barn, Center (main building – open daily from 9-4pm) a Sugar House and Natural Playscape. The trails, Playscape and gardens are open to explore daily from dawn to dusk at no cost. Make a day of it and bring a picnic lunch!
The Playscape is a wonderful addition to Prescott Farm and allows families to play in the natural world together. In our Natural Playscape you will find a Forest Kitchen, Tree House, Music and Loose Parts areas, Teepee, Hill Slide, Tree Swing, Fairy House building area, Bear and Owl chainsaw-sculpted critters, and more! Benches are located throughout the Playscape so families and friends can relax and watch their children play. The outskirts of the Playscape feature native plants and herbs.
The Center is open from 9-4pm daily, Monday through Sunday. In the Center you will find Prescott Farm gear for purchase, restrooms, information on our upcoming programs and events, “explorer backpacks” that you can borrow and take out on the trails, and more! Binoculars and field guides are also available to borrow and take out on the trails with you. While you are hiking and exploring you will most likely see some of the Wildlife that call Prescott Farm “home”. From turkeys to deer and moose, you never know what you may see while exploring the property!
Prescott Farm offers public programs designed to encourage environmental exploration for all ages; field trips; WildQuest Day Camps (during school vacation weeks – Feb., April & June-August); a Naturalist in the Classroom program which fosters long-term partnerships with local elementary schools; and Fledglings, a nature-based preschool. The 160 acre historic family farm features woodland and field trails, historic barns, an old-fashioned maple sugaring operation during the month of March, heritage gardens, and a forested pond. Prescott Farm is open year round, seven days a week from 9:00 – 4:00PM. Hiking trails and our Natural Playscape are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk.
To view Prescott Farm’s calendar of programs and events or to download a trail map please check out our website at www.prescottfarm.org. Registration is required for all of our programs and can be made online or by calling us at 603-366-5695. We look forward to you visiting us soon!
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