This month in “The Ripple: Stories About Western MA Rivers,” Hilltown Families Contributing Writer, Kurt Heidinger, writes about river access .Check out his 5 pointers on how to river walk, preventing a wipe out due to slippery rocks and strong current…
Tag Archives: Pioneer Valley
The Ripple: Insects of Spring
Before May Flies, Meet the Mayfly Imagine never getting swarmed and bit by mayflies as you revel in the vivacities unleashed by the ubiquitous green fountain of spring. Imagine gardening, or hiking, or simply sitting on a park bench without having to constantly swat and flinch and keep from going mad as the mayflies crawl […]
For Over 250 Years, Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum Brings Culture & More to the Pioneer Valley
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum Opens for 2013 Season The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, an historic house museum dating to 1752 in Hadley, MA opens today (Wednesday, May 15) for its 64th season, and will continue their summer music engagement series, Wednesday Folk Traditions and A Perfect Spot of Tea this summer. Known as Forty Acres, the museum is an […]
Community Conversation: Talking to Your Kids About Sex, Part 3
Hilltown Families presents… “Puberty for Parents” part of the Talking to Your Kids About Sex Series of Community Conversations with Brooke Norton Held at Cup & Top Café in Florence Tuesday, May 21st from 6:30-8:30pm Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified […]
Local History: Greenfield Home to First Dinosaur Museum in the Country!
Greenfield’s Lost Museum: Dexter Marsh and the Dinosaur Tracks Many local people know that Dexter Marsh (1806-1853), quarrier — stonemason, janitor, handyman, and jack-of-all-trades in 19th-century Greenfield, MA — was among the first to discover dinosaur footprints, but how many know that he opened one of the first dinosaur museums in the country? In 1835, […]
Debut of Parenting Green: Earth Friendly Ideas for Raising a Family!
No Seat Belts My nine year old rides the public transit bus to school, with no adult chaperone. Just with some classmates, typically some war vets, and sometimes a doughnut in hand, this is how she experiences the responsibility of being on time. As well as the reward of it: the once a week ‘doughnut […]
The Ripple: The Magic of Spring Peepers. The Science of Vernal Pools
How do spring peepers know when to start singing? How do spring peepers know when to start singing? They don’t have weather reports, or the ability to see the buds forming on trees, the snow melting, or teens walking around in shorts and T’s when it’s 40 degrees and climbing. Certainly, there are scientific reasons […]
History of Transportation in the Pioneer Valley
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles History of Transportation in the Pioneer Valley One of the best ways to learn about the changes that historical events and innovative inventions create is by studying local history. By learning about broad concepts and eras within history, we can gain an understanding of how things changed on a large scale. […]
1800′s Journal Unfolds Online, Sharing Western MA History
Blogging the Days in the Life of William Cobbett Skinner 1888 Journal is posted online as the year unfolds. In 1888, William Cobbett Skinner was 31 years old, working under his father’s guidance at Skinner and Sons Manufacturing in Holyoke, MA. Wistariahurst Museum’s blog entries will track Will’s 1888 journal. Each week new entries will […]
5 Resources to Supplement & Support Asian Studies in the Pioneer Valley this Winter
Asian Studies Supplemented in the Pioneer Valley Exhibit, Educator Workshop, Guided Tours, Performance Art & Free Family Day Educational opportunities are numerous over the next few months for those interested in teaching and learning about Asian art! The Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, MA will be opening a new exhibit on Asian art […]