Community Spotlight: Hitchcock Center
Meet our October 2026 Community Spotlight organization: the Hitchcock Center for the Environment
When was your organization founded and for what purpose was it established?
The Hitchcock Center for the Environment was founded in 1962 by Ethel Dubois, a retired guidance counselor who was inspired by the work of Rachel Carson.
Ethel believed that children should have opportunities to experience the natural world and develop a sense of wonder and connection to nature. She purchased a farm in Leverett and, with a small group of volunteers, began offering summer camp and nature programs, primarily for children from Holyoke and Springfield who had limited access to those experiences.
What began as the Long Plain Nature Center grew over the following decades into the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, expanding its programs to schools and communities throughout the Pioneer Valley. More than 60 years later, that original belief in the power of connection to nature remains at the heart of our work.
How would you describe the impact of the work your organization does?
We believe environmental education can help people move from feeling disconnected or overwhelmed by environmental challenges to feeling curious, capable, and hopeful.
Each year, the Hitchcock Center reaches more than 13,000 people throughout the Connecticut River Valley and beyond. Children explore forests, fields, ponds, and gardens; students investigate real-world environmental challenges; teachers gain tools to bring sustainability and ecological thinking into their classrooms; teens develop leadership skills; and adults come together to learn about nature, climate, and sustainability.
Our Living Building is an important part of that work. It gives people a chance to see sustainable design in action and to experience a building that functions as a teaching tool.
Ultimately, our impact is about more than the number of people we serve. We want people to leave Hitchcock feeling more connected to the natural world and more confident that they have a role to play in creating a healthier future.
Learn more about their Living Building
What program or project are you most excited about developing/expanding over the coming years, and why?
We are excited to continue expanding our work that connects environmental education, climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice.
In particular, we want to create more opportunities for young people to develop the skills and confidence to become leaders in their communities. Our programs give young people opportunities to investigate real environmental challenges, design and test solutions, work collaboratively, and understand how their choices and actions connect to larger ecological and social systems.
We are also excited to deepen our partnerships with schools and communities that have historically had less access to environmental education. We believe that everyone deserves meaningful opportunities to connect with nature and develop the tools to shape a healthy future.
What is one simple thing an individual can do to make a difference in the lives of the folks you serve?
Spend more time outside, and pay attention to the place where you live.
You don't need to be an environmental expert to begin. Take a walk, notice the plants and animals around you, learn the name of a tree, listen to birds, visit a local park, or spend time sitting quietly outdoors.
That sense of connection matters. When we develop a relationship with a place, we are more likely to care about what happens to it — and to recognize that we are part of the natural systems that sustain us.
How can the community get involved in your work?
We would especially love to welcome members of the Sanctuary community to visit Hitchcock and explore our Living Building, grounds, and trails. For those interested in supporting our work, information about giving can be found through our website.
Our annual Hitchcock Harvest celebration will also take place on Sunday, October 18, 2026, bringing our community together for an afternoon of celebration, learning, food, and connection.
