The Art of Pressed Flowers and Dried Botanicals
2026-08-23 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Join us for this exciting new workshop where we will explore the art of flower pressing, drying, and decorative uses as well as botanical growing tips. This class is perfect for both new and experienced crafters, gardeners, decorators, and everyone in between.
The use of recyclable and compostable materials when crafting has ecological benefits for reducing plastic waste and carbon emissions, especially when materials are collected locally and sustainably to help preserve wildlife habitat. We’ll connect with nature while learning a fun new skill!
Learn the basics of flower pressing to preserve treasured botanicals from your garden. Methods of flower pressing will be shared where you will learn which flowers are easy to press and which are not, and how to prepare them for pressing. Example uses of pressed flowers will be displayed, and resources for additional tips on pressing botanicals will be shared. Interested in making your own press? See an example along with a list of materials for an easy DIY project that will get you hooked on botanical pressing in no time!
After we talk about pressing, we will dive into discussing how dried flowers, leaves, seedpods and more can be useful in arrangements and crafts of all kinds. We’ll also discuss how to grow the best native and pollinator-friendly flowers for preservation, wildlife-friendly tips for sustainable harvesting, and eco-friendly methods that will help botanicals last for years. We’ll explore how these materials can be used in everything from spring displays to holiday wreaths.
Note; we will not be crafting during this class. Expect to take home resources to help put your new knowledge into practice.
Presenters:
UNH Extension Advanced Master Gardener Doris Buco
UNH Extension Master Gardener Patti Elwell
Doris and Patti are NH Audubon Massabesic Center garden volunteers and contribute their designs and dried flowers to the annual holiday wreath program. Their wealth of experience, down to earth kindness, and dedication to NH Audubon’s mission are sure to make this class an exceptionally fun and informative event.
Logistics:
This lecture-style presentation will take place indoors, in the main conference room at the Massabesic Center.
Dress for the weather for the short, easy walk from the dirt parking lot to the building, and for optional outdoor exploration of the gardens. We encourage participants to enjoy the gardens after the program concludes. The garden trail is a short distance walk over flat-packed gravel. Muddy conditions may be present, especially if you choose to walk into the grassy areas surrounding some garden spaces. An email will be sent out the day before the program with weather expectations and other details. This program will take place rain or shine.
This program is intended for adults. Children are welcome, however in the event of disruptions, we ask that children are accompanied by a guardian to enjoy the Nature Lab or gardens until the presentation concludes. Accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
Cost:
$10 for NH Audubon members
$15 for non-members
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.
Registration is required by August 20. If you miss the registration deadline, please email Kimmie Whiteman to inquire about availability. Walk-ins will be accepted if space allows, but late registrants may miss pre-workshop or cancellation communications. Limit 25 attendees.
PayPal Disclaimer:
NH Audubon’s ticket system utilizes PayPal to process payments. Users are not required to use PayPal to check out; a guest option is provided. PayPal is a trusted way to pay online.
Refund Policy:
All ticket sales are final. All ticket fees support NH Audubon’s mission.

Gifts of the Garden: Q&A Sessions
2026-09-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Visit the Massabesic Center to meet the people who are outstanding in their fields and know all the dirt. No need to herb your enthusiasm! Bring your pressing questions about plants, find your inner peas, discover inspiration for laying down roots at home, or just dig the blooms!
Our volunteer team of University of New Hampshire Extension Master Gardeners enjoy connecting with our visitors and sharing what it takes to create and maintain the luscious, wildlife-friendly gardens at Massabesic. The gardens on site include pollinator and bird-friendly plants, a rain garden space, vegetable and herb gardens, raised beds, wheelchair-accessible beds, and more. As an ongoing partnership between New Hampshire Audubon and University of New Hampshire Extension’s Master Gardener Program, Massabesic’s Demonstration Gardens provide a place for sharing best practices in eco-friendly home and community gardening, which enhance human health and well-being and wildlife habitat.
This informal drop-in style event during a volunteer workday is the perfect opportunity to learn how you can create similar garden spaces in your own backyard, whether you have an acre or a patio pot. Curious about what plants might work well in full sun or full shade? What plants attract birds and pollinators? How can you grow vegetables for yourself, while being friendly to the local wildlife who might want to share your crops?
This event is also the perfect time to learn about getting involved in volunteer gardening opportunities at the Massabesic Center.
Logistics:
You can arrive any time between 9am and 11am. As you approach the front entrance of the main building, follow the All-Persons Trail to the right, around the back of the building. The trail will lead you into the gardens, where you’ll find UNH Extension Master Gardeners wearing nametags while working. They’ll be expecting you, so please strike up a conversation and let the plants be your guide!
Dress for the weather. The All-Persons Trail pathway is flat packed gravel suitable for wheelchairs and most mobility devices. Some portions of the gardens are grassy or mulched. The parking lot is primarily dirt and some areas may be muddy or puddled after rains. Sunscreen and personal insect repellant are recommended. Don’t forget your camera!
Building hours (and bathroom access) are 11am to 5pm. Visit the gift shop and meet our animal ambassadors after you spend your morning exploring the gardens.
This event is free to attend. Please RSVP before September 2 to help us get a headcount of how many people to expect. Walk-ins are welcome but may miss cancellation communications. Gardeners will not be on site during inclement weather.
Children are welcome! Special accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.

Massabesic Gardens Tour
2026-09-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Join us for an intimate guided tour of the gardens at the Massabesic Center in Auburn. We will lead you on a fun ramble of the grounds, and dig into the history, upkeep, and future of each of our unique garden spaces.
You’ll learn about NH Audubon’s partnership with the University of New Hampshire Extension’s Master Gardener Program to create Demonstration Gardens that provide a place for sharing best practices in eco-friendly home and community gardening, for human health and well-being and wildlife habitat. These gardens include spaces for pollinators, birds, butterflies, veggies, rainwater, and an ornamental space that serves as the backdrop for wedding ceremonies.
You’ll learn about our community partnership with the Massabesic Garden Club and their efforts to rehabilitate the space lovingly called the Barn Garden. Discover our plan for expanding the Garden for the Senses and take a peaceful pause in the Cathy Small Memorial Garden.
You’ll leave with an appreciation for the hard work that goes into our spaces by the team of over 40 volunteers who maintain our gardens and grounds. We’ll provide information for upcoming educational workshops and ways you can get involved with volunteering in our gardens.
This tour will take place outdoors in the gardens surrounding the buildings at the Massabesic Center. We will meet in front of the entrance to the main building. Bathrooms and drinking fountains will be available at the beginning and end of the tour.
Dress for the weather. There is a short, easy walk from the dirt parking lot, across paved asphalt to the building. Most of the tour will take place on flat packed gravel that is suitable for most mobility devices including walkers and wheelchairs. Some portions of the tour will cross nearby grassy areas.
This program is intended for adults, but children are very welcome! Special accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
Bring your camera, sunscreen, bug spray, and questions about creating pollinator habitat at your home.
This event is free to attend. Please RSVP by September 6 to help us get a headcount of how many people to expect. If you miss the RSVP deadline, email Kimmie Whiteman to inquire about availability. Walk-ins will be accepted if space allows, but late registrants may miss pre-workshop or cancellation communications. The tour will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Limit 25 attendees.
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.

Rain Gardens – A Beautiful Way to Capture the Rain
2026-09-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
A rain garden is a beautiful landscape feature designed to capture the rain and allow it to soak into the ground. Did you know that rain gardens help reduce water pollution? Join us to learn all about rain gardens, including why people are loving them, how to build them, which plants to use, and more. We’ll briefly touch on additional ways to capture the rain. After the presentation, we’ll head outside to see and further discuss the rain garden capturing runoff from the Massabesic Center’s roof.
Presenter:
Lisa Loosigian, Massabesic Garden Volunteer and former NHDES Soak Up the Rain NH Program Coordinator
Cost:
$10 for NH Audubon members and UNH Ext. Master Gardeners
$15 for non-members
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.
Registration required by September 19th. If you miss the registration deadline, please email Kimmie Whiteman to inquire about availability. Walk-ins will be accepted if space allows, but late registrants may miss pre-workshop or cancellation communications. Limit 30 attendees.
Logistics:
This presentation will take place both indoors and outdoors at the Massabesic Center. We will begin in the main conference room of the building.
Dress for the weather for the short, easy walk from the dirt parking lot to the building, and from the building to the rain garden. The trail to the garden is very short down a wooden ramp and a few steps across flat packed gravel that is suitable for most mobility devices including walkers and wheelchairs. Some grass and muddy conditions may be present, especially if you choose to wander further into the gardens after the program concludes. An email will be sent out the day before the program with weather expectations. This program will take place rain or shine.
This program is intended for adults. Children are welcome, however in the event of disruptions, we ask that children are accompanied by a guardian to enjoy the Nature Lab or gardens until the presentation concludes. Accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
This program is brought to you through an ongoing partnership between New Hampshire Audubon and University of New Hampshire Extension’s Master Gardener Program. The Demonstration Gardens at NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center provide a place for sharing best practices in eco-friendly home and community gardening, which enhance human health and well-being and wildlife habitat.
PayPal Disclaimer:
NH Audubon’s ticket system utilizes PayPal to process payments. Users are not required to use PayPal to check out; a guest option is provided. PayPal is a trusted way to pay online.

Gifts of the Garden: Q&A Sessions
2026-10-01 09:00 - 11:00 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Visit the Massabesic Center to meet the people who are outstanding in their fields and know all the dirt. No need to herb your enthusiasm! Bring your pressing questions about plants, find your inner peas, discover inspiration for laying down roots at home, or just dig the blooms!
Our volunteer team of University of New Hampshire Extension Master Gardeners enjoy connecting with our visitors and sharing what it takes to create and maintain the luscious, wildlife-friendly gardens at Massabesic. The gardens on site include pollinator and bird-friendly plants, a rain garden space, vegetable and herb gardens, raised beds, wheelchair-accessible beds, and more. As an ongoing partnership between New Hampshire Audubon and University of New Hampshire Extension’s Master Gardener Program, Massabesic’s Demonstration Gardens provide a place for sharing best practices in eco-friendly home and community gardening, which enhance human health and well-being and wildlife habitat.
This informal drop-in style event during a volunteer workday is the perfect opportunity to learn how you can create similar garden spaces in your own backyard, whether you have an acre or a patio pot. Curious about what plants might work well in full sun or full shade? What plants attract birds and pollinators? How can you grow vegetables for yourself, while being friendly to the local wildlife who might want to share your crops?
This event is also the perfect time to learn about getting involved in volunteer gardening opportunities at the Massabesic Center.
Logistics:
You can arrive any time between 9am and 11am. As you approach the front entrance of the main building, follow the All-Persons Trail to the right, around the back of the building. The trail will lead you into the gardens, where you’ll find UNH Extension Master Gardeners wearing nametags while working. They’ll be expecting you, so please strike up a conversation and let the plants be your guide!
Dress for the weather. The All-Persons Trail pathway is flat packed gravel suitable for wheelchairs and most mobility devices. Some portions of the gardens are grassy or mulched. The parking lot is primarily dirt and some areas may be muddy or puddled after rains. Sunscreen and personal insect repellant are recommended. Don’t forget your camera!
Building hours (and bathroom access) are 11am to 5pm. Visit the gift shop and meet our animal ambassadors after you spend your morning exploring the gardens.
This event is free to attend. Please RSVP before September 30 to help us get a headcount of how many people to expect. Walk-ins are welcome but may miss cancellation communications. Gardeners will not be on site during inclement weather.
Children are welcome! Special accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.

Seed Saving of Native Plants
2026-10-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH, United States
Discover the best practices for wild seed saving of native plants. While many seeds are available from commercial suppliers, preserving seeds of the plants around you helps promote wild, local ecotype varieties over cultivated hybrids, which often have lower-quality nectar and pollen content. We’ll dive into why the practice of seed saving, which dates back 1,000 years in human history, is so important. Learn how planting locally collected seeds can enhance native plant communities in your backyard and the wildlife these habitats support.
Saving and cultivating your own seeds is easy to do, but knowing what kinds of seeds to save, what they look like, when to harvest them, how to process and prepare them for storage is crucial to ensure successful germination. You’ll leave this class with the resources and knowledge to save seeds next growing season.
Presenters:
Donna Miller, UNH Extension Advanced Master Gardener
Stacey Scaccia, UNH Extension Master Gardener
Logistics:
This in-person workshop will take place both indoors and outdoors. The lecture portion will take place in the main conference room at the Massabesic Center. After the presentation, we’ll head outdoors to get hands-on collecting seeds in the gardens.
Dress for the weather for the short, easy walk from the dirt parking lot to the building, and for outdoor exploration of the gardens. The garden trail is a short distance walk over flat-packed gravel suitable for most mobility devices including walkers and wheelchairs. An email will be sent out the day before the program with weather expectations and other details. This program will take place rain or shine.
This program is intended for adults. Children are welcome, however in the event of disruptions, we ask that children are accompanied by a guardian to enjoy the Nature Lab or gardens until the presentation concludes. Accommodations for persons with limited mobility, sensory concerns, or other accessibility needs can be provided if you contact Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman in advance.
This program is brought to you through an on-going partnership between the University of New Hampshire Extension’s Master Gardener Program and New Hampshire Audubon. The Demonstration Gardens at NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center provide a place for sharing best practices in eco-friendly home and community gardening, which enhance human health and well-being and wildlife habitat.
Cost:
$10 for NH Audubon members and UNH Ext. Master Gardeners
$15 for non-members
Support our programs and join or renew your membership today! Not sure of your membership status? Email our member services department or call (603) 224-9909 x310.
Registration required by October 15th. If you miss the registration deadline, please email Kimmie Whiteman to inquire about availability. Walk-ins will be accepted if space allows, but late registrants may miss pre-workshop or cancellation communications. Limit 30 attendees.
PayPal Disclaimer:
NH Audubon’s ticket system utilizes PayPal to process payments. Users are not required to use PayPal to check out; a guest option is provided. PayPal is a trusted way to pay online.

NH Audubon Fourth Quarter Book Club Meeting - Rebugging the Planet: The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do And Why We Need to Love Them More by Vicki Hird
2026-11-12 18:00 - 19:30 | NH
Join us for the 2026 fourth quarter NH Audubon book club book discussion via Zoom of Rebugging the Planet. In this book, author Vicki Hird passionately demonstrates how insects and invertebrates are the cornerstone of our global ecosystem. They pollinate plants, feed birds, support and defend our food crops, and clean our water systems. They are also beautiful, inventive, and economically invaluable. Rebugging the Planet shows us small changes we can make to have a big impact on our littlest allies. The meeting, facilitated by Community Outreach Coordinator Anita Fernandez, will focus on themes, reactions, and takeaways from this book.
Purchase this title through NH Audubon’s Nature Stores (at the Massabesic or McLane Center) and mention the book club to receive a 10% discount. If you purchase all four 2026 book club books, you will receive an even larger discount. You can also purchase this title online at https://nh-audubon-nature-store.myshopify.com/products/rebugging-the-planet-by-vicki-hird.
The other book club books and their meeting dates are as follows:

March 12, 2026 – Everyone’s Trash: One Man Against 1.6 Billion Pounds by Duncan Watson
May 14, 2026 – The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris Sweeney
August 13, 2026 – Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian

Please RSVP below and you will receive the Zoom link and a list of discussion questions before the meeting.
