The Nature Connection

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Concord, MA
The Nature Connection

Small nature center that specializes in therapeutic nature programs to support the human spirit through plants & small animals.

We travel to memory care units, group homes, day centers, and therapeutic/special education schools. Since 1983, The Nature Connection has been a leader in nature-based programming and works to create a world in which the therapeutic and educational benefits of nature are accessible to all, regardless of location, demographics, personal abilities, or socioeconomic status. While we all benefit from

access to nature, The Nature Connection primarily works with residential facilities, day programs, therapeutic schools, and after-school programs to bring the benefits of nature directly to youth at-risk, low-income families, children and adults living with disabilities, and elders with memory loss or other cognitive impairments. Our programming goals are to improve participants’ psychological and social wellbeing while fostering environmental responsibility and cultivating an understanding of the human-nature relationship.

06/18/2026

🐚Join us to explore the Ocean at our next Memory Café.
📆Friday, June 19th
🕰️11:00-12:00
📍The Nature Connection, located at 80 Beharrell St. Concord, MA

During this FREE event for people living with dementia and their caregivers, Carol will guide the group through an interactive conversation and hands-on connection with natural materials from the ocean. Come explore shells, sand, and live hermit crabs 🦀

No registration required

06/12/2026

Looking for a meaningful summer volunteer opportunity? 🌱

Join The Nature Connection this summer as a Teen Volunteer!

We’re looking for high school students ages 16–18 to help facilitate therapeutic nature programs in nursing homes, memory care units, and day programs for elders and adults with disabilities.

Volunteers support one-on-one engagement through:
🍂 Seasonal natural materials
🌼 Nature observations & conversation
🎨 Expressive arts activities
🖐️ Sensory experiences
💚 Listening and connecting with participants

You’ll gain experience in communication, facilitation, and community engagement — while helping create spaces where people feel seen, connected, and inspired.

📍 Programs take place throughout Greater Boston & Middlesex County
📅 July & August weekday programs
📌 Mandatory training: June 26, 2026 in Concord, MA

Applications are open now:
https://www.nature-connection.org/teen-volunteers/

06/10/2026

Can you name this flower?🌷

Thanks to Concord Flower Shop we were given a beautiful array of flowers for our weekly programs. This show stopper got so many questions and comments.

While some participants said the center looked like baby chicks in a nest 🪹 Others thought of old milk bottles 🍶

What do you see? 👀

06/03/2026

Did you know bumblebees can recognize flowers by scent alone? Even after visiting them just once! 🐝🌸

In many ways, we witness that same kind of recognition during our programs.
Through color, scent, and delicate texture, flowers shift the atmosphere of a space, inviting people to slow down, notice, and engage. At our program sites we notice as soon as the vases are set out, participants lean in. Hands reach toward petals, and deep breaths follow as familiar scents are taken in slowly and intentionally.

Fresh flowers are a simple but powerful part of nearly every visit. For many of the people we serve, flowers are not something they encounter often, making these moments of connection especially meaningful. Participants are able to experience flowers up close, often holding a stem, noticing textures, or recognizing a scent that sparks curiosity and memory.

Whether donated or gathered locally, each arrangement becomes something participants look forward to and share together. 🌿

Share you favorite flower or a favorite pic in the comments below! 🌻🌷

05/22/2026

Spend your summer making meaningful intergenerational connections through nature 🌿

The Nature Connection is seeking teen volunteers (ages 16–18) to support our therapeutic nature-based programs for elders and adults with disabilities throughout Greater Boston and Middlesex County.

Teen volunteers help facilitate conversation and engagement by sharing seasonal natural materials, supporting expressive arts and sensory activities, listening to participants’ stories, and helping create moments of confidence, comfort, curiosity, and connection.

This is a wonderful opportunity for teens who:
🍃 Love nature
💬 Enjoy connecting with people
🎨 Are interested in expressive arts or sensory activities
❤️ Want to make a meaningful impact in their community

Programs run weekdays in July & August.

Learn more and apply:
https://www.nature-connection.org/teen-volunteers/

Questions? Email [email protected]

05/20/2026

What an incredible afternoon spent exploring, learning, and connecting in nature together. 🌿

One of the things that make The Nature Connection so unique is the way we create opportunities for our volunteers to experience the same sense of curiosity, community, and connection that we strive to bring into all of our programs. 💚

Last week during our Volunteer Appreciation event, Clinical Herbalist and Community Educator, Mo Katz-Christy led us on a medicinal plant walk at Lexington Community Farm

During our walk, we explored and learned about:

🌿Yarrow, and how it supports circulation
🌿 Yellow Dock, and how it supports the gut
🌿 Nettle, and it's histamine and magnesium support
🌿Motherwort, and its calming and grounding properties

Just to name a few!

Moments like these are one of the ways we pour back into the people who support our mission. Our volunteers are an essential part of the work we do, and we love creating opportunities for them to connect, grow, and experience the same joy and wellness we strive to bring to the community every day.

Whether you love nature, want to meet like-minded people, are looking for meaningful ways to give back, or simply want more moments like this in your life, we would love to welcome you.

Because volunteering can look like learning the names of wild plants on a sunny afternoon, sharing stories on the farm, laughing together, and leaving feeling a little more grounded than when you arrived. 💚

Interested in volunteering with The Nature Connection? We would love to hear from you! https://www.nature-connection.org/volunteering/

05/18/2026

What a beautiful weekend for Spring Into West Concord Day with West Concord Village Community! Thanks to our partnership with the local cultural council, our community enjoyed a Storywalk(TM) from downtown, to Brookside Square where Nature's Playground provided crafts, games, and activities for everyone to enjoy!

With Spring in full swing, what nature-based activities to you have planned?

05/15/2026

Spring Into West Concord on Saturday for music, shopping, a story walk, and come play in Nature's Playground!

You can find The Nature Connection by the Guitar Museum where a Storywalk will be set up to read on your way down to Brookside Square, where children can enjoy free play with nature-based items and experiences 🫧🌱🎶

Stop in and say, hello to our bunnies, chinchillas, guinea pigs, and more! We hope to see you there!

05/12/2026

We are still buzzing from Trivia Night at Concord's Colonial Inn with Tom Rutledge Presents! Thank you for all the support, curiosity, and for raising the bar for Concord's collective nature knowledge 🧑‍🏫

Address

80 Beharrell Street, Suite D
Concord, MA
01742

Opening Hours

12pm - 4pm

Website

http://www.nature-connection.org/

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