Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center piqued my curiosity for a while. It is close to the main boat launch at the channel connecting Big Squam and Little Squam, and the signs had always reminded me to keep it on my radar.

Having already had a great time on a “Squam Lake Cruise”, we figured why not learn more about New Hampshire’s wildlife and animal habitats?

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About

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center includes an impressive network of trails, exhibits, buildings, and animals. The entryway is somewhat deceiving as to the actual number of acres it covers.

Mission Statement

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is a non-profit with the mission “To advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world.”

The Center offers numerous exhibits covering ecology, animals, wetlands, birds, water resources, geology, and much more.

The Science Center maintains strict guidelines for the selection, care, and management of the animals in their exhibits. Most are orphaned, injured, or unable to survive on their own in the wild. You can learn about their philosophy on captive animals through this hyperlink.

Squam Lake Cruises

Squam Lake Cruises is also part of their offerings and they have a number of trips to match interests. Trips range from a general Discover Squam to Naturalist, Eagle Adventure, Loon Cruise, Private Tours, and Group Tours. We enjoyed the Discover Squam cruise where we learned about the lake’s history, Squam Lakes Association, and the surrounding mountain ranges. We were lucky enough to catch a baby eagle taking flight and view loons with their baby chicks.

Exhibits

The number of exhibits and variety of wildlife is impressive and interesting. There is definitely plenty to keep you busy exploring for several hours. The interactive exhibits keep things active and engaging. There seemed to be a number of kids groups that were absolutely enjoying themselves.

The live “critter cams” provide live views of wildlife from New Hampshire and Maine in their natural habitats.

Raptor Exhibit

The Raptor exhibit included eagles, owls, hawks, and other amazing birds. There is a fun interactive sound dish exhibit that simulates the sensitivity of an owl’s hearing. The two dishes are about 60′ apart yet you can talk back and forth in almost a whisper.

This link to “exhibit animals” will give you the full range of animals that are available to learn about and view. We enjoyed white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, songbirds, raptors, amphibians, fish, and more during our visit.

There is a fun “predator-prey” playground for the kids that was busy when we walked through.

Whether you are a single adult or a family with kids, the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is well worth a visit. Add in a Squam Lake Cruise to tie it all together for a memorable trip to New Hampshire’s Lakes Region!

Check out more of New Hampshire’s beautiful Lakes Region with my post on Big Squam Lake.

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Until the next post: “Live Free and Explore!”