Junior Hawk Watch: Beautiful Buteos | Homeschool Happenings
September 16, 2026 · 10:00 AM · Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1700 Hawk Mountain Rd, Kempton · Designed for K-12 students; price covers one parent and one child, with a rate for additional children
About the event
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary welcomes homeschooling families to the Mountain for a morning built around buteos, the broad-winged soaring hawks that ride rising air on their way south. The session mixes indoor, hands-on activity with time outside, then heads out on the trail to South Lookout to scan the sky for birds catching thermals overhead.
The timing suits the topic. In autumn at Hawk Mountain, about 95 percent of migrating Broad-winged Hawks pass through during a two-week stretch in mid-September, and the species soars extensively in thermals and mountain updrafts. Students learn what makes these hawks such capable long-distance travelers, then put that knowledge to work watching for the birds themselves.
This is part of a monthly series for homeschooled students that follows the phenology of the Appalachian forest ecosystem, tracking how the seasons shape life on the ridge. Programs are designed for K-12 students, so a range of ages can take part together. Bring shoes suited to a walk on the trail and layers for the lookout.
