Clapp Memorial Library

Full STEAM Ahead
2026-04-02 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-09 15:30 - 17:00, 2026-04-16 15:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Full STEAM Ahead – Afterschool Club
Dates; March 19th – April 16th Thursdays
Time: 3:30 pm to 5 pm
Ages: 8 to 11
Students ages 8 to 11 are invited to register for this afterschool series. Full STEAM Ahead will inspire kids to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) through interactive activities and problem-solving challenges, all while learning about the value of persistence and creativity.
Each session will begin with a book that will lead to a creative activity such as building mazes for Hex Bugs, creating with Lego, inventing with Makey, Makey kits, dissecting owl pellets, drawing maps, and much more! We will play games, sing some songs, practice some breathing to help with focus, and explore with arts and crafts.
Registration is required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/Njhw535LBXRq1E4j7. Children under the age of 10 years must have a caregiver who is 14 years or older on the Library premises. Students who are 10 or 11 years old that would like bus transportation from a Belchertown Public School should contact Jennifer Whitehead, jwhitehead@cwmars.org

Mindfulness Meditation
2026-04-02 19:00 - 20:15, 2026-04-09 19:00 - 20:15, 2026-04-16 19:00 - 20:15, 2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:15, 2026-04-30 19:00 - 20:15 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Clapp Memorial Library is once again offering a Mindfulness Meditation and Stress Reduction Awareness course. The eight-week introductory course starts on Thursday, March 12 from 7:00pm-8:15pm and runs every Thursday through April 30. The course is designed to teach and practice mindfulness-based skills. Mindfulness meditation skills teach us to be fully present in the moment and, when practiced regularly, help decrease stress levels and improve general well-being and health. Skills covered in the course are gentle and free of judgment. Because each session of this course builds on the previous week, we ask that you register only if you are able to attend all sessions.
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/mGhrxGTcd1D77ift6. If you have any questions please email clapp@cwmars.org
This course will be taught by Magda Bechar, a retired nursing professor who has taught mindfulness meditation skills to many groups, including at the Clapp Memorial Library, for many years.
Sessions will take place on the main library floor, except for April 2, which will take place in the Activity Room.

Ukulele Play Along (Virtual Event)
2026-04-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-04 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-06-01 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-03 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-07 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-10-05 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-11-02 19:00 - 20:00 and 1 more date | Virtual, MA
Strum along with the Ukulele Play Along on the first Monday every month!
Grab your ukulele and play along – because playing your ukulele is more fun when you do it with others. We’ll be focusing on 3 and 4 chord songs, with lyrics and chords provided on screen. Participants will be muted, so don’t worry about how you sound!
To join, email Julie Stepanek (julie@musicjulie.com) for the Zoom link and to receive the songs for the program. Don’t have a Ukulele? Don’t worry – you can borrow one from us!

Smartphone Photography
2026-04-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Saturday, April 11 – Smartphone Photography with Linda Repasky
Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State Street (behind the police station).
The classroom session will be from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by outdoor practical sessions at Lake Wallace (weather dependent), so come prepared to walk a short distance to Lake Wallace and spend some time outside!
ViewFinder workshops are open to anyone, you do not have to be a Belchertown resident. Seats are limited, and registration is required. Click here to sign up.
Instructor: Linda Repasky
Linda is a Belchertown resident who enjoys capturing the beauty of local natural resources with her iPhone. She particularly enjoys exploring around the Quabbin Reservoir, as well as pursuing macro photography to capture the tiny details in nature that are so easy to overlook. Her iPhone photos have received recognition in numerous international photography competitions. You can see her work on Instagram @lindarepaskyphotography

Photography for Beginners
2026-04-18 09:00 - 11:00 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Saturday, April 18 – Photography for Beginners with Ed Comeau
The classroom session will be from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by outdoor practical sessions at Lake Wallace (weather dependent), so come prepared to walk a short distance to Lake Wallace and spend some time outside!
ViewFinder workshops are open to anyone, you do not have to be a Belchertown resident. Seats are limited, and registration is required. Click here to sign up.
Instructor: Ed Comeau
Ed’s interest in photography goes back many years, but upon moving to Belchertown over 25 years ago this interest reached a whole new level with his proximity to the Quabbin Reservoir and access to the beauty of Western Massachusetts. While he can often be found sitting in some remote part of the Quabbin, waiting for wildlife to come his way, has also explored Maine, Alaska, and Colorado, resulting in a number of beautiful landscape and wildlife photographs. A number of local businesses have exhibited his works and his photographs have appeared in several calendars. He is a member of the Friends of the Quabbin Board of Directors, the Program Director of the Quabbin Photo Group, and has been an instructor for the Belchertown ViewFinder project since its inception. You can find his work at www.ComeauPhotography.com and on Instagram @edcomeauphotography.

Ditch the Plastic - Using a soil blocker for seed starting
2026-04-21 16:30 - 18:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Soil blocking is a method of creating cubes of soil to hold and germinate seeds. Come learn about the benefits of soil blocking and make some soil blocks to take home. Space is limited and registration is required to attend. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/Zay35MSA6FUg7YQ49
The soil for the program was generously donated by the Gardener’s Supply Company in Hadley.

Advanced Nature Photography
2026-04-25 09:00 - 11:00 | Parks & Recreation, 66 State Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Saturday, April 25 – Advanced Nature Photography with Mark Lindhult
The classroom session will be from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by outdoor practical sessions at Lake Wallace (weather dependent), so come prepared to walk a short distance to Lake Wallace and spend some time outside!
ViewFinder workshops are open to anyone, you do not have to be a Belchertown resident. Seats are limited, and registration is required. Click here to sign up.
Instructor: Mark Lindhult
Mark’s passion in photography is capturing the beauty of nature and the unique behaviors of birds and wildlife in their environment. As a Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Principle Emeritus at The Berkshire Design Group and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, he brings his knowledge of landscape, ecology, design and composition to inform his photography and advocate for habitat preservation. His photographs have been exhibited at UMass Amherst in the Design Building Gallery, the US Fish and Wildlife Headquarters Gallery, Cooley Dickinson Hospital Gallery, Franklin Medical Center Gallery and the Baystate Medical Center Gallery. He has also granted permission to several non-profit groups to use his photographs in newsletters, reports, note cards and postcards, including the Friends of Quabbin, the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and the Kestrel Land Trust.. You can see his work on his website at www.MarkLindhult.com.

An Introduction to Nature Photography for Children
2026-05-05 15:15 - 17:00, 2026-05-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Chestnut Hill Community School, 59 State St, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
There will be two ViewFinder photography workshops for children. These will be open to children 4 years old and above. Children up to the sixth grade must be accompanied and assisted by an adult. Maximum group size is 6 children. Click here to register.
Location: The School Garden in front of the Swift River Elementary School
Instructor: Holly is interested in the colors, forms, and patterns displayed throughout the diversity of life. She believes that photography allows us to look more thoughtfully and carefully at all of nature’s beauty, big and small. She volunteers with students at Swift River Elementary and in the Belchertown School Garden.
