ATHOL — Sitting in his office at the Millers River Environmental Center, Athol Bird and Nature Club President David Small can remember exactly when the organization started.

After all, he was there.

For the last six decades, the Athol Bird and Nature Club has been holding field trips and forums about the environment of the North Quabbin region. In November, the club will hold a special event to celebrate this milestone.

“You know, we’re on a safe track,” Small said on Thursday. “We haven’t gone off on wild things except that we look at weird stuff all the time. So that’s always fun.”

A lesson in nature

The nonprofit Athol Bird and Nature Club was originally a science club at the Athol Junior High School started in 1963 by science teacher Robert Coyle. Back then, the club was a spin-off of the science curriculum, which included studies in astronomy, geology, geography and field ornithology, according to the club’s website. Small joined a year later, and recalls it being a very interesting experience, particularly the competition to see who could be the best bird identifier, or birder, with a field trip in May as the prize. This competition began within the club and spread to other classes, with the winner’s names going on a board.

“We actually wound up birding with people of different classes, because you wanted to be the one in your class to get your name on the board,” Small said.

When Coyle retired in 1988, Small became president, a role he has remained in since.

“Apparently, I’m still president,” he said with a laugh.

After that, the club moved around to different locations before finding a new home at the Millers River Environmental Center. Other locations included the Harvard Forest and Fisher Museum, a Legion hall and Elks lodge, and the Community Church of North Orange, where annual dinner meetings were held. The club’s massive collection was housed in Memorial Hall in Orange and later with the Orange Historical Society. It was in 1999 that the club and its collection came to the Millers River Environmental Center.

Small is thankful for Athol’s many years of support.

“The town’s been very generous with us, they did help us with the new lift,” he said. “That was actually, probably an $80,000 investment in the building. But that gave us two floors to actively utilize and be accessible to everybody.”

The outdoors, indoors

Within the three floors at the Millers River Environmental Center, all sorts of natural curiosities can be found. In several rooms there are mounted birds from the Forbush collection, including copies of his three-book series, “Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States.” In others, there are mounted birds and animals of all kinds, and in the club’s meeting room, a moose head that Small believes came from Maine is on one wall. In a basement, the club’s geology division is hard at work cataloging and identifying various stones found all over the North Quabbin region.

Outside, there are a series of panels with high-resolution photos depicting different aspects of the North Quabbin area, from the animals and environments to the Indigenous peoples who lived there. Each one has a QR code that links to a page on the club’s website, providing more information. Small said the club is forward-thinking when it comes to incorporating technology.

Over the years, numerous improvements have been made to the building, either through money provided by the town or through Green Communities grants.

“We’ve done installation, we’ve done some upgrades to the boiler system and whatnot,” Small said. “And actually, our fuel consumption has dropped probably almost to half of what it was when I first got here.”

A vast membership

From its beginnings in a high school classroom, the club now boasts 263 members. Many of those who were part of the club when it was at Athol Junior High School are still members and live all over, Small said. Events can draw quite a crowd, such as the recent Moth Ball, which had 60 people show up, including some from Spain; Nashville, Tennessee; and Sacramento, California. There was also a group of graduate students from Harvard University and Boston University.

Small said the interest range is quite diverse, ranging from plants and birds to butterflies and dragonflies. There are several programs for children as well, along with a garden and nature journal club.

“There’s always something new going on,” Small said.

Much has changed in the natural world since the club was founded. Small recalled when turkey vultures, cardinals and red-bellied woodpeckers first came to the area, but cited other species that have seen a significant reduction.

“It’s not for the best. It’s really our insect-eating birds that are really taking the biggest hit,” he said.

When asked about the club’s impact on the community, Small said it can be seen when a conservation-related article comes up at Town Meeting, as it’s always passed quickly. He said the club has always had a good relationship with the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust and they try to include everyone.

Small added that the subjects they explore never stay on just one topic.

“I think there’s a strong ethic for conservation in the area,” Small said. “We embraced sportsmen and we embrace all the things. We’re all in this together.”

For more information on the Athol Bird and Nature Club, visit atholbirdclub.org.

Max Bowen can be reached at 413-930-4074 or at mbowen@recorder.com.

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