Experience the beautiful scenery, crisp air and changing and vibrant colors of Appleton Farms in the fall as you enjoy a hayride across ths idyllic property. Rides will depart every twenty minutes between 12-4pm on weekends and 4-7pm on Fridays. Space is limited, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
The annual Topsfield Fall Foliage Classic Road Race offers a 5 Miler and 5K that loop through beautiful Topsfield, MA. Each has one hilly section at the beginning but course is mostly flat. The race features prizes for the top 3 finishers on each course, as well as raffles and finish line food and fun!
Wetlands are known for their rich variety of plant and animal life. Come explore Bunker Meadow Pond and the Ipswich River for a close-up look at a place where hundreds of hungry creatures are always on the hunt. Using nets and other collecting equipment, we'll dip into the water, sweep through the weeds, and scoop up some mud to discover the creatures that live there. Wear boots if you have them. For kids ages 3-11.
Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the North Shore. Joppa Flats' engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!
Walk the beach in Ipswich Massachusetts under the full moon with naturalists from Joppa Flats Education Center. Explore small rocky tide pools with flashlights while led by an experienced nature educator.
Do you believe in Ghosts? If you do then join the Essex County Ghost Project and Witches Wonder fort a spooktacular evening of haunts and fun . The gates open at 6:30 pm and hunt starts at 7pm . We are exploring one of New England’s most Haunted historical sites . There have been reports of full and partial body apparitions, voices , shadow figures and more . So pack up your cameras , pendulums, digital recorders and other paranormal equipment for a night of paranormal history and intrigue .
ECGA hosts a salt marsh science walk with a former research fellow from Marine Biological Laboratory to learn about salt marsh science. Join Jade Fiorilla, Northeastern graduate with degrees in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, for a walk to learn about the Great Salt Marsh. Jade has worked on the marsh at nearby Parker River National Wildlife Refuge as a research fellow with Marine Biological Laboratory. She recently completed research pulling together data from a long term study of marsh accretion and deposition events in the Plum Island sound.
To encourage time in nature, familiarity with the natural world, and a time for parents and children to get together outdoors, our popular infant/toddler stroller walks will return at Appleton Farms. These hour long walks will be on Tuesdays from 9-10am. Come to one or all of the sessions and explore the farmyard, fields, and forest, and imagine hidden worlds beneath our feet and above our heads. Children and their care-givers will have the opportunity to take in fresh air, be with other families, and walk diverse trails on the farm. This is a great time to socialize with other parents and get your kids in nature, unwind and relax at the farm!
Come to Joppa Flats this summer to enjoy some live animal encounters both outdoors in our riverside yard and indoors in our air conditioned lobby! You'll rotate through different live animal stations at your own pace, and may choose to spend your time handling tide pool creatures such as sea urchins and sea stars, meeting moon snails and hermit crabs from the sandy beach, and/or learning about minnows and horseshoe crabs from the salt marsh. We'll also introduce you to our 'seasonal specials' that our interns are raising for release. You might even see praying mantis hatchlings, monarch caterpillars, or American toadlets! Family friendly activities, self-guided science stations and take-home nature crafts - something for everyone!
Follow trip leader Dave Marro (Cape Ann Trail Stewards Board Member and Chair of the Magnolia Woods Advisory Committee) for a hike along a trail that links the southern edge of the Trustees of Reservations Ravenswood Park with the City of Gloucester’s Rafe’s Chasm Park. The walk will include spectacular views of the ocean from the dramatic Rafe’s Chasm cliffs. Participants should be prepared to walk on uneven trails for 3 miles round trip.. This event is part of Trails & Sails.
