Drop in at Joppa Flats BEFORE the beach, AFTER the beach, or INSTEAD of the beach! What is that spiky thing I almost stepped on? How do starfish – or is it sea stars – eat? Are those baby fish, or is that as big as they get? You have the questions, Joppa Flats Education Center has the answers – and the animals – and the touch tanks! Themes will change weekly!
Join the park interpreter and special guest Russ Hopping on a walk to view and identify various butterfly species at Maudslay. Russ is an active member of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club and enjoys sharing his knowledge of butterflies with others. Russ is the Ecology Program Director for The Trustees of Reservations. He has worked for The Trustees since 1997, overseeing the stewardship of ecological resources at The Trustees’ more than 26,000 acres.
Meet at the Nature Center. Learn about what makes owls unique in the bird world. Activity Includes a short demonstration of owl adaptations and owl pellet dissection.
Drop in at Joppa Flats and meet live caterpillars, moths, and butterflies! You’ll learn smart practices to attract birds and wildlife to your own yard as well as how to safely identify insects. Enjoy a "Backyard Bug Hunt' with our naturalists, join in a "Monarch Migration Relay Race," and take home a fun craft or two.
Turtles like to live in ponds surrounded by cattails, reeds, and shrubs. We'll take a walk to a pond and observe the different types of turtles living there, and then create our own turtles out of clay.
Kids of all ages, join us on the lawn behind the library as we host the Toe Jam Puppet Band!
Toe Jam offers interactive & theatrical entertainment that families can enjoy together. Audience members of all ages are encouraged to sing and dance along to original songs and interactive storytelling. Get ready for a Car Wash, watch out for the Flying Laundry and be prepared to laugh with glee, Toe Jam style! *In case of rain, we will hold the concert on the 3rd floor of the library building*
Experience a sensory adventure as we explore the trails using our eyes, ears, nose, hands, and even taste. Then, make a nature collage using found materials to decorate your home.
Families will examine our collection of bird nests to study how they're built and what materials were used in their construction. We'll explore the trails looking for nests and places where birds might build them. On our return, we will create our own nests using natural materials.
Enjoy the morning at Pavilion Beach in Ipswich during low tide and discover the living wonders of the sandy coastline. We will walk across the shoreline of Little Neck, where we will search for tiny fish, hermit crabs, periwinkles, and other sea creatures living in this delicate habitat. We will preserve our memories by creating a beach collage.
Manchester Bike and Pedestrian Committee together with Manchester-Essex Rotary Club are sponsoring a bike safety rodeo! Kids ages 5-14 are encouraged to bring their bikes for a bike and helmet safety check. This event will focus on safety tips and training, with an obstacle course and bike handling skills instruction. Snacks will be provided. Sign up via email, or on the day of the event!
