Ecology

Afternoon Adventures Drop-In Spring Series

Appleton Farms' popular Afternoon Adventures program now has a drop-in option on Wednesdays in Ipswich Massachusetts.

New this spring, the Trustee's popular Afternoon Adventures program now has a drop-in option on Wednesdays! Bring a friend, pick and choose the days you’d like to attend, or try it out for the first time. This 2.5-hour drop-off program on Wednesday afternoons provides your child with immersive, farm-based play and chores that foster social-emotional learning, wellbeing, and a love of nature. Skilled educators with a flair for fun and a knack for outdoor skills supervise your young farmers as they explore the barnyard, garden, and trails. This entirely-outdoors program uses our historic Carriage Barn (where the goats live!) for shelter in severe weather.

When:

Wednesdays, May 4 - June 8, 2022 2-4:30PM

Location:

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Hands Across the Sand + Cleanup at Stage Fort Park

Come to Stage Fort PArk in Gloucester for a Community cleanup effort to preserve this wonderful local resource!

Stage Fort Park is one of the most visited spaces in Gloucester, and for good reason. It's beautiful and it provides fields, playground and tables for everyone to enjoy. To protect this incredible resource, we need to do our part. This Hands Across the Sand event and cleanup will bring people together to oppose new offshore drilling and other fossil fuel development and promote a clean energy future! We will gather just before noon for a non-hand holding lineup photo along the shore in solidarity with people around the globe on this day, calling for an end to offshore drilling! We look forward to seeing you out there.

When:

Saturday, May 21, 2022 9:30am – 12:30pm

Location:

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Outdoor Ecology for Families: Backyard Ecology

Kids and families are invited to come explore the Ecology of the back yard with naturalists from the Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport.

It is summer! Join us in the riverside yard at Joppa Flats to learn about wildlife in the salt marsh, pond, rocky shore, and backyard habitats! You'll identify wild creatures, design small habitats, participate in small group challenges, and more. Sign up for one or all and see nature through the lens of a naturalist!

When:

Thursday, August 4, 2022 1-3pm

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Wild Edibles for Families

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts a wild edibles workshop for families at the Ordway Reservation in West Newbury Massachusetts!

Join Greenbelt and North Shore Nature Programs to discover wild edible plants! Our leader will show us how to find and identify a variety of delicious things to eat in fields, in the woods, and maybe right in your backyard! Appropriate for all ages.

When:

Sunday, May 15, 2022 3-4:30pm

Location:

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Celebrate of 100 years of Mass Audubon at Joppa Flats

Celebrate 100 years of Mass Audubon at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

Join Joppa Flats Education Center on the 100th day of the year to celebrate 100 years of Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries! Enjoy free admission, "ask a naturalist" opportunities, the occasional guided walk around our grounds and free cake! Back in 1916, the Moose Hill Bird Sanctuary was established in Sharon when Dr. George W. Field offered his estate to Mass Audubon to attract birds and people interested in birds. Fast forward to 2016 and there are 56 wildlife sanctuaries to explore in Massachusetts!

When:

Saturday, April 9, 2016 8:30am-4pm

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Eco-Art: Flower Power

Bluets are a common wildflower in the late Spring in Massachusetts

Create a decoupage flower container for your summertime arrangements, and then explore the sanctuary to look for wildflowers and learn the important role butterflies and bees play in producing new flowers. We'll use hand lenses and nets to observe insects and share a butterfly story in the meadow.

When:

Thursday, July 21, 2016 9-11 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Bio-Blitz Free-for-All

Kids and adults will learn about the diversity of Plum Island and the North Shore wildlife at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to join them for a full day of free outdoor and indoor nature activities, art projects, and biodiversity! Connecting with nature starts with developing a good sense of place, and a great place to start is right here at Joppa Flats. This full-day family event will feature an exciting mixture of indoor and outdoor activities that encourage children and adults to learn more about the biodiversity of all the animals, plants, and insects that frequent our butterfly garden, salt marsh, and backyard!

When:

Sunday, May 20, 2018 10am - 3pm

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Reptiles and Amphibians

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts a reptile and amphibians at Arthur Elwell Reservation in Rowley Massachusetts

Wetlands are a hotbed of activity in mid-June and this program will focus specifically on the amphibians and reptiles that make ponds and streams their home. Join the Essex County Greenbelt Association to look for nesting turtles, tadpoles, and snakes that may be patrolling the shoreline. Families will learn the key differences between reptiles and amphibians, and hopefully will begin to be able to identify specific species.

When:

Saturday, June 16, 2018 10am - 1 pm

Location:

Arthur Elwell Reservation

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Exploring Insects

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts a Insect Exploration Workshop for families at Cox Reservation in Essex Massachusetts!

Essex County Greenbelt Association will host an exploring insects workshop. Using nets and bug boxes, families will explore fields in search of insects. Special attention will be paid to differing insect lifecycles as well as how some insects are masters of camouflage. Families will be encouraged to design and hide their own insect to see how well they can use camouflage.

When:

Saturday, September 15, 2018 10am-Noon

Location:

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Fall Family Monarch Conservation Program & Butterfly Tagging!

Come to Parker River Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about Monarch Butterflies!

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge invites families to join Katie Hone, The Monarch Gardener, for this fun and interesting one hour program about the monarch butterfly. The program will include a presentation about monarchs with interactive role playing and live animals AND making milkweed “seed bombs” (to take home). Meet, tag and release live monarch butterflies to the wild! This program is geared to younger children and their parents. This program will take place in the refuge visitor center classroom. NO preregistration for this program.

When:

Saturday, September 21, 2019 10:30-11:30am

Location:

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

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Todd Farm Market

From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families! Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!

Where: Todd Farm Market

5:00 am to 3:00 pm

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Saturday, July 13