Homeschool Kestrel Educational Adventures

Homeschool Adventures Kestrel Educational Adventures

Animal Heroes

Have you ever wondered or cared about the impacts of humans on wild animals and the environment? This fall we will take a look at human actions that have helped wild animals, and we’ll find places and things that can cause harm. As a group, we will brainstorm ideas for conservation projects and other actions that will help wildlife, and carry out one or more of our ideas. We might help restore populations of salamanders or turtles along their migratory routes, and possibly help raise, tag, or track sensitive populations of local creatures. Who knows what our group might come up with! We’ll follow the Service Learning Model as closely as we can, within the time constraints.

Overarching themes will be:

  • Looking at the world from a non-anthropocentric viewpoint
  • Identify issues that we can help improve
  • Learning the needs of certain wild animals
  • Practicing the skills of conservation scientists

Nature Connection Field Guide: 

Each day, focus on one type of wildlife, and discover the other living and non-living things in its web of relationships. For example, find a snowy egret, and then, using our own direct experiences and background research, build a web including marshes and green frogs and crayfish and mummichugs. Work towards the creation of a publishable field guide to the animals of our region, with each page highlighting an animal and  the many relationships that support the animals' lives.

Overarching themes will be:

  • Direct investigations into the intricate connections among parts of our local wild ecosystems
  • Using writing and drawing skills to represent the wild living things we see and catch
  • Publishing for an audience

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE FOR ANIMAL HEROES

  • Dates    Animal Heroes: 6 weeks Wednesdays Sept. 28-Nov 2nd
  • Dates  Nature Field Guide: 4 weeks Wednesdays Nov. 9-Nov. 30
  • Time 9:30-12:00
  • Enrollment Cutoffs: Min. 8 Students to run and Max. 18 for each session
  • Ages              7-14
  • Price              $80 for Animal Heroes and $55 for Nature Field Guide; $125 for both
  • Location         TBA (Ipswich/Groveland Region)
  • Instructors    Clay and Jessica                  
Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Tuesday, February 17

Chess Club at Salem Public Library

Salem Public Library hosts a weekly chess club for all ages on Tuesday evenings.
Salem Public Library the library is hosting weekly chess nights where players of all ages can play and learn from each other.  Whether you're new to the game or a veteran player, all skill levels welcome, and basic instru
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Wednesday, February 18

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

StoryWalk at Halibut Point

StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming - a self guided reading tour at Halibut Point in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming. Self-guided reading pages posted along a lovely Park trail near the visitor center. Connect with nature and each other while enjoying the...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

February Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during February Vacation Week!
Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities planned for the week of February 14-22, including extended Maker Hub and Learning Lab hours, tours, gallery cart demos and family workshops. With the...
Where: MIT Museum
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Thursday, February 19

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!
10:00 am to 2:00 pm