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.
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!
Before Bradley Palmer bought the land that became a State Park, it was the Lamson Family farm for over 200 years. Take a stroll to see the remaining farmhouse exterior and other features of the farm. Best for ages 8 years & up.
Curious about kayaking, but not sure where to start? Want to spot some interesting wildlife, but don’t consider yourself an outdoorsy person? Join the Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) and Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for a birding excursion on the river!
Join this indoor workshop followed by dune hike to learn tracking basics and identification skills allowing you to experience the outdoors in a new way. Enjoy an indoor presentation on tracking at the Casino at Castle Hill, then reconvene at Crane Beach for a guided dune walk, investigating the trail for footprints, scat, burrows, and other signs left behind by dune dwellers. Via our observations, we will collect clues as to what animals are using this habitat. Bring your sharp senses and observation skills for this learning adventure.
Join The Trustees of Reservations for a sunset paddle in Essex Bay! On this outing into the heart of the Crane Wildlife Refuge, we will be paddling in the protected waters of one of the most scenic sections of the Great Marsh—the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England. We’ll either paddle around Choate Island with a landing on Long Island, or down the Castle Neck River, landing on Castle Neck (varies based on wind/tide conditions on the day of the event). Along the way, we’ll observe the wide variety of wildlife found in the marsh, including egrets, herons, and other shore birds. You can count on making an amazing connection with nature and creating enduring memories as we paddle home into the setting sun.
Join Trustees staff from Appleton Farms and the Ipswich River Watershed Association for a fun and adventurous hike and paddle excursion. We’ll meet at the farm and hike over to the headquarters of IRWA, right on the Ipswich River. IRWA staff will help us get into canoes and kayaks then lead a trip down the river, into downtown Ipswich and back. This unique experience will be a wonderful way to explore the natural surroundings of Ipswich, over both land and water.
Newburyport Public Library hosts a Movie Matinee each Wedensday in the Program Room! This showing features "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" (PG-13) starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Rege-Jean Page at 2:30 pm. Plot: A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
Enjoy a panoramic view of Salisbury, Newburyport, and the Isles of Shoals and much of Cape Ann while learning about the history of the Plum Island Lighthouse. Send an email to friendsofpilight@gmail.com to request a 15-minute tour of the light on tour days, you’ll get an email back from our kind volunteers with availability. Please be aware that we reserve the right to have to cancel tours due to weather, unanticipated maintenance or other various factors. Rain dates are not available.
