Calling volunteers ages 13 and up! Join the farmhand crew to work along side our staff and gain first hand experience with our milking herd, our calving season and our seeding and planting season for the Communtiy Supported Agriculture program. This crew will dig in and have plenty of fun on the farm, while helping our busy farmers prepare for summer!
Come enjoy a hike at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, one of Mass Audubon's largest sanctuaries. Visitors will have the opportunity to enhance their hike by visiting naturalist-docents on the sanctuary trails. Docents will be stationed at a wildlife observation tower overlooking a freshwater marsh and alongside a beautiful fall field. Visit them to learn about the fall migration of monarch butterflies, and the needs of migrating waterfowl.
An early-spring evening tantalizes all the senses. You can watch woodcocks spiraling high into the fading light and hear spring peepers chorusing from the wetlands, while the smell of moist earth permeates the air. Join us for an evening of outdoor exploration during which we will put all our senses to the test. We will begin indoors with activities designed to heighten our senses of touch and smell, and then hit the trails for a short night hike to listen for the hoots of owls and see if breath mints really spark when you bite them in the dark!
Do fishers really fish? Why do some people call them fisher "cats"? Find answers to these questions and more as we take a look into the life of this crafty predator. We will begin our program by observing a fisher mount and learning about its life history. Then we'll hit the trails in search of fisher signs. Once we find a trail, we'll follow it to see if we can find a fisher food cache or perhaps a fisher itself!
Monarch butterflies are feeding along their migration routes. Plants are still flowering and dispersing seeds, insects and spiders are laying eggs, and the forest is abuzz with activity. Using sweep nets and hand lenses, we will investigate field and forest, determine air temperature by counting the chirps of a cricket, explore life under a log, and much more.
Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night of camping under the stars. Have an early dinner at home, and then come with your family, your tent, and a dessert to share.
During the cool, crisp, early-evening hours of autumn, many interesting creatures set out into the dark woodlands. Deer, owls, and flying squirrels are just a few of the animals we hope to encounter on our hike. Enjoy a walk that will spark your senses as we venture into the night in search of these and other nighttime forest dwellers.
Joppa Flats Education Center has added this event by popular demand! Come to Joppa Flats Education Center and begin with a 45 minute indoor introductory program in the Lookout (2nd floor) about Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walrus). Then, we’ll carpool to an on-the-beach viewing area where we can see the harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at low tide at the mouth of the Merrimack River.
Young adults in grades 6-12 are invited to a matinee viewing of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. Bring your friends, hang out, watch a movie and enjoy some delicious snacks! For teens in grades 6-12 only (Rated PG-13).
Finally a place for teens to hang out in Newburyport! Fridays from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Mimi's Italian Cookies & More will be hosting 'TGIF' nights! TGIF stands for Teens Get it Free! Kids ages 13+ will enjoy free hot chocolate and discounted baked goods. Planned as a weekly event for teens, the coming weeks will include live music and more!
