The Hamilton-Wenham Public Library Art Club is for preschool aged children and older to experience different ways of artistic expression. The sessions are free-form and drop-in. Each date focuses on a different theme:
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!
Using materials collected from nature, join us in our cozy Barn and create a variety of lovely nature crafts to give as gifts during the holiday season. Choose from a variety of natural crafts - possibilities include nature-print cards, milkweed pod ornaments, wreaths woven from vines, and more.
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.
Join watercolorist Brenda Sloane at IRWS for this program that combines nature and art. In this class, we will learn all about wetlands, their importance, and what can be found there. Then we will walk to the sanctuary wetlands and discover what can be found living in them, such as dragonfly larvae, backswimmers, frogs, and birds.
Celebrate the arrival of spring on May Day at IRWS! We'll explore wetlands, fields, and woods and look for signs of the changing seasons. After the walk, the group will return to the Nature Center to make May baskets.
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.
