Winter is an exciting time for outdoor discovery. The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary has put together four days of hands-on, interactive, age-appropriate activities to explore the natural world in Winter. Kids will hone their observation skills as they locate and learn about winter animals and tap a sugar maple tree to make syrup.
Ipswich River, Mass Audubon’s largest sanctuary, offers more than 10 miles of interconnecting trails that invite you to explore the forests, meadows, and wetlands. Canoe along eight miles of the Ipswich River that run through the sanctuary and camp on Perkins Island, located a half-mile up the river (members can rent canoes from May through October).
Note: This sanctuary is closed on Mondays!
The Joppa Flats Education Center is located at the gateway to one of the country’s most productive, year-round, wildlife viewing areas—the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Plum Island estuary. Highlights for visitors are the many species of birds, mammals and sea life that utilize the area’s extensive salt marshes, mudflats, rivers, bays, and coastal waters.
Dig Into Nature at Drumlin Farm! Enjoy a change of pace at Drumlin Farm, where you and your family can explore a real working farm and a wildlife sanctuary all in one day.
The sanctuary’s diversity of habitats, including meadows and woods, attract numerous birds including pileated woodpeckers, winter wrens, and Louisiana waterthrushes.
This site also serves as our North Shore Conservation Advocacy office, which works with interested citizens and municipal and regional officials to provide greater protection of the region’s wildlife habitats.
Although there are no walking trails, the public is welcome to stop in and learn more about our conservation advocacy efforts on the North Shore.
The sanctuary is located in the center of the “Neck,” a peninsula that extends into Massachusetts Bay. Its swamp, thickets, and woodlands are a haven for migratory birds, especially warblers, during the spring and fall migrations. This sanctuary is a mecca for birders; the discovery of rarities is not uncommon.
