Ecology

Family Campouts: Late Summer River Camping

Camp by the riber at IRWS in this overnight camping excursion.

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. This campout will focus on the Ipswich River. We will start the evening by setting up our tents at the top of the hill, and then head down to the river for an evening canoe trip.

When: 
Saturday, September 16, 2017 6pm - Sunday, September 17, 2017 9am

Kids’ Conservation Cinema: Brave

Kids are invited to PArker River Wildlife Refuge for a free showing of Brave!

On selected Sunday afternoons through Winter, the refuge will be screening FREE, child-friendly films that feature a wildlife and/or environmental theme.  All films will be projected on the big screen in the refuge visitor center’s awesome auditorium. No preregistration; simply show up! All movies begin at 1:30 pm.

When: 
Sunday, February 19, 2017 1:30pm

Nature Designs Class for Preschoolers

Preschoolers learn while exploring their senses and surroundings at Kestrel Education!

Children ages 4-6 (and three year olds who are comfortable with the setup) are invited to come and play and learn with us for the next 6 Friday mornings. This class is playful, silly, and all about being a child, or a child pretending to be an animal. Each day, focus on a different one of our senses, and learn about local wild creatures that are really good at using that sense. Play games for using each sense, and imagine what it would be like to have super sense powers. Each day, create something original related to our sense exploration, and take it home.

Eco-Art: Busy Beaver Builders

Join us as we look for elusive river mammals at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: American Beaver ©Scott Santino

Experience what life is like as the largest rodent in North America. We will examine a beaver mound up close, and then take a walk to see a beaver lodge, dam, and scent mounds. Discover how beavers continue to change the habitats in which they live and how other species of plants and animals benefit. On our return, we will make beaver dioramas out of natural materials.

When: 
Thursday, July 11, 2013 9-11:00 am

Kids’ Conservation Cinema: Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Kids Conservation Cinema featuring 'Legned of the Gaurdians' at Parker River Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport!

On selected Sunday afternoons through Winter, the refuge will be screening FREE, child-friendly films that feature a wildlife and/or environmental theme.  All films will be projected on the big screen in the refuge visitor center’s awesome auditorium. No preregistration; simply show up! All movies begin at 1:30 pm.

When: 
Sunday, November 20, 2016 1:30pm

Kestrel Fundraiser: Flight of the Butterflies

Flight of the Butterflies fundraiser showing at Cape Ann Community Cinema for Kestrel Education Adventures

This one time screening in 3D at Cape Ann Community Cinema that will raise funds to benefit Kestrel Educational Adventures. It's a natural history epic. It's a compelling detective story. It's a scientific adventure at its best. It took Dr. Fred Urquhart almost 40 years to discover the monarch butterflies' secret hideaway and prove the most incredible migration on Earth.

When: 
Saturday, October 15, 2016 5:30pm-7pm

Nature Adventures with Picture Books: Butterflies

Learn about butterflies at the MassAudubon Ipswich River wildlife Sanctuary!

Rita Gallant, Lead Field Teacher at IRWS will read Festive Occasions - Special Event Rental Equipment by Joanne Ryder. Let's find out what butterflies live in our area. Using sweep nets and hand lenses, we'll observe butterflies in the gardens and fields of the sanctuary. Become a butterfly as we learn about the life cycles of these fluttering marvels.

When: 
Tuesday, August 2, 2016 9:30-11:00 am

Eco-Art: Salamanders

Discover, explore and learn through art at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Salamanders are often found in dark, wet places such as under a rock or log in the soil, while their eggs can be found in vernal pools. We will go for a walk, looking under rocks and logs for salamanders, and visit a vernal pool to discover where they lay their eggs each spring. Each participant will create a clay salamander to take home.

When: 
Thursday, July 28, 2016 9-11 am

Nature Adventures with Picture Books: Crickets and Grasshoppers

Learn about crickets and grasshoppers at Ipswich River Sanctuary!

Rita Gallant, Lead Field Teacher at IRWS will read Crickets and Grasshoppers by Theresa Greenaway. Using nets and hand lenses, come explore with us as we examine a field and learn why crickets and grasshoppers sing and jump, how they eat, and what their similarities are.

When: 
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 9:30-11:00 am

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Glen Urquhart School Pre-K through 8th grade in Beverly MA

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

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Summer’s Flight, Pollen’s Delight,” by Flora C. Caputo storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
“Summer’s Flight, Pollen’s Delight,” by Flora C. Caputo is the subject of this STORYWALK Series. Enjoy this preschool storywalk at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time outside in nature!
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

Music Together - Friday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Creature of the Week at Maritime Gloucester

Come to Maritime Gloucester for a Creature of the Week Session on Cape Ann Massachusetts! Photo ©Bill O'Connor
Every week, we will highlight a different ocean animal that lives in our aquarium and can be found in and around Gloucester. Learn some interesting fun facts about the creature as you get up and close and personal through a meet and greet and a take-home craft. For kids aged 4-8.
10:30 am to 3:00 pm

Kidleidoscope

Kidleidoscope at Maudslay State Park is a chance for preschoolers to explore the park, enjoy a story and make a craft!
Maudslay State Park has created this program for their youngest crowd! For the young set that loves nature, the park interpreter will lead a three-part preschool aged program that includes a story, craft & walk that involves outdoor exploration. A different nature topic each week so come every...
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
Essex Hertiage invites you to learn the true causes and events behind the Salem Witch Trials in our documentary film, then discover the myths during our walking tour. The Salem Witch Trials happened over 300 years ago, and it has been dramatized in books, documentaries, movies, and even TV shows....
11:45 am to 3:00 pm

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Drop-in Open House at the Bradley Palmer State Park Nature Center in Hamilton Ipswich Massachusetts
Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Friday Family Farm Chores at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
Every day has a full list of barnyard chores we need to accomplish to make sure our farmyard friends are happy and healthy. Let’s get to work! Join us for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays and Saturdays! Get on your muck boots – your whole family will get to be...
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

DJ Beach Party at Salisbury Beach

Salisbury Beach Summer Beach Party every Friday through the Summer.
Get ready for family fun every Friday night all summer long at Salisbury Beach! Starting at 7:15 PM on the Salisbury Beach stage, enjoy a full evening of summer tunes and excitement. DJ Ralphie B will be spinning your favorite hits, while hosting kid-friendly activities that will keep everyone...
7:15 pm to 10:00 pm

Thursday, August 22

Plankton Safari

Join the team at Maritime Gloucester Massachusetts for a Plankton Safari every Monday and Thursday
Come to Maritime Gloucester and discover what lives near the bottom of the oceanic food chain using digital microscopes!
10:30 am to 3:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
Essex Hertiage invites you to learn the true causes and events behind the Salem Witch Trials in our documentary film, then discover the myths during our walking tour. The Salem Witch Trials happened over 300 years ago, and it has been dramatized in books, documentaries, movies, and even TV shows....
11:45 am to 3:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

The Backyard Growcery

Join Backyard Growers at Burnham's Field in Gloucester Massachusetts for a weekly Farmer's Market
Stop by Gloucester’s new weekly farmers market, the Backyard Growcery, managed by Backyard Growers. The Backyard Growcery is located at Burnham's Field, an urban park near Gloucester’s thriving waterfront, and features small-scale North Shore farmers, bakers, a seafood vendor, an artisanal pizza...
2:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Salem Farmers' Market

The Salem Farmer's Market bring the goodness of local farm to downtown Salem!
The Salem Farmers' Market brings fresh local produce and other foods from North Shore farms and other local resources to downtown Salem every Thursday at  Bentley Academy Charter School!
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Ipswich Homegrown Market

Ipswich Homegrown Market on the Middle Green in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Every Thursday through the Summer, you will find fresh local produce and other foods from local vendors at the Middle Green in Ipswich Massachusetts! Come enjoy this weekly community event featuring local growers, makers, artists, and dreamers.
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Cow Connection at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for Cow Connection in Ipswich Massachusetts
Immerse your family in the heartwarming experience of being up close and personal with one of our favorite farm animals – cows! Cuddle, brush, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms. Visit our scenic and historic farm and enjoy Family Cow Connection session with our two Jersey Dairy...
4:00 pm to 4:45 pm

Salisbury Farmers' Market

Salisbury Farmers Market is a great source of local produce.
The Salisbury Farmers' Market offers a vibrant community experience with a variety of fresh, locally sourced produce, unprocessed honey, farm-fresh eggs, and maple syrup. Enjoy music, local market creations, and engage with local farmers. The market also features monthly craft markets, cooking...
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Castle Hill Picnic Concert - Soul City

Soul City will perform at the Trustees of Reservations' Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts. You will dance. Resistance is futile.
Looking for a fun family outing on the North Shore of Massachusetts? Don't miss the Thursday Night Picnic Concerts at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich! These concerts offer a perfect opportunity to enjoy quality time with your loved ones in a beautiful and exclusive setting on the North...
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
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