Ecology

Beginner Paddle Session

Beginner Boats and Birds Excusion with Massachusetts Audubon and the Ipswich River Watershed Association

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! 

When: 
Wednesday, August 23, 2023 5:45-8pm

CoastSweep: Rockport

Some coastal trash is accidental like this lobster pot washed onto the shore by a storm. CoastSweep Cleanup Gloucester Massachusetts

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Front Beach to help in the COASTSWEEP statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore of Rockport Massachsuetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans! This specific cleanup is coordinated by Seaside Sustainability.

When: 
Saturday, September 30, 2023 9-11am
Location: 

Salisbury Beach Cleanup

Come volunteer for a community cleanup at Salisbury Beach Massachusetts

Make a positive impact on your community! Salisbury Beach Betterment Association will be leading the cleanup effort. Gloves & trash bags will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged  to help from 9-11AM. Meet at GroundSwell Surf Cafe, located at 25 Broadway. Come help keep our beach clean and protect our ocean.

When: 
Saturday, May 20, 2023 9-11am
Saturday, June 17, 2023 9-11am
Saturday, July 15, 2023 9-11am
Saturday, August 19, 2023 9-11am

CoastSweep: Dead Horse Beach & Salem Willows

Join Salem Sound Coastwatch for a Coastsweep cleanup at Dead Horse Beach and Salem Willows in Massachusetts

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Dead Horse Beach & Salem Willows Park to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Salem Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans! This specific cleanup is coordinated by Salem Sound Coastwatch.

When: 
Saturday, September 16, 2023 9-10:30am

CoastSweep: Palmer Cove

Join Salem Sound Coastwatch for a Coastsweep cleanup at Palmer Cove in Salem Massachusetts

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Palmer Cove Park and Playground to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Salem Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans! This specific cleanup is coordinated by Salem Sound Coastwatch.

When: 
Saturday, September 23, 2023 9-10am

Good Harbor Beach Cleanup

Annual COASTSWEEP Good Harbor Beach Fall cleanup hosted by Seaside Sustainability in Gloucester Massachusetts

Join Seaside Sustainability for a COASTSWEEP clean up of Good Harbor Beach from 9-11am on Saturday, October 21!  What to Bring: Appropriate clothes for being on the coast, hat, sunscreen, water, snack, thin gloves optional, hand sanitizer, and a friend or two! Seaside Sustainability will supply everything you’ll need for the cleanups.  

When: 
Saturday, October 21, 2023 9-11am

All Family Field Trips: Exploring at the Shore

Explore the shore at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester with Massachusetts Audubon!

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the North Shore. Joppa Flats' engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Friday, September 22, 2023 10am-Noon

CraneExplorer: Music in Nature

Come to the Crane Estate to make music in the peaceful pine grove in ipswich Massachusetts

This program has been canceled! Join this interactive program to make music in the peaceful pine grove, learn about the sounds of nature, and about how music has filled the air at The Crane Estate throughout the years. Enjoy a creative lesson and then create your own music using provided instruments, your own brought from home, or your own homemade instrument made from natural objects using the provided materials.

When: 
Saturday, May 27, 2023 10am-Noon

Family Open House: Butterflies & Bugs

Joppa Flats will have Free indoor and outdoor activities for kids and families!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to drop in to meet live caterpillars, moths, and butterflies! Learn how to attract birds and other wildlife to your own yard and safely identify insects. Enjoy a Backyard Bug Hunt with our naturalists, join in a Monarch Migration Relay Race, and take home a fun craft or two.

When: 
Saturday, July 22, 2023 10am - 3pm

Family Friendly Fun at Parker River NWR

Family fun at Joppa Flats Education Center and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport Massachusetts

Bring your little ones for a day of family friendly fun! This is an effort to connect families to bring youth closer to nature through learning, exploration and creating art. Start at the Joppa Flats Education Center (10am-12:30pm) to meet tide pool critters. Then, bring your bagged lunch over to the Parker River Visitor Center for a picnic in the pollinator garden at noon, followed by creating a nature-themed mural (1-2:30pm).

When: 
Saturday, July 15, 2023 10am-2:30pm

Pages

Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

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

Bruins Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 23rd year, the signature elements of...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Tour the WWII era observation tower at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts.
Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Tuesday, February 18

Bruins Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

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

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Hike & Seek: Magic in the Winter Forest

Kids will learn about the winter survival skills of animals at the Stevens Coolidge Place in North Andover Massachusetts!
Have you ever wondered what happens in nature during the winter months? Do you have questions like, “where do certain animals go” or “why does it snow”? Join us this February school vacation for this self-guided winter themed family-friendly bundle for use along the Stevens-to-Stevens trail in...
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Appleton Farms | February Vacation Week Camps

Appleton Farm's February Vacation programs for kids in Ipswich Massachusetts
In the winter, many people hunker down to stay indoors, but at Appleton Farms, we make the most of the cold, quiet season. There is no better place to spend winter farm days than in exploring in the snow and learning to love the outdoors in all seasons! This program is for kids who are looking to...
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

February School Vacation at Bradley Palmer

Bradley Palmer State Park has some great acitivities for kids during February vacation week in Massachusetts
Bradley Palmer State Park is located at 40 Asbury St. in Topsfield. All programs are free and open to the public. Reasonable accommodations upon request. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Events outside may include rough, uneven trails that contain ice and snow, warm clothing and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

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® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Chess Club at Salem Public Library

Salem Public Library hosts a weekly chess club for all ages on Tuesday evenings.
Salem Public Library the library is hosting weekly chess nights where players of all ages can play and learn from each other.  Whether you're new to the game or a veteran player, all skill levels welcome, and basic instruction
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Wednesday, February 19

Bruins Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm
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