Ecology

Celebrate of 100 years of Mass Audubon at Joppa Flats

Celebrate 100 years of Mass Audubon at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

Join Joppa Flats Education Center on the 100th day of the year to celebrate 100 years of Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries! Enjoy free admission, "ask a naturalist" opportunities, the occasional guided walk around our grounds and free cake! Back in 1916, the Moose Hill Bird Sanctuary was established in Sharon when Dr. George W. Field offered his estate to Mass Audubon to attract birds and people interested in birds. Fast forward to 2016 and there are 56 wildlife sanctuaries to explore in Massachusetts!

When: 
Saturday, April 9, 2016 8:30am-4pm

Eco-Art: Flower Power

Bluets are a common wildflower in the late Spring in Massachusetts

Create a decoupage flower container for your summertime arrangements, and then explore the sanctuary to look for wildflowers and learn the important role butterflies and bees play in producing new flowers. We'll use hand lenses and nets to observe insects and share a butterfly story in the meadow.

When: 
Thursday, July 21, 2016 9-11 am

Bio-Blitz Free-for-All

Kids and adults will learn about the diversity of Plum Island and the North Shore wildlife at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to join them for a full day of free outdoor and indoor nature activities, art projects, and biodiversity!  Connecting with nature starts with developing a good sense of place, and a great place to start is right here at Joppa Flats. This full-day family event will feature an exciting mixture of indoor and outdoor activities that encourage children and adults to learn more about the biodiversity of all the animals, plants, and insects that frequent our butterfly garden, salt marsh, and backyard!

When: 
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10am - 3pm

Reptiles and Amphibians

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts a reptile and amphibians at Arthur Elwell Reservation in Rowley Massachusetts

Wetlands are a hotbed of activity in mid-June and this program will focus specifically on the amphibians and reptiles that make ponds and streams their home. Join the Essex County Greenbelt Association to look for nesting turtles, tadpoles, and snakes that may be patrolling the shoreline. Families will learn the key differences between reptiles and amphibians, and hopefully will begin to be able to identify specific species.

When: 
Saturday, June 16, 2018 10am - 1 pm

Exploring Insects

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts a Insect Exploration Workshop for families at Cox Reservation in Essex Massachusetts!

Essex County Greenbelt Association will host an exploring insects workshop. Using nets and bug boxes, families will explore fields in search of insects. Special attention will be paid to differing insect lifecycles as well as how some insects are masters of camouflage. Families will be encouraged to design and hide their own insect to see how well they can use camouflage.

When: 
Saturday, September 15, 2018 10am-Noon
Location: 

Fall Family Monarch Conservation Program & Butterfly Tagging!

Come to Parker River Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about Monarch Butterflies!

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge invites families to join Katie Hone, The Monarch Gardener, for this fun and interesting one hour program about the monarch butterfly.  The program will include a presentation about monarchs with interactive role playing and live animals AND making milkweed “seed bombs” (to take home).  Meet, tag and release live monarch butterflies to the wild! This program is geared to younger children and their parents.  This program will take place in the refuge visitor center classroom.  NO preregistration for this program.

When: 
Saturday, September 21, 2019 10:30-11:30am

Monarch Magic

Come to Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about Monarch Butterflies!

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary invites families to join them at Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary to discover the amazing journey of the monarch butterfly to Mexico. Learn about the monarch life cycle and the challenges facing its habitat. Find out more about butterfly gardening and create a paper butterfly that will spend the winter with children who live near the monarch sanctuaries in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico. We will then work together as citizen scientists to tag and release several monarchs to start their journey south.

When: 
Saturday, September 14, 2019 1:30-3pm

Be an Ocean Guardian!

Abbott Library in Marblehead hosts a fun recycling activity with Barbara Roy

How long does trash last? Come to the library for a fun recycling activity with Barbara Roy! Kids will learn what kinds of trash last and for how long a time, and how to protect sea creatures by keeping that trash out of the ocean. Barbara Roy is a 20-year Marblehead resident who recently crossed the Atlantic on a scientific mission to study micro-plastics. Children are invited to this interactive program, chosen as part of our Green Paws activity series.

When: 
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 3:30-4:30pm

Beach Seining Demonstration

Beach seining is a scientific tool used by marine biologists and scientists. Salem Coastwatch

See and learn about the fishes living in Salem Harbor as part of Trails & Sails! At this seining demonstration, Salem Sound Coastwatch staff will drag a large seining net through the water onto the beach. We’ll examine the catch and coastal scientists will talk about marine habitats and the ecology of Salem Sound.

When: 
Saturday, September 25, 2021 1-2:30pm
Location: 

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Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 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

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

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Wonderful Winter Birding

Beginning winter birding is held on the 3rd Sunday of each Winter month at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts
Halibut Point State Park, along the Atlantic migratory path, is an excellent locale for winter birding species you rarely see anywhere else.Winter brings birds and ducks from frozen ponds up north to our seashore. See Harlequin ducks and loons among the winter visitors at this rocky coastal water’s...
8:00 am to 10:00 am

The Lady of Salem: Maritime Art

Learn about the history of Salem Massachusetts through this unique public art installation self-guided tour!
Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative...
8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Newburyport Farmers' Market

Newburyport Farmers find organic locally grown produce, meat, dairy Newburyport
The Newburyport Farmers Summer Market celebrates local fresh produce every Sunday morning rain or shine!  Start your Sunday browsing fresh North Shore local produce, meats, cheeses, and seafood in an open air market atmosphere! Food and beverage vendors offer fresh hot coffee, breakfast treats and...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Annual Ravenswood Trail Race

Race the trails at Ravenswood Park during the height of Cape Ann foliage season
Run the trails of Ravenswood Park during the height of foliage season this year at the Ravenswood Trails Race! This 4.1-mile trail race provides a beautiful overview of Ravenswood Park at the height of fall color, from rugged trails and boardwalks to carriage roads and stunning vistas.
9:00 am

Rowley Farmers Market

Rowley Farmers Market - a seasonal open-air market every Sunday July-September on Rowley Common
The Rowley Farmers Market is an open air market held on Sundays on the Rowley Town Common.  There's always a great selection of fresh local produce, food stuffs and locally hand-made goods. Come pick up some great locally grown food, freshly baked bread by Faith Anne's Unique bread, specialty teas...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Haunted Happenings Marketplace

The Haunted Happenings Marketplace runs Thursdays-Sundays during October in Salem Massachusetts
The Haunted Happenings Merchant Marketplace is coming this October! Get ready for a one-of-a-kind shopping extravaganza throughout Historic (and some say haunted) Downtown Salem!
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Kimball Farm Corn Maze

Kimball Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
At the Kimball Farm Corn Maze all are welcome to come and enjoy the challenge of finding your way through the winding corn field maze. Our originally designed CORN MAZE  is full of Crazy angles and is sure to be a fun challenge. Have no fear, there will be clues along the way.  Be daring and try...
10:00 am to 9:00 pm

Marini Farm Corn Maze

The 2025 Marini Farm Corn Maze in Ipswich Massachusetts is themed for The Wizard of Oz
Come to Marini Farm for a fun journey through our corn maze! The Maze Park, corn maze, farm stand, bakery and other attractions provide a great destination for kids birthday parties, school trips, corporate team building, scout outings, and family activities. Marini Farm is located in beautiful...
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Kids Fun Fest on Salem Common

Salem Common Neighborhood Association invites families to the Common for an afternoon of fun for the whole family!
A tradition on Salem Common, the Fun Fest has lots of great family activities for kids of all ages, including slides, rides, games, and fun! There's nothing like October in Salem and the Salem Common Neighborhood Association is thrilled to host two weekends of our annual Kids Fun Fest on the Comm
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Trick or Treating Hayrides at Marini Farm

Trick or Treating by hayride at Marini Farm in Ipswich Massachusetts is Safe and Fun!
Come to Marini Farm for our most popular event of the year. Take a Hayride around our 7 acre corn maze. Your hayride driver will make some special stops along the way. Favorite costumed characters await the wagon to hand out Tricks and Treats. Hayrides run continuously from 10am to 4pm.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Topsfield Fall Foliage Race

Fall Foliage Classic 5k and 5 mile race in Topsfield Massachusetts
The annual Topsfield Fall Foliage Classic Road Race offers a 5 Miler and 5K that loop through beautiful Topsfield, MA. Each has one hilly section at the beginning but course is mostly flat. The race features prizes for the top 3 finishers on each course, as well as raffles and finish line food and...
10:45 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

Georgia Made This: Scavenger Coin Hunt

Georgia Wrenn was born and is being raised in the Witch City of Salem, Massachusetts, where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year.
Georgia's seventh annual Salem Gold Coin Hunt returns this October, courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum! Each Saturday and Sunday throughout October, Georgia will release special clues at 12 noon through her Instagram page and the PEM's Instagram story. Those clues will help coin hunters narrow...
12:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Fall Foliage Cider & Donut Cruises

Take a guided tour of the Essex Massachusetts Marshes with Essex River Cruises this Autumn
Essex River Cruises hosts a narrated sightseeing tour that winds down the beautiful Essex River aboard Essex River Queen, a pontoon boat.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Hike in the Dunes

Hiking the Dunes at the Crane Wildlife refuge with the Trustees of Reservations.
While just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, the dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime...
1:00 pm to 3:30 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

Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Visit Peabody MA, NorthShore, North Shore Children's Museum
Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Sunday, October 26

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Monday, October 27

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

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

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Tuesday, October 28

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

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

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
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