Discovery

The Ipswich River is the perfect river to start your children canoeing. We'll pair up two adults and two children per canoe and take a leisurely paddle up the river. We'll stop off in one of the backwater areas and do some dipping in the river to observe up close the creatures under the surface. On our return, we'll enjoy a snack at the canoe landing and talk about what we discovered. Bring a blanket and we'll provide a sweet treat.

Bring the gang for work and play in the Children's Garden at Long Hill. We'll discover friendly insects, harvest veggies, read stories and do an activity. Every meeting we will start with a story while sitting on the hay bales then off to discover!  We will discover things in the Children’s Garden, Flower Field, and Demonstration Garden and in a huge compost pile!  You can visit and feed the chickens and guinea hens and..new this year..the peacocks!  Program meets in the Children’s Garden at 3:30.  This is a drop in program but please sign in when you arrive.

Come venture along the sanctuary trails on a sensory tour. We will explore the magic of the outdoors by using our many senses. Let's see what we can discover using our eyes, ears, nose, hands, and even taste. Using found materials from nature, we will create a nature collage.

Have you ever seen a water boatman up close? How about a caddisfly larva or water scorpion? If not, then join us for a summer morning of pond dipping. Using hand lenses, microscopes, and strainers, we'll search for turtles and frogs and delight in the sights and smells of a morning on the pond. We will provide sketch pads, pastels, and watercolors so you can recreate your findings in detail.