Environment

Nelson Island Tour at Parker River

Tour and discover Nelson Island at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Join a ranger for a tour of a beautiful spot that few people visit: Nelson Island. If we’re lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a nesting osprey. Learn about the history of this little known refuge jewel. If weather and tide permits, we’ll take a very short walk along the marsh. (Muddy, wet areas are possible so rubber boots are recommended.) Consider bringing binoculars and/or a camera. *Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a refuge staff member.

When: 
Monday, July 17, 2017 10am-Noon

Animal Tracking Program

Kids will learn about animal tracks and behaviors at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Many animals live on the refuge, but are hard to find.  They are either active at night, wary of people, or both.  Though you may not see them, their tracks can be just as interesting to find.  Go out on the refuge with intern Dominic Noce as he teaches you how to find and identify tracks of different types of animals.  Meet the program leader in the refuge visitor center auditorium for a brief slide show, after which he’ll lead you on a tracking exploration on the refuge.  Please wear long pants and boots (for tick prevention) and otherwise dress for the weather.  NO preregistration for th

When: 
Sunday, July 16, 2017 10am-Noon

Kids’ Nature Walks - Explore the Refuge

Take your 3-5 year old youngster on a good old fashioned nature discovery walk at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Take your 3-5 year old youngster on a good old fashioned nature discovery walk. Meet at the refuge visitor center before driving together to the head of the day's trail on the refuge (no parking fee charged). For each session, a refuge volunteer will lead the children and their caregivers on a walk to explore different aspects of the refuge: beach, dune, marsh, scrub forest, cranberry bog. Come dressed for the weather. If the weather is completely unsuitable for outdoor enjoyment, then an indoor program comprised of a story, activity and craft will be held at the visitor center instead.

When: 
Monday, July 24, 2017 10:00-11:30am

Jr. Conservationist: My Square Woods Afterschool Program

Young Conservations ages 9-11 will learn abou ecology on Cape Ann!

Spring is a time of renewal and growth. After-school activities include lending a hand with conservation work, eco-splorations, journeying as a waterdrop from land to sea, uncovering secret tales, journaling, mapping/orienteering, and hiking our forest, wetlands, and mountainsides. For kids ages 9-11.

Location: 

Preschool Nature Explorers at Parker River NWR

Piping Plover at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury Massachusetts!

This is a new series of hands-on nature classes for 4 and 5-year-old children (and their caregivers).   Sign up for individual sessions or the entire series!   Some sessions will be held at the refuge visitor center, while others will be conducted on the refuge at the parking lot 1 visitor contact station.  

When: 
Mondays, May: 9-23, 2016 10-11:15 am

Beach Cleanup at Crane Beach

Help clean up Crane Beach in Ipswich Massachusetts to get it ready for the Summer!

The Trustees seek volunteers to help collect and remove marine debris and litter from the beachfront. Coffee, trash bags, gloves, instructions, and beautiful scenery will be provided. Friends and families are welcome, but please no dogs. Participants will meet in the main parking lot at the middle board walk. 

When: 
Saturday, April 23, 2016 9-11am
Location: 

Earth Day Coastal Clean Up

Earthday for shoreline cleanups at Halibut Point and Coolidge Point Reservation!

The Trustees of Reservations invites you and your kids to come out to one of their most spectacular coastal reservations to celebrate Earth Day 2014. Take this opportunity to teach your children the benefits of stewardship and to have a great time as a family.  At Halibut Point State Park and/or the Coolidge Point Reservation, your help is needed cleaning up the shoreline, building a bird box or a boardwalk, or simply drinking in the beauty of our special places. Call for details. Please register in advance!

When: 
Saturday, April 19, 2014 10am-12noon

Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Family Whale Watch

A whale breaches on Stellwagen Bank off of the coast of Massachusetts.

This is a whale watch with a birding twist! Joppa Flats Education Center invites families on a special excursion offshore to discover the wonder of whales aboard the Captain's Lady III! Play the part of a whale researcher and learn about the lives of whales and the habitats they use to feed, live and breed.

When: 
Sunday, July 7, 2013 8am-1pm

Pages

Camp Whirlygig for kids ages 4-10 at the Wenham Museum in Massachusetts

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

April Vacation at Cape Ann Art Haven

April Vacation Programs at Art Haven in Gloucester Massachusetts
Cape Ann Art Haven has a week full of fun activities planned for kids during April Vacation week. There are programs for kids k-5th grade that will appeal to many styles of artistic expression with morning classes from 9am to Noon or 9am to 3pm. Scholarships are available. Open to elementary...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Music Together - Wednesday

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...
9:30 am to 11:15 am

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 4:00 pm

April Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during April Vacation Week!
Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities and pop-up surprises planned for the week of April 17-23. See our week-at-glance calendar to view the extended hours and additions for our drop-in...
Where: MIT Museum
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

April Vacation Week at MFA - Boston

April Vacation Week at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts
All are invited to April Vacation Week for free activities exploring connections between the people, places, and art made in Massachusetts. All ages and abilities are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. See Visiting with Kids and Family for more information.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

April Vacation at CAM

Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts has some great April Vacation programs for school aged kids!
This April Vacation, young visitors are invited to discover the art and history of Cape Ann at the CAM Green!  Explore the newest exhibition, Breath of Life – C.B. Fisk, Designers & Builders of Pipe Organs to learn about these incredible instruments. View intricate models of the architectural...
10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Intro to Vernal Ponds

The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team teach about Vernal Ponds at the Rockport Public Library in Massachusetts
Come to Toad Hall Bookstore to learn all about the habitat of vernal ponds.
2:00 pm to 3:15 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Friday, May 2

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 4:00 pm

Spring Bloom Fest at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Bloom Fest at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations  for the start of Spring at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens with a celebration of bulbs at our Spring BloomFest weekend! Stroll through our beautiful gardens with budding tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs while enjoying the crisp spring air and...
10:00 am to 4:00 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

Saturday, May 3

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

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

Tulip Festival at Cider Hill Farm

Come cut your own tulips at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury Massachusetts
A gorgeous, fan-favorite variety of 100k tulips are scheduled to bloom in early May. Welcome spring with this multi-weekend festival featuring free live music, self-guided blooming orchard walks, outdoor hard cider bars, food trucks, fitness n' family activities and cut-your-tulips. General...
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Music Together - Saturday

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...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

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 4:00 pm

Spring Bloom Fest at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Bloom Fest at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations  for the start of Spring at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens with a celebration of bulbs at our Spring BloomFest weekend! Stroll through our beautiful gardens with budding tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs while enjoying the crisp spring air and...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

North Shore Nature Fair | Glen Urquhart School

Celebrate nature at GUS with a variety of hands-on activities and nature-based projects led by GUS educators and partners from across the North Shore. This free, family-friendly event, is open to the public.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Subscribe to Environment