Curious about birds of prey? Come to a live raptor program with educators and avian ambassadors from Tailwind Raptor Center to get up close and personal with these special species.
Join Salem Coastwatch for a special marine exploration of Salem Sound and its many aquatic gifts. This session wiil focus on how people in Salem Massachusetts have interacted with the gifts from the sealfor time immemorial. We will follow up with a hands-on, take-home craft. Please register for this community education program at forms.office.com/r/ZHCT9FRPwr. Please note that this event is intended for children aged 4-8 accompanied by an adult.
Children can register to come and read to a certified therapy dog. This program encourages reading confidence and is a fun way for kids to practice literacy. Sessions last for 15-minutes, and we ask that you please arrive for the time slot that you register for. Sessions are individual, but siblings are welcome to come and read together. Ivy and Frasier are both certified Therapy dogs and are part of the Pets and People Foundation.
Fall is here and harvest is in full swing! It’s a great time for your preschooler to learn what our fields, barnyard, and forest have to offer. Join us on Wednesday mornings from 9:30-12:30 for a preschool drop-off series on farm animals, life cycles, plant parts, and farm fun!
Winter is the perfect time of year to go out in search of owls. Before we head out on our adventure, we'll learn about these fascinating birds in our Nature Center using real owl mounts, feathers, and talons. We'll end our exploration with an owl-hooting lesson!
Come and meet, cuddle, brush, scratch, talk, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms! The mild heart rate and warm body temperature of the cows induces a slowing of our own heart rate, as well as the release of Oxytocin, our social bonding hormone. Visit our scenic and historic dairy farm and enjoy an hour-long Cow Connection session with our two Jersey Dairy Cows, Gray and Jasmine.
Wingmasters with Jim Parks present Eyes on Owls. Owls are not evil spirits, wise little philosophers or Walt Disney creations. Nor do they wing about carrying messages, despite the way they're depicted in the Harry Potter books. In fact, owls are probably more misunderstood than any other kind of bird. These are hunting birds, yet their sharp beaks and talons are partly hidden under feathers. Owl have more and softer feathers than other birds, and this unique plumage gives them a plump, rounded look.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our stone paddock. Gather around for a farm story with one of our farmers!
There's nothing like a visit to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for wonderful family nature experiences, and seeing the bird banding station in operation is at the top of the list. See Mass Audubon scientists evaluate and release migrant songbirds while you learn about migration and habitat use. Don't miss this chance - the bird banding station operates only during the height of migration in spring (April and May) and fall (September and October) and is very weather dependent.
Come discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet and Vanilla, Nubian goats Merlin, Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred, and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique. Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience that lets you and your family approach our barnyard buddies under the guidance of a professional farm-based educator. Join us for a new activity every half hour. Activities might include:
