Spring is an exciting time for outdoor discovery. This April Vacation week Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary has put together four days of hands-on, engaging and educational hikes to explore the natural world in spring. Kids will sharpen their observation skills as they locate and learn about bugs, search for salamanders, watch birds gather nesting materials, and much more. Participants will be divided into groups by age: 5-6, 7-8 and 9-11.
Each year on the first warm rainy night of spring, wood frogs and mole salamanders begin a mass migration to the vernal pools where they breed. If you happen to be out on one of these evenings, the experience can be like a spectacular amphibian celebration. It's called "Big Night!" For families and kids ages 4 and up.
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
Experience the age-old tradition of maple sugaring at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary! The warm days of late winter awaken the flow of sap in the maples resulting in sweet-smelling, billowing clouds of steam rising from the sugarhouse. On a naturalist-guided walk, learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, watch the sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and get a sweet taste of the final product.
Join IRWS sugaring staff for a 2 hour, small group, maple sugaring experience! You'll learn how to identify a sugar maple, tap it, and produce delicious maple syrup in the traditional New England way!
Winter is an exciting time for outdoor discovery. We have put together four sessions of hands-on, awesome, age-appropriate activities and games to explore the natural world in winter. Sharpen your observation skills as we locate and learn about winter animals and tap a sugar maple tree to make syrup. Sign up for the entire 4-day session, Tuesday-Friday from 8:30am-3:00pm. Separated into three age groups: ages 5-6, ages 7-8, and ages 9-12.
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!
Some animals hibernate, some migrate, and some stay active in winter. Explore the sanctuary woodlands looking for clues of what animals have been eating and where they have been sleeping. Discover tracks in the snow and guess which animals made them. We will cover the basics during a short indoor introduction, but most of our time will be spent in the woods following the trails of raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and other woodland animals!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems, learn more about a wide range of natural history topics, and do real wildlife data collection and conservation projects in this exciting club for teens!
Celebrate the shortest day of the year and welcome the lengthening days ahead with a candlelit evening walk on the trails of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Sanctuary naturalists will share solstice stories and folklore outdoors by bonfire then, with candles in hand, we'll light up the night with a stroll through the forest and perhaps catch sights or sounds of animals active during the winter season.
