Outdoor Activity

Eco-Art: Pond Dipping

Discover the creatures of your local pond through art at IRWS

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.

When: 
Thursday, July 17, 2014 9-11:00 am

An Evening with the Herons

The largest heronry in Massachusetts is just off of Coolidge Point in Manchester

The evening flight of herons, egrets, and ibises as they return to their night roost is an amazing spectacle to watch, especially when they are returning into the largest heronry in Massachusetts, just off the coast of Coolidge Point. Bring your dinner and enjoy the aerial drama of the life-and-death struggle in the colony.

When: 
Thursday, June 19, 2014 6-8pm

National Trails Day: Ward Reservation

Holt Hill at Ward Reservation is marked with Solstice Stones and has panoramic

Join the The Trustees of Reservations as they celebrate National Trails Day at Ward Reservation! Come explore Ward Reservation with guided hikes through Pine Hole Pond (a rare quaking bog), a beaver wetland, and a great blue heron rookery. Then finish the day picnicking on top of Holt Hill, with great views of Boston.

When: 
Saturday, June 7, 2014 10am-1pm
Location: 

Jaws at Lynch Park

You're going to need a bigger boat, and he was right! Come see Jaws at Lynch Par

Who could forget the classic line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." Come see the movie that changed swimming at the beach forever (and keep in mind it will scare the living daylights out of the kids)! Enjoy a beautiful Summer night on at the ocean's edge at Lynch Park. Bring a blanket, a picnic dinner and enjoy the beauty of a Summer night under the stars!  The Snack Bar will be open for the movie.

When: 
Sunday, July 20, 2014 8-10pm
Location: 

Catch and Release: Amphibians

Catch and release amphibians that you findat the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuar

Are you a frog catcher, snake wrangler, dragonfly hunter, or deer stalker?  Do you love splashing through mud, crawling under logs, and running through fields with nothing but a net and your sense of adventure? Then catch and release is for you!  This session's topic: amphibians. We'll search the wetlands for frogs and tadpoles, the woodlands for toads, and under logs for salamanders. Learn where to look, when it's okay to catch a creature, and when to just follow them and observe, how to hold them carefully so you can take a good look, and how to return them gently and safely to the wild.

When: 
Saturday, June 7, 2014 1:30-3pm

PMC Marblehead Kids Ride 2013

Kids are encouraged to ride their bikes to raise money for the Pan Mass Challeng

The Pan-Mass Challenge Marblehead Kids Ride will be one of 35 PMC Kids Rides held in neighborhoods throughout New England and beyond. Through the PMC Kids Rides program, nearly 6,000 cyclists between the ages of two and 15 will ride between one and 26 miles in mini-bike-a-thons to raise money for cancer research.

When: 
Saturday, June 8, 2013 from 3 - 5:15 p.m.
Location: 

Hunger Games Spring Survival for Teens

Teens will learnb wilderness survival skills in this session at Mass Audubon's I

In this spring session of the program based on the hit book series The Hunger Games, we will continue to learn the skills necessary to survive in the wild. Navigation in the woods can be tough, and finding edible foods can be even tougher. Didn't you walk by that tree already? 

When: 
Saturday, May 10, 2014 1:30-3:30pm

Cape Ann Conservation Crewhands

Give back to the community through this volunteer opportnity at Ravenswood Park

Get out and give back April 26th, with service learning opportunities for high school students to assist our trail steward, management, and education programs. Through our service-learning opportunities,  teens will build real-world skills as they help with our trail steward, management, and education programs.

Spring is the time to get our special places ready for more visitors. Earn community service by helping us at Coolidge Point, Misery Island, and Ravenswood Park.

When: 
April 26, 2014, 9 a.m. -12 noon

Vernal Pond Field Trip to Agassiz Rock

The Vernal Pools at Agassiz Rock in Manchester are teeming with Spring peepers.

The Trustees of Reservations's invites families to learn about vernal pools in Manchester! Vernal pools are crucial to the survival of fairy shrimp, salamanders, and wood frogs. Join the The Trustees of Reservations on an exploration of the pools at Agassiz Rock reservation, and learn how you can certify and protect vernal pools. When vernal pools become certified, we can prevent development on and around them. This program is instructive to the participants, so you, too, can take home the techniques, forms, and methods to certify pools. It is targeted at families, so exploration is an important (and fun!) element in the program.

When: 
Saturday, April 19, 2014 1-3pm
Location: 

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Art Academy Summer Program at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA

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

Breakfast with Santa

Kids will enjoy breakfast with Santa at the Hamilton Wenham Community House
Come and enjoy a continental style breakfast and get your picture taken with Santa. We will also have a letter writing station and music entertainment.
8:00 am to 12:30 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

Middle Street Walk 2025

The lighting of the Lobster Trap Tree is part of Middle Street Walk's finale in Gloucester Massachusetts.
The Annual Middle Street Walk is a great way to experience Gloucester's Historic District and waterfront while having Holiday fun with the family.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond for caregivers at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts
Most education surrounding childbirth focuses on the person carrying the child, as it rightly should. Those in the role of supporting childbirth (spouses, significant others, couples using a surrogate, etc) should be equally as prepared for the joys and challenges in store. In this class you’ll...
9:00 am to 11:00 am

Newburyport Holiday House Tour 2025

Newburyport Holiday House Tour hosted by the Newburyport PTO Kitchen Tour
Enjoy touring private residences and unique spaces throughout Greater Newburyport, all decorated in holiday style both inside and out. Your self-guide tour will lead you through each of our homes all decked out both inside and out in holiday style reflecting the homeowner’s individual celebrations...
9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest 2025

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest entries can take any shape.
Everybody is invited to enter the Gingerbread Contest for the Middle Street Walk in Gloucester this year! Groups and individuals are encouraged to get creative and come up with entries that can take any shape.  All entries will be judged prior to the start of the Middle Street at 10am. 
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Coastal Holiday Crafts

Make holiday gifts with beach treasures from the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts
This holiday season, give a gift from the sea! Beach treasures make beautiful holiday ornaments, jewelry, and keepsakes. Join this workshop to take a beach walk to collect coastal treasures and then make some coastal crafts with our educators. Bring your own shells and beach treasures and we will...
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Discover Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

Discover Saturdays for Families at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Enjoy a FREE guided activity (ages 4+) in the gallery. Learn about Cape Ann’s Granite Industry, try a fun art making activity, and join in gallery tour designed for kids and their caregivers, led by a CAM Educator. Afterwards grab a scavenger hunt to explore the property and enjoy the lawn.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s event celebrating the beauty of the natural world. You’ll see birds, flowers, snowflakes, and more as you view 18 spaces decorated for the holidays.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Ipswich Jingle Bell Walk

Join friends and family for a day of holiday festivities and cheer! Sing carols with Buddy the Elf while waiting for Santa’s arrival.
Get ready for a day full of holiday magic and cheer! Join us at the Ipswich Town Wharf to welcome Santa as he makes his grand entrance. Sing along to festive carols with Buddy the Elf while we wait for the big moment! You can even buy your own jingle bells to ring as we follow Santa and Buddy on a...
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Visit Newburyport MA during the holidays
Newburyport is a favorite local town to shop - especially during the holidays. Bring the family to Newburyport to visit Santa in his traditional workshop, share your wish list, and snap a photo with Mr. Claus!
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Take a Trolley Ride with Scrooge!

Salem Trolley Christmas Carol, Fun Holiday Events north of Boston, Trolley Ride with Scrooge
Join Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as you ride through Salem Massachusetts in this rolling production performed by the Griffen Theater . Now entering into it's 39th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience...
2:00 pm to 9:30 pm

The Nutcracker Panto - Matinee

Come enjoy a Nutcracker Panto performed by Theater in the Open at the Firehouse Center for the Arts!
The tree is lit up and the stockings are hung and Clara’s Christmas is perfect…except for her Uncle Drosselmeyer sitting up on that clock and the sudden rat infestation…sounds like panto time!Edward Speck and Joshua Shack return to direct another cracking holiday panto, this time seizing on...
3:00 pm

The Musary presents A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Musary performs A Charlie Brown Christmas at the The Community House in Hamilton Massachusetts
The Musary brings Charlie Brown's Christmas to The Community House! We are absolutely thrilled to welcome you back to one of our most cherished traditions— Charlie Brown Christmas!
3:00 pm

The Nutcracker Panto

Come enjoy a Nutcracker Panto performed by Theater in the Open at the Firehouse Center for the Arts!
Theater in the Open is happy to be back at the Firehouse for our production of A Nutcracker Panto, written by Edward F. Speck and adapted from the classic holiday ballet. Presented in the traditional British panto style, this holiday send-up is a family friendly romp through Clara’s adventure with...
7:00 pm

Tuesday, December 30

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

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

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

Come explore the dunes on Castle Neck and Crane Beach in Ipswich Massachusetts to learn about winter wildlife.
A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Wednesday, December 31

New Years Eve

12:00 am to 11:59 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

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

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

CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

Come explore the dunes on Castle Neck and Crane Beach in Ipswich Massachusetts to learn about winter wildlife.
A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
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