Monarch butterflies are feeding along their migration routes. Plants are still flowering and dispersing seeds, insects and spiders are laying eggs, and the forest is abuzz with activity. Using sweep nets and hand lenses, we will investigate field and forest, determine air temperature by counting the chirps of a cricket, explore life under a log, and much more.
Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night of camping under the stars. Have an early dinner at home, and then come with your family, your tent, and a dessert to share.
Join watercolorist Brenda Sloane at IRWS for this program that combines nature and art. In this class, we will learn all about wetlands, their importance, and what can be found there. Then we will walk to the sanctuary wetlands and discover what can be found living in them, such as dragonfly larvae, backswimmers, frogs, and birds.
Celebrate the arrival of spring on May Day at IRWS! We'll explore wetlands, fields, and woods and look for signs of the changing seasons. After the walk, the group will return to the Nature Center to make May baskets.
During the cool, crisp, early-evening hours of autumn, many interesting creatures set out into the dark woodlands. Deer, owls, and flying squirrels are just a few of the animals we hope to encounter on our hike. Enjoy a walk that will spark your senses as we venture into the night in search of these and other nighttime forest dwellers.
Lisa Hutchings Teacher-Naturalist from Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of Newburyport Harbor Tours Inc.'s Yankee Clipper invite you and your family for an exciting exploration of the lower Merrimack River ecosystem. We'll conduct hands-on science as we collect water samples, live specimens, and plankton. We'll also look for wading birds, seals, and waterfowl. Your family will have a wonderful time exploring and learning about this vital part of the area's natural history.
Lisa Hutchings Teacher-Naturalist from Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of Newburyport Harbor Tours Inc.'s Yankee Clipper invite you and your family on an exciting exploration of the lower Merrimack River ecosystem. We'll conduct hands-on science as we collect water samples, live specimens, and plankton. We'll also look for wading birds, seals, and waterfowl. Your family will have a wonderful time exploring and learning about this vital part of the area's natural history.
Lisa Hutchings Teacher-Naturalist from Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of Newburyport Harbor Tours Inc.'s Yankee Clipper invite you and your family for an exciting exploration of the lower Merrimack River ecosystem.
Joppa Flats Education Center has added this event by popular demand! Come to Joppa Flats Education Center and begin with a 45 minute indoor introductory program in the Lookout (2nd floor) about Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walrus). Then, we’ll carpool to an on-the-beach viewing area where we can see the harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at low tide at the mouth of the Merrimack River.
Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even an Arctic explorer throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.
