Topsfield

Meet Backyard Birds

What birds come to your yard in the winter? Find out at Joppa Flats Education Center!

Drop in at Joppa Flats for an up-close winter wildlife experience! On select weekend and school vacation days, Joppa Flats volunteer Deb La Roy presents demonstrations on bird research and banding. After capturing wild birds in the Joppa backyard, Deb brings them inside to measure, weigh, examine, and then release them. The unique band that Deb places carefully on each bird’s leg connects other bird researchers with the data she’s collected. You’ll learn about your own backyard birds and why they’re here while watching scientific research in action.

When:

Fridays, January 13 & 20, 2017 10:30-1:30

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Beaver Fun in the Setting Sun

Join us as we look for elusive river mammals at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: American Beaver ©Scott Santino

Have you ever visited a beaver lodge or had an opportunity to see the resident beaver itself? Join in for an evening walk to a beaver lodge on the sanctuary and discover how busy beavers really are. You will learn to recognize some of their favorite trees, see how a lodge is constructed, and listen for the slap of a tail on the pond.

When:

Fri, September 23, 2011 6 - 8 pm

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Eco-Art: Busy Beaver Builders

Experience what life is like as the largest rodent in North America. We will examine a beaver mound up close, and then take a walk to see a beaver lodge, dam, and scent mounds. Discover how beavers continue to change the habitats in which they live and how other species of plants and animals benefit. On our return, we will make beaver dioramas out of natural materials.

When:

Thursday, July 11, 2013 9-11:00 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Haunting at Witch Hill

Haunting Tales and Bewitching Cocktails at Peirce Farm at Witch Hill, Topsfield.

Travel back to Victorian times at the gentleman farm of railroad tycoon T.W. Peirce where you will be spellbound by eerie ghost stories in the manor house, enjoy games and music in the barn, and savor a complimentary signature cocktail.

When:

October 30, 2016, 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM

Location:

Peirce Farm at Witch Hill

Topsfield

Halloween

Fundraiser

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Trail Blazing Trek

Join Mass Audubon naturalists on a hike some of the less travelled trails at IRWS.

Ipswich River Sanctuary invites you to come explore! Looking to get off the beaten path and take "the one less traveled?" Haven't yet hiked alll 12 miles of our sanctuary's interconnected trails? Have a yearning to explore places like Hassocky Meadow or White Pine Loop? Come with us as we trek some of the sanctuary's less frequented trails to discover new sights and sounds in these spectacular habitats.

When:

Saturday, October 1, 2016 1:30 pm - 3pm

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Nature Adventures with Picture Books: Butterflies

Learn about butterflies at the MassAudubon Ipswich River wildlife Sanctuary!

Rita Gallant, Lead Field Teacher at IRWS will read Festive Occasions - Special Event Rental Equipment by Joanne Ryder. Let's find out what butterflies live in our area. Using sweep nets and hand lenses, we'll observe butterflies in the gardens and fields of the sanctuary. Become a butterfly as we learn about the life cycles of these fluttering marvels.

When:

Tuesday, August 2, 2016 9:30-11:00 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Eco-Art: Salamanders

Discover, explore and learn through art at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Salamanders are often found in dark, wet places such as under a rock or log in the soil, while their eggs can be found in vernal pools. We will go for a walk, looking under rocks and logs for salamanders, and visit a vernal pool to discover where they lay their eggs each spring. Each participant will create a clay salamander to take home.

When:

Thursday, July 28, 2016 9-11 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Nature Adventures with Picture Books: Crickets and Grasshoppers

Learn about crickets and grasshoppers at Ipswich River Sanctuary!

Rita Gallant, Lead Field Teacher at IRWS will read Crickets and Grasshoppers by Theresa Greenaway. Using nets and hand lenses, come explore with us as we examine a field and learn why crickets and grasshoppers sing and jump, how they eat, and what their similarities are.

When:

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 9:30-11:00 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Eco-Art: Bird Nests

Learn how birds make their nests, then make your own!

Eco-art programs programs combine nature exploration and a craft project. Come learn how different birds build their nests and what natural materials they use. We will take a hike to look for nests and collect materials to make our own birds' nests.

When:

Thursday, July 14, 2016 9-11:00 am

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Interactive Composition Workshop For Children

Join Music at Eden’s Edge and award winning composer Robert Honstein for a fun and engaging workshop on what it means to compose classical music!

During the presentation Mr. Honstein will break down music into its simplest components and ask students to change these in fun and interesting ways, and then shape these elements into a piece of music. The result is an insight on how a composer writes classical music. Children of all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by emailing Jacques Lee Wood at director@edensedge.org

When:

Saturday, July 16, 2016. Session 1: 10:00

Saturday, July 16, 2016. Session 2: 10:45

Topsfield

Music