Topsfield

Bring your young naturalist to the Ravenswood Park in Gloucester and learn all about bugs! Bugs, bugs, everywhere there are bugs!  We'll investigate some and venture outdoors on a bug-bingo hunt!

Think you have the skills to survive in the wild? Come learn about finding food, water, and shelter in the forests and wetlands of the sanctuary and then put your new knowledge to the test. We will split into two teams and compete to identify and locate resources, build and test shelters, and sneak up on one another in a tag-style game that take places over a large part of the sanctuary. Can you and your team complete all of the outdoor skill challenges before it's too late? No previous experience necessary, just teamwork and a strong survival instinct!

Do you know all the animals that you share your neighborhood with? You may be surprised to learn that many of the animals you see on a visit to the sanctuary might be living in your backyard, too. We'll hike the trails to learn how to identify the signs of aniamls that might be living in your backyard habitat and then give you the tools to make your yard more inviting to beneficial species. Finally, we'll show you how to share your family's discoveries once you return home.

Spring nights are full of life and full of sounds.  Frogs and toads sing in chorus from the water, timberdoodles twirl and peent in the fields, and countless other animals rustle in the dark forest. On this family hike at dusk we will sharpen our senses, learn some nighttime animal sounds, and go out to explore what creatures are awake and singing their songs all night long.

Essex County Trail Association is hosting the 23^rd annual Equine EXPO to be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 9am-3pm in the Arena Building at the Topsfield Fairgrounds on Route 1, Topsfield, MA. This popular event draws over 800 people each year. Many new and returning individuals, groups and businesses will be offering their goods and services – selling anything new or used for the horse, rider or driver. 

If you are looking to outfit the kids for the show season, upgrade your horse’s equipment, build a bard, find a massage therapist, purchase supplements, home décor, gifts, books or herbal products this is the place to be.  We also have a large information table with pamphlets on trails, land organizations, businesses, etc.

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary are pleased to welcome back Christine Schadler to the sanctuary from her farm in New Hampshire, where she has studied coyotes for more than 20 years. Her talks are informative and engaging, and so relevant, with eastern coyotes appearing regularly as backyard visitors. Come learn about the natural history of this unique mammal from an expert in the field. 

This year Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries turn 100! Join us on Saturday, April 9 - the 100th day of the year - for a special "100th Day Celebration." Visitors of all ages are welcome - free of charge - to explore our trails in celebration of 100 years of wildlife sanctuaries with Mass Audubon.

Step out under the December night sky to seek out shooting stars associated with the Geminid meteor shower, which is considered by many to be one of the strongest showers of the year, rivaling in strength the better known Perseid meteor shower of mid-August. The Geminids have a reputation for producing very bright shooting stars, or fireballs. Although it is not possible to know just how many meteors we will see, the fact that the shower reaches maximum intensity on this night should improve our chances of spotting some of them. The observing portion of the program will be preceded by an indoor presentation that will explain the origin of meteor showers in general, and the Geminids in particular, as well as the best way to observe them.

Enjoy the spirit of the season and take home the fragrance of the forest. We will read The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown. Then we will visit the forest to identify a variety of evergreens by their shape, needles, cones, and fragrance.