The Joppa Flats riverside yard will be our outdoor classroom for families every week! Let's learn about different animals and their habitats, discover the mysteries of weather and where animals go in winter, and do lots of hands-on science with songs, role play, and imagination. This session will focus on birds that you'll find in your own backyard!
People of all ages love owls, and many species of owls can be found right here in Massachusetts year-round. Experience the excitement of an owl prowl as we take a night hike to look and listen for Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-owls. Before we head out on our nocturnal adventure, we'll learn fun owl facts in our cozy Barn using real owl mounts, feathers, talons, and a brief slide show. We'll end our evening with an owl-hooting lesson.
Joppa Flats Education Center vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities while we keep minds active and hands busy during school break. Beat the winter blahs during school break! Drop in for an hour or stay all morning, either one or both days, for a vacation destination that suits your schedule. Drop in for family fun! You'll see winter bird banding demonstrations and try out science and art activities. "Miss Lisa" invites you to join her at 11:00 for an energetic educational presentation where everyone particpates in the fun of an interactive mult-media show. After the presentation, weather permitting, we'll go outside for a group game.
Have you ever walked through the woods looking for owls during the day? Owls are most active at night, of course, but if you know what to look for you can find their daytime roosts. Together we'll discover what our local owls look like, what they eat, and what they sound like. As a special activity, everyone will help to dissect an owl pellet.
Come to Joppa Flats Education Center for an afternoon full of family fun! Adults and children can spend quality family time in the great outdoors finding, observing, and admiring local wildlife. Can you imagine seeing a Bald Eagle or a Snowy Owl on a winter walk? Families will travel in their cars to several birding hot spots on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge with Joppa Flats naturalists in the lead. Once there, we'll walk on cleared trails to search for the birds that are here for the winter. Then, we'll wrap up with hot chocolate back at Joppa Flats.
There's a lot going on in the natural world in winter, so bundle up the family and join us for an outdoor exploration! This walk will begin with a short introduction indoors, and then we'll go outside to explore. What birds visit your house in winter? We'll walk the trails looking, listening, and calling for birds. After our hike, we'll return to the Nature Center to warm up and view birds from our observation window.
Come to Newburyport to celebrate the return of migrating eagles back to the Merrimack River Estuary! The Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge have teamed up to bring an entire day of free events centered around the wonders of the Bald Eagles that have come to take seasonal advantage of the Merrimack River habitat.
Come to northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire for great winter birding and a chance to compete with other birders. The Superbowl of Birding is a unique, 12-hour team competition, where teams of birders of all ages and abilities seek out the greatest number of species and amass the most points based on the rarity of the birds recorded. Compete for prizes in 10 categories, from the Newbies Award to the esteemed Zeiss Joppa Cup. Enjoy spectacular winter birding and find out just how good you and your team really are! Sponsored by Joppa Flats Education Center, and Zeiss.
Join The Trustees of Reservations at Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate in search of the Snowy Owl! Wide-open coastal sites are the location of choice for wintering Snowy Owls; common perches are dunes and salt hay staddles. In winters past, the owls have been frequent visitors to the Crane Wildlife Refuge. Join us for a family snowy owl prowl as we hike the dunes in search of these magnificent birds. As a family hike, this hike will be shorter and slower than our standard snowy owl prowl, focusing on engaging children in the natural world. If you are an adult with no or older children who would prefer a more serene hiking experience, please check out or standard Snowy Owl Prowl events.
Family pricing includes 2 adults and up to 2 children. If your family is larger, please purchase 2 family tickets.
Please note: We will be hiking up and down dunes, through soft sand, for approximately 2 miles. Sturdy shoes are necessary and trekking poles are recommended for anyone with balance concerns. Because we will be looking for Snowy Owls on distant dunes, please bring binoculars if you have them. We will have a few pairs available for use to share between us.
Tis the season for watching wintering birds in the forest or at the feeders, and the colder weather and shorter days are perfect for cozying up with a good book. This free family event celebrates both of these winter pastimes!
