Discovery

To spark a sense of wonder, Rachel Carson said, every child needs an adult "who can share it, rediscovering with him [or her] the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in." To this end, knowing facts about nature matters less than feeling a sense of beauty, admiration, excitement, and love, which can prompt a wish for knowledge later on and create an enduring legacy of meaning. Exploring nature, Carson reminds us, means being receptive to the surrounding world - "learning to use your eyes, ears, nostrils, and finger tips, opening up the disused channels of sensory impression."

Join The Trustees of Reservations as we kayak the winding waters that meander through the marsh between the Ipswich River and Essex Bay. We’ll start our adventure at Steep Hill Beach, then paddle into the Ipswich River to Fox Creek, traveling through the oldest man-made tidewater canal in the United States! As we wend our way through the marsh, we’ll be on the lookout for herons, egrets, and other shore birds -- with luck we’ll spot an osprey hunting for its supper! A picnic lunch will be waiting for us when we return. We’ll supply the kayaks and lifejackets; please call to learn more.

Solve the crime that has been committed at Joppa Flats by investigating clues, performing experiments, and questioning suspects. Handle live beach creatures and perform math, science, and chemistry tasks to narrow down your suspects, put together the timeline and solve the case! Every participant takes home a prize!

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.