Discovery

Balers and bucket loaders and tractors, oh my! Pack a picnic and spend a summer evening at Appleton Farms meeting our machines. You'll get to climb aboard backhoes, check out manure spreaders and try out the view from our tractors. Afterwards, enjoy music and your picnic brought from home in the stone paddock.

Explore the Ipswich River at dusk. Bring your family and join us for an evening paddle in a canoe as we learn more about the river and some of its inhabitants. Many kinds of owls "call in the night" with their hoots and screams as the sun begins to fade. As we paddle along, we'll look and listen for owls, talk about the types of owls we're likely to find at this time of year, and do some hooting ourselves.

Join Mass Audubon as they explore the habitats of Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary in Gloucester. The cool breezes, superb coastline, and easily observed wildlife will delight your senses. We'll visit tide pools, salt marsh, woodlands, and adjoining fields using hands-on activities as we investigate each habitat.

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to join them for a full day of free outdoor and indoor nature activities, art projects, and live insects! July is the time to see such winged wonders as American ladies, swallowtails, monarchs, skippers, and more. At Joppa Flats, you'll see wild butterflies and captive caterpillars, learn about environmentally friendly products and practices for the home and garden, enjoy a guided nature walk on the grounds, and take home a fun craft or two.