Meet at Campground Nature Center- For ages 6 and up. This is a moderate guided hike to the remnants of the Jenkins family blue soapstone quarry. A great way to learn about the park’s history and resources while getting some exercise.
Meet at Frye Pond Beach - Great family fun for everyone interested in learning the basics of pond fishing in New England. All fishing tackle and bait is provided. Recommend bringing insect repellent, water, sun screen and a camera. Appropriate for children over 6 years old.
Meet at Frye Pond Beach - Fish, frogs, snakes, and salamanders, let’s discover what lives in our tranquil New England ponds! Nets and buckets are provided. This activity can be wet and muddy. Recommend bringing water, insect repellent, sun screen, binoculars and camera. Appropriate for all ages.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge invites families to join Katie Hone, The Monarch Gardener, for this fun and interesting one hour program about the monarch butterfly. The program will include a presentation about monarchs with interactive role playing and live animals AND making milkweed “seed bombs” (to take home). Meet, tag and release live monarch butterflies to the wild! This program is geared to younger children and their parents. This program will take place in the refuge visitor center classroom. NO preregistration for this program.
Halibut Point State Park invites families to join them on a tide pool adventure! Halibut Point contains some of the best tide pools in New England. Join the Interpreter for a trip down to the rocky shore for some inter-tidal exploration. Learn about these interesting creatures living in a unique transitional environment. Meet at the Visitors Center in the park. For all ages. Rain or shine, pouring rain cancels.
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! A rock is not a thing but a drama, it can teach us about the great unifying science and the unique geology of Cape Ann. Rocks can tell us a lot about how the landscape was formed and the geology of Cape Ann tells us great stories, all visible at Halibut Point. Meet at the Visitors Center in the park. For all ages. Rain or shine, pouring rain cancels.
Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night of camping under the stars. Have an early dinner at home and then come with your family, your tent, and a dessert to share. Join us as we explore the habitats of the elusive owls.
Enjoy a summer afternoon at Grace Oliver Beach during low tide and discover the living wonders of the sandy coastline. Walk across the mudflats to Crowninshield Island, where we will search for tiny fish, hermit crabs, periwinkles, and other sea creatures living in this delicate habitat. Explore the five-acre island and its unusual variety of landforms, from granite rocks and tidal pools to sandy beach, salt marsh, and wooded hilltop.
Circumnavigating an island is one of the great rewards of kayaking. Reaching the summit of a hill that offers a great view is one of the payoffs of a good hike. This adventure in the Crane Wildlife Refuge offers an opportunity to do both of these things in one outing. We’ll paddle around three islands, the largest of which—Choate (formerly Hog) Island—supports myriad birds and mammals including deer, fisher, coyote, and otter. We’ll land there and enjoy a picnic lunch on the lawn of the Choate family homestead.
Maudslay State Park has a strong connection to the arts. Join the interpreter for this art program incorporating natural materials gathered and assembled into a piece of art that will be reclaimed by nature. Photo cataloging will be used for the website. This program teaches cooperation, and creative thinking, as well as problem-solving, all in the great outdoors. This is a fun evening activity for the whole family!
