Come experience the fun new sport of Geocaching at the Cox Reservation in Essex, Massachusetts! This web-based hide-and-seek game is growing by leaps and bounds across the country!Instructors will share how to use a GPS unit and astute powers of observation to find hidden caches at the Cox Reservation.
Did you know that our seafood does not begin its ife in the sea? Have you ever wondered what makes the round hole in seashells on the beach? When was the last time you looked for horseshoe crabs? Now is your chance for your family to learn together about the wonders of nature. Each program will focus on conservation updates, animal and plant interrelationships, changing environmental conditions, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our surroundings. Each experience will leave you excited for the next one!
It’s an afternoon of Poppins fun for the whole family at this Mary Poppins Party at Crane Estate. Activities include kite making and flying, chalk drawing, lawn games, and more. Kite aficionados from Kites Over New England are on hand to show their kites and flying techniques. Tea, lemonade, and cookies are served.
Walk through history at Ravenswood Park! Ravenswood has changed from a main thoroughfare to a forgotten backwoods, and now to our favorite local refuge over time. See the evidence in cellar holes, stonewalls, and carriage paths. Learn the stories of a colorful cast of characters who transformed it into a such special place. Pre-registration requested.
At this Family Quest Fest you'll learn all about Questing--clue-based treasure hunts discovering stories about this very special place--while on an expetition to find a treasure box! You'll make your own stamp, grab a passport, and participate in the fastest growing family recreational activity this side of the Atlantic.
Adventures in Animal Tracking at Ravenswood Park--just like our Hermit did, over 100 years ago! From 1884 to 1917, Mason Walton lived as a "hermit" in Ravenswood. He closely observed, wrote, and drew about wildlife and animal behaviors. He published a book in 1903. We will walk the hermit's footsteps, share tales from his book, and along the way we will closely observe wildlife signs and determine animal behavior. A Hermit's Wild Friends, only available used from Amazon: [amazon 1290053391 inline] or check it out from the Sawyer Free Library.
Venture to vernal pools where survival of fairy shrimp, salamanders, and wood frogs are crucial. We will explore pools, learn how to protect them, and meet these creatures that depend on these pools. This program is instructive to participants, so you can take home the techniques, forms, and methods to certify pools in your neighborhood...or back yard. This is a family-friendly opportunity, so exploration is an important--and fun!--element in the program. Directions to pre-registrants.
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.
This hike explores the wild wonders of the Crane Estate! We’ll launch our long walk at the Cedar Point Trail and follow it to the Ipswich River, then meander along the beach and through seldom-traveled paths to the trailhead at the Crane Wildlife Refuge. We’ll wander the dunes to Essex Bay, then make our way along the backside of Crane Beach to reach the Essex River. A bag lunch will be delivered to us at the approximate halfway point, and will give us the sustenance we’ll need to finish the hike! Come prepared for a leisurely long-way-around walk of about 8 miles.
Join The Trustees of Reservations on a misty evening in early Spring, vernal pools are hopping! The swales we find tucked amongst the dunes are coming alive, host to a variety of creatures waking from a long winter’s nap and ready for action! We’ll hike out under cover of darkness to spy on – and listen to – this celebration of awakening. Bring a flashlight or headlamp, and wear boots! We’ll have nets and buckets for up-close observations, but our specimen collecting is strictly catch-and-release.
