Live Animals

Join us Every Sunday at 4PM to see our Jersey heard being milked. See the cows bring brought in from pasture, get a look at the milking up close and ask our dairy farmer a few questions! Perfect for kids and adults alike. While you are here take a peek in the cheese kitchen viewing room, visit with our other barnyard animals or have a picnic in the stone paddock!

As backyard birds head south for the winter, let's give them a proper send-off with a fun, free family event that features bird banding demonstrations, interactive games about bird migration, and lots of table-top science. Younger children will enjoy our crafts and games, while older children can get involved in physics and engineering fun! Preregistration is not required. children must be accompanied by an adult. Family presentations will be offered at half-past each hour.

North Shore Nature Programs is happy to be participating in our first ever Trails and Sails event! Join experienced naturalists Andrew and Dan on a guided hike through Camp Denison’s fields and forests. Your family can expect to see katydids, dragonfly’s, centipedes, millipedes, and sow bugs! Each family will have the opportunity to touch and hold as many invertebrates as they please! You will also learn about the amazing adaptations these creatures require to live in the wild.

Come tour the Cat Cove Marine Laboratory as part of Trails & Sails! The Cat Cove Marine Laboratory is operated by Salem State University to promote the sustainable use of aquatic resources on the North Shore and elsewhere. Massachusetts’ North Shore is historically, culturally and economically linked with the ocean. More recently, the ecological importance of coastal waters has been recognized. Salem State University and its Cat Cove Marine Laboratory acknowledge the traditional, biological and social importance of our coastal waters. Methods to preserve, manage and utilize this treasured resource are developed and disseminated at the Laboratory. Participants in Trails & Sails will tour the Laboratory, learn about its relevance and gain insight into how some of their tax dollars are being spent. The visit is interactive, be prepared to feed fish, shellfish and to handle creepy crawlers!