Mass Audubon

Family Night-Hike: Equinox Evening Explore

Celebrate the equinox with your family at Joppa Flats at Rough Meadows with Mass Audubon

Joppa Flats Education Center Staff is invites you and your family for a night hike to celebrate the Spring equinox, the celestial event that marks the true beginning of spring. As the sun sets, we'll search for signs of spring in the forest and field and use some tricks for investigating nature at night. We'll end the evening around a toasty fire pit with blankets and treats while sharing legends about the seasons and constellations.

When: 
Friday, March 16, 2018 6:30-8pm

February Vacation Hunger Moon Hike

Come to Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley Massachusetts with the Mass Audubon under the full moon.

Join naturalists from Joppa Flats Education Center on a nocturnal hike through Rough Meadows underneath the Hunger Moon! We'll peek at the stars, go on stealth walks, and investigate the behaviors that animals use to survive the cold New England winter. We'll return to Joppa Flats for hot cocoa and s'mores over the fire pit. This is a tween/teen program.

When: 
Wednesday, February 21, 2017 6:30-8pm

Sense of Wonder Walk: It's Nice Under the Ice

Kids will find out what happens to pond creatures in the Winter at IRWS

With the lush green fringe of plants and lily pads gone, the winter pond looks deserted. Where did all the turtles, frogs, and insects go? Come learn about the amazing adaptations these animals have developed to survive winter and some cool things about ice. We will stroll along the boardwalks at Waterfowl Pond to see who is around in the winter and who has gone into hibernation. On our return, we'll enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

When: 
Sunday, February 11, 2018 1:30-3pm

Vacation Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Eyes in the Front, Like to Hunt

Pre-Schoolers will learn all about predators at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!!

These December vacation programs are designed for families with creative, curious, and active preschoolers. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. We'll give you coloring pages to take home, and you'll receive song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun-fact sheet, and a suggested reading list in an electonic goody bag after each class.

When: 
Thursday, December 28, 2017 10-11:30 am

Vacation Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Eyes on the Side, Need to Hide

Preschoolers will learn about animals that avoid becoming prey at the Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

These December vacation programs are designed for families with creative, curious, and active preschoolers. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. We'll give you coloring pages to take home, and you'll receive song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun-fact sheet, and a suggested reading list in an electonic goody bag after each class.

When: 
Friday, December 29, 2017 10-11:30 am

Vacation Week Family Fun Days: Snow Stories - Tales on the Trails

A snowy Winter day at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Join Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in the old tradition of fireside storytelling to pass the time through the cold and dark days of winter.  We will start inside around the warm crackle of the fireplace with a seasonal story, and then head outside to collect materials to make a nature bookmark.

When: 
Saturday, December 30, 2017 1-2:30pm

Vacation Week Family Fun Days: Winter Wildlife

Find out where coyotes get food and how they keep warm through the winter.

Come be a winter wildlife detective and learn the tracks and signs of local animals. During the introduction you will make your own wildlife tracks ID guide and get to look at and touch real wildlife clues. Then we will head out on the trails to follow tracks and signs left by wildlife such as deer, rabbits, coyotes, beavers, and more.

When: 
Friday, December 29, 2017 1-2:30pm

Sense of Wonder Walk: Nut's About Squirrels

Learn about Squirrels at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts. Photo ©Bill O'Connor

Squirrels are among the most engaging animals of the forest, dashing across logs and leaping from tree to tree. Except for the flying squirrel, they are active during the day, and one of the few wild animals you can actually observe up close. We’ll play some squirrely games and then take a walk to look for these charming bushy-tailed mammals. Bring binoculars if you have them.

When: 
Sunday, December 3, 2017 1:30-3pm

Sense of Wonder Walk: Let's Talk Turkey

Learn about turkeys at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts

Did you know that the wild turkey was Ben Franklin’s nominee for our national bird? Once driven nearly to extinction in much of the United States, the wild turkey has returned. Come learn about this large bird that represents our first American holiday, Thanksgiving. We’ll make a turkey craft and take a walk to catch, with luck, a glimpse of this elusive bird.

When: 
Sunday, January 12, 2017 1:30-3pm

Youth Excursions: Night Hike at Rough Meadows

Walk through the Rough Meadows in Rowley with Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Educators lit only by the full moon

Join Kirsten Lindquist on a nocturnal hike through Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley as "All Hallow's Eve" approaches on this kids-only adventure! We'll peek at the stars, learn about nocturnal animal adaptations, and see what kind of wildlife we can uncover. We'll cap off the evening with s'mores roasted over the firepit at Joppa Flats Education Center.

When: 
Friday, October 27, 2017 6-8:45 pm

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Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Step Inside the Historic Custom House

Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of...
9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Permission to come aboard the Friendship of Salem is granted at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!
Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

A Spiritual Quest Weekend at Hilldale Cemetery

Hilldale Cemetary in Haverhill Massachusetts is one of the North Shore's most active paranormal spots!
Do you believe in Ghosts? If you do then join the Essex County Ghost Project and Witches Wonder fort a spooktacular evening of haunts and fun . The gates open at 6:30 pm and hunt starts at 7pm . We are exploring one of New England’s most Haunted historical sites . There have been reports of full...
7:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Paddle Around Historic Rockport Harbor

Paddle around Rockport Massachusetts Harbor for FREE as part of Trails and Sails
Come join North Shore Adventures and Outdoor Center for some fun on the water! No experience necessary. Depart from our private beach in one of our safe, stable kayaks or paddle boards and paddle around the historic Rockport Harbor for 30 mins. See lobster boats, Motif #1, the Rockport Break water...
10:30 pm

Trails & Sails

Explore the North Shore with over 150 Free Events in Essex National Heritage Area's Trails & Sails celebration in Massachusetts.
Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in...
7:00 am to 10:00 pm

Saturday, October 4

Marblehead Farmers' Market

Find fresh local produce and other foods at the Marblehead Farmer's Market!
The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Andover Farmers' Market

Find Fresh Local Produce at the Andover Massachusetts Farmers Market North of Boston
The Andover Farmers Market is a vibrant hub connecting local farmers, artisans and the community through the joy of local food. Whether you come for carrots or conversation, it is a place to nourish the body, mind and spirit.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Rockport Farmers' Market

The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday at Rockport Music in Downtown Rockport!
The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Marini Farm Corn Maze

The 2025 Marini Farm Corn Maze in Ipswich Massachusetts is themed for The Wizard of Oz
Come to Marini Farm for a fun journey through our corn maze! The Maze Park, corn maze, farm stand, bakery and other attractions provide a great destination for kids birthday parties, school trips, corporate team building, scout outings, and family activities. Marini Farm is located in beautiful...
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Topsfield Fair

Topsfield Fair is one of the longest running annual fairs in the United States
The Topsfield Fair is a perennial favorite for us.  We're not the biggest fans of the midway, although it is always worth a walkthrough and a ride or two.  We love fruits and vegetables, and are always on the lookout for the winning 'biggest pumpkin'.  Another favorite is checking out the pigs and...
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Music and Movement at North Shore Children's Museum

North Shore, North Shore Childrens Museum in Peabody MA
Music and Movement with Marybeth Maes is an engaging music and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Marybeth brings her guitar and instruments for the children to use while they sing, dance, and play.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm
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