Ecology

Fun in the Field at IRWS

Learn about butterflies and other field creatures at the MassAudubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary!

Fields are alive with animal activity on warm, fall days. Spend an early October day chasing butterflies, grasshoppers, and crickets with nets while taking some time to closely observe these amazing insects. We may also encounter predators of the field, such as Blue Birds, Leopard Frogs and Garter Snakes! This will be a hands-on experience the entire family can enjoy.

When: 
Saturday, October 7, 2023 10-11:30am

CoastSweep: Sandy Beach & River Street

Come help with the Coastsweep cleanup of the Sandy Beach and River Street in Danvers, Massachusetts!

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Danvers Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans.

When: 
Sunday, September 23, 2023 8am

ECGA Family Series - Spooky Animals

Essex County Greenbelt Association and North Shore Nature Programs team up for a hike in search of Spooky Animals!

The Essex County Greenbelt Association and North Shore Nature Programs to meet some of our favorite critters! Some critters get a bad rap! But there is lots to love about the creepy, wiggly, and crawly creatures in our woods! We'll look for spiders, bugs, centipedes and millipedes, as well as signs of cool predators like owls, coyotes, and weasels. Nothing scary about this walk - just good, fun science!

When: 
Saturday, October 21, 2023 3-4:30pm
Location: 

On-the-River Cruise for Families

Explore the lower Merrimack River ecosystem with Lisa Hutchings from Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of the Yankee Clipper

Join Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center on a On-the-River Science cruise aboard Newburyport Harbor Tours Inc.'s Yankee Clipper through the Merrimack River Estuary! Teacher Naturalist, Lisa Hutchings and the crew of the Yankee Clipper will guide a unique cruise where participants will do some birdwatching, examine marine plankton, and investigate tide pool touch tubs on every trip. Enjoy cruising and learning about this vital part of the area's natural history.

When: 
Saturday June 24, 2023 8:45-10:45am
Saturday, July 15, 2023 8:45-10:45am
Saturday, August 12, 2023 8:45-10:45am
Saturday, September 16, 2023 8:45-10:45am

Meet Beach Creatures and More!

Discover and explore the facts of the creatures you find at the beach at Joppa Flats Education Center Newburyport

Come to Joppa Flats this summer to enjoy some live animal encounters both outdoors in our riverside yard and indoors in our air conditioned lobby! You'll rotate through different live animal stations at your own pace, and may choose to spend your time handling tide pool creatures such as sea urchins and sea stars, meeting moon snails and hermit crabs from the sandy beach, and/or learning about minnows and horseshoe crabs from the salt marsh. We'll also introduce you to our 'seasonal specials' that our interns are raising for release. You might even see praying mantis hatchlings, monarch caterpillars, or American toadlets! Family friendly activities, self-guided science stations and take-home nature crafts - something for everyone!

When: 
Fridays & Sautrdays through August 19, 2023 10am-3pm
Saturday, September 16, 2023 10am-2pm
No Session July 22

CoastSweep: Gloucester

CoastSweep volunteers catalog marine debris collected at Cripple Cove in Gloucester Massachusetts

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Gloucester to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the Gloucester beaches and shoreline. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans! This specific cleanup is coordinated by Michael Mitchell and the Community Church of East Gloucester, and will cover up to 8 beaches in Gloucester.

When: 
Saturday, September 16, 2023 9am-Noon

Singing Beach Cleanup

Join Seaside Sustainability at Singing Beach in Manchester Massachusetts for a COASTSWEEP cleanup!

Join Seaside Sustainability for a COASTSWEEP clean up of Singing Beach from 9-11am on Saturday, September 9thWhat to Bring: Appropriate clothes for being on the coast, hat, sunscreen, water, snack, thin gloves optional, hand sanitizer, and a friend or two! Seaside Sustainability will supply everything you’ll need for the cleanups.  

When: 
Saturday, September 9, 2023 9-11am
Location: 

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Drop-in Open House at the Bradley Palmer State Park Nature Center in Hamilton Ipswich Massachusetts

Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand. Open rain or shine. For ages Pre-K and up. This is a great family activity.

When: 
Saturdays & Sundays, June-October 8, 2023 1-4pm
No Open house the on September 16

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Harborlight Montessori School - Infant to Grade 8 - Beverly MA

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

Cambridge Science Festival 2023

The Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun in Cambridge Massachusetts
Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a city-wide celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Sculpture at Maudslay | Fracture

Artists will install their sculptures at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport for public viewing!
Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the 24th Annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay Exhibit September 10 through October 1 featuring 50 site specific sculptures by local artists addressing this year’s theme, ‘Fracture' within the magnificence of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Look for the large...
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

The Flying Horse outdoor sculpture exhibit features works by José Criollo and many others at Pingree School in Hamilton Massachusetts
Pingree School hosts the 14th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree will display more than 50 temporary works by artists from as nearby as Hamilton and as far away as the state of Washington, including 20 works that are now in the school’s...
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

Corn MAiZE and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers

Corn MAiZE, Maze and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers, Massachusetts
Come to Connors Farm to find your way through this year's maze and enjoy many family fun activities! After completing the maze, stay and have some fun around the farm. Children enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, and most of all, visiting the barnyard animals.
9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Children's Drop and Shop Consignment Event

Massive Fall and Winter Children's Consignment Event. Children's Drop and Shop
Don't miss the Children's Drop and Shop Fall and Winter consignment sales event at Danvers Indoor Sports, for name brand children’s clothing, toys, gear and furniture. Shop for the best bargains on new & gently used Fall and Winter children's clothing, brand name toys and gear, furniture,...
10:00 am to 8:00 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

Salem Farmers' Market

The Salem Farmer's Market bring the goodness of local farm to downtown Salem!
The Salem Farmers' Market brings fresh local produce and other foods from North Shore farms and other local resources to downtown Salem every Thursday at  Bentley Academy Charter School! Due to COVID-19, the market has needed to make some adjustments please read their new COVID-19 guidelines and...
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Salisbury Farmers' Market

Salisbury Farmers Market is a great source of local produce.
Shake your Farmer's hand, tap your feet to the music, taste our local market creations, and make old friends. At the market you can savor produce at the peak of freshness and meet the people who grow your food. Enjoy & support our local farmers market!
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
5:45 pm to 7:45 pm

Friday, September 29

Cambridge Science Festival 2023

The Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun in Cambridge Massachusetts
Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a city-wide celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Sculpture at Maudslay | Fracture

Artists will install their sculptures at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport for public viewing!
Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the 24th Annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay Exhibit September 10 through October 1 featuring 50 site specific sculptures by local artists addressing this year’s theme, ‘Fracture' within the magnificence of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Look for the large...
7:00 am to 6:00 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

The Flying Horse outdoor sculpture exhibit features works by José Criollo and many others at Pingree School in Hamilton Massachusetts
Pingree School hosts the 14th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree will display more than 50 temporary works by artists from as nearby as Hamilton and as far away as the state of Washington, including 20 works that are now in the school’s...
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Corn MAiZE and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers

Corn MAiZE, Maze and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers, Massachusetts
Come to Connors Farm to find your way through this year's maze and enjoy many family fun activities! After completing the maze, stay and have some fun around the farm. Children enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, and most of all, visiting the barnyard animals.
9:00 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

All Family Field Trips: Visit the Bird Banding Station

Family field Trip to the Banding Station with Mass Audubon Educators at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Massachusetts
Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the North Shore. Joppa Flats' engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities...
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Children's Drop and Shop Consignment Event

Massive Fall and Winter Children's Consignment Event. Children's Drop and Shop
Don't miss the Children's Drop and Shop Fall and Winter consignment sales event at Danvers Indoor Sports, for name brand children’s clothing, toys, gear and furniture. Shop for the best bargains on new & gently used Fall and Winter children's clothing, brand name toys and gear, furniture,...
10:00 am to 8:00 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

Hayrides at Appleton Farms | Fridays

Hayrides at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts are fun for the whole family!
Experience the beautiful scenery, crisp air and changing and vibrant colors of Appleton Farms in the fall as you enjoy a hayride across ths idyllic property. Rides will depart every twenty minutes between 12-4pm on weekends and 4-7pm on Fridays. Space is limited, pre-registration is strongly...
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
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