Outdoor Activity

Walk on the Wildside: Tide Pooling at Sandy Point

Have a tide pooling adventure at Sandy Point with Mass Audubon Naturalist!

This wildside walk is a tide-pooling adventure! Adults and children can spend quality family time in the great outdoors finding, observing, and admiring local wildlife. Excursions might include a group game to burn off some steam, an on-the-water scavenger hunt, or a guided tour. We'll observe, investigate, and compare coastal environments and their inhabitants, both on- and offshore. Participants play out the roles of birders, trackers, and astronomers in all venues. Each adventure will leave your family excited to come back for more!

When: 
Sunday November 10, 2013 9:30am-12pm

Mount Ann Forest Frolic

Join the Trustees of Reservations on an exploration of Mount Ann in Gloucester!

Mt. Ann Park is usually closed to the public, but once a year, we have the chance to lead a walk through this unique reservation. We’ll explore the various habitats that make up this special place, and spot rare species along the way. Our ultimate reward: splendid coastal views from Mt. Ann’s summit. Take advantage of this once a year opportunity and join us!

Space is limited and pre-registration is required!

When: 
Sunday, October 20, 2013 1-3pm
Location: 

Afterschool at Joppa: Wetland Birders

Learn about wetland birds with the Joppa Flats Education Center!

Explore the wetland habitat in search of the birds afterschool in Newburyport! Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even a marine biologist throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 3:30-5pm

Movies on the Common: The Haunted Mansion

What happens when a family buys a haunted mansion? Find out in Salem!

Grab a blanket and the kids and head over to Salem Common at dusk for an outdoor showing of some favorite family-friendly movies that will get you in the mood for a spooktacular Halloween!  Each weekend Radio 92.9 will sponsor a different movie through October, so come to one or all!

When: 
Saturday, October 12, 2013 6:30pm
Location: 

Afterschool at Joppa: Mudflat Trekkers

What lives in the tidal mud? Kids will learn about it at Joppa Flats Education C

Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even a marine biologist throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 3:30 - 5pm

Garden Restoration Tour at Coolidge Stevens Estate

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Join the The Trustees of Reservations for a look at the recently restored perennial garden, diligently transformed by volunteers at Stevens Coolidge Place. Planted over 100 years ago, the perennial garden was first established in 1907 utilizing the plan of landscape designer, Louisa Bancroft Stevens. Learn how recent restoration work incorporated the use of historical documentation with thoughtful stewardship practices. The first floor of the house will be open at 10:30AM followed by a tour of the garden beginning at 11AM. This program is offered in conjunction with Essex County's Trails and Sails program.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2013 10:30am-Noon

Nature Journaling Workshop

Journaling combines art, notes and charts to record what you observe

Nature journaling is a tool for making discoveries about nature. It involves drawing, but you don't have to be an artist. It involves writing, labeling, and making notes about what you notice and wonder. Above all, it involves taking a closer look. After a brief orientation and introductory exercises, the class will explore the journaling process along the trails of the sanctuary.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2013 1-3pm

Afterschool at Joppa: Backyard Ponders

Kids will learn about ponds and the creatures that live in them at Joppa Flats!

Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even a marine biologist throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 3:30 - 5pm

Monarch Butterfly Banding at IRWS

Help Mass Audubon tag monarch butterflies at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary!

Bring your young naturalist to the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for a day of butterfly banding!  The annual migration of eastern monarch butterflies to central Mexico and back is one of the most remarkable events in nature. Cindy Dunn has been tagging monarchs at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton for many years. Join her for an afternoon of tagging monarchs on the sanctuary. Learn about the fascinating life history of these butterflies and find out how you can help monarchs in your own backyard.

When: 
Saturday September 7, 2013 1-3pm

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

Superbowl of Birding 2026

The Superbowl of Birding 2026 is a unique competition conducted in Rockingham County, NH, and Essex County, Massachusetts
The Superbowl of Birding is a unique competition conducted in Rockingham County, NH, and Essex County, MA. During a 12-hour period, teams of birders of all ages and abilities seek to amass the greatest number of avian species, to earn the most points based on the rarity of the birds recorded. Teams...
5:00 am to 5:00 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

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 am to 11:30 am

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Animal Tracks | Family Nature Series

Essex County Greenbelt teams up with North Shore Nature Programs for a wildlife hike in Ipswich Massachusetts!
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​This event with North Shore Nature Programs is geared toward families of all ages who would like to learn about the signs and tracks that animals leave behind!  We will explore outdoors and look at tracks, chewed sticks, scat, nests, beaver constructions and more! Waterproof and warm...
10:00 am to 11:30 am

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...
4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Tuesday, March 3

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
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