Science

CraneExplorer: Animals in the Estuary

Families are invited to join us for an exploration of the Castle Hill grounds in Ipswich Massachusetts

Take in beautiful views of the Crane Wildlife Refuge while learning about estuary flora and fauna and environmental conditions at the Crane Boat Dock. Families will conduct measurements of water quality and weather, census native vs. Non-native crabs, collect and observe plankton using field microscopes, and observe the ever-shifting tides. Join this program to discover a lesser-known area of the Crane Estate, on the backside of Crane Beach along the picturesque Castle Neck River.

When: 
Saturday, October 20, 2024 10am-Noon
Saturday, November 11, 2024 10am-Noon

Cambridge Science Festival 2024

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). Comprising hundreds of events, workshops, lectures, demonstrations, multidisciplinary collaborations, family-friendly exhibitions and interactive experiences, CSF is a STEAM-themed extravaganza highlighting Cambridge’s diverse innovative community.

When: 
Daily, September 23-29, 2024

Star Party with the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club

Join the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club in a free star party at Battis Farm as part of Trails and Sails!

Come see the night skies through one of our volunteer’s telescopes! In addition to the moon (9/14 only) and Saturn we’ll be showing off an assortment of binary and multi-star systems (imagine having 4 suns in your sky!), nebula, clusters, and galaxies, some of which are millions of light years away. Co-hosted with the Lake Gardner Improvement Association. This event is part of Trails & Sails.

When: 
Saturday, September 14, 2024 7:30-9:30pm
Location: 

Plankton Safari

Join the team at Maritime Gloucester Massachusetts for a Plankton Safari every Monday and Thursday

Come to Maritime Gloucester and discover what lives near the bottom of the oceanic food chain using digital microscopes! Join Maritime Gloucester’s education and aquarium staff as we take a deep dive into some of the ocean’s smallest, yet most important, organisms. Learn about plankton’s vital role in the marine ecosystem, and look under our microscopes to see what local species you can identify!. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

When: 
Tuesdays & Thursdays through August 22, 2024 10:30-3:30pm

Owls & Ice Cream at APL

Owls & Ice Cream at the Public Library in Amesbury Massachusetts with Eyes On Owls

Come celebrate summer! Everyone is welcome! Families and kids of all ages! Enjoy free ice cream sundaes from Hodgie's Ice Cream (served by your Library Trustees and funded by the Friends of the Amesbury Library) Enter a raffle to win our summer creature! Play lawn games! Get a free book! AND watch an amazing LIVE owl show with Eyes on Owls! Learn about this birds, how they live, and how we can protect them! No registration required! This program is outdoors so bring a chair or blanket to sit on! If the weather is bad, this will be postponed!

When: 
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 6:30pm

Feed the Beach Creatures at Joppa Flats

You can look at, AND touch the creatures in Joppa Flats touch tank! Feeding time is a lot of fun!

It's time to feed our touch tank animals! Assist our animal husbandry intern team with sorting, identifying, and actually feeding our live marine creatures. Feed periwinkles and rock crabs from the rocky shore, horseshoe crabs and minnows from the salt marsh and hermit crabs and shrimp from the sandy beach. Sign up for one or more and learn all about our creatures fascinating behaviors.

When: 
Wednesdays, June 12 & 26, 2024 4-5:30pm
Wednesdays in July 2024 4-5:30pm

Teen Volunteer Training Program

Join Mass Audubon for a volunteer training opportunity for teens with instructors from Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts!

Teen Volunteers recieve full training on how to assist staff with our public programs featuring live beach creatures and pollinators like butterflies and moths. These young people act as role models for our young visitors and are passionate about learning all about local ecosystems and want to share their knowledge with others on how to protect the environment.

When: 
Saturday, June 22, 2024 3-7pm
Wednesday, June 26, 2024 10am-2pm
Saturday, June 29, 2024 3-7pm

All Family Field Trip: Birds of the Salt Marsh

Families are invited to explore the Marsh habitat with the Joppa Flats Education Center!

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore. Our 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 outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Thursday, June 20, 2024 10am-Noon

All Family Field Trip | Early Spring in the Salt Marsh

Kids and families are invited to come explore the marsh habitat naturalists from the Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport.

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore. Our 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 outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all! For kids 4-11.

When: 
Thursday, May 16, 2024 10am-Noon

Drop-in Seed Planting at North Shore Children's Museum

Seed planting workshop at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts

Come to the museum to join volunteers from Newhall Fields for a very special planting program. Kids will get a chance to plant seeds, learn more about the anatomy of seeds and plants, color, and dress up. This program is drop in from 1-3PM, and included with your admission to the 12-2PM or 2-4PM play session.

When: 
Sunday, May 5, 2024 1-3pm

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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

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic

The Annual Hampton Beach, NH Master Sandsculpting Competition 2025
The fun starts when 200 tons of imported sand is dropped on Hampton Beach and the “Grady Bunch” starts pounding up the sponsor site. The entire area is illuminated for night viewing through June 23rd. Watch Greg Grady and “The Grady Bunch” build a mammoth Sand Demo Site. 
7:00 am to 11:00 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

LEGO-Palooza at North Shore Children's Museum

Kids are invited to a freestyle LEGO buiild session
Come and build Legos with us at NSCM! With TONS of Legos available, come and build your creations. This will be a casual club where all participants can follow whatever direction their engineering intuition takes them, we will not be teaching how to make specific models.
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Music Together - Wednesday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:30 am to 11:15 am

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Family Fishing at Breakheart Reservation

Come to Breakheart Reservation for a full day of family fishing fun!
Join the park interpreter for a drop-in fishing program! Learn how to fish, what fish live in our ponds, and how to catch and release responsibly. Bait and a handful of rods will be provided but feel free to bring your own gear and fish with us and share your tips!
10:00 am to 11:30 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

D&D (Ages 10-14) at Amesbury Library

Dungeons and Dragons for Tweens at the Public Library in Amesbury Massachusetts
Come play in a Dungeons and Dragons ongoing campaign! You'll create your own characters and build the story session to session. Come if you're a beginner or if you know the rules. All are welcome!  Registration is required and is for all 7 weeks.
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Evening Stroll at Maudslay

Enjoy and evening stroll with the park interpreter at Maudlsay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts
This popular hike is back again and has been going for over a decade! Join the park interpreter for a moderately paced walk each week to view different areas of the park and experience the seasonal changes at Maudslay. For Ages 6 & up
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Friday, June 13

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

Saturday, June 14

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

Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic

The Annual Hampton Beach, NH Master Sandsculpting Competition 2025
The fun starts when 200 tons of imported sand is dropped on Hampton Beach and the “Grady Bunch” starts pounding up the sponsor site. The entire area is illuminated for night viewing through June 23rd. Watch Greg Grady and “The Grady Bunch” build a mammoth Sand Demo Site. 
7:00 am to 11:00 pm

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
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

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

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

Crane Outdoors: Kayak Adventure on the Castle Neck River

Take a guided kayak paddle adventure on the Castle Neck River with the Trustees of Reservations!
One of the best was to enjoy the natural beauty of the Massachusetts North Shore is kayaking the placid waters of the Great Marsh—the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. The Castle Neck peninsula on the Crane Estate is a vast barrier...
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Kayak Historic Fox Creek

Kayak the twists and turns of Fox Creek in Ipswich with the Trustees of Reservations
The Great Marsh—the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England—is not only brimming with fascinating natural history, it is also home to a rich cultural history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the meandering waters of Fox Creek. Connecting the tidal estuaries of the Essex River basin and...
9:00 am to 12:30 pm

Interpretation Station at Maudslay

Learn about the bloom cycles at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Join the park interpreter at this station to discover the many park perks at Maudslay! Each week a different feature and area will be highlighted. Check the board at each entrance to find the location of the Interpretation Station. For all ages.
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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