Get into peeper season this Spring! Learn about the temporary habitat of vernal ponds, what lives in them, why they are home to specialized woodland creatures and how to protect them. Nighttime is the right time to see and hear these vernal pools come ALIVE! Sign up for a night field trip to a vernal pool.
Adventures in Animal Tracking at Ravenswood Park--just like our Hermit did, over 100 years ago! From 1884 to 1917, Mason Walton lived as a "hermit" in Ravenswood. He closely observed, wrote, and drew about wildlife and animal behaviors. He published a book in 1903. We will walk the hermit's footsteps, share tales from his book, and along the way we will closely observe wildlife signs and determine animal behavior. A Hermit's Wild Friends, only available used from Amazon: [amazon 1290053391 inline] or check it out from the Sawyer Free Library.
Venture to vernal pools where survival of fairy shrimp, salamanders, and wood frogs are crucial. We will explore pools, learn how to protect them, and meet these creatures that depend on these pools. This program is instructive to participants, so you can take home the techniques, forms, and methods to certify pools in your neighborhood...or back yard. This is a family-friendly opportunity, so exploration is an important--and fun!--element in the program. Directions to pre-registrants.
Join The Trustees of Reservations on a misty evening in early Spring, vernal pools are hopping! The swales we find tucked amongst the dunes are coming alive, host to a variety of creatures waking from a long winter’s nap and ready for action! We’ll hike out under cover of darkness to spy on – and listen to – this celebration of awakening. Bring a flashlight or headlamp, and wear boots! We’ll have nets and buckets for up-close observations, but our specimen collecting is strictly catch-and-release.
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect.
Family Pop-up Poetry. All ages will be inspired by Ravenswood Park! We'll have tools and tips to guide you to write your own poem which you may leave for others to enjoy or take home.
Shake off the winter blues and warm up at the first annual Winter Beach Blast to benefit the Spaulding Education Fund at the Manchester American Legion Featuring the sizzling hot sounds of acclaimed local band, The Runaround Sound, folks can end their winter hibernation with some ice-melting camaraderie all while supporting a great cause!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to bring the whole family to Ravenswood Park for an introduction to Vernal Pools featuring live animals and a presentation by the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team. Meet salamanders and frogs that live on the North Shore and get a rare close-up view of these animals. Learn their natural history and behaviors then journey with a guide into the park for a night-time walk.
March is the time for sugaring in New England. Appleton keeps this very special tradition alive by tapping the farms beautiful maple trees and producing wood-fired, small-batch syrup. The first part of the workshop will include a leisurely walk around the farmstead to show how sap is harvested and collected. The tour will wrap up at our sugar shack so you can see (and smell!) the transformation of sap to syrup. You'll gather in the farm kitchen for the second part of the workshop, where chef Carolyn Grieco will teach how to make some of the most delectable maple syrup recipes. Workshop ends with a generous sampling of all our delicious maple dishes!
Have you ever wondered why we name full moons and how stars became constellations? Join us for fun nocturnal activities, storytelling in the backyard of Joppa Flats Education Center, and a starry walkabout to a nearby open field. We’ll start off indoors with pizza to fuel us up for a family-friendly walk under the Crow Moon!
