Introduction To Sea Kayaking, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Thursday, June 23rd
June 8, 2011
Where: Meet at Plum Island Kayak, 92 Merrimack Street, Newburyport, MA
Cost: $35 for Mass Audubon members; $45 for nonmembers
INTRODUCTION TO SEA KAYAKING
On Thursday, June 23rd, Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, and Plum Island Kayak, Newburyport, are co-hosting an Introduction To Sea Kayaking course from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Participants will learn the basics of sea kayaking with an evening outing in the Plum Island estuary. Kayak and equipment rental are included in the fee.
Participants will learn safety precautions and paddling techniques and will gain confidence handling these very seaworthy boats. Participants will then paddle into the Plum Island estuary and explore tidal creeks, mudflats, and salt marshes.
Preregistration is required for this program. To register, please call 978-462-9998.
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Parent/Child Walkabout: A Wrack-Line Scavenger Hunt, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Friday, December 3rd
November 29, 2010
Where: Meet at Parking Lot #1 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.
Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center is offering a Parent/Child Walkabout on Friday, December 3rd to explore the ecology, sights, and sounds of Plum Island with an emphasis on the beach wrack-line, that area of the beach that contains the seaweed and other debris left on the beach by the last high tide.
You’ll explore the ecology, sights, and sounds of Plum Island in a fun, energetic format for families with children ages 3 to 6.
The walkabout will be led by Teacher-Naturalist Lisa Hutchings.
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After-School Outdoor Safari, Tide Pools, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Wednesday, October 20th
October 19, 2010
Where: 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA
Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center new after-school program, Outdoor Safaris, for children ages 9 to 11 years old, continues on Wednesday, October 20th from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Joppa Flats Education Center, rain or shine, with a focus on Tide Pools.
Children in the program will play out the roles of geologists, chemists, and biologists throughout this new series with Joppa Flats Teacher-Naturalist Lisa Hutchings.
The outdoor explorations for each safari will start off with a group game to burn off some steam, followed by new and exciting experiences in a coastal setting. Children will explore, observe, investigate, and compare the inhabitants, their adaptations, and the changes these organisms undergo in autumn.
Parent volunteer drivers may be needed. Parents are welcome, but they are not required to stay.
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Bar Head Hike, Sandy Point State Reservation, Plum Island, Wednesday, September 8th
September 7, 2010
Where: Sandy Point State Reservation, Plum Island, MA
Sandy Point State Reservation on Plum Island is offering a free, one hour program, Bar Head Hike, on Wednesday, September 8th.
Join Sandy Point’s naturalist for an exploration of the 15,000 years of geological, biological and cultural history at Sandy Point. Find out what a drumlin is and why the one at Bar Head on Plum Island is important as we hike along the beach, culminating in a trip up the Drumlin Trail.
Where To Meet: Meet in the first parking lot.
Children of all ages are welcome but those under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. This hike is approximately 1 hour in length.
All programs are free and open to the public. Parking is free, but space is limited.
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Family Ecology Cruise Aboard The Yankee Clipper, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Saturday, August 28th
August 27, 2010
When: Saturday, August 28th 2010, from 8:45 am to 10:45 amWhere: Meet at the Newburyport boardwalk (on the Merrimack River in downtown Newburyport)
On Saturday, August 28th, Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, is offering a family ecology cruise aboard the Yankee Clipper.
Lisa Hutchings of Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of Harbor Tour’s Yankee Clipper will host this exploratory cruise of the ecosystem of the lower Merrimack River that runs through Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury.
You’ll conduct hands-on science as we collect water samples, live specimens, and plankton. We’ll also look for wading birds, seals, and waterfowl on every trip. Your family will have a wonderful time exploring and learning about this vital part of the area’s natural history.
The tour is being offered from 8:45 am to 10:45 am. This is a nice way to see and learn about the ecology of the lower Merrimack River ecosystem.
Preregistration is required for this program. To register, please call 978-462-9998.
Pre-School Program: Imagine, Sing And Learn, Snails And Fish Grow Up In The Marsh, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Thursday and Friday, September 2nd and 3rd
August 26, 2010
When: Thursday and Friday, September 2nd and 3rdWhere: Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, One Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA
Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Centeris offering a 90-minute (1.5-hours) pre-school program for children ages 3 to 6 on Thursday and Friday, March 4th and 5th.
The program, Imagine, Sing, and Learn: Snails And Fish Grow Up In The Marsh will feature active play and learning with Joppa Flats Teacher-Naturalist Lisa Hutchings. The program is designed for pre-schoolers with a favorite adult.
Choose one of four sessions:
Thursday, September 2nd:
- 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or
- 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Friday, September 3rd:
- 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or
- 1:00 p.m to 2:30 p.m.
Location
Meet at Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, One Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport.
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Parent/Child Walkabout, Tide Pool Treasures, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Friday, August 13th
August 11, 2010
Where: Meet at the Sandy Point State Reservation at the southern end of Plum Island.
Cost: $10 for Mass Audubon members; $14 for nonmembers
On Friday, August 13th, Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, is offering a Parent/Child walkabout that will explore the tide pools on Plum Island.
The 90 minute morning walk, which starts at 8:30 am, will explore the ecology, sights, and sounds of Plum Island in a fun, energetic format. The walk will be led by Teacher-Naturalist Lisa Hutchings.
The event is for families with children ages 3 to 6. The fee covers one adult and one child.
Preregistration is required for this program. To register, please call 978-462-9998.
Family Ecology Cruise Aboard The Yankee Clipper, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, Saturday, August 14th
August 11, 2010
When: Saturday, August 14th 2010, from 8:45 am to 10:45 amWhere: Meet at the Newburyport boardwalk (on the Merrimack River in downtown Newburyport)
On Saturday, August 14th, Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport, is offering a family ecology cruise aboard the Yankee Clipper.
Lisa Hutchings of Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the crew of Harbor Tour’s Yankee Clipper will host this exploratory cruise of the ecosystem of the lower Merrimack River that runs through Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury.
You’ll conduct hands-on science as we collect water samples, live specimens, and plankton. We’ll also look for wading birds, seals, and waterfowl on every trip. Your family will have a wonderful time exploring and learning about this vital part of the area’s natural history.
The tour is being offered from 8:45 am to 10:45 am. This is a nice way to see and learn about the ecology of the lower Merrimack River ecosystem.
Preregistration is required for this program. To register, please call 978-462-9998.
Swallows Viewing, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport Birders, Thursday, August 19th
August 7, 2010
When: Thursday, August 19th 2010, from 6:00 pm to sunsetWhere: North Pool Overlook on Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport/Newbury
View Thousands of Swallows
Join Sue McGrath, of Newburyport Birders for an evening of viewing thousands of tree swallows at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island on Thursday evening, August 19th.
At the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island tree swallows aggregate in large, pre-migratory, communal roosts prior to migrating to their wintering grounds. They are extremely graceful in flight, making abrupt changes in speed and direction as they feed on the wing, catching insects in their wide mouths.
In the fall, their diets change, and the bayberries of Plum Island are a vital food source.
To learn more about the swallows of Plum Island, please join Sue and Newburyport Birders on Thursday evening, August 19th. You’ll be thrilled with the sounds and sights of Tree Swallows.
Bring your lawn chair with you, and Newburyport Birdersl will provide some light refreshments.
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: Meet at North Pool Overlook on Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island
History of Plum Island, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, Monday, July 26th
July 20, 2010
When: Monday, July 26th 2010, from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pmWhere: Parker River Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA
History of Plum Island
If you want to learn about the history of Plum Island, on Massachusetts’s North Shore, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport is hosting a presentation by Mike Bulger on Monday, July 26th that will explore the history of Plum Island.
The free, one hour Power Point presentation by Mr. Bulger will take you on a trip back into history and you’ll learn about the beginnings of Plum Island in the late 1800s and early 1900s… when people first arrived, the Plum Island Hotel, the early cottages, the new roads and bridges, the lighthouses, and some of the people who first invested in the small barrier island.
This informative and free presentation will take place Parker River National Wildlife Refuge’s auditorium, located in the visitor center at 6 Plum Island Turnpike at 7:00 pm.
Coffee and refreshments will be available for purchase starting at 6:30 pm.
