Outdoor Activity

Brighten up your yard this winter with a bird feeder handmade by you and your child. Each family will receive a kit containing all the necessary parts to build a feeder that will attract chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals, and many other birds to your yard. A short slide presentation will highlight the birds that commonly come to feeders. We'll also observe the sanctuary feeders to see which birds are looking for food. Instructors will circulate to provide assistance.

Predators such as the eastern coyote can't go to the market for groceries, so how do they get their food? We'll spend some time indoors learning about the different predators in Massachusetts, including how they hunt and how they stay warm to survive the cold winter months. Then we'll take a walk to look for fishers, river otters, foxes, hawks, and owls. Tracks, chews, scat, pellets, and bones will show us where predators have partied.

Come top downtown Rockport Ma for a torch-lit reenactment of the Nativity. Starting at 5pm along Dock Square and Main Street, ending at the Congregational Church.  Each year hundreds of spectators gather to watch the live re-enactment of the story of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Bethlehem inn and the stable. The pageant begins with a torchlit procession which starts at Dock Square and proceeds up Main Street to the Congregational Church. Here the story of Jesus’ birth is brought to life through a live narration and Christmas songs sung by a full choir.

A candlelight stroll at twilight in Ravenswood Park is a wonderful way to celebrate the Winter Soltice! join us as we celebrate the winter solstice in our favorite woodland park followed by a snack of S’mores and hot chocolate around a warm fire. Pre-registration required.

Throughout time, people have come together to celebrate the shortest day of the year and welcome the lengthening days ahead. Sanctuary staff and volunteers invite you to join us for this beautiful candlelit event. Lantern making begins at 4:00 pm, followed by some solstice stories and folklore. With lanterns in hand, we will stroll the trails to light up the night. We will serve hot cider and cocoa at the bonfire on our return.

This week's program will be about the ocean's twilight zone! Known as the mesopelagic layer in the ocean, the twilight zone starts around 660 feet, where sunlight is very faint and continues to get progressively darker and colder to a depth of 3300 feet. There are many creatures that use this zone as their habitat, many that are bio luminescen, have large eyes for seeing weel in darkness or have form factors that seem outright alien! Come learn about this strange part of the sea and the creatures that live there.

Newburyport Youth Services will be offering a movie that coincides with the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Invitation Nights!.  This week's movie is Madagascar 3 - Europe's Most Wanted. Snacks and drinks will be available.  Drop of your kids and relax knowing that your kids are having as much fun as you are! Open to grades 1-5

This week kids will learn about the coral reef habitat. 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 in autumn. Participants may play the role of entomologist, ornithologist, astronomer, or even glaciologist throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young naturalist eager for the next session. 

This week's program will be about sea turtles! 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 in autumn. Participants may play the role of entomologist, ornithologist, astronomer, or even glaciologist throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young naturalist eager for the next session. 

Nature's bounty abounds during this festive time of year. Sample delicious homemade treats made with local beach plums and cranberries. Inhale the aroma of white pine tea or a bayberry cancle. Boldly bite into a seaweed salad or nibble on some pickleweed.