Fall-o’-ween returns to Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln on October 24 and 25. There will be hayrides, s’mores, wildlife encounters, crafts, music and more. For directions and more information visit https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/drumlin-farm
Insects may be the most important animals on the planet! If you want to learn why, as well as how to tell a beetle from a true bug, a moth from a butterfly, or a hover fly from a bee this is the program for you, to be held on June 23 from 7 – 9. The Mass Audubon/Drumlin Farm team will focus on the most common insect orders and discuss their unique characteristics and how to recognize them.
To accommodate safe distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, this program will be offered as an online meeting with discussion.
You will receive a Microsoft Teams link and instructions on how to join us the day before the program. Registration is required. Register online or call 781-259-2255 to register by phone. For your own security, DO NOT send credit card information via email. $25 for Mass Audubon members, $30 for nonmembers. For more information contact Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary 208 South Great Road Lincoln, MA 01773 drumlinfarm@massaudubon.org
Join the Massachusetts Audubon Society on Groundhog Day (Saturday, February 2) to dig into the science of climate and weather.
How has our New England climate changed and what can we do to help? Weather and climate activities will take place throughout the day, focusing on simple things families can do to make a difference. Hot cocoa will be provided. Families will also have the chance to see Drumlin’s very own Ms. G, the Official State Groundhog of Massachusetts. Watch her make a prediction about the weather in the coming months—will we have 6 more weeks of winter or will we get an early spring? Suitable for all ages.
Featured Activities
Investigate our local climate with Don McCasland of Blue Hills Observatory & Science Center
Enjoy games & climate action activities with our Teen Stewardship Leaders
Learn the forecast for spring from our woodchuck weather expert at 10:00 am (encore at 1 pm)
Visit with more of our resident wildlife and farm animals, learning about winter tracking, and explore the trails
Make some winter crafts to take home
All event activities are included with the price of admission to Drumlin Farm, South Great Road in Lincoln.
Members & Lincoln residents: Free
Nonmembers: $9 Adults, $6 Children (2-12), $6 Seniors (65+)
EBT Participants: Free for up to 4 people when you show your EBT card
Join the New England Wild Flower Society, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a walk around Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln on Tuesday, September 19 at 4:30 pm to learn about the tastiest wild plant species in our midst. We will discuss identification tips, edibility, seasonality, and preparation methods, along with general guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. We’ll end the evening sipping and snacking on tasty foraged treats. $32 for members of sponsoring organizations, $38 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/wild-edibles-walk
Drumlin Farm’s Annual Farm-to-Table Gala will take place Saturday, September 24 from 6:30 – 9:30 at the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Support Drumlin Farm’s leadership in nature-based education and programming for children and adults of all ages and abilities. Drumlin Farm’s Partner Chefs will serve delicious tastings using the farm’s freshest, seasonal ingredients. Exciting raffle and live auction led by returning auctioneer John Terrio. Moon Partner Chefs are committed to supporting sustainable agriculture and local sourcing. This year the roster includes:
Chef Anthony Mazzotta, Artistry on the Green at the Inn at Hastings Park, Lexington
Chef David Drew, Cambridge Brewing Company, Cambridge
Chefs Carl Dooley and Robert Harris, The Table, Cambridge
Chef Heather Schmidt, Union Square Donuts, Somerville
Chef Carolyn Johnson, 80 Thoreau, Concord
Also featuring Counter Culture Coffee at our dessert bar. Tickets are $175 and may be purchased at www.massaudubon.org.
What is a mushroom anyway? Can you distinguish a bolete from a gilled mushroom? Although fall is considered fungi season in the Northeast, fungi are seasonally cyclical, and different species and types can be found almost anytime. On this New England Wild Flower Society trip on Sunday, June 15, from 1 – 3:30 with naturalist Jef (sic) Taylor, you will explore the Drumlin Farm sanctuary looking for fungi, learning about the crucial and sometimes astonishing roles these fascinating life forms play in ecosystems, and discovering methods for identifying mushrooms and other fungi in the field. $25 for NEWFS members, $29 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/catalog/fdt1079.
Ailene Kane Ettinger will speak at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts, on Sunday, November 17, from 1:30 – 3:30 on the topic Ecological Impacts of Climate Change in New England, in a program sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association, the New England Wild Flower Society, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society Drumlin Farm. The fee is $26 for members of any sponsoring organization and $32 for non-members.
Are alpine environments threatened because forests may expand uphill with global warming? Is maple syrup likely to remain a viable product in New England? How will salt marshes and other coastal habitats be affected by sea level rise? Will we see more invasive plants in New England. Learn what scientists know about climate change, including past warnings, and what we can expect for the future. Dr. Ettinger will discuss what remains uncertain and what can be expected for New England’s flora, fauna, and unique habitats. For more information email ela.info@comcast.net or call 617-436-5838. Register online at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1010800.
Can you distinguish a bolete from a gilled mushroom? What is a mushroom anyway? While fall is considered fungi season in the Northeast, fungi are seasonally cyclical and different species and types can be found almost any time except deep winter. Join New England Wild Flower Society and Massachusetts Audubon Society Drumlin Farm for a walk around the Drumlin Farm Nature Center sanctuary in Lincoln, Massachusetts to discover as many fungi as we can. Learn about the crucial and sometimes astonishing roles these fascinating life forms play in the ecosystem and some methods for identifying mushrooms and other fungi in the field. $25 for members of either sponsoring organization, $29 for nonmembers. Photo from www.deviantart.net. Register online at https://46858.blackbaudhosting.com/46858/fw13-fdt1079-Fungi-in-the-Fall.
The Ecological Landscaping Association, New England Wildflower Society, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Massachusetts Audubon Drumlin Farm, and Tower Hill Botanic Gardens will co-sponsor Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, with author Carol Gracie, on Sunday, April 28, from 1:30 – 3:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. The wildflowers that brighten our woodlands in spring are more than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit. Each has a role in the environment, with often interesting interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers. Topics will include adaptations for early blooming, medicinal and other uses, the origin of wildflower names, pollination and seed dispersal, and the latest scientific research on the ecology of these beautiful plants. Following the lecture and book signing, enjoy an optional docent-led walk through Garden in the Woods in its early spring glory. $15 for members of a sponsoring organization, $18 for nonmembers. Register by calling 617-436-5838, or visit www.ecolandscaping.org.
Spend a day on Saturday, March 23 at Berkshire Botanical Garden considering the possibilities of adding a backyard chicken coop, a flock of sheep, a milking goat or cow or a flock of fowl. Join educator Meg Taylor and farmer Dominic Palumbo for one or more lectures on keeping farm animals in the backyard. Learn about the advantages of taking control of your food supply (milk, eggs and meat) managing your own manure pile and adding a four-legged lawn mower. Each program will cover topics including nutrition, shelter/coops, health, egg/meat/wool production, breeds, predators, regulations, general care and helpful resources. Attend one or more lecture and join the backyard farming movement.
9:30 am – Chickens in the Backyard – Meg Taylor
Calling all gardeners to join the backyard chicken movement! This beginners’ workshop will inspire you and give you the skills to start a backyard flock of your own.
11 am – The Family Flock of Sheep – Meg Taylor
Tired of spending your weekend morning mowing the back acre? There is a quieter and more attractive solution—sheep! Sheep are low maintenance, live on grass, can be surprisingly hardy and produce meat, milk and fiber. We’ll discuss important considerations before acquiring sheep, such as basic care, best breeds for the small farm, predator control, seasonal tasks, uses for wool and pasture management.
12:30 pm – Fowl A Field: Turkeys, Ducks and Geese – Dominic Palumbo
Consider a range of fowl that can be successfully raised in a backyard setting. Used for their eggs, meat or simply for insect control, these entertaining creatures add a lively atmosphere to the backyard farmstead.
2 pm – The Milking Family Cow or Goat – Dominic Palumbo
Possibly the most rewarding farm animal is the dairy animal (cow or goat). These animals provide organic, pasture-grown dairy for your family in addition to meat, great manure and some pasture control. This talk will introduce you to the basic information needed to consider one of these four-legged friends on the farm.
Meg Taylor is the Founder and Co-Director of The Farm Education Collaborative, an organization that designs and delivers farm-based education programs for all ages in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Meg has worked in the fields of environmental and agricultural education since 1994 and has worked as a farm educator for Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm and at Shelburne Farms in Vermont. Meg and her family garden and raise fancy chickens, Shetland sheep and dairy goats at their home, North Wind Farm, in Williamsburg, MA.
Dominic Palumbo is a farmer and owner of Moon In The Pond, a small farm in Sheffield, MA. Moon In The Pond maintains a strong focus on the elegant integration of history (raising heritage breed livestock and heirloom vegetables, using select traditional farming methods) and contemporary ‘technology.’
$75 for BBG members, $90 for non members. Bring a bag lunch. Sign up at www.berkshirebotanical.org.
