Tag: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Saturday and Sunday, February 29 and March 1, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm – Sugaring Off Tours

    Spring celebrations begin early at the sanctuary with the age-old tradition of maple sugaring. The warm days of late winter awaken the flow of sap in the maples, causing buds to swell and resulting in sweet-smelling, billowing clouds of steam rising from the sugarhouse. On Mass Audubon’s naturalist-guided tours at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield on February 29 and March 1, learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, watch the sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and get a sweet taste of the final product.

    Afterwards, warm up by the woodstove in the Barn, where hot beverages and food will be available for purchase. Visit our gift shop to browse a selection of maple products, and be sure to bring home a bottle of our own freshly made maple syrup. Tours last about an hour and run in all weather. Register online or call 978-887-9264 to register by phone.

  • Wednesday, April 25, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Nibbling on Natives in Your Backyard

    There’s an increasing interest among homeowners, property managers, and others in utilizing more native species in their landscaping to attract and sustain beneficial insects and pollinators as well as to provide food and shelter for birds and other animals. Yet, for some people, these reasons alone may be insufficient motivation to “go native.” Perhaps knowing that many native species can be eaten by people will provide the additional incentive you need to add native species to your yard. Join Russ Cohen on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 pm at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, Massachusetts for a 90-minute slide show featuring at least two dozen species of native edible wild plants suitable for your own landscape, or for nibbling as you encounter them in other locales. Russ will supply helpful handouts and bring along samples of goodies made from foraged edible native species for participants to taste. Cosponsored by New England Wild Life Society and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the lecture is $20 for members of sponsoring organizations, $24 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/nibbling-on-natives-in-your-backyard-and-beyond

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  • Tuesday, July 12, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Nature Journaling at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

    Travel by Wellesley College van on Tuesday, July 12 to join Doreen Bolnick at the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for a morning of sketching and nature journaling.  Then go to Doreen’s home for a box lunch, followed by an afternoon of adding ink, color and research notes to your sketches.  Return to Wellesley with a nature journal documenting a lovely habitat.  Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens $85, nonmembers $110.  Price includes transportation, admission and lunch.  Register by calling 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

  • Wednesday, July 24, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Wetland Plant and Community ID

    The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary will sponsor a Wetland Plant and Community ID session on Wednesday, July 24 beginning at 9 am at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary at 87 Perkins Row in Topsfield, led by Director Carol Decker. Wetlands are areas that are dominated by water and water-tolerant plants. The most common method of identifying these areas is by the unique plant communities that grow in them. Spend the day exploring the wetland communities of the sanctuary, from the shrub swamps to the wet meadows and marshes. Plant identification will be emphasized. This workshop is ideal for anyone interested in learning more about wetland plant communities as well as conservation commissioners. Meet on the back porch of the Visitor Center. Bring a lunch, beverage, and drinking water. Registration (IRWS members $32, nonmembers $41) is required. Register online at https://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Ipswich_River/index.php or call 978-887-9264 to register by phone.

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