Mass Audubon Stony Brook Announces Its July Programming

Tiny Trekkers: Saturdays, July 1 and 15, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Start your weekend off right with a fun and knowledgeable Stony Brook teacher on the trails learning about nature. Each day will have a special topic created to excite your child about the natural world. There will be crafts, activities and lots of laughter. So come and join the fun. This month’s themes: Butterflies & Moths/ Dragonflies & Damselflies. Ages 2.9 to 6 with a parent. Fee: $5m/$6nm per person per session.
The Bog at Poutwater Pond: Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to noon. Bogs are unusual places that are much more common in Maine than in Massachusetts. Bogs are characterized by highly acidic soils and waters which set the stage for plants and animals that can adapt to these unusual conditions. Poutwater Pond is a National Natural Landmark and Massachusetts’ first Nature Preserve, home to stunted trees and shrubs as well as unusual orchids and insect eating plants. Lots to see and do in this exotic morning exploration. Fee: $15m/ $18nm.
Family Ponding: Saturday, July 8, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Ducks and geese are impressive creatures, but if you really want to find out what is living in the wetlands you need to look under the water. Join us as we collect samples from below the surface, carefully picking through leaves and muck for the masters of the underwater world. How do these creatures live under the water? You will be amazed by their adaptations. Among the creatures we may discover living below and on the surface are dragonflies, side-swimmers, clams, predaceous diving beetles, water scorpions and much, much more. Of course we will also get our fingers dirty during the process! Minimum age: 6. Fee: $6chm-$9adm/ $7chnm-$11adnm.
Getting the Most from Your Smart Phone Camera: Sunday, July 16, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Most of us carry a so-called “smart” phone nowadays, and the photographic capabilities of these compact devices is quite remarkable. These phone cameras often provide opportunities for us to compose, crop, edit and share our photos. Want to know how to get the most from your phone camera? Join us for a short photo tour and then we will head out to put those camera phones through their paces. Fee: $10m/ $12nm.
What’s the Buzz? Native Bees of Massachusetts: Saturday, July 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Bees are fascinating and very important contributors to healthy ecosystems. Although bee keepers have been stewarding honey bees for thousands of years, those bees are not native to our country and are not the best pollinators for many of our native plants. We do have native bees, however, and they are adapted to pollinating the native plants of our wetlands, roadsides, parks and other open spaces. As a group, they are diverse and beautiful and they are in need of our support. Join Sean Kent, Education Coordinator for the Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon, to see his beautiful images of these incredible pollinators and learn about their natural history and efforts to conserve these amazing creatures. Fee: $8m/ $10nm.
Pre-registration is required for all programs (except as noted). For more details, visit the Mass Audubon webpage at www.massaudubon.org or contact us at 508-528-3140. Register by phone, email (stonybrook@massaudubon.org), fax (508-553-3864) or in person. Stony Brook is located at 108 North Street in Norfolk.