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September Programs & Events 2021

The Watershed Institute has late summer and fall offerings of safe, in-person outdoor programs for families. Our hands-on activities are guided by our Watershed educators and are geared for all ages, including preschool, school age, teens, and adults.

Join us for outdoor painting, explore the butterfly house, wander Stony Brook hear campfire tales, and more!

Sept. 23: In-person Activity 6 - 7 p.m.

Monarch Migration – Sept. 23

Put on your wings and become a butterfly as you take flight for the Monarch migration to Mexico! Families explore the meadow to travel the path of the Monarch, learning about the trials and obstacles these beautiful winged creatures must face through a series of stations and games. This event will also include a butterfly tagging demonstration, a tour of the Butterfly House and a short lesson in butterfly catching with nets.

Ages 2 and up. In-person program. Adult attendance required; masks and social distancing encouraged. Discount available for members. Dress for the weather.

Register Here!

In-person Activity Staggered start times from 7 p.m.

Creepy Spider Hunt – Sept. 25

Crab spiders, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, orb and funnel weavers and more! Join our annual night hunt with a nocturnal naturalist. Bring your flashlight or headlamp to use as we navigate the trails in search of many different types of spiders. Dress for the weather of the day; bring a flashlight or headlamp. Adult attendance is required.

Register Here!

Sept. 14 - In-person activity 10-:30-11:30 a.m.

Grasshoppers and Crickets: Sept. 14

Identify, catch, and listen to the songs of our reserve’s crickets and grasshoppers!

Join Watershed Education Intern Kate Hode at the Watershed Reserve for an outdoors preschool program. The class will include a lesson on the topic of the day, followed by a hike, art activity, and games. Ages 3-5. In-person program. Masks and social distancing encouraged; adult attendance required. Discount is available for members. Dress for the weather.

Register Here

Sept. 21: In-person Activity 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Appreciation for Pollination: Sept. 21

Bees, moths, wasps, and flies oh my! Let’s learn about our pollinators and how we can help them in the fall!

Join Watershed Education Intern Kate Hode at the Watershed Reserve for an outdoors preschool program. Class will include a lesson on the topic of the day, followed by a hike, art activity, and games. Ages 3-5. In-person program. Masks and social distancing encouraged; adult attendance required. Discount available for members. Dress for the weather.

Register Here

Sept. 28: In-person Activity 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Mission Decompostion: Sept. 28

What is decomposition and why does it happen? Meet and learn about our decomposer friends! Join Watershed Education Intern Kate Hode at the Watershed Reserve for an outdoors preschool program. The class will include a lesson on the topic of the day, followed by a hike, art activity, and games. Ages 3-5. In-person program. Masks and social distancing are encouraged; adult attendance is required. Discount is available for members. Dress for the weather.

Register Here

Thursday mornings from 7/1 - 8/26 10 - 11 a.m.

Butterfly House Tours

Join us for a guided tour of The Kate Gorrie Butterfly House to view and learn about local butterfly species. If time and weather allow, we will try catching wild butterflies in the field. Cameras welcome. Butterfly House Tours are held weekly on Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. through the summer. Advance registration required. The Kate Gorrie Butterfly House is handicap-accessible, free, and open daily from dawn until dusk (mid-June through mid-September) except during a scheduled program or tour. All ages welcome, children under age 3 are free.

Register Here

Sept. 21: In-person Activity 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Aquatic Habits: Streams & Rivers

Join us to learn about watersheds, streams, and rivers. We will explore the Stony Brook and learn the importance of streams in the ecosystem and monitor stream health with a series of tests and activities. Watershed Educator Vicky Allen will teach participants outside in the living laboratory of our 950-acre Watershed Reserve. Each class will offer hands-on activities, a hike, and take-home activities to reinforce the topics covered in the class. Participants should come prepared to learn, engage, and have fun! Students may be grouped together by ages 6-9 and ages 10-12 for age-appropriate explorations of the material.

Ages 6 -12. In-person program. Dress for the weather of the day. Masks and social distancing encouraged. Adults do not attend class, but are required to stay on the property during the program. Discount available for members.

Register Here

Sept. 28: In-person Activity 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Aquatic Habitats: Benthic Macroinvertibrates

Have you ever seen invertebrates in the water before? Do you know what their key role is in water? We will visit the Stony Brook to collect macroinvertebrates, identify them and learn about their importance in the aquatic ecosystem. Watershed Educator Vicky Allen will teach participants outside in the living laboratory of our 950-acre Watershed Reserve. Each class will offer hands-on activities, a hike, and take-home activities to reinforce the topics covered in the class. Participants should come prepared to learn, engage, and have fun! Students may be grouped together by ages 6-9 and ages 10-12 for age-appropriate explorations of the material. 

Register Here

Sept. 21: In-person Activity 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Aquatic Habitats*: Streams & Rivers

Join us to learn about watersheds, streams, and rivers. We will explore the Stony Brook and learn the importance of streams in the ecosystem and monitor stream health with a series of tests and activities.

Watershed Educator Vicky Allen will teach participants outside in the living laboratory of our 950-acre Watershed Reserve. Each class will offer hands-on activities, a hike, and take-home activities to reinforce the topics covered in the class. Participants should come prepared to learn, engage, and have fun! Students may be grouped together by ages 6-9 and ages 10-12 for age-appropriate explorations of the material.

Register Here

Sept. 28: In-person Activity 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Aquatic Habitats*: Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Have you ever seen invertebrates in the water before? Do you know what their key role is in water? We will visit the Stony Brook to collect macroinvertebrates, identify them and learn about their importance in the aquatic ecosystem. Watershed Educator Vicky Allen will teach participants outside in the living laboratory of our 950-acre Watershed Reserve. Each class will offer hands-on activities, a hike, and take-home activities to reinforce the topics covered in the class. Participants should come prepared to learn, engage, and have fun! Students may be grouped together by ages 6-9 and ages 10-12 for age-appropriate explorations of the material. 

Register Here

Oct. 30: In-person Activity Staggered start times from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Origins of Halloween: Oct. 30

Join us on a journey through the woods on a crisp autumn night. You will follow your trail guide at a safe distance with a limited number of other families. Along the way you stop to meet the characters in an Irish Folktale that unfolds along the path. While other Halloween programs are designed to frighten, our goal is to educate and enchant. We attempt to make the children feel comfortable in the outdoors, and hope to engender a feeling of awe and respect for nature, all while having fun.
Guided hikes begin every 15 minutes; the last hike begins at 8:30 p.m. Space is limited; register early to get your preferred time slot.

Register Here

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