Parker River National Wildlife Refuge FREE May Programs

Join Us for Free, Fun, Programs! Parker River National Wildlife Refuge May, 2016.

REGISTRATION & CAPACITY: All refuge programs are FREE, but space may be limited. Preregistration is required for all programs, unless otherwise indicated. Please call (978) 465-5753. Please Note: If a program requires preregistration, your registration is not confirmed unless and until you receive a phone call or voice mail message from a member of the refuge staff. Programs conducted in the auditorium are limited to 85 attendees. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Admission of additional attendees will stop when capacity has been reached. Please note that outdoor programs may be cancelled if there is inclement weather and/or insufficient registration. Visit us on the web for more information: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/ or call Refuge Headquarters. The refuge visitor center is located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA.

NEW! Plum Island History Walks: Stage Island, Wednesday, May 18th, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Join two refuge volunteers and history lovers (Ellie Bailey and Kate Murray) for a walk into the past on beautiful Stage Island. We'll meet at the refuge visitor center 15 minutes prior to the program start time, and drive by van to the Stage Island gate. From there we'll hike along the island, stopping at historic sites to learn how human uses changed over time and what impact they had on the natural world.

This is a hike of about a mile along a dirt road, so please dress comfortably and safely for walking and for the weather. This guided 2.5 hour program is most appropriate for older teens and adults. Binoculars and/or a camera are recommended, but not required. Each session is limited to 7 participants, so preregistration is required.

Whip-poor-will Walk
Saturday, May 7th at 7:15 pm; Saturday, May 14th at 7:30 pm; Friday, May 20th at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, May 28th at 7:45 pm Have you ever heard a strange bird singing in the background of a movie and wondered what it was? You may have been hearing the song of the whip-poor-will.

Join Nancy Landry, refuge volunteer and avid birder, for an evening of listening for the song of the whip-poor-will and other nighttime birds. Participants should meet Nancy in the Hellcat Parking Lot (on the refuge) 15 minutes before the program start time (see date-specific start times, above). Dress appropriately.

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge - Behind the Scenes Tour!
Held on the following days: Saturday, May 7th at 9:30 am; Sunday, May 8th at 1:00 pm; Saturday, May 14th at 9:30 am; Sunday, May 15th at 1:00 pm; and Sunday, May 22nd at 1:00 pm Join a refuge ranger for a behind the scenes tour of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Tour will be conducted via refuge van, with several brief “drive by” stops along the way. The tour will present an “up close and personal” look at the refuge through the multiple lenses of the cultural history of Plum Island and the Great Marsh, native wildlife and their habitats, and the role of refuge management in the conservation of these precious natural resources. Participants may be driven along areas on the refuge otherwise closed to the public.

This guided two hour program is most appropriate for older teens and adults. Binoculars and/or a camera are recommended, but not required. Meet the ranger in the lobby of the refuge visitor center 15 minutes prior to the program start time. Each session is limited to 14 participants; no more than 4 individuals per sign-up. Again, this is a vehicle – based tour, with limited stops on the refuge. Advance registration is required for this program, as enrollment is limited. Be advised that individual tours may be subject to cancellation.

*Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a refuge staff member. Please call (978) 465-5753 to register for this program.

NEW! Preschool Nature Explorers
On these Mondays in May: 9th, 16th, 23rd; each session from 10:00 – 11:15 am This is a new series of hands-on nature classes for 4 and 5-year-old children (and their caregivers). Sign up for individual sessions or the entire series! Some sessions will be held at the refuge visitor center, while others will be conducted on the refuge at the parking lot 1 visitor contact station. The theme of these classes will be “spring events in nature” (e.g., plants and animals adjust to the warming weather and migrating birds return from their wintering grounds). Children will be encouraged to make observations and explore nature.

Part of each session will be held outdoors, so dress appropriately (including boots). The series of classes will include making and keeping a journal and doing nature related crafts/projects to bring home. Each class session will be limited to 12 children. Parents/caregivers must remain with their children during the session. Preregistration is required. Here are the class-specific themes: May 9: Hibernating animals awake; migrating birds return; frogs croak; insects buzz. Explore and make a journal to show what we find. (Meet at the refuge visitor center.)

May 16: Sand and tide; wind and waves; animal tracks in the sand; shell sorting. Make a wave bottle to take home. (Meet on the refuge at the parking lot 1 visitor contact station.)

May 23: on the Refuge at Lot 1 – creatures in the wrack line – who lives in the salt marsh – nesting on the beach. Make a piping plover chick to take home. (Meet on the refuge at the parking lot 1 visitor contact station.)

Special Photographic Presentation: Northeastern Massachusetts Nature
Saturday, May 14th @ 1:30 pm Veteran nature and wildlife photographer Jacob Mosser will lead a presentation in which he shares some of his favorite images that were taken in many of his favorite photographic “hotspots” in northeastern Massachusetts. While the presentation will be based on one person’s encounters, it is intended as a guide for what is available to the photographer who possesses patience, persistence and a love of nature. Subjects range from magnificent mammals and spectacular bird life to visually pleasing botany. Along with the more spectacular creatures will be images of the little details of the natural world that are available to the discerning eye. Also included will be basic tips for the entry level photographer.

Many of the example images that will be shown have been successful in various Photographic Society of America nature exhibitions. Some of the images showcased in Jake’s presentation were taken in places like Great Meadows and Parker River National Wildlife Refuges, Salisbury and Harold Parker State Parks, and Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Sanctuary. He may also share some images taken in his own backyard! This free public program will occur during the regular monthly meeting of the Photographic Society of Parker River NWR.

The Society welcomes anyone who has an interest in nature, wildlife, and/or photography - whether you are a total novice or earn a living by taking pictures! The club meets every month, generally on the second Saturday afternoon. Club activities include special presentations, slide shows (of members’ work), intra-club mentoring and training, photo shoots, on-line photo sharing, and involvement in the refuge’s various photography-related programs, events, and outreach activities. The program will take place in the refuge visitor center’s auditorium. Capacity is limited to the first 85 people who show up! No preregistration for this program.

Monthly Book Club
Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things" by M.R. O'Connor Thursday, May 19th from 6:30 –8:00 pm Discussion groups will meet on Thursday, May 19th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Discussions are limited to 15 participants and will take place at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge visitor center. Preregistration IS required for all meetings.

Please call our headquarters at (978) 465-5753 to register. *Note: Those who call and leave a message after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a Refuge staff member.

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Behind the Scenes Tour!
Held on the following days: Wednesday, May 11th, Friday, May 13th, and Saturday, May 21st ; all tours are conducted from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Join a refuge ranger for a behind the scenes tour of Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, located in Newington, NH. Participants will have an opportunity to visit areas of the refuge that are not normally open to the public. See a diversity of wildlife habitats while learning how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is managing this very special landscape for conservation. Consider bringing along binoculars and a camera.

The tour is limited to 14 participants; no more than 4 individuals per sign-up. This is a vehicle based tour, with limited stops on the refuge. This guided program is most appropriate for older teens. and adults. Meet the ranger in the lobby of the Parker River NWR visitor center in Newburyport no later than 9:00 am OR in the Great Bay NWR parking lot in Newington, NH no later than 9:45 am. (Indicate location you prefer at time of registration.)

Be advised that individual tours may be subject to cancellation. *Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a refuge staff member. Please call (978) 465-5753 to register for this program. Preregistration required. For directions to the refuge, click on this link: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Great_Bay/visit/plan_your_visit.html

Save the Monarch! – A Very Special Evening Presentation
Thursday, May 26th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm Pretty much everyone has seen a monarch butterfly – at least in photographs. But did you know that this charismatic insect’s numbers are in dramatic decline? Katie Hone, “The Monarch Gardener”, will deliver a special presentation about the monarch and its natural history, the reasons for their decline, and the many conservation efforts that are happening across their migration pathway. She’ll also provide tips for how you can help the monarch by planting a native plant garden in your own backyard! This program, which is most appropriate for teens and adults, will take place in the refuge visitor center auditorium. Registration is NOT required. Attendance is limited to the first 85 attendees.

Behind the Scenes for BIRDERS!
Saturday, May 28th 9:30 – 11:30 am Join refuge volunteer and birder-extraordinaire Sue McGrath for a very special edition of our Behind the Scenes tour. Get a chance to see and learn about birds in their habitats on areas of the refuge that are not normally open to the public. Bring your binoculars and field guides. The tour is limited to 13 participants; no more than 4 individuals per sign-up.

This is a vehicle-based tour, with limited stops on the refuge. Meet the tour leader in the lobby of the refuge visitor center 15 minutes prior to the program start time. Be advised that individual tours may be subject to cancellation. *Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a Refuge staff member. Please call (978) 465-5753 to register for this program. Preregistration is required for this program, as enrollment is limited.

These Visitor Center Exhibits Change Monthly: Artist of the Month Gallery: Each month a different photographer or artist displays their nature and/or wildlife-related fine art in the refuge visitor center auditorium. Photographic Society Slide Show: Just inside the visitor center’s front door is a large video monitor that displays the latest nature and wildlife-themed slide show that was produced by members of the refuge’s very own photo club. A new slide show, set to music, and focusing on a unique theme, is produced each month