Join Us for Free, Fun Programs! Parker River National Wildlife Refuge September, 2019
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Join Us for Free, Fun Programs! Parker River National Wildlife Refuge September, 2019
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Bicycle Tour of Great Bay NWR
Friday, September 6th; Tuesday, September 17th; and Thursday, September 26th; all sessions 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Join a refuge ranger for a behind the scenes tour, by bicycle, 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 habitats and learn how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is managing this very special landscape for wildlife. Cyclists will travel over generally level terrain on a combination of paved and unpaved surfaces. The distance covered will depend on how many stops are made and how much time is spent at each stop. Tour duration will be about 2 hours. Appropriate for adults and children age 16 or older. Each participant must provide a either a hybrid or mountain bike, helmet, and water bottle. Insect repellant, sun block, binoculars and/or a camera are optional (provided these items can be safely stowed while biking). Meet the ranger in the Great Bay NWR parking lot 15 minutes before the tour start time. Limited to 10 participants. Preregistration required. For directions to the refuge, click on this link: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Great_Bay/visit/plan_your_visit.htmBehind the Scenes Refuge Tour of Parker River NWR
Saturday, September 7th @ 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, September 15th @ 1:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 21st @ 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, September 22nd @ 1:00 p.m.; Friday, September 27th @ 9:30 a.m.; and Sunday, September 29th @ 1:00 p.m.
Join a refuge ranger for a behind the scenes tour of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Tour will beconducted 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. Preregistration required. Please call (978) 465-5753 to register.
Clayton Patles is from Plaistow, NH and has fished Plum Island since he was a kid, fishing for all types of fish from fresh water to salt water. He has been a member of the Plum Island Surfcasters for over 10 years and have been running their Juniors Program for over 5 years. Last year, Clayton won the Plum
Climate Change – Behind the Scenes Tour!
Monday, September 9th & Wednesday, September 25th; both sessions 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
This variant of our popular Behind the Scenes Tour of Parker River NWR will place a special emphasis on the local implications of climate change – particularly on the salt marsh and the barrier beach island that protects it. Learn about some of the things that refuge staff are doing to better understand and predict potential future impacts of climate change on wildlife and their habitats. Meet the ranger in the lobby of the refuge visitor center 10 – 15 minutes prior to start time. Preregistration required.Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Behind the Scenes Tour!
Wednesday, September 11th; Wednesday, September 18th; and Tuesday, September 24th – all programs 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
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 8 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.htmlFocus on Birds: Special Behind the Scenes Tour of Parker River NWR
Monday, September 16th & Tuesday, September 24th; both sessions 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
This special edition of the refuge’s Behind the Scenes (BTS) tour will be led by veteran birder, and refuge volunteer, Bill Gette. While the tour will follow the usual BTS route, the leader will place a special emphasis on the birds that are typically found on the refuge in the fall. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, if they have them. Tour is limited to 14 participants. Meet the tour leader in the refuge visitor center lobby 15 minutes before the program start time. This program is most appropriate for teens and adults. Preregistration required.Surfcasting 101
Wednesday, September 18th, 7:00-8:30p.m.
Ever wanted to try your hand at surfcasting from the Plum Island beach? Come join two local experts as they discuss the basics you’ll need to get started (or improve!). Topics will include what gear you will need, what to use for bait and lures, how to find a spot that may hold fish, and the best tides and times to go.Clayton Patles is from Plaistow, NH and has fished Plum Island since he was a kid, fishing for all types of fish from fresh water to salt water. He has been a member of the Plum Island Surfcasters for over 10 years and have been running their Juniors Program for over 5 years. Last year, Clayton won the Plum
Island year-long tournament for the club, with a 38-pound striped bass. James Jewkes is from Woburn, MA and has been fishing from age 10. He has been a Plum Island Surfcasters club member for over 5 years and spends 80% of his salt water fishing time on Plum Island. In 2016, he took top honors in the club’s surf-caught tournament, and last season won the surf division in the Why Knot Fishing fall classic tournament.
Spaces in the refuge’s 85-seat auditorium will be filled on a first come, first served basis. This free program is co-sponsored by the Friends of Parker River NWR and the Parker River NWR. NO preregistration for this program.
Conservation Cinema: Sex, Lies, and Butterflies!
Thursday, September 19th @ 7:00 p.m.
Butterflies have been flying around our planet for more than 50 million years, and today around 20,000 different species inhabit the globe. Sex, Lies and Butterflies follows their lives from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to the emergence of the full-blown, winged creature. Explore their astonishing survival techniques, including 360 degree vision, deceptive camouflage, chemical weaponry and fantastic flight. Through sophisticated macro-filming, look beyond the butterflies' bright colors and fragile beauty to follow them on one of the greatest migrations on earth. The film will be shown in the refuge visitorcenter’s very fine auditorium. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfbU0NBXYbg (2018; film runtime: 53 minutes). NO preregistration for this program.
Fall Family Monarch Conservation Program & Butterfly Tagging! (for Kids)
Saturday, September 21st, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Join Katie Hone, The Monarch Gardener, for this fun and interesting one hour program about the monarch butterfly. The program will include a presentation about monarchs with interactive role playing and live animals AND making milkweed “seed bombs” (to take home). Meet, tag and release live monarch butterflies to the wild! This program is geared to younger children and their parents. This program will take place in the refuge visitor center classroom. NO preregistration for this program.Monarch Tagging Workshop (for Adults & Teens)
Saturday, September 21st, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Katie Hone, The Monarch Gardner, will lead this 1.5 hour program that will include a presentation about monarch natural history, migration, history of tagging and how the data are collected and used. All participants will have an opportunity to tag and release monarch butterflies depending on how many animals are available at time of program. This program will take place in the refuge visitor center classroom. NO preregistration for this program.Bird Walk at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Saturday, September 28th, 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Participate in a bird walk at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, located in Newington, NH. This program, led by Dave Tucker, will include access to areas of the refuge that are normally closed to the public, including Stubbs Pond and Woodman Point – where we will be on the lookout for fall migrants. Folks with all experience levels are welcome. Group size will be limited to 15 people. Meet the program leader in the refuge parking lot 10-15 minutes prior to the program start time. Preregistration is required; call (978) 465-5753. This program is co-sponsored by the refuge and New Hampshire Audubon. For directions to the refuge, click on this link: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Great_Bay/visit/plan_your_visit.htm
Join Us for Free, Fun Programs! Parke...
Date and Time
Sunday Sep 1, 2019 Monday Sep 30, 2019
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
6 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, MA. 01950
Location
refuge visitor center is located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA.
Fees/Admission
FREE!
Contact Information
978-465-5753
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