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Upcoming Events

07Dec

Chickadee Club (December & January)

Monday, Online

09Dec

10:30 am

Fields Pond Explorers Club – 10:30 am Session

Wednesday, Fields Pond, Holden

09Dec

1:30 pm

Fields Pond Explorers Club – 1:30 pm Session

Wednesday, Fields Pond, Holden

10Dec

Chickadee Club (November & December)

Thursday, Online

16Dec

10:30 am

Fields Pond Explorers Club – 10:30 am Session

Wednesday, Fields Pond, Holden

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Nov 27

Looking for a way to #optoutside today? We've got

Looking for a way to #optoutside today? We've got eight ideas! Our eight sanctuaries scattered across the state all offer lovely ways to connect with nature (links in bio) and are open dawn to dusk (no dogs, please). Here's a sneak peek at just a small portion of what you can see (and hear) at Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary, just a stone's throw from downtown Freeport.

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Nov 23

Wooly bear caterpillars are the larvae of the Isab

Wooly bear caterpillars are the larvae of the Isabella Tiger Moth. These fuzzy caterpillars are a common sight in fall as they look for a safe place to overwinter. In the spring, they will finish metamorphosis. You can keep this caterpillar cozy in your pocket, or use a cardboard tube to make it a safe winter home. (Some people believe that the width of a wooly bear’s brown stripe can predict the severity of the coming winter, with wider brown bands indicating a milder winter.)
You’ll need: Brown and black pipe cleaners; pencil or pen; scissors; toilet paper tube (optional).
Begin with two pieces of black pipe cleaner and one brown. In the example pictured, we cut a black pipe cleaner in half and used a whole brown one.
Twist three segments of pipe cleaner together in this order: black-brown-black. For the smoothest join, bend each end into a small “elbow,” then link them together and flatten. Wind the connected pipe cleaners into a tight coil around a pen or pencil. Pause a few times as you wind to tighten and push the coils together. Carefully slide the coil off the pencil. Gently twist or flatten each end a bit to give it a tapered appearance. Just like a real caterpillar, this one is easily squished! Handle it with care. If you’d like, pretend a cardboard tube is a hollow log and tuck your caterpillar inside for the winter.

Looking for more nature-based activities? Chickadee Club is a monthly subscription program for children ages 3-8 and their families. There are two ways to join: Digital club members have access to downloadable nature-based activities, art prompts, scavenger hunts, templates, and more. Ready-to-go activity kits can be purchased for pick-up at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth or Fields Pond in Holden. Link in bio.

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Nov 20

Here’s an activity that uses a simple cardboard

Here’s an activity that uses a simple cardboard frame to encourage you to play with scale and focus while exploring in nature. It works well anywhere, but can be an especially useful tool for bringing fresh eyes to a familiar location. All you need is a piece of cardboard and scissors or box cutter (for adult use).
Cut your cardboard into a square or rectangle with sides somewhere between 8-12 inches.
Mark a second, smaller square or rectangle and cut it out, leaving behind just a 1-2” border.

Zoom in: bring your frame outside and look closely at small objects and details. When you find something interesting, use your frame to display it. Because you’ll need to get close enough to fill your frame, this process of zooming in should encourage you to check out different perspectives or notice things that you might have otherwise overlooked.
Zoom out: now step back and hold the frame at arms length to consider things at a distance. Try standing in one spot and comparing the view in different directions. What differences do you notice? Look up. Is there a clear view of the sky?

Draw a simple image on thinner cardboard (like a recycled cereal box) and cut out parts of the image. For example, cut out the center of a daisy, the leaves around a tree trunk, or a person’s shirt. Then, search for different colors, textures, and patterns in nature to fill the cutout.

Looking for more nature-based activities? Chickadee Club is a monthly subscription program for children ages 3-8 and their families. There are two ways to join: Digital club members have access to downloadable nature-based activities, art prompts, scavenger hunts, templates, and more. Ready-to-go activity kits can be purchased for pick-up at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth or Fields Pond in Holden. Link in bio.

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Nov 18

Many insects and other invertebrates need protecte

Many insects and other invertebrates need protected places to spend the winter. Areas that look messy to some, like brush piles, dead plants, and fallen leaves, are actually ideal habitats for these creatures! We can provide a bit of extra shelter with a DIY insect hotel.
You’ll need an oatmeal or coffee canister (avoid plastic containers, which can trap moisture and get moldy); long, thin sticks and stems; scrap paper; masking tape. Optional: drawing materials, colorful paper or paint. If you want to decorate the outside of your canister, do that first. You can paint it, or tape a piece of paper around the canister and color on that.
Collect long, thin twigs and stems and trim them so that they are a little shorter than your canister. Make sure everything is fully dry before you add it to your hotel. Roll the scrap paper into thin tubes of about the same length as the twigs and secure with masking tape. Keep everything shorter than the canister itself -- you want a bit of an overhang to keep the inside dry.
Fill the canister with the sticks and tubes, packing the empty space so that the contents don’t shift too much when you turn it on its side. This part will likely take longer than you think!
Place your insect hotel in a secure place sheltered from rain. Keep it in place until there have been a few warm spring days.
Upkeep/Care: To keep using your insect hotel, clean it out in the spring by removing or replacing any wet or damaged components. You can keep using it as a general insect hotel, or make some changes to attract the solitary bee species that lay eggs in hollow stems or tubes in the spring.
Looking for more nature-based activities? Chickadee Club is a monthly subscription program for children ages 3-8 and their families. There are two ways to join: Digital club members have access to downloadable nature-based activities, art prompts, scavenger hunts, templates, and more. Ready-to-go activity kits can be purchased for pick-up at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth or Fields Pond in Holden. Link in bio.

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Nov 16

Forget selfies; make a nature self portrait with f

Forget selfies; make a nature self portrait with found natural materials like sticks, flower petals, acorn tops, pebbles, twigs, seed heads, seaweed, shells, etc. (Optional: a mirror, sidewalk chalk, a camera). A self portrait is a piece of art where the artist is the subject. To begin, you may want to look in the mirror and/or think about what features you’ll want to include in your portrait. This will help you plan the types of materials to collect. Then again, you may find something special that changes your original plan!
As you explore and gather, practice stewardship by being mindful of the materials you use for projects like this. When you can, use items already on the ground, and make sure to leave plenty of flowers or leaves behind when you do pick something.
Find a clear space to arrange your materials. Experiment with different materials and arrangements, and don’t be afraid to pause to look for different materials. Your portrait is finished when you are happy with the way it looks.
If you want to “keep” your portrait or share it with others, take a photo of it. How do you think it will change over time? If possible, consider coming back after a few days to see how nature has changed your portrait!

Looking for more nature-based activities? Chickadee Club is a monthly subscription program for children ages 3-8 and their families. There are two ways to join: Digital club members have access to downloadable nature-based activities, art prompts, scavenger hunts, templates, and more. Ready-to-go activity kits can be purchased for pick-up at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth or Fields Pond in Holden. Link in bio.

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