For many people, Memorial Weekend signals the start of summer vacation. For the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, it signals the start of our summer work season! This past weekend marked our first one open to the public and while we had a mix of rain, wind, and sunny, warm days, both staff and patrons shared lots of excitement and vibrant energy around the center opening. We had visitors from Maine, New York, Kentucky, and even as far as British Columbia come to shop in the nature store, paddle on the river, and go birding along the nature trail.
WMTW Channel 8 news got in on the fun at the center too! If you were an early riser on Sunday morning, you might have seen Linda and me live on the big screen talking with reporter Jacob Murphy about our opening weekend celebrations. We had lots of fun discussing what events and activities were happening at the center, sharing fun facts about salt marshes, making arts and crafts, and we even got in canoes and paddled on the Dunstan River (above photo)!
If you’ve driven by the center recently, you may have noticed school buses in the parking lot. School groups from all around the region have been coming to the marsh for field trips. Students discover and learn about the unique qualities that make a salt marsh one of the most productive ecosystems in the world as our educators conduct science experiments, talk about various animal adaptations, and show students about why it’s important to protect these ecosystems.
Our Wednesday morning bird walks are in full swing every week starting at 8 am. These bird walks are free to attend and the group meets at the center before traveling to different parts of the marsh.
Registration is now open for our summer programs and tours. The center will be open to the general public for the next two weekends, May 31-June 1st and June 7-8, and then, starting on June 14, we will be open seven days a week! We encourage you to check out our website for more information and to come visit Scarborough Marsh this summer! I want to share a big thank you to everyone who has helped get the center ready for the season and for the folks who came out to visit us.
