October 2020 Highlights from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island

Photo for Hawk Watch Program on October 17, 2020: American Kestrel by Peter Green.

  

(September 10, 2020) – New! Audubon is offering small group nature explorations designed with safety in mind. Meet some amazing owls, go on a full moon hike, or hawk watch at Napatree Point. Get out in nature, it’s the safest place to be!

 

Rhode Island COVID-19 safety guidelines will be followed for all programs. Small groups are led by Audubon naturalists. Family units are encouraged to participate together. Masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required. Visit the events calendar at www.asri.org for safety guidelines and to register.

 

Audubon Private Birding and Natural History Tours

Get out in nature…it’s the safest place to be!

Let an Audubon guide take your group of up to four people on a private two-hour natural history or bird watching tour in Southeastern New England. Tours will be designed with ages and interests in mind. Please contact Lauren Parmelee at lparmelee@asri.org or call 401-949-5454 ext. 3111 for details and pricing.

 

Wednesday Morning Bird Walks

Locations Across Rhode Island

Audubon offers small-group Wednesday Morning Bird Walks with naturalist Laura Carberry. Each week a new birding destination will be chosen. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required. Location will be sent to registered participants in advance.

 

Locations determined weekly; Every Wednesday through June 2021; 9:00-11:00 am; Fee: $5/member, $10/non-member. Ages: 14+.  Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

 Full Moon Hike

Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk, MA

October 1, 2020; 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Take a trek through Caratunk Wildlife Refuge under the light of the Hunter’s moon. Come enjoy a nice evening hike, look for creatures of the night, and learn what happens when the sun goes down on the wildlife refuge. Please bring a flashlight, sturdy walking shoes and bug spray. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA; Fee: Free for members; $8/ non-member adult, $5/non-member child. Ages: 10 and up. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 Owls of New England

Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI

October 3, 2020; 2:00 – 3:30 pm

There are a number of amazing species of owls that live in New England. You might have one in your own back yard! We’ll take a pictorial look at our native owls, hear their calls, learn about their remarkable adaptations and meet a live owl. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

October 3, 2020; 2:00-3:30 pm

 

Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 5 and up. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

Solving the Mysteries behind New England’s Stone Walls

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI

October 15, 2020; 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Stone walls are visible reminders of our rural history. These iconic features contribute to a sense of place but are threatened by incremental loss. Join Leigh Schoberth, senior preservation services manager at Historic New England and former Preservation Society policy associate, to learn about the history of stone walls and the efforts to preserve them. Space will be limited due to COVID safety restrictions. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Program Fee: $10/member; $14/non-members Other. Ages: Adult. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

Hawk Watch at Napatree Point

Napatree Point Conservation Area, Westerly, RI

October 17, 2020; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Fall is a wonderful time to search for hawks in New England. In Rhode Island, Napatree Point is one of the best locations to look for accipiters, falcons and eagles. If the winds are right, there can be a great show. Swallows, monarch butterflies and any remaining shorebirds may also be spotted. Program is limited to 8 people, face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Napatree Point Conservation Area (Watch Hill), Westerly, RI; Fee: $15/member; $20/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

  

Sea Glass Jewelry Workshop

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI

October 17, 2020; 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Come design and create a beautiful pendant with sea glass found on local beaches. Learn how to choose the right piece of glass and transform it using quick and easy wire wrapping techniques. Program includes all materials. Find something special on the beach? Bring that too! This class fills quickly so don’t wait! Advance registration is required as space is strictly limited to 10 participants. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $20/member; $25/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

  

Forest Bathing Walk

Audubon Fort Wildlife Refuge, North Smithfield, RI

October 17, 2020; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
It is so important to refill your personal fuel tank – to find ways to de-stress and rejuvenate. Many scientific studies tell us that time in nature is key for our physical and mental health. Join Audubon for a leisurely walk of shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing. With its roots in Japan, this walk will encourage you to focus on your physical body and what it is seeing, smelling and touching. This will be a walk focused on just “being” rather than “I.D.ing” out in nature. Please wear long pants and sturdy walking shoes. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Fort Nature Refuge, (Rt. 5), 1443 Providence Pike, North Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

 Perfect Pumpkin Party

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI

October 24, 2020; 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Join us for our annual day of pumpkin fun! Activities will include some of your favorites from last year as well as new adventures. Program times and details will be announced by October 1st. Please check our website for updates. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; October 24, 2020 ; 10:00 am-4:00 pm; Event is free with admission, fees may apply to some activities. Ages: All. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

Are You Nuts?

Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI

October 24, 2020; 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Whether it’s a cone, a nut, or a seed, there are many ways that plants reproduce. Many animals depend on those nuts and seeds for food. Join Audubon for a seed and nut hunt through the field and woods and then return indoors to complete a nut-inspired craft. For those with allergies, a variety of nuts will be handled during this class. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $5/member child; $7/non-member child. Ages: 4 and up. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

Adventure Caratunk

Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk, MA

October 25, 2020; 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Come to Caratunk Wildlife Refuge for an adventurous time as you find nature-based clues and solve riddles on the property. Great for families and small groups. Please be prepared for hiking – bring water, bug spray and wear sturdy shoes. Face masks and social distancing are required. Participants must bring their own masks. Advance registration is required.

Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA; Fee: $12 member adult/ $6 member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 9 and up. Register through the events calendar at asri.org.

 

Prudence Island

Private Adventure with Friends and Family

Spend the day safely exploring beautiful and charming Prudence Island with education staff from the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve. With over three-quarters of the island protected, and a variety of habitats to explore, there are endless options for an outdoor friends and family private adventure! The experience can be designed with your group’s interests and ages in mind. For more details and to schedule contact: Maureen Dewire, Maureen.Dewire@dem.ri.gov or

401-683-1478.

Due to a limited availability, it is recommended to book this program well in advance. Ages: All.

Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Prudence Island, RI; Fee*:

Half Day: $8/member adult, $5/member child; $10/non-member adult, $7/non-member child

Full Day: $12/member adult, $8/member child; $15/non-member adult, $10 non-member child

*Cost does not include round-trip ferry travel ($11/person ages 12-adult and $5/person for children).