February Vacation Adventure Days: 2/24-Awesome Owls

For children in grades K through 5. Sign up for the entire week or individual days. Fee for the week (Tuesday through Friday): $145 member, $174 nonmember Fee per day: $45 member, $54 nonmember Winter is an exciting time for outdoor discovery. We have put together four days of hands-on, awesome, age-appropriate activities to explore the natural world in winter. Sharpen your observation skills as we locate and learn about winter animals and tap a sugar maple tree to make syrup. We have a warm cozy Barn and Nature Center for indoor activities that include listening to stories, singing songs, playing with friends, and looking under a microscope. Participants will be divided into smaller groups by age. Maple Sugaring: Tuesday, February 21 Today we'll learn about one of nature's tastiest treats: maple syrup. We'll discover how to distinguish a sugar maple from all the other trees in the forest and tap one to collect the sap. After a visit to the sugarhouse, we'll know how sap is converted into syrup and try some on our very own pancakes. We'll see who can tell the difference between store-bought syrup and the real stuff! Winter Homes: Wednesday, February 22 Can you imagine living outside through the entire winter? We'll explore the woodlands, wetlands, and field edges for nests, cavities, burrows, dens, and lodges to discover how birds, mammals, and insects find homes in this challenging season. We'll build an igloo or shelter and see how warm it can be inside. Carnivores Dining Out: Thursday, February 23 Winter is a great time to look for predators and the evidence they leave behind. Today, we'll look at animal bones, fur, scat, tracks, and chews. Then we'll hike the sanctuary in search of hawks, foxes, fishers, river otters, and more. We'll investigate how these animals are able to hunt prey in the cold winter weather. Awesome Owls: Friday, February 24 Have you ever walked through the woods looking for owls during the day? Owls are most active at night, of course, but if you know what to look for you can find their daytime roosts. Together we'll discover what our local owls look like, what they eat, and what they sound like. As a special activity, everyone will help to dissect an owl pellet. Registration is required. Call (978) 887-9264 for details. See http://www.massaudubon.org/catalog/listing.php?program_code=1367-IP12WI5 for more information.