Marion Natural History Museum
Naturally Artistic
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesMay 11 - Join us after school where we’ll explore the synergy of nature and art. Plan to roll up your sleeves, have fun and get creative! Artist and graphic designer Karen Alves will be leading this program.
Climate Change and Our Future
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesClimate change is already affecting ecosystems and communities across the globe, but it's not too late to take action. Join local Climate Reality leader and chair of Climate Reality Massachusetts Southcoast, Laura Gardner, to learn about local and global effects, as well as what you can do to help create a better future for the…
Bird Island Trip #2
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesWe had so many families wanting to register their children for this one that Isaac agreed to a second date the following day. Please register quickly in case this date fills too.
Bird Island Trip #1
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesApril 27 - Bird Island. Let’s go visit Bird Island with the Marion Harbormaster’s office. We will visit the nesting habitat and examine the life history of some of the world’s rarest birds. This program fills very fast so please register early! Program is limited to 12 students. Pick up will be at the Harbormaster's…
Dive Into a Vernal Pool
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesVernal pools provide a safe place for many amphibians that cannot survive in other habitats to reach adulthood. Let’s study these fascinating and important nurseries of the forest. We will be examining specimens from a local pool and take a close look at some of the plants and animals that rely on this important habitat,…
To Bee or Not To Bee, Creating a Pollinator Garden for Insects
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesThere's a lot of "buzz" about pollinators these days. Protect our pollinators! Save the bees! Avoid "spicy bees!" It’s no question: Pollinators are critical to the life we are familiar with today. But, it’s important to stop and think about what we're all fighting for. What exactly defines a “bee” or any other insect…
Unique Birds of Marion
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJustin Barrett of the Nasketucket Bird Club will be discussing our native bird species. We’ll explore some of the most unique and rare birds that call Marion home or use it as a stopover site during migration. Join us to see what makes Marion the perfect place for these birds. This is a free program, however…
Fossil Hunting 101 IS FULL
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesCome learn about fossils and fossil hunting. Amateur Paleontologist Jim Pierson will help us explore this unique world and we'll learn how to start looking for our own T-Rex fossils. Jim will be bringing in examples of his own collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils from around the world to examine and we will also…
The Butterfly Man
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesThe “Butterfly Man” - Joe Dwelly .a Yarmouth resident, will be visiting the Marion Natural History Museum to share what he knows about our local species. Mr. Dwelly will give advice about where they can be found and how community members can attract them to their own backyards. .For Dwelly “it’s important to raise awareness…
Monarch Butterflies
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesMarch 2 – Monarchs. A lifelong monarch enthusiast, Maggie Payne will cover the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and the amazing journey that these butterflies take from New England to Mexico every year. Learn about how you can make your yard a monarch habitat to do your part to help in their population recovery.…
Great Backyard Bird Count 2022
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoin us at the MNHM to learn about the Great Backyard Bird Count Let's discover how to participate in this worldwide citizen effort. Nasketucket Bird Club President Justin Barrett will show us techniques to identify birds and how to log your birds. We will also learn how to record your findings online and see what…
Holiday Party
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesHoliday Party December 15 Let’s have fun together designing gifts with natural and recycled craft materials. Bring your unique artistic talents and let’s make some gifts for the holidays. Depending on health restrictions at that time we will be offering snacks and drinks to fuel your creative efforts. *If you'd like to register for…
Rescheduled – Tick Borne Diseases with Blake Dinius
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesHate ticks? Ticks are not just creepy; They can transmit over 10 different diseases with potentially life-altering impacts. Ticks are shrouded in both fear and misinformation. What yard sprays should you use? What about “all-natural approaches?” What about those stinkin’ deer? What if there was more you could do beyond just “covering up?” In our…
Shed Hunting 101
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesShed Hunting 101 November 17 Shed hunting is the pursuit of finding antlers that have been naturally shed by any antler-bearing mammal such as moose, caribou, elk and deer. These dropped antlers are commonly referred to as "sheds" or "shed antlers." Shed hunting is a great opportunity to get outdoors, work your legs, and spend…
NECWA Terrapin and Sunfish Rescue
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesNECWA Terrapin and Sunfish Rescue with Carol “Krill” Carson, founder and president of New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance November 3 Each late summer and fall, ocean sunfish strand along the shores of Cape Cod. Many are trying to navigate their way south to warmer wintering areas. NECWA is the only organization that attempts to save…
Future of Natural History Museums with Eric Dorfman
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesFuture of Natural History Museums with focus on small museums like the Marion Natural History Museum. November 3 Speaker is Eric Dorfman, author of the book, “The Future of Natural History Museums” Eric Dorfman is Director and CEO of North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, a member of the Executive Board of the International National…
Tick-Borne Diseases with Blake Dinius
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesTick Borne Diseases October 27 Tick Borne Diseases with Blake Dinius, Entomologist with Plymouth County Ext. Service. When it comes to preventing tick bites, it’s all about knowledge, not fear. In our workshop, we’ll bust myths and learn practical applications based on scientific research. For now, this program is scheduled to take place at the…
Fall Bird Migration
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesFall Bird Migration! with Justin Barrett, President of the Nasketucket Bird Club October 20 Bird migration is one of the most harrowing feats a bird can accomplish! We’ll be learning about how and why so many birds migrate every year, and some of the dangers that come along with it. We’ll also be exploring the…
Forestry Health
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesForestry Health with Felicia Hubacz, MA DCR Forester October 20 Join DCR Forest Health Specialist Felicia Hubacz as she discusses the State’s major forest health issues of the last year. These include Beech Leaf Disease, White Pine Needle Disease, Emerald Ash Borer, and Asian Longhorned Beetle. Learn to identify current and future threats to our…
Introduction to Forestry
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesIntroduction to Forestry with MA state forester James Rassman October 6 Join Service Forester Jim Rassman as we learn about the trees of Massachusetts. We will learn about different types of local trees, how to tell how old a tree is, and the benefits that trees and forest provide to us all. If the weather…
Seashore Netting
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesSeashore Netting September 29 We will be walking down to the Marion Harbormaster’s beach to use the large seining net and see what animals are still in the harbor. Watershoes are strongly recommended and please wear appropriate clothing. We WILL be getting wet! (Pick up will be at the Harbormasters office). *If you'd like to…
How Trees Communicate, Exploring the Underground Network of Trees
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoin the Marion Natural History Museum, Friday, August 20 at the Museum, 7 – 8 pm How trees communicate – Exploring the underground network of trees with Valentina Lagomarsino, PhD student, Biological Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard University Trees are considered to be the oldest living organisms on the planet. Over centuries, they have been resilient to…
This is Rocket Science!
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesPresented by Mike Cronin, Museum Board Member Join us while learning about propulsion and lift with Mike Cronin. Each child will pick up his/her own rocket kit along with an instructional video in advance of the lift off event, and the instructor will be available to help participants with questions regarding assembly. The cost for…
Amazing Arthropods
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesPresented by: Blake Dinius of Plymouth County Extension Insects and spiders make up about 77% of all animal species on the planet. Let’s take a closer look into our own backyards. We’ll find a mysterious world just waiting to be discovered. Want to learn more about insects and the myriad ways that insects impact your…
Eastern Box Turtles
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesPresented by Brian Butler of Oxbow Associates Why are these animals called “box” turtles? What do they eat and what do they need to survive? And why are they endangered? Let’s learn a little something about our local turtle population and how we can protect them. Brian will be bringing many hands-on items to explore…
The Great Backyard Bird Count 2021
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesBe a citizen scientist while having fun in your own backyard or local park! Learn how to participate in the bird count by identifying birds and recording your findings. We'll share resources, apps, tips, and tricks on how to ID birds. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that…
Cranberries!
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoin us for a virtual tour around a cranberry bog with bog owner Dawn Gates-Allen. While driving with Dawn on her tractor, we will get a tour of her cranberry bogs. Dawn will be answering our questions about cranberries and what it's like to live on a working bog.
This IS Rocket Science
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoin us while learning about propulsion and lift with Mike Cronin. Each child will have his/her own rocket with motor to assemble and set off. The cost for this program is $20 per participant. Submit payment to Marion Natural History Museum. Space is limited to 12 children. The program is limited to children ages 6…
This IS Rocket Science
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoin us while learning about propulsion and lift with Mike Cronin. Each child will have his/her own rocket with motor to assemble and set off. The cost for this program is $20 per participant. Submit payment to Marion Natural History Museum. Space is limited to 12 children. The program is limited to children ages 6…
Native Plants of Southeastern Massachusetts
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesWith Martha “Mike” Schroeder. Using hands-on experience and role play, Mike hopes to deepen the children’s understanding that Native plants are important and they have adapted to survive where they are. Other native living things, such as birds, insects and mammals have adapted too, and depend on these plants to survive. Let’s see if we…
Vernal Pools
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesDid you know that many animals rely on these temporary pools to breed and leave their young to mature? They in turn are an important food source for many forest animals. Let’s take a look at the nursery of the forest.
Intelligent Trees
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesDo trees speak to each other? Do they have family ties and care for their young? German forester Peter Wohlleben, author of 'The Hidden Life of Trees' and scientist Suzanne Simard (The University of British Columbia, Canada) have been observing and investigating the communication between trees over decades. The museum will be showing the Vimeo…
Rain Gutter Regatta
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesWith the help of engineer Mark Whalen, participants will be developing a model sailing vessel to "race the clock" as well as each other. The program includes pre-event discussion and demonstration of sailboat engineering and design: buoyancy, stability, lift and drag forces. Program is limited to 20 – SO PLEASE REGISTER EARLY!
Wildflowers of Southeastern Massachusetts
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesWith plant enthusiast Martha "Mike" Schroeder. Mike will be sharing a slide show of locally taken photos of wildflowers thought to have existed in Southeastern Massachusetts since before the arrival of the Europeans. Every flower has its own story. No charge for the program however registration in advance is strongly recommended. The museum is located…
Soil Critters
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesWith Maggie Payne, Soil Scientist with U.S.D.A. Did you know there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of healthy soil than there are people on earth? We will explore the life beneath our feet and discover the importance of not treating our soils like dirt. There will be hands-on experiments involved so please dress…
The Butterfly Man
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJoe Dwelly, a Yarmouth resident, will be visiting the Marion Natural History Museum to share what he knows about our local species of butterfly. Mr. Dwelly will give advice about where they can be found and how community members can attract them to their own backyards. Not only will he teach attendees about particular habitat…
Great Backyard Bird Count
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesLet’s get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count! The 2020 GBBC is from February 14th through the 17th this year. This count is an important citizen science effort that helps researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. In as little as 15 minutes you can help expand scientist’s knowledge of…
Rock Hound 101
Marion Natural History Museum 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA, United StatesJim Pierson will be in to talk about his favorite topic, rocks and minerals. A geology enthusiast, Jim continues to be passionate about fossils, rocks and minerals. He will be sharing his interest with us by showing us some specimens from his own collection, as well as looking at some specimens from the museum’s collections.…