June 2020 Programs
JUNE LADY-SLIPPER PHOTO BY SARAH BOYLE
(April 30, 2020) – Start your summer off right – in the great outdoors! Join an Audubon expert for a birding walk or day trip, discover the fascinating world of bats, or get up-close with some giants of the sea. Come join the fun at Audubon in June.
FREE Wednesday Morning Bird Walks
Locations Across Rhode Island
June 3, 10, 17, 24, 2020; 9:00 am
Audubon offers FREE Wednesday Morning Bird Walks with naturalist Laura Carberry. Each week a new birding destination will be chosen. Please visit the Audubon website (asri.org) or Facebook Page for the location. Contact Laura at lcarberry@asri.org for more information.
Locations determined weekly; Every Wednesday through June 2020; 9:00-11:00 am; Ages: 14+.
Twilight Hike & Local Beer
Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk, MA
June 4, 2020; 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Come enjoy a night hike through the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge after the gates are closed. We will explore the pond, field and woods at twilight on a beautiful summer evening. Look for deer, muskrat or otter; hear owls and watch bats. Bring binoculars, camera and a flashlight. This is a weather dependent program. Participants must be 21 or older to register.
Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA; Fee: $15/member; $20/non-member. Ages: 21 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Don’t Dump – Donate! E-Waste and Recycling Event
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 6 – 20, 2020; 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island partners with Goodwill Industries to host a special recycling event. Old electronic, textiles, clothes, shoes and select household goods are all welcomed! Drop off your goods at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol, RI from June 6 – 20, 2020 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. No need to call or register in advance. A full list of accepted items is available through the events calendar at asri.org.
Please Note: Audubon staff will not be available to assist in unloading items from vehicles and carrying them into the Center. Participants must be able to carry recyclable items on their own.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Free.
Citizens Bank Free Family Fun Day
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 6, 2020; 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Thanks to Citizens Bank, the Nature Center and Aquarium is open free to the public the first Saturday of every month. Join us for crafts, nature stories, animal discoveries, hikes and more. No need to register.
June 6, 2020 – Oceans
10:00 am-2:00 pm: Craft table
10:30 am & 2:30 pm: Nature Story
11:00 am: Ocean Walk
1:30 pm: Animal Interview
Activities: 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Exhibit Hall: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Trails and Pollinator Garden: Dawn to Dusk
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI.
Beeswax Wraps Workshop
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 7, 2020; 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Single-use plastics are filling our oceans and landfills. Be part of the solution by making your own re-usable, eco-friendly lunch wraps! Use cotton fabric, bees wax, buttons, and string to create a flexible wrap that can be used to transport food, cover bowls, and protect your leftovers. It’s washable, keeps your food fresh, and it smells great. No prior sewing or crafting skills needed. All materials needed to make two wraps per person will be provided, but if you have a favorite fabric or button you would like to use, bring it along.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $15/member; $20/non-member. Ages: 16 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Composting 101
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
June 10, 2020; 6:30-8:00 pm
Have you ever wondered about starting a compost system, but just weren’t sure how to go about it? This class will cover all the steps of generating this dark, rich and FREE fertilizer right at home. From choosing the ‘set up’ that is right for you, to adding compostable materials and tending your ‘pile’, this class will take you from start to finish, dispelling the myths and eliminating the pitfalls of this easy, eco-friendly way of recycling your organic waste.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Bird Banding with Audubon
Three Dates Offered
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 13, July 11, August 15, 2020; 9:30 – 11:30 am
Join Audubon and witness bird banding, where experts capture, band, measure and release songbirds in order to record their movements. Birds will be gently removed from tall “mist nets” set in Audubon’s shrubby habitats. The techniques of identifying, measuring, weighing, and banding the birds will be demonstrated before they are released. The migratory habits and life history of each captured species will be discussed. Bring a camera and binoculars. Register early.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI ; Program Fee: $8/member adult, $4/member child; $12/non-member adult, $6/non-member child. Ages: 6+. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Pedal for Pongo Film Screening
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 14, 2020; 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Come learn about the multifaceted challenges of 21st century animal conservation efforts by following Joe Lyon Wurm and his wife on a bicycle tour from Providence to the Philadelphia Zoo. Along the way they stop at zoos, universities, and museums and interview people whose professional lives have put them on the front lines of animal conservation. Includes the amusing challenges of biking several hundred miles with 65lbs of equipment. Join us for an introduction from the filmmaker himself, as well as questions after the film.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $10/member, $14/non-member. Ages: 12 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org
Birding Connecticut Hot Spots: Audubon Van Trip
June 18, 2020; 7:30 am -5:00 pm
Join Audubon and explore a large diversity of habitats in nearby Connecticut — forested roads, open fields, a fish hatchery, ponds, and more. How many species can be found? In the past, Cerulean Warblers and Sedge Wrens have been spotted. Audubon volunteer Don Heitzmann will lead a day of birding and exploration. Bring lunch, water, snacks and binoculars.
Departs from Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $55/member, $70/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Skunk Cabbage and Lady Slippers
Audubon Fort Wildlife Refuge, North Smithfield, RI
June 18, 2020; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join Audubon for a walk at the Fort Wildlife Refuge to learn about the plants and flowers that grow on the property. We will look for seasonal blooms like the pink ladyslipper or “mocassin flower” and learn about some plant facts and folklore. Please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Bring insect repellent.
Fort Nature Refuge, (Rt. 5), 1443 Providence Pike, North Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: 9 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Butterfly Census
Prudence Island, RI
June 18, 2020; 1:30 -6:30 pm
Spend the day on Prudence Island identifying and counting butterfly species in an effort to track populations and abundance on the Island. This is a great way to see Prudence Island as well as its diversity of habitats, flora, and fauna. Insect nets and butterfly identification charts will be available. Reservations are required due to limited space.
Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Prudence Island, RI; June 18, 2020; 1:30-6:30 pm; Free. Ages: 8 and up. For more information on Prudence Island trips and to register, visit the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Ice Cream and Lightning Bugs
Audubon Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, Exeter, RI
June 19, 2020; 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Summer is here, and the days are longer. Just as it starts to get dark, the lightning bugs appear. Join Audubon at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge and learn all about these amazing insects. Start the evening by making ice cream sundaes and learning about what makes lightning bugs so special. Then head out for a hike and look for their flickering lights. If you are lucky, a resident beaver may be spotted along the way. This program is fun for the whole family!
Bring a flashlight and wear sturdy shoes.
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI; Fee: $12/member adult, $6 member child; $16/non-member adult, $8/non-member child. Ages: 5 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Sea Glass Jewelry Workshop
Three Dates Offered
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 20, July 19, August 15, 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! Advance registration is required as space is strictly limited to 10 participants.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $20/member; $25/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.
Twilight River Cruise Aboard the Explorer
Seekonk River, RI
June 25, 2020; 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Join an Audubon naturalist aboard the Blackstone Valley’s Explorer for a relaxing evening cruise along the historic Seekonk River. Sit back and gaze out over the water and watch for birds and other wildlife that live along the river. Participants may wish to bring sunscreen and or insect repellent. The Explorer is a covered boat and will go out rain or shine. Leaves from Festival Pier, Tim Healey Way, Pawtucket. There is on-site parking. Co-sponsored with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council.
Departs from Festival Pier, Tim Healy Way, Pawtucket, RI; June 25, 2020; 7:00-8:00 pm; Fee: $15/adult, $12/child. Ages: 7 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Bats at Eppley
Audubon Marion Eppley Wildlife Refuge, West Kingston, RI
June 26, 2020; 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Join Audubon for a rare treat to visit the Marion Eppley Wildlife Refuge at night. This property is closed to the public except for special Naturalist-led programs like this! Begin indoors for a presentation about bats, then venture outside in search of the plentiful resident bats. Bring a flashlight and insect repellent. Dress for a cool night.
Marion Eppley Wildlife Refuge, Dugway Bridge Road, West Kingston, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: 10 and up. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Demonstration Garden – Open House
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 27, 2020; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Looking for garden inspiration? This June Audubon invites you to experience our demonstration gardens designed and tended by URI Master Gardener volunteers across Rhode Island. Learn environmentally-sound gardening practices that you can use at home. Free giveaways to the first 20 visitors at each garden.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; June 27, 2020; 9:00 am-1:00 pm; Free. Ages: All.
Edible Wild Plants Walk with Russ Cohen
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
June 27, 2020; 3:30 – 6:00 pm
The East Bay region is home to over 90 species of edible wild plants, some of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. These include native species like Spicebush and Sassafras, edible weeds like Purslane and Chicory, and edible invasives like Wineberry and Black Locust. Join Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, on an evening ramble to learn about at least two dozen edible plant species, including coastal species like Orach and Sea Rocket. As each species is encountered, Russ will provide identification tips, edible portions, seasons of availability and preparation methods. Russ will also give general guidelines for safe and environmentally-responsible foraging.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $20/member; $25/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at www.asri.org.
Counting the Birds of the Four Seasons
Art Exhibit by Amy Veldman-Wilson
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
Through June 30, 2020
In the birding community, Block Island is a well-known location to find wide diversity of species. From shorebirds, to raptors and songbirds to ducks, Amy Veldman-Wilson has been spent hours observing and photographing the fascinating birds found on the Island. She also creates stunning illustrations and paintings, working in a variety of mediums from pencils and pastels to painting with oils and acrylics. Amy’s work has been selected for awards and international exhibition’s such as David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2015 and Woodson Art Museums’ Birds in Art 2017.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Free with Admission. Ages: All.
12 Sanderson Road ~ Smithfield, RI 02917-2600 ~ Phone: (401) 949-5454 ~ Fax: (401) 949-5788
Audubon at Home: Nature Play and Learning
In Response to COVID-19
Audubon Brings Environmental Education to Families at Home
Pulling from years of environmental education experience and expert resources, Audubon introduces Audubon at Home, Nature Play and Learning, the new online resource for nature exploration.
Each week Audubon shares a different theme. One week it is all about owls, another week frogs. Watch for a week of birding fun, learn all about the intelligent Raven, bug out with insects and more! Look for videos of Audubon critters, stories and places to hike, download craft ideas, explore fun facts, discover educational activities and more. Engaging and fun, it’s easy to review activities online and keep nature enthusiasts of all ages engaged.
Videos and activities will be posted on Facebook and Instagram, and families are encouraged to visit www.asri.org to find additional materials, downloads and ideas for family fun.