Insect Symphonies and a Chorus of Frogs!
Full Moon Hikes with Audubon
August 2024 Highlights from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island
Listen for harmonies of crickets, grasshoppers and katydids, and watch for nocturnal wildlife as you join Audubon on the trails under a full moon. Audubon naturalists say that the evening is a special time to explore nature – come find out why!
Unless noted, registration is required for all programs. Register online and view a complete listing of programs through the events calendar at www.asri.org/calendar.
Free Family Fun Day – Explore the Shore!
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
August 3, 2024; 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
The Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium is open free to the public the first Saturday of every month. Join us for nature stories, animal discoveries, hikes and more. No need to register!
10:00 am – 3:00 pm: Craft Table
10:00 am: Nature Story
11:00 am and 2:30 pm: Animal Interview
1:00 pm: Explore the Shore! Join Audubon Naturalists for a walk down to the shore of Narragansett Bay to look for crabs and other critters! For ages 6 and up.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Free. Ages: All.
Tea Time and Fairy Houses
Audubon Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, Exeter, RI
August 3, 2024; 10:00 – 11:30 am
Do you love fairies or small little woodland critters? Come create a “fairy house” with natural materials that your favorite friend can visit. After working hard on your house, come back to the Children’s Garden for some tea and snacks! Here we will have a chance to visit with some fun fluffy creatures, a bunny, chicken, and duck! Please be prepared to hike a small distance into the woods.
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI; Fee: $12 member adult/ $6 member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 5 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Leaf Print Tote Bags
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
August 3, 2024; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Leaves come in so many shapes and sizes! Learn to identify some of our local plants and trees as you create a fun and useful large-size leaf-printed tote bag. Take a short, easy walk on the refuge to identify and collect the perfect leaves and then return to the nature center to press print your bag. Each participant will complete one bag. All materials provided.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $18/members, $25/non-members. Ages: 10 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Felting Owls
Audubon Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, Exeter, RI
August 7, 2024; 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Join Audubon for a fun-filled evening creating a felted owl. Participants will sculpt their owl using the technique of needle felting, which involves using a notched needle to “stab” fluffy, colorful wool until it becomes solid. This is a class for beginners. All materials will be provided.
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI; Fee: $25/member; $30/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Wednesday Walk and Watercolor
Audubon Maxwell Mays Art Studio, Coventry, RI
Four-week Session
August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024; 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Come to the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday mornings in the summer for walks and watercolor painting. Meet at the parking lot at 9:30 am, then settle in at the studio before you head out on a short walk. Painting begins at 10:00 am. A new watercolor technique will be explored each week and put into practice with a seasonal theme. At the end of each series an 11”x14″ matted painting will be ready to frame! All materials and morning coffee / tea provided.
Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, 2082 Victory Highway, Coventry, RI; Fee for 4-week session: $140/member, $150/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Open Studio Thursdays
Audubon Maxwell Mays Art Studio, Coventry, RI
Four-week Session
August 8, 15, 22, 29, 2024; 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
It’s open studio! Bring your artwork on Thursdays to share and work in the studio space or outdoors En Plein Air. Morning coffee / tea provided. Meet in the parking lot at 9:30 am.
Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, 2082 Victory Highway, Coventry, RI; Fee for 4-week session: $50/member, $60/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Printmaking
Audubon Maxwell Mays Art Studio, Coventry, RI
August 16, 2024; 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Explore simple printmaking techniques using natural and recycled materials to create an owl and other small colorful feathered friends. Our paper sculptures will be ready to hang – maybe even fly away!
Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, 2082 Victory Highway, Coventry, RI; Fee: $30/member, $35/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Sea Glass Jewelry Workshop
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
August 17, 2024; 1:00 – 2:30 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 limited to 10 participants.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $25/member; $28/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Moonlight Stroll at Caratunk
Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk, MA
August 19, 2024; 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Join an Audubon naturalist for a late summer moonlit stroll at Caratunk. August offers warm days and comfortable nights with heaps of animal activity. Watch and listen for deer, frogs, tree crickets, Timberdoodles, bats and an occasional owl taking advantage of plentiful food and good weather. Wear sturdy shoes, bring bug spray, and a flashlight. For ages 12 and up.
Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA; Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 12 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Moonlight Stroll at Powder Mill Ledges
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
August 20, 2024; 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Join an Audubon naturalist for an evening walk during August’s full moon at Powder Mill Ledges. Listen to the last of the summer birds as they search for food. Some are readying to migrate during the nighttime hours. We’ll listen for insects, amphibians, and the occasional owl. Wear sturdy shoes/boots, bring bug spray, binoculars, and a flashlight.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: 10 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Shorebird Van Trip
Locations Across Rhode Island
August 21, 2024; 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Hop aboard the Audubon van with an expert guide and visit some of Rhode Island’s best shorebird locations: Charlestown Breachway, Quonochontaug Breachway and Succotash Marsh. Please bring a lunch, optics, old sneakers or water shoes, towel, and bug repellent. Be prepared to get wet up to your waist for this program.
Departs from Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI; Fee: $55/member; $65/non-member. Ages: 14 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Birding Banding with Audubon
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
August 24, 2024; 8:00-10:00 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.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $20/member adult, $10/member child; $25/non-member adult, $15/non-member child. Ages: 6 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Wild Mushroom Workshop: Take the Mystery Out of Mushrooming
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
August 24, 2024; 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join Audubon for an introduction to mushrooms and fungus and learn how to identify mushroom groups and species that grow in the area. Start inside with a presentation on mushroom identification – view wild mushrooms on display that were collected from other areas, depending on availability. Next, venture out for a hike in the woods with an expert guide to find mushrooms growing in the wild.
Afterwards, sample a couple of tasty mushroom dishes using a variety of cultivated ‘wild’ mushrooms. Please note: Collecting mushrooms on Audubon properties is prohibited. Wear closed-toe shoes, socks and long pants and dress for the weather.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $30/member; $40/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org/calendar.
Photos:
Green frog by Peter Green
Semipalmated Plover by Mary Ann Cofrin