Mass Audubon Free Family Fun at Duxbury Beach Summer 2016
Thanks to support from the Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc., Mass Audubon will be offering free programs on Tuesday, Thursdays and  Saturdays in July and August from  9:30-11 am every  . Some programs require pre-registration but many are drop-in. 
Where
All programs meet in the lot on the ocean side of the Powder Point Bridge. Tell the harbormaster you are attending the Mass Audubon program. Non-residents are permitted to use the lot while attending the program.
If you are not reading this on 365 south shore you are reading from a stolen websiteÂ
Cost and Registration
All programs are free of charge!
Most are drop-in programs; those marked with a *require preregistration due to space limitations. Preregistration opens at 10am one week prior to the program date, and can be completed at www.massaudubon.org/southshore or by calling 781-837-9400.
July 2016 Programs
Tuesday, July 5 – Salt Marsh Ecology
The benefits of salt marshes more than make up for the distractions of the salt marsh mosquito and greenhead fly. Learn why salt marshes are essential to every critter of the sea as well as our ability to live in the coastal community.
Thursday, July 7 – One Square Meter of Tidal Life Inventory
Work in teams to inventory a number of transects, surveying, documenting and photographing species to establish baseline data for future comparisons. The start of a new citizen science project!
Saturday, July 9 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Mud Flat Limbo
An exploration of the mud flats starting at dead low tide. Just who lives here and how do all these creatures thrive in such a dynamic environment? Bring your boots!
Tuesday, July 12 – Mollusk Mania
Primitive in the eyes of some but we know better. Take the razor clam’s ability to create its own quicksand in order to escape predation! Explore the complex abilities of our calcium clad friends.Â
Thursday, July 14 – Barrier Beaches
Duxbury Beach is the classic barrier beach, a stalwart but fluid protector from winter storms, a geological marvel subject to both positive and negative influence by humans. We will consider the importance of this celebrated resource.Â
Saturday, July 16 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Horseshoe Crabs with Sara Grady
Discover all you wanted to know about horseshoe crabs and find them on the beach with Sara Grady from the Massachusetts Bays Program and the North & South Rivers Watershed Association.
Tuesday, July 19 – Seashore Treasures with Don Salvatore
The wrack line is the graveyard of the oceans where many of the seas’ creatures are cast up after they die. Join Don Salvatore, science educator at the Museum of Science in Boston, to explore the life of the sea and remains on the beach.
Thursday, July 21 – Birding by Van with Sue MacCallum
*NOTE: Preregistration is required as this program is limited to 10 participants. Preregistration opens one week in advance.Â
Saturday, July 23 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Charts, Topographic Maps, Compasses and Orienteering
Learn the basics of navigation including compass use, and reading maps and charts as we set our course along the beach.
Tuesday, July 26 – Visit the Gurnet Lighthouse with Alden Ringquist of Project Gurnet and Bug Lights
*NOTE: Preregistration is required as this program is limited to 10 participants. Preregistration opens one week in advance.
Thursday, July 28 – Knot Tying Made Easy
No overhand monkey fists on a bite here, just the simple practical knots that anyone within a mile of saltwater would benefit having in their nautical tool bag. Come talk like a pirate and become proficient with the classics.
Saturday, July 30 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Beachscape Collaborative Mural with Marcia Ballou
Join the very celebrated artist Marcia Ballou at her collaborative canvas as she invites you to add your talents to a piece illustrating the bounty of the beach.
August 2016 Programs
Tuesday, August 2 – As the Crow Flies
Duxbury Bay shares its ecosystem with its geological neighbors to the north and south. Explore the connections of this impressive stretch of riparian tract and its influence on the ecologic health of our community.
Thursday, August 4 – Another Installment of One Square Meter of Tidal Life Inventory
Work as teams to inventory a number of transects, surveying, documenting and photographing species to establish baseline data for future comparisons. The start of a new citizen project! We will survey a different area than we did in July.
Saturday, August 6 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Bathyscopes: a look at the secret lives of the denizens of the shallows
Construct some simple homemade bathyscopes, a viewfinder for underwater exploration, and ply the shallows in search of intertidal life.
Tuesday, August 9 – The Return of Mollusk Mania
Primitive in the eyes of some but we know better. Take the razor clam’s ability to create its own quicksand in order to escape predation! Explore the many complex abilities of our calcium clad friends.
Thursday, August 11 – Seashore Treasures with Don Salvatore
The wrack line is the graveyard of the oceans where many of the sea’s creatures are cast up after they die. Join Don Salvatore, science educator at the Museum of Science in Boston, to explore the life of the sea and remains on the beach.
Saturday, August 13 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Dip Net, Pail and Worn Out Hat
Join us for a quintessential August pastime: a stroll along the beach with dip nets, pail, your favorite worn out hat and a love for discovery. Â
Tuesday, August 16 – Visit the Gurnet Lighthouse with Alden Ringquist of Project Gurnet and Bug Lights
*NOTE: Preregistration is required as this program is limited to 10 participants. Preregistration opens one week in advance.
Thursday, August 18 – Birding by Van with David Ludlow
*NOTE: Preregistration is required as this program is limited to 10 participants. Preregistration opens one week in advance.
Saturday, August 20 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Sure, Shorebirds Share the Shallow Shoreline and Shoals Searching for Specialties
How do shorebirds all eat at the same table and compete with each other for the shoreline’s bounty? Explore the special adaptations shorebird species have developed to get their fill.
Tuesday, August 23 – Seaweeds with Judy Macioci
Learn about the many different kinds of seaweed that live on our New England shores. What makes the different colors, are they edible, how do they grow? Explore the beach searching for seaweed during the last portion of the program.
Thursday, August 25 – Piping Plovers with Patty LevasseurÂ
Coastal Waterbird Biologist and powerhouse protector of piping plovers shares the amazing life stories of this impressive bird, a textbook example of crucial advocacy.
Saturday, August 27 – FAMILY FUN ON THE BEACH: Kites and the Science of Flight
Build a few simple kites as we explore the science of flight. What are the remarkable adaptations birds have developed in order to take flight?
