Program Leader: South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo) Environmental Educators.
If you have ever been to the museum and spoken to any of our educators, you know how much we care about preserving the healthy, natural environment of the South Fork. This falls naturally into the mission of the museum itself which is to stimulate interest in, advance knowledge of, and foster appreciation for, and preservation of, the natural environment. The SoFo staff has decided that—to uphold the mission of the museum—we need to take direct action to help keep Long Island habitats pollution-free. That’s why we are doing our “SoFo Cleans the Beach” programs. We hope you will join us for this program to pick up as much trash as possible. We will tally what type of trash we find and, when we are finished, weigh it out. Over time, we will be able to get an idea of the kind of trash that is washing up on our beaches—and we can knowledgeably advocate avoiding those materials in the future. We’re excited to continue this program and hope you will join us in reaching our goal of keeping our hometown beaches pollution-free!
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Photo Credit: Williams H. Majoros
Walk Leader: Frank Quevedo, Executive Director, South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo).
Montauk is one of Long Island’s best-known migration “traps”—areas where migrating birds congregate. When cold fronts are driven through by strong northwest winds, the migrants, flying at night, drift over the ocean. At dawn, with their energy reserves running low, they seek the nearest land and fly north to Long Island’s south shore beaches. Join Frank to observe the land and shorebirds that migrate through this Atlantic Flyway “migration trap.” Bring binoculars, a spotting scope if you have one, and a field guide to the birds of eastern North America.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Drawing by Susan Rubin
Workshop Leader: Muriel Appelbaum. Muriel is a working artist with an MFA in Studio Art from Pratt Institute in NYC. She mostly draws from nature—landscapes, people, and live animals. See her artwork at www.murielappelbaum.com.
Drawing is another way of tuning into the natural world around us. When we look closely at a landscape or a seascape, we notice more about it. The same thing happens when we look closely at a leaf or at an animal. Notice how very different the shape of a box turtle’s shell is from the shell of a water turtle. Right! I guess that’s why it’s called a box turtle. Once I observed the difference in the shape of the two turtle shells, I could draw the outlines of the two shells. And the more I looked at the turtles, the more I saw. Observing differences is a good way to start tuning in to nature. If I had a dark-blue colored pencil, and one with a lighter blue lead, I could easily show myself the difference between the two colors on a piece of paper. Then I could look at the blue sky and notice it’s a different color near the horizon, compared to straight up. Now I could use the two blue colors in my drawing to show the difference. Shapes, colors, shadows—they tell us more about the natural world. I will be leading a drawing workshop at SoFo on most Wednesdays in July and August and on most weekends starting in September. Join us when you can. We’ll be using our observational skills to draw the natural world around us.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Additional Program Date:
Saturday, September 29— 10:30am
Photo Credit: Xylia Serafy
Cosponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo).
This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was to be harvested. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this moon. Join Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt and SoFo on this one-hour, leisurely-paced hike through open-field trails. Afterward, stay for light refreshments and convivial conversation.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Drawing by Susan Rubin
Workshop Leader: Muriel Appelbaum. Muriel is a working artist with an MFA in Studio Art from Pratt Institute in NYC. She mostly draws from nature—landscapes, people, and live animals. See her artwork at www.murielappelbaum.com.
Drawing is another way of tuning into the natural world around us. When we look closely at a landscape or a seascape, we notice more about it. The same thing happens when we look closely at a leaf or at an animal. Notice how very different the shape of a box turtle’s shell is from the shell of a water turtle. Right! I guess that’s why it’s called a box turtle. Once I observed the difference in the shape of the two turtle shells, I could draw the outlines of the two shells. And the more I looked at the turtles, the more I saw. Observing differences is a good way to start tuning in to nature. If I had a dark-blue colored pencil, and one with a lighter blue lead, I could easily show myself the difference between the two colors on a piece of paper. Then I could look at the blue sky and notice it’s a different color near the horizon, compared to straight up. Now I could use the two blue colors in my drawing to show the difference. Shapes, colors, shadows—they tell us more about the natural world. I will be leading a drawing workshop at SoFo on most Wednesdays in July and August and on most weekends starting in September. Join us when you can. We’ll be using our observational skills to draw the natural world around us.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Program Presenter: Marianne Long, Education Director and Volunteer Coordinator at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
This program will have a technology and engineering focus and will teach participants about the shark tagging that is being done in the Northwest Atlantic. You will learn about a “shark work up” and what research practices are used, and will actually use model tags and apply them to inflatable sharks in order to do a full work up yourself. Marianne will also discuss how the tags are a part of a communication system and how the data is transferred to the researchers.
About the Gills Club: The Gills Club is Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s STEM-based education initiative dedicated to connecting girls with female scientists from around the world, sharing knowledge, and inspiring shark and ocean conservation. The Gills Club harnesses girls’ passion for sharks, nature, and the environment by giving them the opportunity to engage in projects focused on making a significant impact on the way sharks are perceived by the public.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Program Presenter: Marianne Long, Education Director and Volunteer Coordinator at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
Marianne, Education Director of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, will provide an overview of the work of the Conservancy. She will discuss the public’s perception of sharks, explain the role of sharks in our marine ecosystem, and then go into detail about the ongoing white shark research taking place off of Cape Cod, the movement of white sharks along the Atlantic coastline, and how that research will help in white shark conservation. There will be plenty of time for a Q & A after the program
About the Gills Club: The Gills Club is Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s STEM-based education initiative dedicated to connecting girls with female scientists from around the world, sharing knowledge, and inspiring shark and ocean conservation. The Gills Club harnesses girls’ passion for sharks, nature, and the environment by giving them the opportunity to engage in projects focused on making a significant impact on the way sharks are perceived by the public.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Photo Credit: Steve Ryan
Hike Leader: Frank Quevedo, Executive Director, South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo).
Join Frank on this approximately two-hour leisurely paced walk through the Long Pond Greenbelt from the South Fork Natural History Museum, along the Widow Gavitts Trail, passing the beautiful coastal plain ponds of the Greenbelt, and ending at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor. A walk through the Long Pond Greenbelt, which contains one of the highest concentrations of rare plants and animals in New York State, is a perfect way to spend an autumn morning. Be sure to bring water and a snack. Heavy rains cancel.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.