SOFO’s Annual Salamander Log Rolling. This program is for families
Walk Leader: Jake Kushner, SOFO Environmental Educator and Reptile & Amphibian Specialist.
On this annual SOFO Montauk walk, you’ll find two species of salamanders that live under logs in the leaf litter of the forest floor──the blue-spotted salamander and the four-toed salamander. As you carefully turn over logs to find these salamanders, you’ll learn how each is distinctive in its own way. The program is particularly fun for children.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
Creatures of the Night: Nocturnal Animals of the South Fork. This program is for families
Program Leader: Emily Zabusky, SOFO Environmental Educator
Saturday night field walk program is from 6-8PM
After the field walk there will be a bonfire and overnight campout, BYO camping equipment.
Overnight Campout is Optional
Take a nighttime field walk in Vineyard Field, the field behind the museum, and learn about the nocturnal animals of the South Fork. After the program, if you choose to attend the sleep-over, there will be a bonfire and camping outside for a night under the stars. Please bring your own camping equipment and anything else you might need if you choose to camp outdoors in Vineyard Field.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
25th Anniversary Celebration of the Long Pond Greenbelt: This free program is for all ages.
Cosponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, the Peconic Land Trust, and SOFO
Bring the children for a nature exploration of the Long Pond Greenbelt! Enjoy guided trail walks, games, crafts, and a variety of activities provided by local environmental and community organizations. Complimentary refreshments courtesy of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt. This event takes place rain or shine.
For more information and to RSVP please contact FLPG at 631.745.0689.
Beach or Trail Cleanup─Help Needed! This free program is for all ages
Cleanup Crew: SOFO Staff
If you have ever been to the museum and spoken to any of our educators, you know how much we care about preserving the natural environment of the South Fork. The mission of the museum itself is to stimulate interest in, advance knowledge of, and foster appreciation for the natural environment. Our staff has decided that in order to uphold the mission of the museum we need to take direct action to help keep Long Island habitats healthy.
We hope you will join us on our mission to pick up as much trash as possible. We plan to go to a different beach or trail each month and clean for one hour. During our cleaning session we will tally up what type of trash we are finding 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 beach, and we can knowledgeably promote avoiding those materials in the future. We’re excited to continue this program and be one step closer to our goal of keeping our hometown habitats clean.
This is a free program.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
Crustacean Temptation: This program is for children ages 5 and older.
Program Leader: Sandra Reyes, SOFO Environmental Educator
Join Sandra to learn about animals that make their homes in the shells they build themselves (whelks) or other animals that borrow shells to make them into their homes (hermit crabs). Come decorate different-sized whelk shells, the possible new homes for the hermit crabs that live in the SOFO Touch Tank and need bigger homes to move into as they grow. Will your creative, painted designs become the future homes of our hermit crabs? While you paint, you’ll learn about whelks, how they grow the shells into the size you see in our Touch Tank, and what the word crustacean means.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
Full “Hunters Moon” Hike with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt: This free program is for all ages.
Hike Leader: Jean McDermott, Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt.
Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally harvested in late September or early October, hunters could easily see foxes and other animals that come out to eat the fallen grains. Join us for this leisurely paced one-hour hike in Vineyard Field, the field behind SOFO.
Hikes are limited to 25 participants, to register by email go to: greenbeltnews@aol.com. To contact the hike leader, Dai Dayton, on the day of the hike call 631-745-0689.
Nature Walk Along the Trails of the Morton National Wildlife Refuge: This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 8 and older.
Walk Leader: LeighAnn Montaglio, SOFO Environmental Educator
“Established in 1954, the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge protects a 187-acre peninsula on Noyack and Little Peconic Bays. Exceptionally diverse habitats include sandy and rocky beaches that fringe the peninsula, while wooded bluffs overlook the Bays. Morton consists of an upland forest, fields, ponds, salt marsh, beach, and a lagoon. These habitats are used by a variety of wildlife ….”
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/elizabeth-alexandra-morton
Join LeighAnn as you walk two different trails in the refuge and discover the beauty of this national treasure.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
Birding with Joe Giunta─Fall Migration at Promised Land: This program is for adults.
Walk Leader: Joe Giunta, birding instructor for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; trip leader for New York City Audubon and lecturer for many local chapters; and owner of Happy Warblers LLC, a birding and educational travel company
Joe Giunta, expert birder, and delightful bird-walk leader will take you on this excursion to Promised Land, the perfect location to observe our songbirds during their late fall migration. The combination of ocean beach and field edges increases your opportunity to see late-migrating warblers as they journey south. On previous walks, eight species of sparrows have been seen, as well as a dickcissel and a snow bunting. This location also provides an opportunity to see gannets and ocean ducks.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.
SOFO’s Young Birders Club: For ages 8 to 18
Club Leader: TBA
Birding is a great way to make new friends, learn about the environment, and get outdoors. Join our Young Birders Club! The Club meets at 10AM on the third Saturday or Sunday of every month and is open to anyone ages 8 to 18 who is interested in learning about birds. Since Long Island has many great habitats that are home to a wide variety of species, we concentrate on birding in local areas.
Please bring binoculars if you have them (we will have a few pairs to lend) and a field guide to birds of the eastern United States. If you don’t have a field guide, we’ll have one here for you to use.
This is a free program.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. To register for this program, which has limited enrollment please contact us at info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735. Spots will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.