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.
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.
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.
Tour of the Mabel and Victor D’Amico Studio & Archive: This free program is for adults and teens
Tour Leader: Docent from the Mabel and Victor D’Amico Studio & Archive
Mabel and Victor were art educators and accomplished artists. They were drawn to the environment of the East End of Long Island, and they found infinite inspiration from these surroundings. The collection at the Studio and Archive includes Victor and Mabel’s sculptures, constructions, paintings, drawings, and photographs. The D’Amico House displays a diverse collection of original artworks, furnishings, and objects, such as designs collected by the D’Amicos through the Museum of Modern Art and the D’Amicos’ own. The majority of the artworks and numerous objects displayed are by Mabel, a found object construction artist. Permanent displays and temporary exhibits show the breadth of her creative output, which includes paintings, works in glass and wood, jewelry, and clothes. The house features ingenious functional aspects like cabinetry integrated beneath the stairway, unique lighting, and electrical systems, sculptural door casings, and hand-glazed glass tile countertops, all designed, created, and installed by Mabel and Victor. Visitors profoundly experience Mabel and Victor’s creatively prolific lives.
Photo credits: damico-art.org
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.
Great Outdoor Nature Scavenger Race: This is a family program
Program Leader: Olivia McGranaghan, SOFO Environmental Educator
Join SOFO and Environmental Educator Olivia as we have a fun, fall-filled race to identify various aspects of nature along the trails out back. Tree identification skills, the science behind fall, and the unique habitats outside our museum will be discussed. The winner will receive a prize!
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.
Nature Hike─Along a Portion of the Paumanok Path: This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10 and older.
Hike Leader, Dai Dayton
Join us for a moderately-paced 4-mile hike through oak forest with views of glacial erratics and kettle holes. This unique and varied terrain has interesting ponds and streams.
To register by email go to: greenbeltnews@aol.com