Photo Credit: Xylia Serafy
Bird and Seal Viewing Cruise with Frank: This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10 and older.
Program Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
Join us on this delightful winter cruise aboard the R/V Peconic, Stony Brook’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) research vessel. On the cruise, with Frank as your guide, you can expect to see common loons, bufflehead ducks, long-tail ducks, red-breasted mergansers, and other winter waterfowl, as well as harbor seals. Be prepared for winter weather. Dress warmly and don’t forget hats, gloves, warm shoes, and, of course, your camera and binoculars.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. 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 “Snow 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
The Farmer’s Almanac tells us that since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the North and East most often called February’s full moon the Full Snow Moon. Join us on this leisurely paced, one-hour hike through Vineyard Field’s open-field trails, behind SOFO, and stay afterwards for light refreshments and convivial conversation. Hikes are limited to 25 participants. To register please email: greenbeltnews@aol.com. For any questions on the day of the hike call hike leader Jean McDermott at 631-599-2391.
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.
Program Presenter: Emily Zabusky, SOFO Environmental Educator
Long Island is home to many species of sharks—the great white, thresher, smooth dogfish, spiny dogfish, hammerhead, mako, basking, sandbar, sand tiger, and dusky shark. These sharks play an important role in maintaining our marine ecosystems. Have you ever wondered where these sharks go in the winter? Well, here’s your chance to find out when you join SOFO Environmental Educator Emily. She has the answer to this question and will regale you with many more interesting facts about these top predators.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. 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.
Andy Sabin’s Annual Eastern Tiger Salamander Search: This program is for all ages
Walk Leader: Andy Sabin, President, SOFO Board of Directors
Herpetologist Andy Sabin will take us into the nighttime woods in search of the largest of our native salamanders, the endangered eastern tiger salamander. Don’t miss a rare opportunity to see this salamander as it makes its way to the pond to mate and lay its eggs. Please bring a flashlight and wear boots, as late winter rains will make the ground soggy. This walk will take place only if there have been heavy rains.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. 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.
Beach or Trail Cleanup─Help Needed─Opportunity for Community Service: This free program is for all ages.
Cleanup Crew: 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 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 to uphold the mission of the museum we need to take direct action to help keep Long Island habitats healthy. That’s why we do beach or trail cleanups throughout the seasons. 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. Over time we will be able to get an idea of the kind of trash that is accumulating on our local beaches or trails, and we can knowledgeably advocate how to avoid those materials in the future. Doing these cleanups brings us one step closer to our goal of keeping our hometown beaches and trails free of trash.
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.
Photo Credit: Xylia Serafy
Winter Specialties of Shinnecock─A Search for Avian Visitors of the North: This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10 and older
Walk Leader: Frank Quevedo, Executive Director, SOFO
The barrier beach area at Shinnecock is one of the few remaining undeveloped dune/salt marsh habitats on the eastern end of Long Island, an area that frequently has wintering snowy owls and short-eared owls. Join Frank on one of SOFO’s most popular birding walks. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope and a bird field guide (if you have one).
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. 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.
Photo Credit: Xylia Serafy
Seal Walk at Cupsogue County Park: This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 5 and older.
Walk Leader: SOFO Environmental Educator
With the cold of winter, many northern animal visitors come to the South Shore of Long Island to find food—among them Pinnipeds, or seals. The three most common species of seals that visit Long Island at this time of year are harbor seals, grey seals, and harp seals. Join us on a walk toward the ocean at Cupsogue Beach County Park where you can expect to see some of these seals sunning themselves on the distant sandbar at low tide. It may be cold and windy, so please bundle up.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. 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.
Young Birders Club Meeting: This free program is for ages 8 to 18
Club Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
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 to18 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 for you to use.
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.
Winter School Break Outdoor Nature Programs with SOFO Environmental Educators for Children of All Ages
10:30–11:30am
Woolly Bear Caterpillar Search─Hidden insects and other signs of animal activity.
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Winter School Break Outdoor Nature Programs with SOFO Environmental Educators for Children of All Ages
10:30–11:30am
Winter Weather. Brrrrrr, it’s cold outside!
There is a $15 fee for Adults and $10 fee for children for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. Members are free.
Advanced reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.