South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center

December School Break Walk: Backyard Birds
2026-01-02 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | SOFO
Join SOFO’s Environmental Educators for our December School Break Walks!
Program Leader: SOFO Environmental Educator
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Feeding Time─Help Feed the Museum Animals
2026-01-03 11:00 | SOFO
Get ready for a behind-the-scenes tour at SOFO. Sophia will give you a chance to see how we prepare the food for our animals to eat; then you’ll get up close and personal with the animals as they are fed. We’ll investigate food webs and the differences between carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores.
Program Leader: Sophia Cecere, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for children ages 6-8.
For non-members, there is a $15 fee for adults and a $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.

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New Year’s Walk at Big Reed Pond Trail
2026-01-03 11:00 | Montauk
Join us on a winter walk through Big Reed Woods, the jewel of Montauk County Park. The hike will pass through vulnerable ecological communities including a red maple-black gum swamp, coastal oak-hickory forest and a coastal oak-beech forest. Along the way, we will point out and learn to identify 15 native trees by their winter characteristics. Crossing a footbridge to an island we will have the opportunity to see Big Reed pond, a pristine 57 acre coastal plain pond without a house, building or road in sight. The area was the last ancestral home of the Montaukett tribe.

Co-sponsored with Third House Nature Center, Montauk
Walk Leader: Victoria Bustamante & Ed Johannes, Third House Nature Center
This FREE program is for adults and children ages 10+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Full Wolf Moon Hike
2026-01-03 17:00 - 18:00 | SOFO
Legend has it that native tribes related this moon to the nighttime howling of wolves. Join us to mark the first of the year’s full moons on this leisurely paced one-hour hike through open-field trails and, afterward, warm up with some light refreshments and convivial conversation. Join us for this leisurely paced one-hour hike in Vineyard Field, the field behind the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO).
Co-sponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt & SOFO.
Meet at the SOFO Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. To register, email: greenbeltnews@aol.com.
Hike Leader: Jean McDermott, 631-599-2391.

Birding for Beginners
2026-01-04 10:30 | SOFO
Explore Birding as a new hobby: Take a walk with volunteer docents Cindy & Dave and learn how to identify the birds that we might find, including blue jay, black-capped chickadee, starling, northern mockingbird and red-tailed hawk. Listen to the voices and observe the behavior of the birds to help identify them. No prior experience required. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Walk Leaders: Cindy Lenkiewicz and Dave Polek, SOFO Docents
This FREE program is for adults. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Maintenance
2026-01-07, 2026-01-21, 2026-01-26

Who’s Hungry?! with SOFO
2026-01-08 11:00, 2026-01-15 11:00, 2026-01-22 11:00, 2026-01-29 11:00 | SOFO
Introducing “Who’s Hungry?!” with SOFO! Join us for this FREE hands-on experience and help the staff feed our resident animals! This will be a weekly activity every Thursday at 11 AM. We’ll feed different animals each week, so be sure to join us regularly.
This experience is appropriate for all ages. It is free for SOFO members and included with museum admission for non-members. Registrations are not necessary.

MUSEUM CLOSED: Private Event (1 pm – 3 pm)
2026-01-08 13:00 - 15:00 | SOFO

SOFO’s Bug Club: Bugwatching Buddies
2026-01-10 11:00 | SOFO
This Week: Sleeping Spiders and Curled Up Caterpillars.
Join SOFO Environmental Educator Moe Kennedy for the launch of the Bugwatching Buddies! Come for a guided walk on the SOFO trails and look for hibernating bugs and spiders so we can learn where these little creatures go during the cold season.
Club Leader: Moe Kennedy, SOFO Environmental Educator
This FREE program is for ages 5-16. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Birthday Party (1 pm - 4 pm)
2026-01-10 13:00 - 16:00

Seal Cruise, co-sponsored with CRESLI
2026-01-11 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-01-25 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-31 12:00 - 14:00 | Southampton
For the third year in a row, the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) and the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center (SOFO) are co-sponsoring seal cruises. Join us as a CRESLI scientist leads 2-hour expeditions to view, photograph, and gather information about the diversity and distribution of the seals in Shinnecock Bay. You’ll learn about the different species of seals in our waters, as well as the characteristics and behaviors that allow these animals to thrive. You’ll hear about the history of seal exploitation and recovery and see these animals in their natural habitat.
CRESLI Seal Cruises on the RV Peconic around Shinnecock Bay will meet and board 30 minutes before the listed departure time at the dock area (address: Stony Brook Marine Station, 8 Little Neck Road, Southampton, NY 11968).
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 8+. The cost for the cruise is $40 per person.
Spaces are limited and registration is required. Registrations can be made by visiting cresli.org.

Stargazing─Quadrantids Meteor Shower
2026-01-11 17:00 - 19:00 | SOFO
The name “Quadrantids” comes from the historical constellation Quadrans Muralis, first named in 1795 and located near the constellation Draco – the dragon. The Quadrans Muralis constellation is no longer recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) but this annual meteor shower is still known at the Quadrantids. We will observe the night sky from the deck of the museum, which will be kept open for people to warm up inside. Telescopes and binoculars will be available. Hot chocolate/tea/coffee provided.
Program Leader: Tommy Steinbrecher, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for all ages.
For non-members, there is a $5 fee per person for this program. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Have a Whale of a Time, Tour the East Hampton Town Marine Museum
2026-01-16 15:00 | East Hampton
This guided tour will focus on marine mammals and maritime history of Eastern Long Island.
Tour Leader: Stacy Myers, Education Director, East Hampton Town Historical Society
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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NYSOA Annual Winter Waterfowl Count
2026-01-17 | Montauk to Shinnecock
DAWN TO DUSK
At one time, a great variety of waterfowl wintered on Long Island; now, due to habitat loss, food scarcity, and the introduction of nonnative species of water birds, our wintering population of waterfowl is slowly diminishing. To assess this situation and record the number of overwintering waterfowl, the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) sponsors an annual waterfowl count throughout the State. If you are an experienced or intermediate birder, we would be delighted to have you join us.
Count Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
If you are an experienced or intermediate birder, we would be delighted to have you join us for this FREE program. To do so, call Count Leader Frank Quevedo at 631-537-9735 for detailed information.

Winter on a Salt Pond: Video and Photography of Tim Regan
2026-01-17 15:00 - 16:00 | SOFO
Bald Eagles, massive fish migrations, unique trees, abstract art, and world-class fishing await in Mecox, Sagg & Georgica. Experience the picturesque wilderness of the Hamptons’ brackish waterbodies through Tim Regan’s (“South Fork Salt”) photos, drone videos & stories.

Presenter: Tim Regan, Naturalist and Photographer
This FREE program is for adults and children ages 8+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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New York Marine Rescue Center Seal Advocacy Program Level I Lecture
2026-01-18 11:00 - 12:00 | SOFO
Come join SOFO and the New York Marine Rescue Center for a Seal Advocacy Lecture and training workshop to learn about the seals of New York- including what is normal behavior, challenges they face, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and how you can help educate others!
The Level 1 Lecture discusses the types of seals found in New York and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Program Leader: New York Marine Rescue Center staff
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Seal Walk with SOFO
2026-01-18 13:00 | Westhampton
Several species of seals come to visit Long Island during the colder winter months in search of food. The three most common species that visit Long Island at this time of year are harbor seals, gray seals, and harp seals. Join us for a guided walk during low tide and learn more about these mammalian winter visitors and how to safely view them.
Walk Leader: Rebecca Rogers, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults and children ages 8+.
For non-members, there is a $5 fee per person for this program. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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YES! Presents: The Lorax Screening
2026-01-18 16:00 - 18:00 | SOFO
Join SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) for a screening of The Lorax! Limited enrollment.
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Another Whale of a Time, Tour the East Hampton Town Marine Museum
2026-01-19 13:00 | Montauk

East End Outdoor Nature Education at Vineyard Field, Bridgehampton
2026-01-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Bridgehampton
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 1 pm for children ages 3 to 7 years and is geared towards homeschooling families. Programs will have a variety of activities to strengthen language development, literacy, math, and science and will take place at various locations on Eastern Long Island.
We will continue our adventures on Wednesday, January 21 at Vineyard Field in Bridgehampton searching for signs of winter animal activity and insect signs including galls and egg cases. We will enjoy some fun stories, simple nature journals, beginner graphing, and worksheets to take home.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes has worked as an environmental educator at SOFO since 2005 and part-time since 2019 after her son Wyatt was born. Wyatt and I look forward to meeting you and learning with you!
There is a $10/child fee (participating adult included) 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.

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Make Your Own Recycled Paper!
2026-01-24 12:00 - 14:00 | SOFO
Not sure what to do with all your old newspapers, holiday cards, last year’s homework, or other paper around your house? Learn to recycle those papers and make your very own customized sheets! Use food dye, wildflower seeds, and other natural materials to decorate your very own recycled paper and head into the next year with a fresh start!
Program Leader: Moe Kennedy, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults and children ages 5+.
For non-members, there is a $15 fee for adults and a $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.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Inclement Weather
2026-01-25

Love-Bug Valentine Craft
2026-01-31 11:00 - 12:00 | SOFO
Come celebrate the season of love by using recycled art materials to make your own valentines. Following last month’s recycled paper-making program, attendees can use their new sheets to design and decorate valentines to share with loved ones. Attendance for the January program is not mandatory for this program; recycled paper and other recycled craft materials will be provided to all participants.
Program Leader: Moe Kennedy, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for all ages.
For non-members, there is a $15 fee for adults and a $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.

Sign Up Here!
