South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center

MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 1 pm)
2024-04-18 10:00 - 13:00, 2024-05-09 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)

MUSEUM CLOSED: Outreach Event
2024-04-19

Young Birders Club Meeting
2024-04-20 10:00, 2024-05-18 10:00
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 10 AM on the third Saturday 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.
Club Leader: Frank Quevedo, Executive Director, SOFO
This FREE program is for ages 8-18. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Celebrate Arbor Day─Create Leaf Rubbings and Prints
2024-04-20 10:30 | SOFO
Learn how to identify the fallen leaves of our native trees and make beautiful leaf art. We’ll have a variety of materials to work with, including crayons, watercolor paints, and paper. Materials fee: $3.
Program Leader: Erin Hwong, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens, 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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SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Munn Point Preserve, Southampton
2024-04-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Southampton
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and following Saturday at 1 PM for children ages 3 to 7 years and is geared toward 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 Saturday April 20, 2024, exploring Munn Point Preserve crossing a boardwalk over a salt marsh tidal creek to a Shinnecock Bay beach to search for shells, and possibly seining for fish and crabs for up-close observations. We will also enjoy some stories, simple nature journals, and worksheets to take home.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Specialist. Crystal Possehl-Oakes, the program leader, 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!
This program is for children ages 3-7.
There is a $10 per child admission/material fee, which includes a participating adult. 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: Outreach Event (2 pm - 4 pm)
2024-04-20 14:00 - 16:00, 2024-04-23 14:00 - 16:00

In Search of the American Woodcock
2024-04-20 19:15 | Sagaponack
The American Woodcock is well camouflaged with brown dappled leaf tones, and its foraging behavior keeps the bird’s movements close to the ground making it hard to spot during the daytime. But at dawn and again at dusk during late winter and early spring these birds really put on a show. Join SOFO for a short walk through the field and forest of Poxabogue County Park at dusk. As darkness falls, we will listen for the American Woodcock male’s “peent” call and watch for his aerial acrobatics as he tries to woo a female. Limited enrollment.
Walk Leader: Melanie Meade, SOFO Education Director
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10+.
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: Private Event
2024-04-21

Birding with Joe Giunta in Central Park, NY
2024-04-22 08:30 | Manhattan
Central Park is one of the 50 top birding locations in the world. It is the warbler capital of the entire New York area. This is especially true in spring when north-bound birds migrate through the park. Join Joe Giunta and explore the park and its birds. Registration required. Meet at 72nd St and Central Park West, the walk will be about 3 hours.
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
This program is for adults and children ages 10+.
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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Spring School Break Programs: Searching for Sleeping Spiders and Other Insects
2024-04-22 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO
Join SOFO’s Environmental Educators for our Spring School Break Nature Education Programs, consisting of outdoor walks and activities for children and families!
Program Leader: 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.

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Full "Pink Moon" Hike with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
2024-04-23 20:00 | SOFO
Join FLPG and SOFO on a leisurely-paced hike through open-field trails. The Pink Moon name comes from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. Meet at the SOFO Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Hikes are limited to 25 participants. To register by email, contact greenbeltnews@aol.com.
Walk Leader: Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, 631-599-2391.
Co-sponsored by SOFO and Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt.
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Spring School Break Programs: Animal Tracks & Scat Search
2024-04-24 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO

Spring School Break Programs: Birding for Beginners
2024-04-26 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO

Annual Earth Day Celebration─Open House at SOFO
2024-04-27 | SOFO
Join us for a day full of outdoor nature activities and crafts in celebration of Earth Day! Fun for all ages.

Jungle Bob’s Exotic Reptile Show will be from 2-3 PM. This show has an associated fee of $10 for adults and $5 for children. There is limited space available! To register and secure your spot, please sign up using the link below:
Sign Up Here For Jungle Bob’s Show!

Birding with Joe Giunta─Spring Migration at Promised Land
2024-04-27 08:00 | Amagansett
Join Joe, an expert birder, international birding-tour leader, and delightful teacher on this very popular walk to see birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, and bluebirds.
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.
This program is for adults.
For non-members, there is a $15 fee for adults 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!

Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) Meeting
2024-04-27 10:30 | SOFO
The mission of SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society, known as YES!, for ages 10 to 16, is to engage young minds in developing a fuller awareness and understanding of the current state of our environment. The group works together and, through experience-based learning, place-based learning, critical thinking processes, and local activism, develops strategies for individuals and the community that are designed to shape how we live on this planet now and in the future. The Club meets on the last Saturday of each month, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
Club Leader: Mare Dianora, an educator and the mother of two young sons, is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice involves building community and exploring connections to home and place.
This program is for ages 10-16.
This is a FREE program, thanks to the generosity of a foundation that prefers to remain anonymous. Please contact SOFO at (631) 537-9735 or info@sofo.org for up-to-the-minute information.

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Family Trivia Night
2024-04-27 19:00 - 21:00 | SOFO
A night of fun and games for the whole family. Family Trivia Night events at SOFO will have questions based on our winter calendar programs and winter nature facts based on what’s featured in our museum exhibits. Questions will also include identification of plants, animals, and animal signs. Join us for a fun evening. There will be light refreshments and please bring your own beverage.
Program Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director and Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Education Specialist
This program is for families.
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!

Storytime & Meet the Animals: Around One Log
2024-04-28 10:30 | SOFO
Many old or diseased trees will fall from winter storm winds, but that is not the end of the tree’s usefulness. Join us for a drop-in story about the different animal neighbors that can be found around one rotting log and meet some of the museum’s salamanders you could find when you roll over a log in your backyard. Weather permitting, we will take a short walk in Vineyard Field, looking under boards to see if we can find more of the story’s animals.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Specialist
This program is for children ages 3-7.
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!

YES! Presents: A Lesson in Meteorology with Islandwide Weather
2024-04-28 16:00 | SOFO
Please join Weathermen Glen and Don of Facebook’s Islandwide Weather team for an in-depth discussion of what we can expect this spring and summer, as well as the upcoming hurricane season! Don and Glen have an extensive knowledge of the field and have been studying meteorology for a combination of over forty years. Their daily routine of posting forecasts and severe weather systems when they impact Long Island has gained them more than 70,000 Facebook followers. Islandwide Weather LLC is now a “go-to” Facebook page for many Long Islanders and has become a reliable source for weather information for people’s daily lives. Find them at www.facebook.com/islandwideweather.
Program Leader: Weathermen Glen and Don of Facebook’s Islandwide Weather team
This FREE presentation is made possible by the SOFO Young Environmentalists Society. This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 8+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Searching for Lead-backed Salamanders
2024-05-04 10:30 | Sagaponack
Join Jake for a chance to learn about the secret life of the Eastern Lead-backed Salamander. Although this salamander species is one of the most abundant vertebrates in forest habitats throughout the Northeast, they are rarely spotted on your average walk through the woods. These salamanders are fossorial, spending most of their time underground. As we roll logs and stones searching for these fascinating critters, we’ll learn about their life underground, as well as their importance in forest ecosystems. Please dress for wet/muddy conditions.
Program Leader: Jake Kushner, SOFO Environmental Educator, Reptile & Amphibian Specialist
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.

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Pop-up Pond Life Exhibit
2024-05-05 13:00 - 15:30 | SOFO
The ponds in Vineyard Field are an important habitat for turtles, frogs, birds, and especially the Eastern Tiger Salamander, but not without the tiny life found in the water and in the mud. We will have tanks, trays, magnifiers, and microscopes set out on tables on our bottom deck to help us all discover the secret life in our ponds. Join us the first Sunday of the month April through October.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Specialist
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Maintenance
2024-05-07

Wild Long Island with The Fish Guy
2024-05-11 10:30 | SOFO
Learn about the fascinating wildlife that can be found in the air, land and sea around Long Island.
Program Leader: Christopher Paparo, Fish Guy Photos.
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.

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Deep Dive into the Magic of SCUBA
2024-05-11 14:00 | SOFO
How do SCUBA divers stay safe underwater? How do fish survive the pressure down deep in the sea? Learn about water pressure and how divers and sea creatures can survive underwater without getting squished.
Program Leader: Rebecca Holloway, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 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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Make a Shell Windchime
2024-05-12 10:30 | SOFO
The shoreside habitats of Long Island support a diverse population of mollusks, animals with hard shells. From clams to snails their shells decorate the wrack line left behind by every high tide. Join SOFO and upcycle our shores into wonderful shell wind chimes while learning about our coastal sea life.
Program Leader: Ian Robinson, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for children ages 3-7.
For non-members, there is 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: School Group and Outreach Event
2024-05-14

SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Sweezy Pond Preserve’s Cranberry Bog, Riverhead
2024-05-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Riverhead
*Please Note: This program has been postponed to Friday, 5/17 at 1 pm due to wet weather in the forecast for Wednesday, 5/15*
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and following Saturday at 1 pm for children ages 3 to 7 years and is geared toward 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 May 15, 2024, exploring Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve trail around Sweezy Pond. We will focus on common wetland plants and animals, hopefully finding some turtles or nesting signs, and some stories, simple nature journals, 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!
This program is for children ages 3-7.

There is a $10 per child admission/material fee, which includes a participating adult. 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!
