Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) Meeting
2024-11-30 10:30, 2024-12-28 10:30 (America/New_York) | SOFO
SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) is led by Mare Dianora, an interdisciplinary artist whose practice involves building community and creating connections to home and place. YES! is open to young environmentalists, aged 10-16 (and Junior members ages 5-9), who want to help prevent climate change as they discuss various challenges and ideas that can impact our precious environment. The program includes guest speakers and field trips and explores topics such as climate change, aquaculture, environmental career goals, water conservation, local ecology, and more.
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 FREE program is for ages 10-16. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Maintenance
2024-12-04

Celebrate National Slime Day: Make Your Own Slime
2024-12-07 10:30 | SOFO
Come learn about the science of slime! During this hands-on craft, we’ll make our own slime and investigate this non-Newtonian fluid. We’ll have beads and other nature-themed decorations to put in the slime. Materials fee: $3.
Program Leaders: Erin Hwong and Sydney Mantione, SOFO Environmental Educators
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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Help Winter Wildlife: Make a Bird Feeder
2024-12-08 10:30 | SOFO
Make a winter bird feeder with help from items found in nature, and some peanut butter!
Program Leader: Rebecca Rogers, 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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MUSEUM CLOSED: Museum Renovations
2024-12-09 - 2024-12-22
The museum will be closed from Monday, December 9th to Sunday, December 22nd. Our weekly programs will still continue as scheduled.
We apologize for any inconvenience. See you again starting Monday, December 23rd!

The Science of Flight–Design and Build a Paper Glider
2024-12-14 10:30 | SOFO
How do birds actually fly? How does a massive airplane get off the ground and stay in flight? How are birds’ wing shapes and sizes adapted for different types of flight? Learn about the physical forces that allow birds to soar and airplanes to fly around the globe. Participants will be able to apply the concepts when designing and building an aircraft made of poster board and cardboard.
Program Leader: Rob “Rockfish” Gelling, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 9+.
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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Seal Walk at Cupsogue Beach County Park
2024-12-14 11:30 | Westhampton
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 at low tide you can expect to see some of these seals sunning themselves on the distant sandbar. It may be cold and windy, so please bundle up.
Walk Leader: Erin Hwong, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens, and children.
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 Cold Moon Hike with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
2024-12-15 17:00 | SOFO
During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. Sometimes this moon is also called the Long Night Moon as the winter nights lengthen and the moon spends more time above the horizon opposite a low sun. 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 & the South Fork Natural History Museum (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 Mc Dermott, 631-599-2391.

SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge
2024-12-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Sag Harbor
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and the following Saturday 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, December 18, 2024, learn about some of our backyard birds with 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. She and Wyatt look forward to meeting you and learning with you! There is limited enrollment for this program.
For this program there will be a fee of $5 per child, which includes a participating adult. Advanced registrations are required for all events. Please note: registration for this program closes at 4 pm on Wednesday, 12/18.

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Winter Stargazing: A Journey Through the Night Sky
2024-12-20 18:30 - 20:30 | SOFO
Join us for evening of exploration as we celebrate the winter solstice with our in-person lecture, “Winter Stargazing: A Journey Through the Night Sky.” As the longest night of the year unfolds, we will guide you through the iconic constellations that adorn the winter sky, including the majestic Orion and the bright twins of Gemini. You’ll learn about their mythology, significance, and how to identify them from your own backyard.
Weather-permitting, we will also have a stargazing session following the lecture, when we’ll observe the planets Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars through a telescope. Come ready to experience the beauty of the cosmos firsthand. Feel free to bring your own telescope.
Co-sponsored by SOFO and Hamptons Observatory.
Program Leader: Hamptons Observatory Senior Educator, William Francis Taylor, MSc, has been a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador since 2014, lecturing about the universe around us and sharing his love of the heavens by giving guided tours of the sky through telescopes.
This FREE program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10+.

Sign up for the IN PERSON Presentation here!

Sign up for the VIRTUAL Presentation here!

Young Birders Club Meeting
2024-12-21 10:00 - 11:00
Birding is a wonderful 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 of every month and is open to anyone ages eight to 18 who is interested in learning about birds. Since Long Island has many great habitats that are home to a wide variety 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.
Club Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This FREE program is for ages 8-18. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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East End Environment Series: Eastern Tiger Salamander Tracking Research Update
2024-12-21 10:30 | SOFO
Join SOFO for a presentation with Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Jake Kushner about SOFO’s Eastern tiger salamander tracking study. Over the past Spring/Summer, Jake has been tracking Eastern tiger salamanders in the Long Pond Greenbelt using radio telemetry. This presentation will include a quick introduction to and demonstration of this important tracking technique, followed by an update about the data collected thus far. Light refreshments will be available.
Program Leader: Jake Kushner, SOFO Reptile & Amphibian Specialist
This FREE program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge
2024-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Sag Harbor
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and the following Saturday 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, December 18, 2024, learn about some of our backyard birds with 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. She and Wyatt look forward to meeting you and learning with you! There is limited enrollment for this program.
For this program there will be a fee of $5 per child, which includes a participating adult. Advanced registrations are required for all events. Please note: registration for this program closes at 4 pm on Friday, 12/20.

Sign Up Here!

December School Break Walks: Winter Birds at the SOFO Bird Feeders
2024-12-23 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO
Join SOFO’s Environmental Educators for our December School Break Nature Education Programs!
These programs are for children of 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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MUSEUM CLOSED: Christmas Day
2024-12-25

December School Break Walks: Tracks & Scat
2024-12-26 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO

December School Break Walks: Winter Bingo
2024-12-27 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO

Story Time: Meet Our Salamanders
2024-12-29 10:30 | SOFO
Join us for some stories and meet some of our local salamanders including Spotted Salamander, Eastern Newt and Eastern Tiger Salamander.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Educator
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!

MUSEUM CLOSED: New Year's Day
2025-01-01

Birding for Beginners Walk in Vineyard Field
2025-01-04 10:00 | SOFO
Explore Birding as a new hobby─take a walk with volunteer docents Cindy & Dave in the Vineyard Field behind the Museum 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.
Program Leaders: Cindy Lenkiewicz and Dave Polek, SOFO Docents
This FREE program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Winter Window “Glass” Art with Upcycled Materials
2025-01-05 10:30 | SOFO
Make a winter-themed stained glass window ornament out of recycled materials and paint!
Program Leader: Rebecca Rogers, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 6+.
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: Maintenance Day
2025-01-08

Make Your Own "Fossil" Shark Teeth
2025-01-11 10:30 | SOFO
Learn how to identify shark species by examining their teeth, from sharks living today and from fossils. Discover how shark teeth can become fossils. Make your own shark tooth “fossil” out of clay.
Program Leader: Victoria Panuccio, 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.

Sign Up Here!

Searching for Seals with SOFO
2025-01-12 11:15 | 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, 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.

Sign Up Here!

SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Calverton Ponds Preserve, Manorville
2025-01-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Manorville
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 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.
There is a $10 per child admission/material fee, participating adult included.
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!

NYSOA Annual Winter Waterfowl Count
2025-01-18 | 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.
Count Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This FREE program is for adults and teens.
If you are an experienced or intermediate birder, we would be delighted to have you join us. To do so, call Count Leader Frank Quevedo at 631.537.9735 for detailed information.

Nature Art Workshop with Tony Valderrama─Making Wildlife and Habitats with Model Magic
2025-01-18 13:00 - 14:00 | SOFO
Celebrate your favorite creatures while learning to sculpt with model magic! Explore the different habitats and wonders of this planet’s amazing animal species! $10 materials fee.
Program Leader: Tony Valderrama, Local Native American Artist
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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MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 1 pm)
2025-01-22 10:00 - 13:00

Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) Meeting
2025-01-25 10:00
SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) is led by Mare Dianora, an interdisciplinary artist whose practice involves building community and creating connections to home and place. YES! is open to young environmentalists, aged 10-16 and Junior members ages 5-9, who want to help prevent climate change as they discuss various challenges and ideas that can impact our precious environment. The program includes guest speakers and field trips and explores topics such as climate change, aquaculture, environmental career goals, water conservation, local ecology and more.
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 is a FREE program, thanks to the generosity of a foundation that prefers to remain anonymous. The date may change for this program. Please contact SOFO at (631) 537-9735 or info@sofo.org for up-to-the-minute information. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

Sign Up Here!
