Ellesmere Island Expedition - In Search of Arctic Wolves with Photographer Marianne Barnett
2025-11-15 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | SOFO
Join SOFO and photographer Marianne Barnett on a journey to observe wolves in their natural habitat. The wolf population on Ellesmere Island is small, estimated at 200. Individuals need to move across long distances in this challenging landscape to find food.
Program Leader: Marianne Barnett, Photographer
Photo: Marianne Barnett
This FREE program is for adults, teens, and children age 8+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Cranberry Bog County Park, Riverhead (Sweezy Pond)
2025-11-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Riverhead
Please contact cpossehl@sofo.org to join the waitlist.
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 November 19, 2025, exploring fall forest finds, wetland plants and animals, migrating and overwintering birds and insects including some stories, beginner graphing, 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!
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.

MUSEUM CLOSED: Thanksgiving
2025-11-27

SOFO Beach Cleanup
2025-11-28 11:00 - 12:30
Join SOFO and our partners for a Black Friday Beach Cleanup! Skip the shopping this year and join us to help clean our local beaches! Rain or shine, severe weather cancels.
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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Annual Thanksgiving Open House
2025-11-29 10:00 - 16:00 | SOFO
Enjoy free admission at SOFO for the holiday!

Sign Up for the Turkey Walk!
Sign Up for the Puppet Workshop!

Storytime: Amphibians
2025-11-30 10:30, 2025-11-30 13:00 | SOFO
Did you know that some of our amphibian neighbors have “super powers”? Join us for some fun stories about our local frogs, toads, salamanders and newts and meet some of SOFO resident amphibians while learning their “super powers.”
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Education Specialist
This program is for families.
For non-members, this program is included in the museum admission fee. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Maintenance
2025-12-03

Owl Prowl with Joe Giunta
2025-12-03 19:00 | SOFO
Joe Giunta is one of SOFO’s most engaging birding teachers, and this foray is one of his most enjoyable. The evening starts with a brief slide show and taped calls to acquaint you with our native owls. Then Joe will take you into the woods to call owls in for actual sightings. There is a good possibility that you will see an Eastern Screech Owl and maybe even a Great Horned Owl, whose courtship period begins at this time of year. Bring binoculars and a flashlight. Limited enrollment.
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.

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Who's Hungry?! with SOFO
2025-12-04 11:00, 2025-12-11 11:00, 2025-12-18 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)
2025-12-04 13:00 - 15:00

Full Cold Super Moon Hike
2025-12-04 17:00 - 18:00 | 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 McDermott, 631-599-2391.

MUSEUM CLOSED: Birthday Party (2 pm - 4 pm)
2025-12-05 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-07 14:00 - 16:00

Decorate a Holiday Tree for the Birds
2025-12-07 11:00 | SOFO
Feeding wild birds in winter is especially important in our area, where development has removed a good deal of natural winter food resources for local birds. Join the SOFO staff in a holiday tradition and make bird-friendly decorations for a holiday tree using seeds, dried fruits, and some surprising additions. You’ll also be able to make some of these treats to take home and use as decorations on your own “holiday tree” for the birds. Bring a shoebox to take home some of your decorations.
Workshop Leaders: Sydney Mantione & Rebecca Rogers, SOFO Environmental Educators
This FREE program is for families. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Young Birders Club Meeting
2025-12-13 10:00
Please note: this program was rescheduled from 12/20.
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 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: Aidan Perkins, Wildlife Biologist
This FREE program is for children and adults ages 8-18. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Seal Cruise, co-sponsored with CRESLI
2025-12-13 10:00 - 12:00 | 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.

Birding for Beginners
2025-12-13 10:30 | SOFO
Explore Birding as a new hobby: Take a walk with volunteer docents Cindy & Dave at Shinnecock East 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, teens, and children ages 10+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: Private Event (1 pm - 4 pm)
2025-12-17 13:00 - 16:00

SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Long Beach, Sag Harbor
2025-12-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Sag Harbor
*Please note: this program has been rescheduled from December 17*
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 Thursday December 18, 2025 on Long Beach in Sag Harbor looking for shells and other treasures at the high tide line and learn which birds think Long Island is a great place to spend the winter. 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.

Sign Up Here!

Seal Walk with SOFO
2025-12-21 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.
Program Leader: Sydney Mantione, 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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MUSEUM CLOSED: Outreach Event (1 pm - 4 pm)
2025-12-23 13:00 - 16:00

MUSEUM CLOSED: Christmas Day
2025-12-25

DELAYED OPENING: Museum Opens at 11 am
2025-12-27 11:00

Storytime: Animals in Winter & Birdseed Craft
2025-12-28 10:30, 2025-12-28 13:00 | SOFO
Join us for some stories about how our animal neighbors live through the winter and make some bird seed ornaments as a treat for your backyard birds.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Education Specialist
This program is for families.
For non-members, this program is included in the museum admission fee. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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December School Break Walk: Fall Scavenger Hunt
2025-12-29 11:00 - 12:00 | 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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