Feeding Time at the Museum!
2023-10-14 14:00 (America/New_York) | SOFO
Join us for a behind-the-scenes feeding tour at SOFO! Erin will give you a chance to see how we prepare the food for our animals to eat. Afterwards, you will get a closer look at our animals as they are fed. During this program, we’ll learn more about food webs and the differences between carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores.
Program Leader: Erin Hwong, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for children ages 3-5.
For nonmembers, 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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YES! Presents - Under the Stars Movie Night
2023-10-14 18:30 - 20:00 | SOFO
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Birding with Joe Giunta─Fall Migration at Promised Land
2023-10-15 08:00 | East Hampton
Joe Giunta, expert birder, and delightful bird-walk leader will take you on this excursion to Promised Land, the perfect location to observe our songbirds during their late fall migration. The combination of ocean beach and field edges increases your opportunity to see late-migrating warblers as they journey south. On previous walks, eight species of sparrows have been seen, as well as a dickcissel and a snow bunting. This location also provides an opportunity to see gannets and ocean ducks.
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 nonmembers, 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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Greenbelt Ramble through Oak-Hickory Forest and Along Coastal Plain Ponds
2023-10-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Bridgehampton
Join us for a 3-mile walk in the Long Pond Greenbelt through oak-hickory forest and along coastal plain ponds. Suffolk County’s Poxabogue Park, one of the first open space protection acquisitions in the Long Pond Greenbelt (LPG). Poxabogue derives its name from the Native American paugasa-baug meaning “a pond that opens out or widens”. You’ll have a chance to see Poxabogue Pond, Little Poxabogue Pond and Crooked Pond, 3 of the 13 coastal plains ponds of the LPG. Enjoy grasslands, pond shore and oak/hickory/pitch pine forest.
Program Leader: Dai Dayton, President, Friends of Long Pond Greenbelt
This free program is for adults, teens, and children 10+.

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Owl Pellets: Explore, Dissect, and Discover!
2023-10-15 10:30 | SOFO
Embark on a captivating journey into the world of owls! This hands-on adventure will teach young explorers about Long Island’s owls – their sneaky hunting strategies and the surprising range of items they feed on. Through an exciting owl pellet dissection activity, we will uncover the hidden secrets of owl’s diets while gaining a deeper appreciation for the important role they play in our ecosystem.
Program Leader: Nikole Holowat, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for children ages 5-7.
For nonmembers, there is a $15 fee for Adults and a $10 fee for children for this program. There is an additional $6 materials fee 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 in Montauk
2023-10-18 13:00 | Montauk
SOFO is offering a monthly program that takes 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 the twin forks of Eastern Long Island. We will continue our adventures on Wednesday, October 19th in Montauk.
We will be meeting at the East Overlook Parking Lot in Montauk. We will travel on an approximately 1/2 mile forest trail to one of SOFO’s favorite vernal pools to search for young-of-the-year Four-toed Salamanders and Blue-spotted Salamanders including stories and beginner nature journals.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Educator. Crystal 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!
This program is for children ages 3 to 7.
There will be a vehicle entrance fee of $8 paid at a kiosk. There will not be a SOFO fee. For subsequent programs, there will be a fee of $5 per child which includes a participating adult.
There is limited enrollment for this program.

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Young Birders Club Meeting
2023-10-21 10:00
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 or Sunday 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 of species, we concentrate on birding in local areas.
Club Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This FREE program is for ages 8-18.
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.

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Befriending Bugs for Halloween with Entomologist Jeffry Petracca
2023-10-21 10:30 | SOFO
Join Entomologist Jeffry Petracca from the Long Island Aquarium for a discussion of insects and spiders. Learn some basic bug facts and meet some of the stick bugs, beetles, spiders and so much more from the Aquarium’s living insect zoo. A meet and greet with these animals up close and personal will show just how beautiful and friendly bugs can truly be!
Program Leader: Jeffry Petracca, Entomologist and High School Educator
This free program is for adults, teens, and children 4+.

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Why & How the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Became a "Hope Spot" with Dr. Judith S. Weis - Zoom & In-Person Talk
2023-10-22 10:30 | Zoom / SOFO
Fifty years ago, the waterways of NYC and Northern NJ (the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary) were full of industrial waste, raw sewage, and garbage. The waterfront was mostly industrial facilities and garbage dumps; there was little public access, but most people wouldn’t have wanted to be close to smelly polluted waters. Starting with the Clean Water Act in the early ’70s, there has been a remarkable improvement in water quality; biodiversity increased from a few pollution-tolerant species to a rich diversity of marine/estuarine life, bird life, and even whales. The waterfront is now lined with walkways, parks and recreational activities, and even restaurants. This amazing recovery was due to the hard work of government agencies and dozens of environmental organizations; this recovery was the basis of the estuary being designated a “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue, Sylvia Earle’s organization (Dr. Earle was the guest of honor at the 2022 SOFO gala.) This illustrated talk is being presented by the person who put together the nomination last year, and who has been designated the “Champion” of the estuary.
Program Presenter: Dr. Judith S. Weis, Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, Newark.
This free program is for adults and teens.

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Zoom Sign Up Link

MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group
2023-10-25

Zenergy Outdoor Movement Class with Karen Meyers
2023-10-26 16:30 - 17:30 | SOFO
A delightful combination of Yoga-like stretches, Qi Gong, 5 element dance, and a lot of joy! Life Lovers of all ability levels are encouraged to join. Breath, stretch, move, listen and relate. Be in right relationship to self, to others, and to Nature. Feel alive, relaxed and Zenergized! This class will be held outside embraced by the beauty of Nature, on a wooden deck, protected from the sun.
Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat.
The one-hour class will be held on Thursdays at 4:30PM, throughout the month of October.
This program is for adults.
Zenergy Leader: Karen Meyer

Sofo Members: $10 per class, Non-Members: $20 per class.
Limited reservations. Please contact Karen directly if you have any questions, and to make reservations. She can be reached at 917.843.2555 or at moonheartmeyer@gmail.com.

SOFO Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) Meeting
2023-10-28 10:30
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 10AM to 11:30AM. There is bilingual support for Spanish-speaking participants.
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, for ages 10-16.
The date may change for this program. Please contact SOFO at (631) 537-9735 or info@sofo.org for up-to-the-minute information.

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Full “Hunter’s Moon” Hike with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
2023-10-28 18:30 | SOFO
Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally harvested in late September or early October, hunters could easily see foxes and other animals that come out to eat the fallen grains. Join us for this leisurely paced one-hour hike in Vineyard Field, the field behind SOFO.
Hike Leader: Dai Dayton, President, Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt.
This free hike is for all ages.
Hike reservations are limited, to register by email go to: greenbeltnews@aol.com. To contact the hike leader, Dai Dayton, on the day of the hike call 631-745-0689.

White Pine & Oak Forest Hike at Wilson’s Grove Preserve
2023-10-29 10:30 | East Hampton
The beautiful and majestic white pine and oak forest of Wilson’s Grove Preserve, donated to the Peconic Land Trust by Marillyn Wilson in 2008, is a wonderful gift to the community and a vital link in the Paumanok Preserve system of trails. The site contains a locally rare woodland, comprised of majestic towering white pine and oak. Join Paul for a hike through this incredibly unique location.
Program Leader: Paul King III, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults, teens and children 8+.
For nonmembers, 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
2023-11-01

Tour of the Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Studio
2023-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 | East Hampton
The Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Studio is a National Historic Landmark. In 1884, Moran built the first artist’s studio in East Hampton, NY which marked the beginning of the village as an artist’s colony. The Moran Studio has been described as “a quirky, Queen Anne style-studio cottage.” The Studio is a member of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios Program of The National Trust for Historic Preservation. This program celebrates the homes and working studios of American artists across the nation.
Tour Leader: Stacy Myers, Director of Education, East Hampton Historical Society
This free program is for all ages.

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An Introduction to Metal Detecting with Scott Tucker, of RelicRecovery, assisted by Layla Tucker
2023-11-04 10:30 | SOFO
An introduction to metal detecting through the eyes of a treasure hunter.
RelicRecovery’s YouTube Channel!
This free program is for adults, teens and children 8+.

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What's in an Owl Pellet with SOFO Environmental Educator Rob Gelling
2023-11-04 14:00 | SOFO
An owl pellet is the regurgitated package of indigestible remains, like bones and fur, of an owl’s swallowed prey species. Hm, nice right? But it’s really fascinating! So many questions…like what are the prey species? How many skeletons will you find in your dissected pellet? Could you try and glue the bones to a piece of cardboard and create a complete skeleton? And how would the dental work of who they had for dinner reveal the prey’s own diet? No worries, the pellets come sterilized, and gloves will be provided. So come get hands-on and, in the end, leave knowing you were an ecologist, a population biologist, an anatomy & physiologist, a statistician, and even a forensic scientist!
Program leader: Rob “Rockfish” Gelling, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults and children 8+.
For nonmembers, 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. There is an additional $5 materials fee for this program. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Fall Foliage Tie Dye
2023-11-05 10:30 | SOFO
Dive into the beauty of nature and unleash your creativity as we collect leaves from our native plants in Vineyard Field in order to create unique tie-dye designs. Using spray tie-dye techniques, we will create wearable works of art that capture the beauty of fall foliage.
Program Leader: Nikole Holowat, SOFO Environmental Educator
Bring a T-shirt or any other piece of fabric, otherwise T-shirts, $12, will be available for purchase.
This program is for adults, teens, and children 5+.
For nonmembers, 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. There is an additional $5 materials fee for this program. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 1 pm)
2023-11-08 10:00 - 13:00

MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group
2023-11-09 | SOFO

MUSEUM CLOSED: Birthday Party (2 pm - 4 pm)
2023-11-10 14:00 - 16:00 | SOFO

Eastern Lead-backed Salamander Search
2023-11-11 09:30 | Montauk
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 adults, teens, and children 5+.
For nonmembers, 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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Nature & Bird Watching Cruise Onboard the SoMAS R.V. Peconic
2023-11-11 09:45 | Southampton
Let’s venture by boat into the remote areas of Shinnecock Bay onboard Stony Brook University Southampton’s 45-ft. research vessel, Peconic, and marvel at the wealth of migratory birds, waterfowl, and seals that inhabit the region at this time of year. We’ll cruise along areas of the salt marsh and sand flats that are not visible by land and hopefully witness the activities of a variety of wildlife.
Bring binoculars and a light snack.
Program Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This program is for adults, teens, and children 10+.
For members, there is a $35 fee per person, and for nonmembers, there is a $45 fee. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Cold Stun Sea Turtle Lecture & Training Workshop
2023-11-12 11:00 - 14:30
Come join SOFO and the New York Marine Rescue Center for a cold stun sea turtle lecture and training workshop to gear you up to becoming a Cold Stun Sea Turtle Patroller!

This program will consist of two parts:

Level I Lecture (All Ages) ( 11 AM – 12 PM at SOFO)

Learn about NYS sea turtle species and how they are affected by cold stunning during winter months.

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Level II In-Field Training (18+, unless accompanied by an adult) (12:30 – 2:30 PM at Sagg Main Beach)

Learn how to patrol beaches for stranded sea turtles and what to do if you find one!

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SOFO's East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal in Riverhead
2023-11-15 13:00 | Riverhead
SOFO is offering a monthly program which takes 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 the twin forks of Eastern Long Island. We will continue our adventures on Wednesday, November 15 in Riverhead.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Educator. Crystal 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!
This program is for children ages 3 to 7.
There will be a vehicle entrance fee of $8 paid at a kiosk. There will not be a SOFO fee. For subsequent programs there will be a fee of $5 per child which includes a participating adult.
There is limited enrollment for this program.

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Young Birders Club Meeting
2023-11-18 10:00
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 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.
Club Leader: Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This is a free program for ages 8 to 18.

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Nature Walk at the Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve - Cosponsored with the Peconic Baykeeper
2023-11-18 10:30 | Southold
Please join Peconic Baykeeper and South Fork Natural History Museum on a nature walk at Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve. Explore and learn with us as we walk this one mile well maintained trail through wetlands and woods. We’ll discuss the interconnectedness of the Peconic Watershed from the bay to salt marsh to freshwater wetlands! We’ll look to the sky to catch a glimpse of Red Hawks and other birds, so don’t forget your binoculars!
Walk Leaders: Alexa Annunziata, Director of Outreach, Peconic Baykeeper and Melanie Meade, Education Director, SOFO
This free program is for adults, teens and children 10+.

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The Science & Wonder of Rocks & Minerals with “The Rock Doc” Rob Gelling, SOFO Environmental Educator
2023-11-18 10:30 | SOFO
Enter the exciting world of Rocks & Minerals as you learn first how to identify rocks as sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic. Bring in your own rock sample to identify it! Then know how to name common rock forming minerals by performing physical and chemical property tests on them. Get miles ahead in your science lessons at school with the “Rock Doc” who taught Regents Earth Science for 31 years!
Program Leader: Rob Gelling, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults and children 8+.
For nonmembers, 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. There is an additional $5 materials fee for this program. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Feeding Time at the Museum!
2023-11-18 14:00 | SOFO
Join us for a behind-the-scenes feeding tour at SOFO! Erin will give you a chance to see how we prepare the food for our animals to eat. Afterwards, you will get a closer look at our animals as they are fed. During this program, we’ll learn more about food webs and the differences between carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores.
Program Leader: Erin Hwong, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for adults and children ages 6-9.
For nonmembers, 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!
