South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center

MUSEUM CLOSED ALL DAY FOR GALA PREPARATION
2025-07-11, 2025-07-10

Full Buck Moon Hike
2025-07-10 21:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | SOFO
Join FLPG on a leisurely-paced hike through open-field trails. The July full moon is named the “Buck Moon” as it is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur.
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: Private Event (1 pm - 4 pm)
2025-07-09 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-27 13:00 - 16:00

Pop-Up Pond Life Exhibit
2025-07-06 13:30 - 16:00 | SOFO
Discover the amazing tiny life in a pond, an important part of the web of life that helps our friends the frogs, turtles, salamanders, and birds.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Education Specialist
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Feeding Time at the Museum
2025-07-06 11:00 | SOFO
Get ready for a behind-the-scenes tour at SOFO. Sydney 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: Sydney Mantione, SOFO Environmental Educator
This program is for children ages 3-5.
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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Cyanotype Printing with Plant Life
2025-07-05 13:00 - 14:30 | SOFO
One of the earliest forms of photography known for its distinctive deep blue tones, cyanotype uses sunlight to make print alchemy! Led by artist Andrea Cote, participants will be introduced to this unique process and explore various techniques for creating imagery using nature, drawing and collage while printing on fabric. A great class for artists of all levels wanting to experiment and expand. Limited enrollment. Materials fee $10.
Workshop Leader: Andrea Cote, Artist
This program is for adults and teens ages 16+.
For non-members, there is a $15 fee per person 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 Printing in the Sun!
2025-07-05 11:00 - 12:30 | SOFO
Let’s combine science and art using plant life as our inspiration to make magical sun prints. We’ll take a short nature walk to collect specimens, then bring back our findings to make images with. In this mostly outdoor workshop, participants will play and collaborate to create beautiful blue works of art. Limited enrollment. Materials fee: $10.
Workshop Leader: Andrea Cote, Artist
This program is for families with 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: Maintenance
2025-07-02

Root to Rise: Outdoor Gentle Yoga with Karen Meyer
2025-07-01 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-24 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-17 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-10 15:00 - 16:00 | SOFO
Root your feet on the earth.
Lengthen your spine, open your heart, and rise to the heavens.
Allow your breath to guide you through gentle yoga movements as you connect to your body, mind, and spirit.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of yoga experience. Adults only.
$20 per class, $10 for SOFO members.
Reservations are required.
RSVP to Karen: MoonheartMeyer@gmail.com.
Classes take place on the wooden deck, protected from the elements.

“Terrific Turtles” Story Time with Crystal
2025-06-29 13:30, 2025-06-29 10:30 | SOFO
The turtles are on the move in our backyards, ponds, and even in the nearby salt marshes! Join us for some fun stories to learn about our turtle neighbors and learn how to help our turtle neighbor as you meet some of SOFO’s resident turtles.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Environmental Outdoor Education Specialist
This program is for children ages 3-7.
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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Meet the Martins-Adults and Hatching Chicks
2025-06-28 10:30 | SOFO
Join us for an exceptional opportunity to see just-hatched Purple Martin nestlings. In this program with John Shemilt—who is the SOFO Purple Martin Steward and has been fascinated by purple martins since the age of 3—you’ll go out into the field behind SOFO to see the colony of man-made gourds that house SOFO’s newest population of purple martins. You’ll help John lower the gourds and you’ll be able to see the newly laid eggs and the just-hatched nestlings. After this rare experience, you can help John collect the data on this newest brood of SOFO purple martins.
Program Leader: John Shemilt, SOFO Purple Martin Steward
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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YES! Presents: DE-MIST-IFYING the Forecast: A Long Island Weather Discussion with Islandwide Weather
2025-06-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Sag Harbor
Glen Johnson and Don Golde are two reliable “go-to” dudes known as Islandwide Weather. They know a thing or two about the weather, specifically Long Island weather. And they want you to know too! Find out what’s in store for us weather-wise this summer as we get the local forecast, hear the predictions for hurricane season, and learn how to glean insights from meteorological data in real-time. With over 80,000 local followers, the duo prides itself on being a reliable source for local weather updates and an active agent in community building. Following the discussion, have all your burning meteorological questions answered during the Q&A.
The program is a special collaboration with the South Fork Natural History Museum’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!), The Church in Sag Harbor, and Islandwide Weather.
This FREE program is for all ages. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Ocean Trash to Art with New York Marine Rescue Center
2025-06-22 11:00 - 12:30 | SOFO
As summer approaches, the New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) and South Fork Natural History Museum are working together to support cleaning up our local beaches! Join us on June 22nd for a fun, family friendly ocean art workshop using entirely recycled materials found from local beaches!
Clean up a local beach and bring some of those materials to our workshop, where we’ll make some ocean mosaics while we learn all about plastic pollution in our oceans and how it affects our wildlife!
Registration is a $5 donation. Workshop open to all ages!
Program Leader: New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) Educator
This workshop is open to all ages, but participants under 16 MUST come with a parent or guardian. Transportation from the beach to SOFO is not included.

Register with NYMRC at https://nymarinerescue.org/events/ and click on the program listing.

YES! Presents: Inner Forms, Wellness Sunday
2025-06-22 10:30 - 11:30 | SOFO
Brought to you by SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!). Please bring a yoga mat, water, and wear comfortable clothes. Limited enrollment.
Program Leader: Stephanie Joyce, visual artist and certified yoga/meditation teacher
This FREE program is for adults, teens, and children ages 10+. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Dragonfly Field Day at Mashomack Preserve, Shelter Island
2025-06-21 10:30 - 12:30 | Shelter Island
Dragonflies are beautiful and fascinating insects that play a key role in nature. Join the South Fork Natural History Museum and The Nature Conservancy’s dragonfly expert Kevin Munroe as he leads this exploration at Mashomack’s Bass Creek and Sanctuary Pond. You’ll use hand nets to capture dragonflies so you can get rare, closeup looks at them. You’ll even get a chance to briefly hold them before they’re released.
Program Leader: Kevin Munroe, Dragonfly Expert
This FREE program is for all ages. Parent or guardian required. Advanced reservations are required for all events.
Photo: Kevin Munroe

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Goat on a Boat Workshop and Puppet Show
2025-06-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Sag Harbor
Join Goat on a Boat and SOFO’s Young Environmentalists Society (YES!) for a puppet-making workshop and puppet show! We will be making sun stick puppets to celebrate the Summer Solstice, which will then be incorporated into the puppet show that will conclude the program.
Program Location: Mashashimuet Park, Sag Harbor
This FREE program is for children ages 8+. Advance registrations are not required.
For more information, please visit goatonaboat.org.

Young Birders Club Meeting
2025-06-21 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 10AM 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.
Young Birders Club Leader: Aidan Perkins
This FREE program is for ages 8-18. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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SOFO’s East End Outdoor Nature Education with Crystal at Spinney Road Trail, Flanders
2025-06-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Flanders
SOFO is offering a monthly program which will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of the month 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.
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!

MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 1 pm)
2025-06-16 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-06-12 10:00 - 13:00

Marine Biology Cruise on Shinnecock Bay
2025-06-14 10:00 - 13:00 | Southampton
On this bay adventure, you’ll participate in a variety of activities performed by marine biologists as you trawl the waters of the bay to learn about its biology and ecology. You’ll help bring in, then study, finfish, and invertebrates. You’ll do a benthic grab sample to examine the type of bay bottom and collect a water sample from below the surface.
Program Leaders: Naturalists and Marine Biologists, Southampton Campus, Stony Brook University.
This program is for adults, teens, and children ages 8+.
For non-members, there is a $35 fee for member and a $45 fee for non-members for this program. This program fee will also provide non-members with free admission to the museum on a day of their choice. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Birds of the Meadow and Woods─Eric Salzman Memorial Bird Walk
2025-06-14 08:00 | SOFO
For many years, the late Eric Salzman, a SOFO board member of long-standing, led this walk to explore the avian life of the meadow behind the South Fork Natural History Museum and the adjacent Greenbelt woodlands and wetlands. With his keen musical ear, Eric was adept at identifying birds simply by their songs and calls. We hold this annual walk in his memory and co-sponsor it with the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, an organization in which he was very active.
Walk Leader: Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) and Frank Quevedo, SOFO Executive Director
This FREE program is for adults and teens. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Full Strawberry Moon Hike
2025-06-11 21:00 - 22:00 | SOFO
This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. It was christened for the strawberry because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June. Join us on this leisurely paced hike through Vineyard Field’s open field trails and homemade Strawberry Shortcake afterward.
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: School Group
2025-06-10
