Birding for Beginners−Spring Migrants in Vineyard Field
2026-05-16 10:30 (America/New_York) | SOFO
Explore Birding as a new hobby: Take a walk with volunteer docents Cindy & Dave in the Vineyard Field behind the Museum. We’ll look for regular inhabitants in the field, and perhaps some spring migrants. We’ll also 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 10 and up. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Meet Rescued Birds of Prey with Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center
2026-05-16 13:00 | SOFO
Meet two of the resident raptor ambassadors from the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, the only wildlife hospital on the east end of Long Island. See these incredible birds of prey up close, learn all about their species and their personal journeys. You can also help save wildlife!
Co-sponsored with the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center (EAWRC)
Program Leader: Tammy Flanell, EAWRC
This FREE program is for adults & Children ages Pre-K and up. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 1 pm)
2026-05-18 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-19 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-20 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-21 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-29 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-01 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-02 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-04 10:00 - 13:00 and 4 more dates

Young Birders Club Meeting
2026-05-23 09:00
Please note: this program was rescheduled from 5/16.
Birding is a great way to make new friends, learn about the environment, and get outdoors. Join our Young Birders Club! The Club 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 adults and children ages 8-18. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Black Racer Snake Search with Andy Sabin
2026-05-23 09:30 | SOFO
Andy Sabin, known to us as the “Salamander Commander,” is equally as interested in snakes as he is in salamanders. In fact, Andy is fascinated by all kinds of reptiles and amphibians, so he is just the right person to lead us on a search for the Northern black racer snake (Coluber constrictor). What’s more, we’re in luck— the field behind SOFO, known as Vineyard Field, is the perfect habitat for this very active, diurnal (it comes out during the day) reptile. To ensure we can find them, we’ve put boards out in the field which these snakes like to hide under. So, we’re very likely to see some snakes on our search with Andy.
Walk Leader: Andy Sabin, President, SOFO Board of Directors
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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Salamander Seining and Some Frogs Too! With Andy Sabin
2026-05-23 10:00 | SOFO
Many salamanders breed in water, and here’s your chance to see the larval aquatic stage of the endangered Eastern Tiger Salamander before it moves onto land to live. You’ll also see some of our local frog tadpoles as Andy Sabin—“Mr. Salamander”—wades into a freshwater pond and, using a seining net (a large two-person fishing net with weights at the lower edge and floats at the top), brings to the surface the pond-stages of these young animals, members of the Class Amphibia.
Walk Leader: Andy Sabin, President, SOFO Board of Directors
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: Private Event
2026-05-24

MUSEUM CLOSED: School Group (10 am - 2 pm)
2026-05-26 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-05-28 10:00 - 14:00

Joint Bird Walk with NFAS - Mashomack Preserve, Shelter Island
2026-05-29 08:00 - 10:45 | Shelter Island
Frank Quevedo, Executive Director of SOFO, and Aidan Perkins, SOFO naturalist and Suffolk County “Big Year” record holder, will team up with North Fork Audubon Society (NFAS) to travel to Shelter Island and explore the Mashomack Preserve.
Co-sponsored with the North Fork Audubon Society
Walk leaders: Frank Quevedo and Aidan Perkins, SOFO
Photo: Great Blue Heron by J. Jensen

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Spring Migration – Birding at Hither Hills State Park Trail with Wayne Whitmore
2026-05-30 08:00 | Montauk
Montauk is a migration trap for migratory birds. Join Wayne, SOFO Board Trustee, on this leisurely paced bird walk in search of spring migrants and breeding warblers. Wayne will lead you on the access roads and nature trails in Hither Hills searching for the many birds that utilize this habitat. Some species likely to be observed are blue-winged warbler, American redstart, prairie warbler, yellow warbler, ovenbird, and many others. Please bring binoculars.
Walk Leader: Wayne Whitmore, SOFO Board Trustee
For non-members, there is a $5 fee per person for this program. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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What Goes Buzz in the Night?
2026-05-30 21:00 | SOFO
Mothing or light-sheeting is an activity used by scientists studying nighttime insects to catch and identify local species. By setting up a light trap, a large light directed at a white sheet, we’ll be able to see which moths (and more!) are flying about our dark skies! Join SOFO educator Moe Kennedy and find out what goes “buzz” in the night.
Program Leader: Moe Kennedy, SOFO Environmental Educator
For non-members, there is a $5 fee per person for this program. Members are free. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Story Time: Fantastic Flowers
2026-05-31 10:30, 2026-05-31 13:30 | SOFO
A common saying goes ”April showers bring May flowers.” Flowers add lots of color to our spring and summer, and bring many people enjoyment, but what is a flower for and what is it made of? Join us for some fun stories before we see what is flowering in SOFO’s pollinator gardens and learn how the different flower parts help the plant and animals.
Program Leader: Crystal Possehl-Oakes, SOFO Outdoor Education Specialist
This program is FREE for families, with Museum Admission.

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Full Blue Moon Hike
2026-05-31 21:00 - 22:00 | SOFO
Join Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt and South Fork Natural History Society on a leisurely-paced hike through open-field trails. Whenever two full Moons appear in a single month, the second is christened a “Blue Moon.” Due to our calendar days, the appearance of a Blue Moon is actually a relatively rare occurrence, as one rises on average only once every 2 1/2 to 3 years.
Co-sponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt & SOFO.
Meet at the SOFO Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. To register, email: info@longpondgreenbelt.org.
Hike Leader: Jean McDermott, 631-599-2391.

MUSEUM CLOSED: Maintenance
2026-06-03

MUSEUM CLOSED: BioBlitz
2026-06-07
The museum exhibits will be closed all day for the BioBlitz. Please join us outside for this Citizen Science Survey!

“BioBlitz”─Surveying the Life of Vineyard Field
2026-06-07 10:00 - 14:00 | SOFO
A BioBlitz is a snapshot in time of a community of living things. It can be as long as 24 hours or for just a few hours. When making this type of scientific survey, scientists and volunteers work together to identify as many species of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible in a specific location. These events combine citizen science with ecological monitoring to document local biodiversity. SOFO has been doing a BioBlitz in Vineyard Field for a few years now so join us and help track ecological changes to this habitat.
Please note: the museum exhibits will be closed all day for the BioBlitz.
Program Leaders: SOFO Environmental Educators
This FREE Citizen Science event is for adults & children ages 8 and up. Advanced reservations are required for all events.

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Celebrate National Dragonfly Day
2026-06-13 10:00 - 13:00 | SOFO
Join Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, the Children’s Museum of the East End, and SOFO in celebrating the wonderful world of dragonflies and damselflies. Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni will present the Dragonfly Day proclamation at 10:30am, SOFO’s Moe Kennedy will present a dragonfly slide show at 11:00am, followed by a guided dragonfly search in the field behind the museum. Enjoy children’s crafts and refreshments, and make it a fun day for everyone!
Co-sponsored with Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt (FLPG), The Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE), and SOFO.
This FREE rain or shine outdoor event is for all ages. Museum Non-Member Admission: $7 children, $10 adults
