For those of us with
school age children, summer vacation presents both joys and challenges. It can
be a welcome reprieve, not having to adhere to the bus and school routine five
days a week. On the other hand, the relaxed schedule can be a mixed blessing:
lots of opportunities to do those things for which we haven’t had time all
year, but also lots of hours to fill.
If, like me, you’re
home at least part-time with your kid(s) during these 10-or-so weeks, you may
be looking for new ways to spend your days. Especially mid-summer, after the
novelty of not having to rush out the door in the morning has worn off, and the
word “bored” is showing up in conversations, you may be wondering what’s out
there. We are fortunate, here on the South Shore, to have nearly endless
options.
There are camps,
there are day programs, there are all sorts of events offered through local
libraries and recreation departments. Blueberry picking (Scituate, Hanson) is
always a favorite of ours, as are group explorations of conservation areas
where the kids can enjoy unstructured play. The places we’ve enjoyed most so
far, with our crew of friends (ages 5-10) and their parents, are Willow Brook
Farm in Pembroke, Couch Beach (via Couch Cemetery) in North Marshfield, and the
Norris Reservation in Norwell. All offer well-shaded trails and a respite from
the summer heat.
One relatively new
option on the local scene is offered by the North and South Rivers Watershed
Association (NSRWA): a series of outdoors explorations for families otherwise
known as Science Fridays in the ‘Shed.
Last year my son and
I participated in the very first Science Friday. We joined a small group of
parents and children, along with Samantha Woods and Sara Grady from the NSRWA,
and hiked out from Third Cliff in Scituate to The Spit at the mouth of the
North River. Along the way, we tested the salinity of marsh creeks, learned
about some of the grasses and other vegetation that grows in the zone between
the land and the sea, and kept our eyes open for shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.
The trip was timed for low tide, so we could spend most of our time checking
out the tide pools – familiarizing ourselves with the creatures and plants that
make their home among the rocks at the edge of the ocean.
This year the NSRWA
has expanded its Science Friday program. There will be four trips this summer,
each on a Friday morning from 10-12.
On July 11th,
you can learn about freshwater tributaries at the Norris Reservation in
Norwell, through which Second Herring Brook flows as it makes its way to the
North River.
On July 18th,
NSRWA returns to The Spit in Scituate for tidepooling and barrier beach
geology.
On July 25th,
they will be exploring the North River marshes, via the Messer Conservation
Area, off Union Street in North Marshfield.
And on August 15th,
there will be a freshwater tidal exploration on the Indian Head River, at the
Hanover Canoe Launch.
All of the programs are
designed to introduce children and their families to the different habitats and
ecology within the North and South Rivers watershed, aka “the ‘shed.” Participants
will be actively engaged in collecting field data, and will use scientific
sampling gear to analyze water quality and identify plants and animals.
Pre-registration is
required. The best way is to sign up online at www.nsrwa.org. The cost is $5 per person for NSRWA members,
$10 for non-members, and – this is the best part – no charge for kids 12 and
under.
Last year the program
sold out, so if you’re interested, consider signing up right away. If your
children are at all interested in natural history, ecology, or outdoor
exploration, you’ll be glad you did.
by Kezia Bacon
May 2014
Kezia Bacon's articles
appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local
non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance
and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For
membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at
(781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and
Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com
