Parker River National Wildlife Refuge January 2017 Free Program Schedule

Join Us for Free, Fun, Programs!
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
January, 2017

REGISTRATION & CAPACITY:
All refuge programs are FREE, but space may be limited. Preregistration is required for all programs, unless otherwise indicated. Please call (978) 465-5753. Please Note: If a program requires preregistration, your registration is not confirmed unless and until you receive a phone call or voice mail message from a member of the refuge staff.

Programs conducted in the auditorium are limited to 85 attendees. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission of additional attendees will stop when capacity has been reached.

Please note that outdoor programs may be cancelled if there is inclement weather and/or insufficient registration. Visit us on the web for more information: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/ or call Refuge Headquarters. The refuge visitor center is located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA.

**Behind the Scenes Refuge Tour of Parker River NWR
Held on the following days:    Saturday, January 7^th @9:30 am; Sunday, January 8^th @1:00 pm; Saturday, January 14^th @ 9:30 am; Sunday, January 15^th @ 1:00 pm; Friday, January 20^th @ 9:30 am, Sunday, January 22nd @ 1:00 pm, Saturday, January 28^th @ 9:30 am, Sunday, January 29^th @ 1:00 pm and Monday January 30^th @ 9:30 am.
Join a refuge ranger for a behind the scenes tour of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Tour will be conducted via refuge van, with several brief ?drive by? stops along the way. The tour will present an ?up close and personal? look at the refuge through the multiple lenses of the cultural history of Plum Island and the Great Marsh, native wildlife and their habitats, and the role of refuge management in the conservation of these precious natural resources. Participants may be driven along areas on the refuge otherwise closed to the public. This guided two hour program is most appropriate for older teens and adults. Binoculars and/or a camera are recommended, but not required. Meet the ranger in the lobby of the Refuge visitor center 15 minutes prior to the program start time. Each session is limited to 14 participants; no more than 4 individuals per sign-up. Again, this is a vehicle ? based tour, with limited stops on the Refuge. Advance registration is required for this program, as enrollment is limited. Be advised that individual tours may be subject to cancellation. *Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a refuge staff member. Please call (978) 465-5753; to register for this program. **Please note: When snow and ice precludes access to the regular ?behind the scenes? segments of the tour, the tour leader will, instead, include a loop to the northern tip of Plum Island.

Kids? Conservation Cinema
On certain Sunday afternoons through March, the refuge will be screening FREE, child and family-friendly films that generally feature a wildlife and/or environmental theme. All films will be projected on the big screen in the refuge visitor center?s awesome auditorium. No preregistration; simply show up! All movies begin at 1:30 pm. Here is what we have scheduled for the month of January:

Epic
Sunday, January 8^th @ 1:30 pm
A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to save the world ? ours. (2013; Rated PG; Run Time: 1 hr, 42 mins.)

Zootopia
Sunday, January 22^nd @ 1:30 Pm
In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. (2016; Rated PG; Run Time: 1 hr, 48 mins.)

Kids? Story & Activity Hour
Monday, January 9th; Monday, January 16th; & Monday, January 23rd ? each session beginning at 10:00 am
Bring your 3-5 year old youngster to the refuge visitor center for a good old-fashioned story hour. For each session, a refuge volunteer will read a story about an animal or some other interesting aspect of nature. The kids will then complete a related craft to take home. Enrollment is limited to 12 children. The parent or guardian must remain for the entire program.   Preregistration is required for this program.

Digital Photography for Beginners!
Saturday, January 14th, 9:00 ? 11:00 am
This free presentation is for the person who owns a digital camera (of any variety), but either doesn?t know how to use it, or has been frustrated with their results. The presentation will provide a broad overview of the entire ?digital workflow? ? from taking the picture to editing images on a computer. Practical tips for achieving compelling images of nature and wildlife will be shared during the session. The presentation will occur in the refuge?s visitor center auditorium. Preregistration is NOT required.

Making Tracks: Learning to Read Wildlife Clues
Sunday, January 15^th, 10:00 ? 11:30 am
If you have ever seen tracks in the snow, sand, or soil and were curious about what made them, then this is the program for you! Refuge staff will lead you through the basics of identifying common animals through the clues that they leave behind. A brief introduction to animal tracks and other sign in the visitor center classroom will be followed by a trip to the refuge where we will look for tracks and attempt to determine their owner?s identity.   This is a program for beginners, so parents are encouraged to bring their children 10 and older. Please dress appropriately for cold and damp weather. Meet in the lobby of the visitor center ten minutes prior to the program start time. Preregistration IS required, as the program is limited to 10 people.

Monthly Book Club:
January?s Book Selection: Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods"
Thursday, Jan. 26^th from 6:30 ? 8:00 pm
Discussion groups will meet on Thursday, Jan. 26th from 6:30 ? 8:00pm. Discussions are limited to 15 participants and will take place at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
Pre-registration IS required for all meetings. Please call our headquarters at (978) 465-5753 to register. *Note: Those who call and leave a message after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a Refuge staff member.
These Visitor Center Exhibits Change Monthly:

Artist of the Month Gallery: Each month a different photographer or artist displays their nature and/or wildlife-related fine art in the refuge visitor center auditorium.
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Photographic Society Slide Show: Just inside the visitor center?s front door is a large video monitor that displays the latest nature and wildlife-themed slide show that was produced by members of the refuge?s very own photo club. A new slide show, set to music, and focusing on a unique theme, is produced each month.

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Date and Time

Saturday Jan 14, 2017
12:00 AM - 11:00 PM EST

The month of January 2017

Location

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
6 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, MA 01950

Fees/Admission

FREE!!

Website

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