April Birding, Spring Peepers, and Speckled Eggs!

(February 27, 2020) – It’s spring! The perfect time to watch for American Woodcocks, join a beginning birding class or bring the kids to search for camouflaged eggs. April is an awesome time at Audubon!

Unless noted, registration is required for all programs. Register online and view a complete listing of programs through the events calendar at www.asri.org.

FREE Wednesday Morning Bird Walks
Locations Across Rhode Island
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2020; 9:00 am
Audubon offers FREE Wednesday Morning Bird Walks with naturalist Laura Carberry. Each week a new birding destination will be chosen. Please visit the Audubon website (asri.org) or Facebook Page for the location. Contact Laura at lcarberry@asri.org for more information.
Locations determined weekly; Every Wednesday through June 2020; 9:00-11:00 am; Ages: 14+.

Citizens Bank Free Family Fun Day
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
April 4, 2020; 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Thanks to Citizens Bank, the Nature Center and Aquarium is open free to the public the first Saturday of every month. Join us for crafts, nature stories, animal discoveries, hikes and more. No need to register!
Earth Day Celebration
10:00 am -2:00 pm: Nature Craft Table
11:30 am: Animal Interview
1:30 pm: Handprint Earth – Come lend a hand (literally!) to help make a giant Earth Day poster, while learning about how to help protect our planet.
2:30 pm: Nature Story
Activities: 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Exhibit Hall: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Trails and Pollinator Garden: Dawn to Dusk
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI.

Soil Testing
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
April 4, 2020; 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Get ready for the planting season and have a master gardener check the pH level of your soil. Collect four to six samples from different locations in the area you would like tested. Dig down three to six inches to the root depth. Place the samples in an open tray, mix together well and allow the soil to air-dry overnight. Fill a small paper bag with ½ cup of your sample and label it with the location from where it was collected and bring to Audubon for testing!
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; April 4, 2020; 2:00-4:30 pm; Free.

Audubon Camouflaged Egg Hunt
Four Locations Offered
(*Note the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge Egg Hunt in Seekonk, MA is held April 11, 2020)
Check-in 9:30 am; Egg Hunt 10:00 am
April 4, 2020: Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI
Powder Mill Ledges, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI
*April 11, 2019: Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA

Audubon offers a fun alternative to the same old Easter Egg Hunt! Children, ages 3 to 10, hunt for brown eggs in a natural setting and quickly learn how well the eggs camouflage. Prizes are awarded to all children, with grand prizes given to the finders of the “golden eggs.” Please bring a basket. Check-in will begin at 9:30 am. The Egg Hunt will start promptly at 10:00 am and is held rain or shine. Advance registration is required.
Fee: $5/member child; $7/non-member child. Ages: 3-10. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Spring Walk with Audubon
Audubon Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, Coventry, RI
April 6, 2020; 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
As spring emerges, it provides a wonderful time of year to explore the Audubon wildlife refuges for amphibians and emerging wildflowers. Join Scott Ruhren, director of conservation, for a ramble through the trails at Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge.
Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge, 2082 Victory Highway, Coventry, RI; Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 5 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Woodcocks and Wine
Audubon Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, Exeter, RI
April 9, 2020; 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Join Audubon for an evening adventure in the fields of Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge to observe the enchanting flight patterns of the American Woodcock. Begin with a wine sampling and a presentation of fascinating facts about these unusual birds. Afterwards, head out on a hike to observe the Woodcock display. Be warned, spring peepers or even a coyote might serenade you! Participants must be 21+. Bring a flashlight and dress for the weather. Advance registration is required.
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge, 99 Pardon Joslin Road, Exeter, RI; Fee: $20/member; $25/non-member. Ages: 21 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Watching Woodcocks: Supper and Saunter
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
April 10, 2020; 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Join Audubon for an evening dedicated to the mysterious American Woodcock. Begin at Powder Mill Ledges for a soup and salad supper and an introduction to this bird and its exuberant mating flights. Then venture outdoors, either at Powder Mill or the nearby Newman Wildlife Refuge to view and listen for the mating flights and songs. Wear sturdy shoes, dress warmly and bring a bright flashlight. Advance registration required.
Departs from Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $25/member; $30/non-member. Ages: 10 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Audubon Birding for Beginners
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 2020; 9:00 – 11:00 am
Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities. Join the fun! Audubon offers a five-week class providing a basic understanding of bird biology as well as visual and by-ear identification techniques. Led by Lauren Parmelee, long time birder and Audubon senior director of education, time will be spent in both the classroom and the field (weather dependent) to practice birding skills. Please bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them, and dress appropriately for the weather. Class is limited to 15 adults, register early.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee for five-week session: $70/member, $85/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Peepers, Wood Frogs and more!
Audubon Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, Seekonk, MA
April 19, 2020; 5:30 – 7:30 pm
When the snow melts in the spring, woodland creatures such as wood frogs, peepers and salamanders use vernal pools to reproduce. Come to Audubon and observe a vernal pool while looking and listening for these critters and more. This program involves a hike at dusk, so it is not suitable for small children. Wear waterproof boots and dress for the weather. Bring a flashlight and binoculars. Meet at the big white barn.
Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA; Fee: $10/member adult, $5/member child; $14/non-member adult, $7/non-member child. Ages: 14 and up. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Explore the Estuary for Kids!
Prudence Island, RI
April 23, 2020; 1:30 – 6:30 pm
It's school vacation week! Let’s celebrate Earth Day and explore the awesome nature trails and shorelines on Prudence Island! Bring the kids along as we look for all kinds of cool critters in the forest, along the streams and on the beach, from birds to crabs to salamanders!
Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Prudence Island, RI; Fee: $8/member adult, $4/member child; $12/non-member adult, $8/non-member child. Ages: 7 and up. For details on Prudence Island trips and top register, visit the events calendar at asri.org.

Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Talk with Lou Perotti
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
April 23, 2020; 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Director of Conservation Programs Lou Perotti will present the ongoing contributions to wildlife and habitat conservation happening here at home and around the globe! Learn about international projects from elephant conservation to amphibian rescue efforts in South America. Perotti will also highlight RWPZ’s captive breeding and reintroduction efforts. This work aids many local threatened and endangered species like the American burying beetle, New England Cottontail rabbit, and Timber Rattlesnake.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $5/member, $7/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Sea Glass Jewelry Workshop
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
April 25, 2020; 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Come design and create a beautiful pendant with sea glass found on local beaches. Learn how to choose the right piece of glass and transform it using quick and easy wire wrapping techniques. Program includes all materials. Find something special on the beach? Bring that too! This class fills quickly! Advance registration is required as space is strictly limited to 10 participants.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; Fee: $20/member; $25/non-member. Ages: Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Composting 101
Audubon Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI
April 29, 2020; 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Have you ever wanted to begin a compost system, but just weren’t sure how to go about it? This class will cover the steps of generating this dark, rich and FREE fertilizer right at home. From choosing the right ‘set up’ to adding compostable materials and tending your ‘pile’, this class will provide directions from start to finish, dispelling the myths and eliminating the pitfalls of this easy, eco-friendly way of recycling organic waste.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI; Fee: $10/member; $14/non-member. Ages: Teen to Adult. Register online through the events calendar at asri.org.

Nature as I See It
Photography Exhibit by Karen Johnson-Nieuwendijk
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, Bristol, RI
Through April 31, 2020; 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Every photographer has favorite subject matter or style that they focus on. Some zero in on architecture, some specialize in portraits, others on abstract images. While Karen Johnson-Nieuwendijk enjoys experimenting with many styles of photography, her main focus is nature and landscapes. Come view the beauty she has observed in nature through the lens of her camera.
Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI; March 1 through April 31, 2020; 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Free with Admission. Ages: All.