Category Archives: Events

Drumlin in December

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Kelly R.

Amidst the colder days and business of the holidays, it’s important to take time out to enjoy the season. Here are some of our favorite activities to do at Drumlin Farm in December.

1. December Naturalist Walk – Learn about the habitats, wildlife, and plant life of the sanctuary through a naturalist’s eyes. There’s no better way to appreciate the start of the winter season than by exploring the property on a Naturalist Walk with Education Coordinator Tia Pinney.

Photo Credit: Ian MacLellan

2. You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gingerbread Man! – Get in the delicious holiday spirit and spend time with family during our Gingerbread Man program. Here, you’ll design and decorate your very own gingerbread man and hear about his exciting adventures escaping from cow, pig, goat, and cat. We’ll wrap up by paying a visit to his friends on the farm and enjoying the delicious treat.

3. Holiday Shopping at the Audubon Shop – Pick up a gift for everyone on your list! The Audubon Shop has beautiful holiday cards, home decor, children’s toys, and quirky accessories for everyone – birder or not! Alternatively, you can get some shopping done from the comfort of your home through the Online Audubon Shop. The Audubon Shop will be open every day of December, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, except for Sunday December 24 when we close at 2:00 pm, and Monday December 25 when we will be closed all day.

4. Ode to Evergreens – Traditional Christmas trees tend to be evergreen conifers such as spruce, pine, or fir. Drumlin Farm is host to a number of different species of evergreens; practice your tree ID skills by taking a walk around the property and try to identify as many as you can.

5. Taking Photos – Drumlin Farm offers many picturesque scenes perfect for taking holiday card photos. There are also many opportunities to practice your nature photography and hone your skills adjusting to winter lighting.

6. Wildlife Winter Adaptations – Did you know red foxes use their bushy tails to cover sensitive areas, like their nose and eyes, from the cold in the winter? Visit the farm animals on site and wildlife in our New England Wildlife Explorations exhibit to see and learn different animals’  methods for adapting to the winter cold.

Photo Credit: Henrietta Yelleoktouse

7. Winter Birding – The sanctuary hosts a wide variety of birds year-round. In addition to our on site animal ambassadors, you can bird around the sanctuary for winter wings and submit your findings to Mass Audubon’s eBird page. You can also print out this checklist to keep track of what you find while walking around!

There’s Still Time: Moon Over Drumlin Live Raffle

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Ryan D.

Mountain top yoga? A pro photography lesson? A trip to Iceland? What’s your Drumlin dream? Tickets to this year’s Moon Over Drumlin gala auction are sold out, but you can still have a chance to win! Buy your raffle tickets or put in a proxy bid before it’s too late to enter to win some truly fabulous prizes, including everything from cooking and yoga classes to weekend getaways and globe-trotting trips.

Here are a few our favorite prizes to get your mouth watering and your travel bug itching for an adventure.

Buy raffle tickets or put in a proxy auction bid today >

Mountaintop Yoga and Wine Retreat at Drumlin

This evening for 12 begins with a nature walk around the sanctuary, leading to an hour-long sunset yoga practice at the top of the drumlin, led by Laura Loewy, founder of Backcountry Yoga. Afterward, adjourn to a fireside wine and cheese reception, hosted by Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi.

 

 

Private Paradise in Portugal

Relax for a week at Casa da Figueira, a private seaside villa in Algarve, Portugal. This traditional Portuguese villa has ample room for eight adults and is well-suited for children and families. The villa is just five minutes’ walk to the beach, cliffs, and excellent restaurants. Numerous golf courses and wineries are within an hour’s drive.

 

 

Private Drumlin Soirée

Have the sanctuary all to yourself—and 20 friends—for an evening farm and  food extravaganza! Harvest seasonal veggies from our farm fields, then return to our kitchen to create pizzas that feature your harvest. After dinner, enjoy s’mores and a campfire performance by singer-songwriter Katrin Roush. This one-of-kind celebration can be customized for families with children, workplace outings, or groups of friends of any age!

 

Seafood Lover’s Cooking Class and Dinner Party

Svenfish founder Sven Olson—Drumlin Farm’s charismatic Farm Stand seafood supplier—invites you to an evening of cooking and dining! Sven will demonstrate cooking techniques and prepare a multi-course tasting menu (at his own home, or at yours) that includes locally-sourced seafood and seasonal Drumlin Farm produce. Your dinner for 8 will be accompanied by wine pairings and tasting notes from Eric Broege and Carolyn Kemp of Vintages in Concord, MA.

 

Don’t delay any longer! Enter your proxy bid or purchase raffle tickets for these fabulous prizes and many others today.

6 Date Night Ideas at Drumlin Farm

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Staff

Photo by Ian Maclellan

Move over, Dinner and a Movie. We’ve got date nights that’ll make anyone swoon.

1. August 18: Summer Concert with Lula Wiles

Even the classic picnic dinner doesn’t stand a chance. Bring your romantic meal with you and chill out on the hill while Lula Wiles does the serenading for you.

2. September 6: Full Moon Yoga and Campfire at the Farm

Your post-namaste treat? S’mores, duh.

3. September 8: Friday Evening Hayride and Campfire

Yes, you’ll be sharing your date night with some families and kiddos, but if you’re a kid-at-heart, this is a cute way to spend your Friday evening with that special someone. Because s’mores.

4. September 19: Wild Edibles Walk

Scribble down notes as Russ Cohen shows you allofthethings you didn’t know you could eat. Then munch on snacks he’s prepared, like stinging nettle fritters, Japanese knotweed crumble, and black walnut bars. Stop at Lincoln Kitchen for dinner afterward.

5. September 23: Moon Over Drumlin

Tastings from award-winning Boston chefs, guest appearances from our animal ambassadors, and wine. Lots of wine.

6. Flowers from the Market

OK. It’s not really a date night. And it’s not at the farm. But every Saturday, we’re at the Union Square Farmers Market slinging gorgeous bouquets. And bonus for all you single folks: Treat. Yo. Self.

5 Things To Do at Drumlin Farm (a.k.a. Your Summer Warm-up)

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Staff

School is nearly out. Are you ready?

Here’s what you can do between now and next weekend to get used to the summer vibe:

1. Milk a cow at Dairy Day tomorrow, June 3. It’s our last one. Don’t miss it!

2. Get your kids to waddle like a duck and catch the pond treats these web-footed quackers love to munch.

3. Snatch one of the last Summer CSA shares, which starts up June 14. Before you know it, it’ll be late summer and you’ll have so many cherry heirloom tomatoes you’ll be eating them like popcorn.

4. Make sweet honey mead with our beekeeper Mel Gadd next Sunday. Hive-to-bottle is a thing, right?

5. Uh oh. Father’s Day is just around the corner. Whether he’s a birder or not, send him to the Rhode Island coast for a birding trip he’ll be talking about for years.

4 Things To Do at Drumlin Farm This Week

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Staff

1. Celebrate our last Dairy Day ever! We’re sad to say farewell, but we’re even more excited to introduce new events and programs we’re sure you’ll love.

2. Your kids might know of one Queen Bey. But do they know about the original Queen Bee? It’s time they learned about the real queen of the hive.

3. Visit the farm on Memorial Day—We’ll be open and ready for all of you puddle-hoppers!

4. See if you can spot young offspring during our birding excursion: Great Blue Heron Rookery.

Check out all of our summer programs >

 

8 Drumlin Farmy Things to Do Now That It’s Finally Nice Out.

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Staff

We’ve encouraged you to “get outside even though the weather is really nasty” for a few weeks now.

It’s been hard. You probably haven’t listened. We get it.

But now you don’t have any excuses. So get out there.

1. Get to a patio and eat Drumlin Farm veggies. Did you know that we wholesale to restaurants in Cambridge and Somerville? Now you do.

2. Take a tour around the farm with Discover Hidden Treasures. This free tour will loop around Boyce Field and finish with an up-close encounter with an American kestrel.

3. Forage around the farm with Russ Cohen, author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten. He’ll bring a bunch of treats made with herbs, nuts, and flowers you can easily find in your neighborhood (if you know where to look).

4. After learning about the mega machines that help our farmers do their job, take a hayride during Trucks, Tractors, and Tools.

5. Stop at the Audubon Shop for much-needed ice cream.

6. Keep cool along some of our wooded trails like the Beeline Trail, where you can see our deer chilling out just like you.

7. Visit our egg mobiles in Boyce Field, where the chickens are eating bugs and providing nutritious fertilizer for the next round of crops.

8. Hit up Union Square Farmer’s Market, which just started back up last week. There you’ll find our produce, as well as treats from other local vendors. And walk down the block to Union Square Donuts while you’re at it.

7 Things To Do at Drumlin Farm: May 12–19

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Staff

Katrin Roush

Don’t let this weekend’s grey skies block your view of what looks to be a spring-tastic forecast for next week. We have things for you to do while you’re staying cozy at home (Especially on Sunday. Yikes.) and when you finally emerge next week.

7 Things to Do at Drumlin Farm this Week

1. As you watch the rain (and favorite Netflix/HBO/Amazon/Hulu series) plan ahead for our Summer Concert Series. With Katrin Roush, Damn Tall Buildings, and Lula Wiles lined up to play at the farm this summer, tickets are sure to sell fast!

2. While you’re multitasking, sign up for our Summer CSA. Here’s the math on that: $33.75 per week for enough sustainably farmed veggies to feed a family of four. Take that, Whole Paycheck.

3. Be a farmer for a day and learn how we keep our livestock happy in this family favorite: Afternoon Chores and More. Pro tip: Bring rain gear and be prepared to puddle hop.

4. Take advantage of the first sunny, warm day in who-knows-how-long during our Tuesday Evening Birding excursion. It starts at 5:30, so chances are the sunset will be epic.

5. Meet our new kids! They. Are. So. Cute.

6. Fact: Spring allergies are a drag. Fact: There are herbs that can help. Take our Aromatherapy & Tinctures class and blend your own essential oils to fight the itchy eyes and sniffles.

7. Fingers crossed that the sunshine holds up through next Friday, because our first Friday Evening Hayride and Campfire is at 4:00! If you can’t make it by 4:00, there’s another one at 6:00.

When Students Become Leaders

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Staff

We hear it almost every day: Our kids are our future. But what does that mean? What does that look like? And when does a common phrase become a sign of action?

For our TREES (Teens Representing Environmental Excellency and Stewardship) students, that phrase is just one of the many ways to describe what they do during this after-school program at Lowell High School.

On Saturday, March 11, TREES students hosted their first-ever Youth Environmental Conference, inviting teens from the Merrimack River Watershed in Massachusetts to meet, talk, learn, and share ideas about how they can work together to protect the Merrimack River watershed.

“We felt that a conference would be the best setting, giving students an opportunity to meet, share their work, and learn more about our watershed,” said Sarah Silva, TREES student and Lowell High School senior.

Sally Farrow, Drumlin Farm Teacher Naturalist and TREES coordinator, has watched these students grow and learn over the last four years.

“From start to finish, the students led the Youth Environmental Conference,” she said. “We’ve had them since they were freshmen, so we’re witnessing this growth—and that was so inspiring to see. This is what gives me hope.”

To open the conference, TREES students hosted a Jeopardy game to get everyone in the mood for the day’s workshops: Urban Open Spaces, Environmental Careers, Pollution, and Water Testing. Among the workshop leaders was Dai Kim of Mill City Grows, who shared his experience with us:

“The world needs more educators, believers, dreamers, and leaders, and what the Youth Environmental Conference did for me has reinstated my believe that we’re going to be all right.”

Participating in the conference was Concord Carlisle High School, Groundwork Lawrence Green Team, Lowell High School Compass W.I.L.D. program, and Girls Go Green from YWCA Lowell.

We would like to thank Lowell High School for hosting this event, and of course to the TREES students! To learn more about our TREES program, contact Sally Farrow: [email protected].

Woolapalooza 2017: That’s a Wrap!

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Staff

We have another Woolapalooza in the books!

While we didn’t get a triplet birth like last year (much to Farmer Caroline’s relief, we’re sure), this year’s Woolapalooza was a huge success. The day started off with a touch of rain, but that didn’t stop more than 1,000 visitors of all ages from lining up for our annual sheep-shearing festival.

Here are some highlights from the day:

Kevin Ford shearing all of our adult sheep.

 

Learning and crafting along the Sheep-to-Sweater Trail

 

Talented fiber artisans from all over Massachusetts.

 

Delicious food.

 

Skillful sheep herding.

 

And of course, the stars of the show: Our lambs!

 

Thank you to all of our volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and staff for another great Woolapalooza. We hope to see you again next year!

Drumlin Farm Friday to Friday: February 3–10

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Staff

With Ms. G’s forecast behind us, it’s time to look ahead! After all, what’s winter in New England without maple sugaring and woolly adventures?

Take a look at what’s in store:

Friday, February 3

Stew and Brew | Adults | 6:30 pm
Feast on hearty stews made with Drumlin Farm meat and produce (including a vegetarian option!) as you imbibe on local brews from Rapscallion, Jack’s Abby, and Peak Organic.

Wednesday, February 8

Winter Wonders: Winter Coats | Family | 11 am
Feed hay to the sheep with their fluffy winter coats!

Thursday, February 9

Pigs and Blankets | Family | 10 am
We will explore pigs and blankets, taking care of the sheep as well and make a wee little blanket to take home.

In Search of Winter Raptors: Lecture | Adult | 7 pm
The lecture will cover physical and behavioral traits to help us identify hawks and owls. On the field trip, we will explore the Merrimack River, Plum Island, and Salisbury State Park.

Friday, February 10

Own Moon | Family | 7 pm
Search for wild owls by the light of February’s “Owl Moon,” then warm up inside and enjoy a visit from one of our resident owls. Listen to the beloved Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

For all of our upcoming programs, visit massaudubon.org/drumlinprograms.