The long-running Nature on the Move series, with 15 Minute Field Trips, continues in 2026 with new themes! Get moving as we explore Blackstone Park. We’ll still have great displays and crafts, but we’re adding more guided walks and topics this year.
All events take place on the second Saturday of every month, from 2 to 3:30 PM, at Blackstone Field, across from the Narragansett Boat Club (2 River Drive, Providence, RI 02906).
Registration is strongly recommended.
See you there!
January 10: Tracks and Snow
Explore the science of snow and learn a few ways to describe it. Make a salt crystal snowflake then follow us through the woods to look for signs of animals.
February 14: Curious About Coyotes?
Sharpen your detective skills learning to identify the tracks, scat, and features of coyotes. Learn how to live WITH coyotes safely with easy tasks that will also deter rats. Examine our table of canid furs and skull!
March 14: Looking Under Logs
Learn about what lives under logs and leaf litter and how decomposers help soil stay moist. Make a poseable salamander or axolotl. Go on a decomposer hunt in the park.
April 11: Awesome Opossums
Learn about North America’s ONLY marsupial (and amazing mom), the Virginia opossums! These tick-eating machines help us in so many ways. Explore our trivia table, pet the opossum fur, examine the 3-D printed skull, and make a baby opossum to take home!
May 9: Worms and the Compost Cafe
Make a “compost menu” for Blind Lemon Nightcrawler, the deep underground jazz worm and get compost info to take home. Try out the giant Wormland game, make slime, and learn all about worms!
June 13: Brilliant Beavers
Drought, wildfires, stormwater runoff… Did you know there is a beaver for that? Test out our stormwater model and build a dam like a beaver. Make a beaver pupper to take home. Guided walk exploring the park’s stormwater infrastructure.
July 11: Totally Turtles
Do you know about “Plastic Free July”? Plastic harms many aquatic animals and only 5-6% gets recycled in the U.S. Learn about wetland ecosystems, the park’s numerous stormwater innovations, and how to reduce your plastic use while making turtles from repurposed paper products. If you’re lucky, you may spot one of the park’s giant snapping turtles or see painted turtles sunning on a log at York or Hockey pond.
August 8: Secret of the Squirrels
Discover the secrets of squirrel survival from the viewpoint of six local species! Explore the pop up museum and make a squirrel craft. Guided walk follows.
September 12: Insect Orchestra
Learn how insects make sounds and make your own instrument to take home! Take a “listening” walk around the park.
October 10: Fungus Among Us Fall Walk
Learn how fun fungi are and their roles as decomposers, tree “talkers”, parasites, and even food, medicine, and everyday products! Guided walk, clay craft, and pop up museum.
November 14: Likable Lichens
They’re everywhere, but what ARE they? Discover this unique community organism and what it can tell us about air quality, new science, and the origins of life on earth! Some even GLOW!
December 12: Winter Wreaths
Go on a guided walk sustainably collecting nature materials and invasive plants such as bittersweet. Return to create a nature wreath to keep or gift.
Kirsten A. Bagaglia, CRPC