At Mashomack Preserve, November marks the arrival of winter birds, brings new hours and a new app for kids to use while exploring.
While many trees have dropped their leaves, autumn colors abound in the woods, where you’ll find winter birds are taking up residence.
The preserve will be closed on Tuesdays in November and December; trails are open 9 AM to 4:30 PM all other days. Due to COVID-19, the Visitors Center and bathrooms remain closed and gatherings have been postponed.
But visitors will find plenty to do in the 2,039-acre preserve which is owned by THe Nature Conservancy and is known as “The Jewel of the Peconic” for the pristine ecosystems found along its meandering 11 miles coastline.
Agents of Discovery App
To help inspire kids to greater appreciation of our natural world, Mashomack has signed up to be part of Agents of Discovery, an app that you can download to smartphone.
In its monthly newsletter, Mashomack Preserve highlights the app, an educational mobile gaming platform that uses augmented reality. It enables users to unlock geo-located challenges within Mashomack that can be solved through exploration and discovery.
You can download the Agents of Discovery app from Apple or Google Play. It offers “Missions”, including one at Mashomack, that are free to play. Once downloaded, they do not require WiFi or a data connection.
Book in the Woods: ‘Long Night Moon’
the Book in the Woods for November at Mashomack Preserve.
The November Book in the Woods at Mashomack is “Long Night Moon” by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Mark Siegel. Pages are posted along the family-friendly half-mile Red Trail.
Inspired by the Native American custom of naming full moons, Rylant’s book explores the 12 months and matches them with a traditional moon name, ending with December’s Long Night Moon.
About Mashomack Preserve
To learn more about Mashomack Preserve and its interlacing tidal creeks, mature oak woodlands, fields, and freshwater marshes, visit The Nature Conservancy website, nature.org.
While there, you can download a Mashomack trail map and find helpful hints for exploring. You can also make a donation to support TNC in its effort to preserve Mashomack for future generations. Questions? Call 631-749-1001.
