Spring Happenings

The Wetlands Institute will be open daily starting May 22, 2023! Unless otherwise stated, all activities are free with admission and occur onsite at The Wetlands Institute. Questions? Please call The Wetlands Institute at 609-368-1211. Please note:  Summer activities start June 19, 2023. The Wetlands Institute will be open daily from 9:30am – 4:30pm. Please check our website calendar for programming updates as we transition from spring to summer hours! 

Salt Marsh Safari

Starting in Marsh View Hall, watch our award-winning film, Secrets of the Salt Marsh. Then join us for a guided interpretive walk through the wetlands! Together we will travel along the new elevated walkway, down the salt marsh trail and out onto the dock overlooking Scotch Bonnet creek. To fully experience the marsh, make sure to wear shoes that can get wet and muddy!

Daily:  11:00am and 2:00pm
Free with admission

Creature Feature

During this live animal presentation, get up close with turtles, fish, crabs, sea stars and urchins, mollusks, horseshoe crabs, or the popular animals of Finding Nemo. After the presentation, create your very own take-home craft! 

Monday and Friday:  12:30pm
Free with admission

Prefer Virtual? All virtual presentations are available for viewing on the Aquarium Bytes section of our Virtual Wetlands Experience portal on our website.

Catch o’ the Day

Get your feet wet (or wear waders!) as you discover what swims in the back bays. Help us drag a seine net through the water to find crabs, shrimp, fish and more. Activity recommended for ages 8 and up. Younger children are welcome to attend and can assist in removing creatures from the net! This activity is tide dependent and may not occur during low tide.

Wednesday:  12:30 pm
Free with admission

LOW TIDE ALTERNATE: No seine net. Will be using dip nets and fish condos.

Aquarium Feeding

Help us feed the local marine life! We will open up feeding three times each week so you can see the octopus eating crabs and the horseshoe crab gobbling shrimp. 

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday:  12:30pm
Free with admission

Prefer Virtual? All virtual presentations are available for viewing on the Aquarium Bytes section of our Virtual Wetlands Experience portal on our website. 

Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary Tour

Meet us at Egret Espy Trail, 2nd Avenue Entrance in Stone Harbor, for a guided natural history and wildlife tour of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary. Bring your binoculars in case we spot a few of our feathered friends along the way!

Sunday: 10:00am – June 4 – August 21
Saturday:  10:00am – July – August 21
Free to attend and generously sponsored by the Borough of Stone Harbor.

Seashell Sunday

Seashells at the seashore! Join us to learn all about seashells, how to collect them without harming the environment, and touch an assortment of live mollusks and cool artifacts. 

Sunday:  12:30pm
Free with admission