10 Ways to Celebrate the Spring Equinox

The spring equinox marks the midpoint between winter and summer solstices, when day and night reach equal lengths. This turning point signals the shift to longer days, warmer temperatures, and new life beginning to take hold across Massachusetts. Wildlife stirs, birds sing, and early plant life pushes through thawing soil.  

To celebrate the turning seasons, we’ve gathered our 10 favorite ways to welcome spring with Mass Audubon. What will you discover? 

1. Take a Dawn-to-Dusk Equinox Hike at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon or Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox 

Whether you’re in eastern or western Massachusetts, a long hike outdoors embraces the daylight shift of the spring equinox fully. Pack in as many steps as you can at Moose Hill, which boasts the longest trail network of all Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries at 20 miles!

Out west, Pleasant Valley rewards hikers willing to climb with sweeping views from Lenox Mountain. There’s plenty to explore at these sites, and with trails open dawn to dusk, you can plan to spend the whole day outdoors, soaking up every bit of daylight.  

2. Bring the Family to Joppa Flats’ Signs of Spring Celebration in Newburyport 

Welcome spring together at Joppa Flats’ Signs of Spring Celebration on Saturday, March 21 from 10:00 am–3:00 pm. Free to visit, drop in to explore hands-on science stations, examine natural objects under a digital microscope, and learn about returning songbirds, migrating ocean creatures, and animals preparing for the season ahead. Children’s authors will share readings of nature-themed books, followed by engaging activities. Outdoor games and crafts round out a day full of discovery and seasonal excitement. 

3. Visit the Spring Lambs & Kids at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln 

Few signs of spring feel as joyful as the arrival of lambs and kids. Watching them explore the barns and meadows at Drumlin Farm offers a cheerful reminder of the new life the equinox represents. Delight in their playful energy and spend time exploring the rest of the working farm and wildlife sanctuary as well, where gardens, animals, and trails showcase the season’s early changes. 

Bonus Celebration: Woolapalooza on March 28 offers more opportunities to appreciate the sheep that call Drumlin Farm home.

4. Go Birding for Spring Spectacles 

As snow melts and daylight grows, birds become easier to spot. A harbinger of early spring, listen for the familiar song of Black-capped Chickadees, often described as sounding like “cheese-burger” or “my tree,” ringing through the woods. In open fields at dusk, American Woodcocks will be performing their annual courtship skydance hoping to attract a mate; the fields near the parking lot at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton offer a front row seat.  

Find a wildlife sanctuary near you or bird with one of our experts in a guided program to make the most of early spring birding.  

5. Start a Nature Journaling Practice at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan or MABA Education Center in Canton 

Begin this new seasonal practice to help mark the passage of time, process change, and sharpen your artistic and nature observation skills. All you need is a notebook, writing tool, and desire to look a little closer. Bring all three to your spring equinox walk, sketching and recording observations along the way. 

The Boston Nature Center and the Museum of American Bird Art Education Center also offer opportunities to meet regularly and practice with others at their Nature Journal Clubs. Over time, your journal becomes a personal record of the changing seasons and your growing skills. 

6. Embrace the Ephemeral Nature of Vernal Pools at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton & Ipswich River in Topsfield 

Around this time, vernal pools begin to take shape and attract the wildlife drawn to these brief but essential breeding grounds. 

Arcadia offers a fantastic vantage point to witness the drama: from the accessible All Persons Trail boardwalk behind the visitor center, you can witness the gathering of breeding amphibians in early spring. Wood frog calls can become so loud they create an unforgettable natural symphony. At Ipswich River, a vernal pool also near the visitor center along the Ruffled Grouse Trail offers more opportunities to look and listen for signs of spring life. 

The temporary pools won’t last long, so be sure to plan you visit soon! 

Bonus Celebration: Arcadia and Ipswich River’s Big Night events on April 11 offer even more opportunities to observe vernal pools and the wildlife attracted to them  

7. Volunteer Your Time to Help Protect Nature 

What better way is there to honor the nature of spring than ensuring our Commonwealth prioritizes its protection? Through the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition, we’re working to pass the Nature for All bill, legislation that would dedicate more than $100 million annually to conserve land, protect clean water, expand parks and trails, and strengthen climate resilience—without raising taxes. 

After collecting more than 90,000 signatures in the fall, volunteers will once again play a crucial role in gathering signatures this spring. By volunteering to help collect signatures or support outreach, you can join a growing statewide movement of people standing up for nature in their communities. 

Bonus Celebration: Mass Audubon’s Statewide Volunteer Day is coming up on April 25, offering even more opportunities to give back at the sanctuaries.  

8. Have Fun with Your Little Explorer at Nature Play Areas 

The return of spring reignites pent-up energy to play and explore outdoors. Nature play areas throughout our sanctuaries offer free form play opportunities with natural materials for children (and adults!) of all ages.  

Wellfleet Bay’s nature play area in South Wellfleet includes a musical fence, a tunnel inside a tree trunk, log balance beams, and steppingstones. At Broadmoor in Natick, kids can climb across rocks and logs and build with sand and stones. Lenox’s Pleasant Valley offers opportunities to build imaginary fires in a primitive shelter, create gnome homes among the trees, and look for hand-painted wildlife replicas of bullfrogs, spotted turtles, spotted salamanders, and more.  

9. Search for Early Wildflowers Like Skunk Cabbage 

Spring’s earliest wildflowers often appear before most people expect them. Skunk cabbage can emerge even when snow still covers the ground; this remarkable plant generates heat within its tissues, melting surrounding ice as it begins to bloom. While somewhat unpleasant, their odor will attract pollinators such as flies and beetles. 

Look for its unusual, hooded flower along the boardwalks, where wetlands come alive with early-season life. Find this harbinger of spring at wildlife sanctuaries with wetlands, like Stony Brook in Norfolk, Habitat Education Center in Belmont, Waseeka in Hopkinton, and more. 

10. Challenge Yourself with a Spring Scavenger Hunt at Your Favorite Wildlife Sanctuary 

However you celebrate the spring equinox, be sure to embrace all that nature has to offer! Bring our Spring Scavenger Hunt on your next sanctuary visit to guide the adventure. Find budding trees, returning birds, animal tracks, and other clues that spring has arrived. With more than 60 wildlife sanctuaries across Massachusetts, there’s always a new place to discover.  

This equinox, step outside to experience the moment when nature turns the page to spring. 

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