A Nature Year

Immerse yourself in a full year of local natural history with one of our Nature Year programs: A Nature Year, A Birding Year, A Botany Year and A Nature Journaling Year, all ideal for those who want more experience and knowledge of their local environments and habitats.

Program Details

All Nature Year programs are designed for anyone looking to gain deeper knowledge of the natural world. All prior experience welcome, and no prior experience necessary. Each session will typically begin with an introduction. Then, you will head out for an adventure in the field, usually around 90 minutes spent entirely outside.

12-Month Series Program Fee

A Nature Year: $198 for members and $240 for non-members 

A Birding Year, A Botany Year and A Nature Journaling Year: $216 for members and $260 for nonmembers. 

Not ready to commit to a full year? You can also sign up for the 3-month series and go from there.  

3-Month Series Program Fee

A Nature Year: $54 for members and $60 for non-members 

A Birding Year, A Botany Year and A Nature Journaling Year: $58 for members and $66 for non-members

A Nature Year 

Experience the cycle of the seasons and gain extensive knowledge on what’s growing, which critters are active, and why—all with a skilled Mass Audubon naturalist as your guide.    

Each month, you will dive deep into a special topic, natural community, or seasonal phenomenon, depending on the season and sanctuary. Learn everything from how mushrooms grow in autumn to the patterns of the winter night sky to spring wildflowers to summer fireflies. A Nature Year promises to open up the world around you.   

 Starting in September 2026: 

• Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont  
• Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon 
• North River Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield 
• Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester  
• Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, Mattapan 
• Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton  
• Museum of American Bird Art Education Center, Canton  
• Drumlin Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary, Lincoln, and Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Natick 
• Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox 
• Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield 
• Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, Princeton 
• Blue Hills Trailside Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, Canton
• Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Norfolk

Starting in January 2027:

• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet 

A Birding Year 

Immerse yourself in a full year of local birding with our new year-long immersive program, A Birding Year. This year-long series follows the full avian calendar, covering fall and spring migration, raptors, owls, warblers, ducks, woodcocks, and much more. 

Led by a skilled Mass Audubon naturalist, each monthly session builds field identification skills, ornithology knowledge, and a deeper understanding of bird conservation alongside a community of fellow birders. Sessions will typically begin indoors before heading out for a field session in the habitat most relevant to that month's topic.  

Starting in September 2026: 

• Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton 
• Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont
• Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon 
• North River Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield 

Starting in January 2027:

• Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Barnstable 

A Botany Year 

From the tiniest buds to the showiest blooms, plants shape every landscape around us. Over 12 monthly sessions, a naturalist will guide you through the botanical calendar based on the local plants that are indicators of the season. Get familiar with the science behind morphology, growing conditions, biology, and more.  

Each session begins indoors before heading outside for at least 90 minutes of fieldwork, building your plant identification skills and ecological understanding alongside a community of fellow nature enthusiasts. By the end of the year, you'll have the skills and knowledge to look at a trail edge or a wetland margin through new eyes. 

Starting in September: 

• Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, Mattapan 
• Drumlin Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary, Lincoln, and Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Natick (multi-site series) 

A Nature Journaling Year 

What would change if you spent one morning a month for a whole year truly paying attention to the natural world and recording it on the pages of a sketchbook? A Nature Journaling Year aims to answer that question. Meeting monthly in a nature-inspired maker space, you'll build natural history knowledge and observational drawing skills together across the full seasonal calendar—sketching, journaling, and exploring seasonal highlights from fall migration to vernal pools to summer butterflies and moths. 

Sessions begin inside before heading out for nature journaling on the trails. The combination of natural history depth and creative practice makes this series a unique long-term opportunity you won't want to miss. 

Starting in September:  

• Museum of American Bird Art Education Center, Canton

Starting in January:

• Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox 

Contact Us 

Have questions? Please email us.