Children (Ages 0-8) | Read-aloud

Drop in to our hour of storytelling. Our educators will make our picture books come alive for your children. Our library of entertaining picture books will keep your kids interested all morning long.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Each picture book takes about 10 minutes to be read aloud.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Event

To celebrate Autism Awareness Month, we are offering a free day of drop-in activities geared towards adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This day of fun activities includes:

All Day: Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt

• Come to our front desk to get a sensory scavenger hunt! Return with a completed sheet to earn a prize.

10:00am-3:00pm: Collage and Coloring

• Our craft room full of coloring pages, and a collage station, will have you feeling creative and inspired.

10:00am-12:00pm- Touch Tank

• Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

1:00pm-2:00pm - Meet the Turtles

• Learn more about native species of turtles, and meet some of our animal ambassadors.

2:00pm-2:30pm - Meet the Gecko

• Our educator will introduce you to our leopard gecko, Theo!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Activities are both indoors and outdoors.

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Hike

State parks are a great place to explore from behind the lens of a camera! Photographers of all experience levels are invited to hike through the West End. Participants must provide their own camera equipment. Participants are welcome to use their phone cameras.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 2 miles of walking on sand and pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

The Teachers’ Workshop provides educators with an immersive experience at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center. Teachers are placed in the role of students, and learn about how to use the building and site to teach students about environmental design, dune ecology, climate change, coastal resilience, and more. Participants can receive CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) hours through the New York State Education Department.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Here are some preview questions from the Energy and Us unit. This will cover the first 30 minutes of the workshop

https://forms.office.com/g/7q7qisgE4q

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

All Ages | Volunteer Event

Protect the Piping Plovers by assisting the park with sectioning off their nesting habitat.

Volunteers at this event will walk across the beachfront with Parks staff preparing the string fencing for our endangered species. Includes at least 1 mile of walking across sand. Any volunteers under the age of 16 MUST have a parent or guardian onsite.

We ask that you please bring:

• Water bottle

• Sun protection

• Weather appropriate clothing (jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, warm footwear)

• Closed toed shoes

• A light snack

Schedule:

9:00am – Check-in and Fill out volunteer forms

•               Please arrive on time to complete volunteer paperwork and get checked-in.

•               If you would like a certificate of volunteer hours for your school please let staff know right away.

9:15am — Receive volunteer group assignments and group leaders

9:30am – Start working on the beach!

There is no specific end time for this program. If you need to leave before work is completed, please notify your group leader.

Thank you for volunteering to protect our endangered species!

Children (Ages 3-6) | Activity

Theme: What is in Water?

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Activity

Theme: What is in Water?

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Volunteer Event

Ages 12 and up—all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Plan to arrive by 8:30 am (schedule below). Help survey Jones Beach! NYS DEC and NYS Parks, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, hosts a Marine Debris survey and clean-up biannually. Come learn more about why this survey is so important! The duration depends on conditions but is expected to take 3-4 hours.

For this day at the beach, we will provide:

• PPE (gloves)

• Garbage bags

• Data recording materials

• Other equipment needed for the cleanup and survey

However, we ask that you please bring:

• Reusable water bottle

• Sun protection

• Weather appropriate clothing

• Closed toed shoes

• Lunch or light snack

Schedule:

8:30am—Welcome, Sign-in and registration (waivers and photo release) at Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center

9:00am—Introduction to staff, project, and research protocols

9:30am— Walk to beach

10:00 am—Survey and beach cleanup. Some groups will finish earlier than others. Survey's usually take between 2.5 - 5 hours depending on number of volunteers and the amount of trash present.

---

Presented by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program

If there are questions, please feel free to reach out to francis.mcparland@dec.ny.gov or jbenc@parks.ny.gov.

Adults, Families (All ages) | Citizen Science

Help us catalog the species that can be found at Jones Beach State Park during the winter! Please have the free “iNaturalist” app pre-downloaded and bring your own smartphone to participate in this program.

We will be walking outdoors on our trails to find different species. Please dress for the weather.

Learn more about iNaturalist here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

Families (All Ages) | Activity

$4 per program participant

It's time for show-and-tell! Our educators will take you through our extensive collection of marine animal bones, teeth, and skulls. You will get to touch some of our specimens as you hear theirs and learn more about these amazing marine animals.

This program takes place INDOORS.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Activity

Theme: Wind

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adult Craft | Activity

$4 fee per program participant

Activity: Get a headstart on spring decorating and paint stones for your garden.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after program start time.

Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

Children (Ages 3-6) | Activity

Theme: Wind

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Families (All Ages) | Walk

RSVP REQUIRED

$4 fee per program participant

In the winter, Jones Beach welcomes back its winter seal population. Learn about these incredible marine mammals and their migration to Jones Beach, and go for a walk to spot Harbor and Gray Seals feeding in our bay.

We start at the Center, with a talk about seals, and then participants follow our educators in their personal vehicles over to the seal-watching spot for a guided 1.5 mile walk on the sandy beach.

This program has portions both INDOORS and OUTDOORS. Dress appropriately.

Please wear:

• Warm coat

• Gloves, Scarf, Hat

• Boots or other warm closed-toe footwear

If you need to cancel your reservation, please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov so your spot may be made available to others.

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

Families (All Ages) | Walk

RSVP REQUIRED

$4 fee per program participant

In the winter, Jones Beach welcomes back its winter seal population. Learn about these incredible marine mammals and their migration to Jones Beach, and go for a walk to spot Harbor and Gray Seals feeding in our bay.

We start at the Center, with a talk about seals, and then participants follow our educators in their personal vehicles over to the seal-watching spot for a guided 1.5 mile walk on the sandy beach.

This program has portions both INDOORS and OUTDOORS. Dress appropriately.

Please wear:

• Warm coat

• Gloves, Scarf, Hat

• Boots or other warm closed-toe footwear

If you need to cancel your reservation, please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov so your spot may be made available to others.

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

$4 fee per program participant

Topic: Prep for a Hike

If you want to master the outdoors, join our workshop! Our educators will share the tricks, tools, and tips learned from our time in the wilderness.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Families (All Ages) | Activity

$4 fee per program participant

State parks are a great place to explore from behind the lens of a camera! Photographers of all experience levels are invited to hike through the West End. Participants must provide their own camera equipment. Participants are welcome to use their phone cameras.

This program might involve up to 2 miles of walking on sand and pavement.

This is an OUTDOOR program.

RSVP required. Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

Families (All Ages) | Activity

$4 per program participant

It's time for show-and-tell! Our educators will take you through our extensive collection of marine animal bones, teeth, and skulls. You will get to touch some of our specimens as you hear theirs and learn more about these amazing marine animals.

This program takes place INDOORS.

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

FREE

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank. RSVP NOT required.

The Teachers’ Workshop provides educators with an immersive experience at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center. Teachers are placed in the role of students, and learn about how to use the building and site to teach students about environmental design, dune ecology, climate change, coastal resilience, and more. Participants can receive CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) hours through the New York State Education Department.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Here are some preview questions from the Energy and Us unit. This will cover the first 30 minutes of the workshop

https://forms.office.com/g/7q7qisgE4q

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.