South Shore Fest a free day of nature celebration – June 13th

Summer on the South Shore is calling at Mariners’ Park for a free, full-day event celebrating nature, music, learning, and community spirit.

From guided walks (due to high demand there have been more spots added and an afternoon walk (register here)  and hands‑on Wild Thing outdoor educational activities, to live music, local food, and a spectacular laser guided Sky Tour (register here),  South Shore Fest is your chance to explore the rare and beautiful area we love and learn about the people who are helping to protect it.

📍 Bring your curiosity and walk the South Shore at Mariners Park. Follow a gentle, winding path with fun stops that introduce the special places featured on the SSJI South Shore Map. View new SSJI exhibit at Mariner’s Museum with cool Wild Thing items, and more.

🐾 Don’t miss Terry Sprague’s presentation at 10:30 a.m. – Giants & Giants-in-Disguise: The County’s Wildest Wildlife Surprises!

👀 Keep an eye out for a special Step Into Nature 2026 Raffle … some wonderful prizes are on the horizon.

Free admission (donations gratefully accepted), rain or shine—come spend the day with us!

Join Sprague for a fascinating exploration of the big and little surprises hidden within our local ecosystem. Using unique specimens from opposite ends of the size spectrum—including a historic Canada lynx and a tiny pygmy shrew—Terry will reveal how the grandest predators and the smallest mammals both play vital roles in our environment.

You will hear the stories behind these remarkable animals, learn how they adapt to our changing landscape, and discover what their presence tells us about the health of the County’s wilderness.

Come discover how the big and the little things make our local biodiversity so unique, and leave with a newfound appreciation for the wild spaces right in our own backyard.

Take a look at South Shore Fest program page here.

Please note some activities require registration.