c. Joel Boodon 2008 The Gazebo area at Roger Williams Park invites relaxation.

 For many, the name Roger Williams Park evokes images of the zoo: of polar bears, giant snakes and gentle giraffes. But, the attractions beyond the zoo are what recently prompted the National Trust for Historic Preservation to call Roger Williams Park one of America’s finest urban parks.
 Designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878, Roger Williams Park encompasses more than 450 acres and sees 2 million visitors annually.  There’s a lot to explore: the Botanical Center, Museum of Natural History, Temple to Music, Carousel Village, Hasbro Boundless Playground, and the Boathouse.
 Completed in 2007, the Botanical Center is the park’s first new facility in 20 years, and it’s stunning. Two greenhouse spaces with ceilings of up to 45 feet, a fish pond, a 68-foot linear pool, and a profusion of gem-like blooms make the center a true urban oasis.
 “It’s the largest indoor public display garden in New England,” says Alix Ogden, Superintendent of Parks for the City of Providence. “We have a varied plant selection, including tropical plants. There’s also a huge carnivorous plant display, which is very popular. Some of the plants are large enough to eat a rat.”
 Outdoor display gardens are in the design phase, with construction expected to begin this year.
 The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is the park’s oftoverlooked gem, home to an extensive collection of Native American art and artifacts. The museum works closely with the Smithsonian, Brown University, and NASA. The latest space exhibit, “Mission Moon: Past, Present and Future,” runs through September.
 The Temple to Music is one of the park’s loveliest structures, a Grecian temple of white Vermont marble facing a sparkling lake. From cultural festivals to walkathons and concerts, the temple has hosted some spectacular gatherings. The Bandstand on Lake Roosevelt is a popular venue for concerts.
 Children will love Carousel Village, where the main attraction is a charming Victorian carousel.
 “Additional attractions vary from year to year,” explains Ms. Ogden. “In the past, we’ve offered pony rides and a rock-climbing wall.”
 Next door, the Hasbro Boundless Playground lets children with disabilities play without leaving support equipment behind. But it’s not exclusive.
“Kids of all abilities really like the playground,” says Ms. Ogden.
 At the Boathouse, visitors can rent swan paddleboats or canoes to explore the park from the water. Rentals are available weekends starting May 1, and every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
 So if you’re coming to the zoo for the new “Flutterby” immersive butterfly exhibit (opens May 24), or to see the red panda on the Marco Polo Silk Road, why not enjoy the Botanical Center for an hour or two, or wander down to the Temple of Music? You may be surprised to see what you’ve been missing.

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Winslow’s current residents include sheep, emus, and horses.

 Norton’s Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary is a truly special place. Children and adults alike will fall in love with its charming colonial atmosphere, picturesque natural scenery, and wonderful animal residents.
 Founder Debra White open­ed the nonprofit animal sanctuary in 1996 to care for abandoned and abused animals. “I’ve been rescuing ani­mals my whole life,” she says.  “Now, I operate through local rescue leagues and agencies like the MSPCA.”
 Usually, around 300 animals happily reside at the farm. The current roster includes horses, ponies, goats, llamas, sheep, emus, pheasants, chickens, rabbits, ducks, cats, and a loveable deaf retriever named Murray.
 When you first enter the farm, you’ll find yourself in a small brick courtyard surrounded by old-fashioned outbuildings, many of which are aviaries. A number of cats – and Murray – roam freely. The sanctuary is entered through a gate, beyond which are broad pad­docks where ducks and goats play contentedly alongside horses and ponies. Every animal has a story and its own personality. Visitors are introduced to the animals by name and encouraged to interact.
 For animals that need more specialized care, a one-of-a-kind special-needs barn is being constructed at the rear of the property. Half Moon, a beautiful blind horse, and three severely arthritic sheep will be the first residents. Observation decks on the upper level will allow visitors to see the animals without disturbing them.
 Sick and injured animals are treated with traditional and herbal veterinary medicine, and many of the herbs come from the woods behind the farm.
“Right now, we’re trying to buy 62 acres of land adjacent to the farm,” Ms. White says. “Of that, 52 acres will become a nature preserve. There’s a wealth of medicinal plants in these woods that are going extinct, and we want to keep them intact.”
 Admission fees and con­tributions will help pay for the land and for the special needs barn.
 If you’re looking for a quiet place to roam, explore the nature trails behind the farm, sit by Meadow Brook Pond, or meditate in the tiny chapel behind the sanctuary. Next to the chapel, a Celtic cross celebrates the memory of former farm residents. There’s a palpable reverence for life here, extending to people and animals, and it’s gratifying to experience.
 Educational programs are hosted at the Winslow House or the David Sheldon White Resource Center, and all food served at farm events is vegetarian. Upcoming events include a Renaissance Fair on June 28 and 29.  The farm also offers periodic demonstrations of holistic veterinary medicine.
A day at Winslow Farm is more than a day spent in the fresh air: It’s a learning experience and an opportunity to open your heart to Debra White’s wonderful rescued animals.

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Photo courtesy of Mount Auburn Cemetery Mary Baker Eddy is buried in this peaceful setting.

 The dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom, and their spectacular pink and white colors burst forth under the springtime sun.
 Parents push baby strollers along winding paths that lead up rolling hills and down into wooded dells. Bird watchers peer through binoculars to catch a glimpse of their feathered friends migrating north after a long winter.  Shutterbugs snap away, hoping to capture even a hint of the splendor of the ornate Victorian monuments and perfectly manicured grounds.
 It’s hard to believe this tranquil haven is just 4 miles from downtown Boston. What’s even harder to imagine is that this urban oasis is not a public park — it’s a cemetery.
 Spread over 175 acres, Mount Auburn Cemetery, in Cambridge, is America’s first “garden cemetery.” In contrast to the bleak, overcrowded municipal burying grounds of colonial Boston, the founders of Mount Auburn combined horticulture, landscape design, and art for the first time to create a place designed for the living and the dead.
 Immense obelisks, massive mausoleums, and lavish sculptures commemorate the deceased and inspire the living. Nature comforts the bereaved and affirms the glory of life amid the constant reminders of death. Jacob Bigelow, one of the cemetery’s founders, called Mount Auburn “the attractive and consoling association of the garden and the grave.”
 Miles of pathways cross formal gardens and natural woodlands worthy of an arboretum. With over 600 species of trees and thousands of shrubs, the cemetery dazzles the eye with vibrant colors in the spring, summer, and fall.
 Even winter possesses its own beauty. Birds — and avid birders — flock to the cemetery’s lush landscape, particularly in the springtime, and those who scale the granite tower rising from atop Mount Auburn enjoy a magnificent bird’s eye view of their own over Boston.
 Generations of notable Boston families have been laid to rest in this “garden of graves” since it opened in 1831. The family names on older grave markers are a roll call of the city’s intellectual and political elite: Cabot, Holmes, Lodge, Quincy, Winthrop. These Brahmins evoke a time when Boston was considered the “Athens of America.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Julia Ward Howe, Mary Baker Eddy, Isabella Stewart Gardner, and Charles Bulfinch are other notables among the 94,000 buried at Mount Auburn.
 Believe it or not, Mount Auburn Cemetery quickly became Boston’s most popular tourist attraction after it opened, drawing crowds rivaling those of Niagara Falls, and the success of this National Historic Landmark inspired the garden cemetery and public parks movement that swept the United States in the 19th century.
 These days, Niagara may be more of a draw, but about 200,000 people still visit the cemetery annually, and beginning this May they will be greeted by a new Visitors Center inside historic Story Chapel.
 The center’s interpretive displays and a 9-minute introductory video will highlight Mount Auburn’s historical importance. Audio tours for walking or driving will be available from the center’s reception desk.
 The Center will be unveiled May 3 to 4, and the celebration will include free guided tours and special presentations all weekend.

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The Skywalk offers views of famous landmarks like the Hancock Building and Trinity Church.

 The Skywalk Observatory & Exhibit gives the term “bird’s eye view” a whole new meaning. Perched on the 50th floor of Boston’s Prudential Center, the Skywalk offers a 360-degree view of the city, and the close proximity to some major landmarks gives visitors the impression that they are simply hovering above Beantown like a bird floating on the wind.
 On a sunny day, the view can only be described as breathtaking. The observation hallway circles the perimeter of the building, and the walls are windows from waist level up.  Visitors can wander at their leisure and browse the part of Boston skyline they like the best. Included with admission is a handheld audio tour that guides visitors around the city through corresponding numbered panels on the windows.
 What is particularly great about the audio tour is it does not have to be taken in order, so if one area of the Skywalk is crowded, visitors can move to another, punch in a number and be off.
 The tour contains more than 20 segments, with several options for additional information, and takes about an hour.
 The guide injects a light, humorous tone into his narration – he sounds like the kind of guy who has lived his entire life in South Boston. It’s no surprise his favorite landmark is Fenway Park.
 “If you ask me that is the most important spot in Boston, Fenway Park. That big green stadium is the home of the Red Sox,” he says.
 The narrator turns his quirky sense of history on Back Bay, which, he explains, was built to look like Paris with its straight streets and slanted-roof buildings with prominent chimneys.
 “In the old days, to tell you the truth, it was more like a swamp. It stunk so bad they could smell it all over Boston,” he says.
 At another point, he guides the listener to the 24-carat-gold dome of the Statehouse and comments, “Gold is appropriate because there is lots of gold in Beacon Hill – it has always been a wealthy neighborhood.”
 But the audio tour is not all tongue-in-cheek. The tour is peppered with comments from local historians, curators and poli­ticians. Boston College history Professor Thomas O’Connor tackles the important role immigration played in building the city.
 “Boston is a prime example of how many different people with different races and creeds and cultures can come into a city like Boston and all blend together,” he says.
 There are numerous landmarks to observe, such as the Charles River Basin, Boston Common, Trinity Church, the First Church of Christian Scientists, the Mary Baker Eddy Library, Symphony Hall and Boston Harbor and its islands.
 The Skywalk has a number of exhibits that don’t require looking outward. There’s a room with artifacts from immigrants traveling to Boston, an interactive display exploring the sights and sounds of Boston, a floor-to-ceiling wall map of the city with corresponding audio, and a photo display of famous residents with audio quotes.
 Tickets for Skywalk can be purchased at a kiosk in the middle of the Prudential Arcade, which is off the main hallway of the Shops at the Prudential Center. However, to get to the 50th floor you must proceed through a security desk to an elevator bank with eight elevators – only two of which take you all the way up.

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Photo by May’s Antique Market Visitors from all over come to Brimfield in search of treasures.

 Forget eBay! The Brimfield Antique Show, which claims to be the country’s oldest and largest outdoor antiques market, offers something far more exhilarating than any online auction can: the thrill of the hunt.
 For one week every May, July and September, the sleepy town of Brimfield turns into a booming international cross­roads for trade in antiques and collectibles when more than 130,000 visitors from as far away as New Zealand arrive in search of treasures and bargains.
 “Online you really have to know what you’re looking for” when shopping for antiques, says Lynda Watson, proprietor of Streamline Antiques in Boston’s Dorchester Lower Mills, who has been selling at Brimfield for about 15 years. “But at Brimfield, it’s about the element of surprise.”
 Chances are you’ll see everything from PEZ dispensers selling for a quarter to Persian carpets for thousands of dollars, and anything imaginable in between. The strangest item Ms. Watson has seen at Brimfield: a one-of-a-kind “birdcage on wheels, like a baby carriage, so you can take your bird for a walk.”
 “People who are really serious about antiques want to see them, touch them, feel them,” says Judy Reid Mathieu, who with her sister, Jill Reid Lukesh, runs J&J Promotions, the largest of Brimfield’s sponsors with 800 dealers.
 Their father, Gordon Reid, launched the show in 1959 with 67 dealers in the field behind their house. Today, 6,000 dealers from across the United States, Europe and Asia selling everything from 18th-century armoires to Zanesville art pottery display their wares in fields lining a mile-long stretch of Route 20.
With the festive atmosphere of a country fair, Brimfield offers a lively social scene. “Many dealers and visitors to the show are old friends of many years, and have been coming for decades,” said Wayne Hodges, President of Brimfieldshow.com.
 Archie Arpiarian of Cambridge, who collects 1939 World’s Fair memorabilia and has been going to Brimfield for over 20 years, enjoys “the hoopla that goes along with it and the interaction between people, the bargaining.”
 It’s important to know how to bargain. If you make an offer far below the asking price, the dealer will most likely reject it. But if you ask for a 20-percent discount and are willing to accept 10 percent off, you’ll probably strike a deal.  If you find something you absolutely must have, don’t hesitate — buy it. If you walk away to think it over, it might be gone when you return. That is if you can find your way back. It’s wise to note the field and booth number.
Brimfield runs Tuesday to Sunday, sun-up to sundown, and admission to most fields is free. The selection is best early in the week, but the best prospect for bargains is on Sunday — or if it’s raining.
 The most serious buyers, Mr. Arpiarian says, “are out in the dark with their flashlights” at dawn. Some collectors wear T-shirts, baseball caps or even sandwich boards advertising what they’re seeking: “I Collect Scottie Dogs.” “Wanted: Japanese Swords.”
 You never know what you might find, and that’s a big part of the fun. Don’t be surprised if you go home with that perfect something you had no idea you needed.

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This AC transformer designed by William Stanley is part of the Berkshire Museum’s collection.

 Art, history and science collide as innovations that originated in the Berkshires and influenced the world go on display in the Berkshire Museum’s new Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation.
 The new gallery opened last month as part of an overall renovation project happening at the museum.  The 3,000-square-foot exhibition space will feature an ever-changing exploration of innovations and innovators that have enhanced people’s lives around the world.
 The Hall of Innovation explores science, technology, business, politics, culture, and the arts through six themes: Success, Overcoming Obstacles, Unexpected Outcomes, The Innovation Process, Inspiration, and Motivation.  The multi-media exhibition includes original historic artifacts, works of art, video, and interactives.
 To be featured in the Hall, the innovator must have a demonstrable connection to Berkshire County and the adjacent hill towns, and the innovation process must have occurred in or be closely linked to the region.
 Among those featured in the premiere version of the exhibition are:
 • Clare Bousquet, who opened the first ski slope to offer night skiing;
 • Zenas Marshall Crane and Crane & Co., the Dalton company and creators of the security paper used to print U.S. currency since 1879, which continues to develop new security innovations for currency;
 • W.E.B. Dubois, co-founder of the NAACP;
 • Cyrus Field, whose American Telegraph Company laid the first successful transatlantic cable in 1866, following three unsuccessful attempts; and
 • Elizabeth Freeman, a former African American slave who successfully sued for her freedom in 1781, aided by lawyer Theodore Sedgwick, effectively ending slavery in Massachusetts.
 The Hall of Innovation will let visitors try their hands at the process of innovation. A group of puzzles and brain teasers at various difficulty levels will demonstrate that failure is also a learning experience. A hands-on activity will invite visitors to invent a way to make a common chore easier, and draw or build a model of their invention.
 The new gallery is in renovated space on the south side of the Berkshire Museum’s building on South Street in Pittsfield. The space was previously divided into offices, storage, coatroom, a vending machine area, and a narrow hallway gallery.
 In addition to the new gallery, the museum’s renovation includes the installation of museum-quality climate control throughout the 104-year-old building.

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One Cape Trek tour guides you around downtown Chatham.

 Ever drive down Cape and wish there was an Uncle Gus in the backseat, some old-time insider who could chat about fun things to do, highlight points of interest, and tell you which left turn leads to the beach?
 Cape Treks is just like that – only better, because you don’t have to buy this uncle any lunch. Available on CD or via download, the audio tours are like a GPS that tells you not only where you’re going, but also what you’re seeing.
 Each tour’s narration leads driver and passengers through some of the Cape’s most popular areas – Chatham, Route 6A, Provincetown/Truro, Wellfleet/Eastham and the National Seashore. Directions are interspersed with bits of history, science and Cape trivia (did you know that Provincetown, little more than a sand deposit, constitutes some of the youngest land on Earth?) You’ll even learn where to find an old-fashioned ice cream soda.
Occasionally, the narrator will advise drivers to park and walk around – to visit a museum or explore a sandy beach. Two tours – Provincetown center and Nantucket – are strictly designed for listeners on foot.
 Cape Treks was created by 20-year Chatham resident Bonnie Raine, her husband Tony, and daughter Chelsea. The idea for this “virtual tourguide” arose one summer when Bonnie, working at the Chatham Chamber of Commerce info booth, joked how she had to dispense the same information over and over as visitors all asked the same questions.
 “I said to my family, ‘What if we made a tape that you could play in your car, and you could drive around and the tape would point things out?’” she said. “I thought it would be easy, so I got in my car, drove around Chatham, and talked into a little microphone.”
 But getting the tour ready for public consumption was much more work. Ms. Raine ended up doing indepth research of Chatham. She spent plenty of time in her car, making sure landmarks at turns – whether it’s a right at the street sign or a left “just past the old graveyard” – would be clear to unfamiliar drivers. While the Chatham tour mirrors the actual time it would take to drive (summer traffic notwithstanding), later versions are set up with a “stop and start” system.
 “We tried to make it user-friendly,” she said. “This way, people can stop and have something to eat and turn the narrative back on when they return to the car.”
 In writing the narratives, Bonnie was careful to avoid “sounding like a high-school history class.” That’s why the narrator points out good spots for clamming, notes that the Cape’s marvelous marshes also breed pesky flies, and admits that summertime drivers are on their own when it comes to finding a parking spot in Provincetown.
 Each tape includes side jaunts that the casual or first-time visitors might not know about. There’s Doane Rock in the National Seashore – a huge boulder behind by the last glacier. The 6A tape whispers of a back road past gorgeous houses. Windmills, lighthouses, woodland walking trails, Marconi’s wireless station, even the spot where the pirate ship the Whydah was found are highlighted.
 “We really do talk about things most people don’t know about,” Ms. Raine said. “Doing these, I even learned so much myself.”
 Cape Treks is available at Borders in Hyannis, and CDs and downloads are sold at www.capetreks.com. The site includes a free download, “Walking Hyannis.”

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For fresh produce, shop at farmers’ markets such as those held at Casey’s Farm in South County.

 Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. Sure, actions like finding alternative fuel sources and renovating your home to have solar heat are important in helping the global cause. But there are some simpler actions you can take today to make an impact.
 • Join in Community Supported Agriculture or shop at a local farmer’s market. The former, a movement started on a Massachusetts farm in the mid-1980s by Robyn Van En, has grown in popularity.
 “It’s like a subscription for vegetables,” says Chris Mayer, Program Director at the Robyn Van En Center at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Penn. “Members pay a fee, generally upfront, in exchange for a weekly share of fresh produce grown on the farm during the season.”
 Each Community Supported Agriculture operates differently, but consumers can expect a variety of freshly picked (usually organic) vegetables grown and distributed locally. Some farms offer fruit, herbs, flowers, and other products such as meat, eggs, cheese, and baked goods.
 Reasons to join include promoting seasonal eating, supporting local farms, and buying healthier food.
 “You can’t get any fresher produce,” Ms. Mayer said. “The crops are usually harvested within 24 hours of your pickup.”
 Memberships range from about $500 for a single share, which feeds one to three people, to about $900, which feeds a strictly vegetarian family. The season runs for about 28 weeks, depending on the weather.
 There are 1,200 Community Supported Agriculture farms around the country, including a bunch in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. To find one – or a farmer’s market – near you, visit www.localharvest.org.
 • Get outdoors this spring, and enjoy our planet and its natural resources. Go biking, hiking, canoeing, or kayaking. Have a picnic in a park. These activities are often free and leave virtually no carbon footprint behind.
 Bostonians can escape the city and take a ride (or walk or skate) on the Minuteman Bikeway from Arlington to Lexington. The path begins at the Alewife T station in Arlington and passes through the historic area where the American Revolution began in April 1775. It wanders through tree-lined residential areas, and some sections, such as the Arlington Meadows, are particularly beautiful.
 Visit www.minutemanbike way.org to download a map of the trail.
 Rhode Islanders can learn how to kayak or hone their skills at Lincoln State Park with Eastern Mountain Sports Kayak School. For details, visit www.emsKayak.com.
 • Join an outdoors club such as the Appalachian Mountain Club. Founded in 1876, it is America’s oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. It promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers, and trails of the Appalachian region.
 With 12 local chapters in southern New England, the Club offers more than 8,000 trips each year for every ability and outdoor interest — from hiking and rock climbing to paddling, snowshoeing, and skiing. Membership prices range from $25 to $60. For more information, visit www.outdoors.org.

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 Boston’s always been a great city for walking – there’s nothing like strolling down Newbury Street, across the Gardens, up the Fenway or through Downtown Crossing. But now, with the elimination of the old Central Artery and the blossoming of the Rose Kennedy Greenway with its mile-long series of parks and pathways, walking through Boston just got even better.
 “The green part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway is much more than just trees and grass,” said Larry Meehan, Vice President of Media Relations and Tourism Sales for the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This is creating a connection with downtown Boston and the harbor and opening everything up. You can now walk from Chinatown to the North End.”
 As people discover the Greenway, Mr. Meehan sees all sorts of possibilities arising – like the blossoming of outdoor cafes; teachers bringing students on a Greenway walk as part of a history lesson; residents using it for daily exercise. On a beautiful spring day, why not stroll to Chinatown for a dim sum lunch, head over to the oldest restaurant in America, the Union Oyster House, for oysters and a beer, and finish the evening with dessert at Maria’s Bakery, a North End landmark? The Greenway makes it possible, he said.
 It wasn’t impossible to walk to these parts of Boston before – it was just undesirable. To finish the Freedom Trail, walkers had to brave the stream of cars and crosswalks that wove beneath the leaking, creaking beams of the Central Artery. It was noisy and ugly, never mind heart-stopping for families guiding children or baby carriages. There has long been a gateway to Chinatown, but who wanted to stop and pause there, the only view one of the twisting, rusting, on and off-ramps of I-95?
 This spring, Greenway strollers will be greeted by green expanses, flowering plants and pleasantly designed pathways brightened by the sun. Extra-wide sidewalks with benches will aid walkers. The traffic on cross-streets has been deliberately slowed, and pedestrians will have the upper hand with stop lights that provide ample time to cross safely. All curbs will include ramps for wheelchairs or strollers.
 Three major parks anchor the Greenway – the North End Park, the Wharf District Park, and the Chinatown Park. Like the best of front porches, the North End Park welcomes natives and visitors alike to the city’s Italian section. With movable chairs and café tables, the park has a nice neighborhood feel – there’s room for dog walking and fountains for summertime splashing. Even on frigid days this past winter, Mr. Meehan recalls seeing people bundled up, sitting in this brand-new park, drinking in the city and people-watching.
 The “heart” of the Greenway is the Wharf District Park, situated near the New England Aquarium and the Boston Harbor Hotel. This park encompasses and expands the old Rose Kennedy Rose Garden park, the inspiration for the entire Greenway, Mr. Meehan said. Ocean-themed accents such as beach grass plantings, wave patterns, and fountains that rise and fall with the ocean tides populate this park, which will also reward visitors with great views of the busy Boston Harbor.
 Part of the Greenway includes the “Walk to the Sea,” a targeted route from City Hall Plaza to the harbor. And if that’s not enough walking for you, one block from the Greenway is the HarborWalk, a 46-mile public walkway that runs along the wharves, piers, bridges and beaches of the Boston shoreline.
“People used to come to Boston and say, ‘This is a waterfront city – well, where is the water?’” Mr. Meehan said. “Now people can walk in a civilized way to the harbor.”
 The third area, Chinatown, will boast a park that buries the Artery for good by using part of an old exit ramp as its base. At one-acre, it will be big enough for community gathering and will feature Asian-inspired plantings like willow, bamboo and Chinese Cherry. Situated at the symbolic entrance of Chinatown, the Chinatown Gate, the park’s theme of “passage and progression” will be demonstrated through the use of gates, stones, streams and waterfalls. Its first major festival will be held on Mother’s Day, May 11, with many more to follow.
 “The last 20 years, we’ve been finally weaving back the urban fabric of Boston,” he said. “Now, it’s all knit together again, and Boston will really live up to its slogan as ‘America’s Walking City.’”

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Featuring rides like the Super Slide and Alpine Slide, Jiminy Peak’s Mountain Adventure Park keeps visitors coming back all year round.

  With blades reaching almost 400 feet into the sky, the Zephyr wind turbine hovers above the skyline at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock – a strong reminder that this not your typical ski resort.
  Jiminy Peak estimates the wind turbine – installed last summer for $3.9 million – will reduce its energy costs by almost 50 percent in its first year of use.
  “When the wind is blowing, the turbine will power the whole peak,” said Betsy Strickler, Director of Marketing.   The wind turbine powers 45 percent of the mountain’s snowmaking and helps run chairlifts and parts of the hotel at the mountain’s base.
  The only mountain resort in North America to generate its own power using alternative wind energy, Jiminy Peak was honored last fall with a “Green Pioneer” award at the AltWheels Alternative Transportation & Energy Festival in Boston. The event is the largest alternative energy festival on the East Coast, with more than 20,000 attendees.
  This spirit of innovation keeps the mountain flush with activity year round. When snow melts and skiers and snowboarders pack up their gear, Jiminy Peak simply begins gearing up for its busy spring, summer and fall seasons.
Jiminy Peak’s Mountain Adventure Park opens Memorial Day weekend and it has plenty of activities to keep children and adults coming back for more.
  For 30 years, Jiminy Peak has operated its Alpine Slide ride but just last spring built a brand-new Super Slide, updating the cement slide run to fiberglass and adding new passenger carts that run on felt instead of metal wheels, as well as new tunnels, dips, curves and turns to the track.
  “The Super Slide is a lot smoother, a lot quieter,” said Ms. Strickler. “With the new slide, business went up. People were saying, ‘Wow. This is really fun.’ Parents were saying it feels like it is a whole lot safer.”
  Two springs ago, Jiminy Peak brought on a Mountain Coaster. One of only two on the East Coast, it features 3,600 feet of metal track on which a two-person cart runs up to 23 mph.
  This spring, the Mountain Adventure Park will welcome a 350-foot tubing run. Tubers race down the mountain on a synthetic material similar to Astroturf and are pulled back up the slope on a carpet lift.
  “We have a reputation for going out and finding something different and unique,” said Ms. Strickler. “Every year we try to unveil something new and something different, and we are very excited about the tubing run.”
  Other attractions include: a scenic ride up the mountain on a six-passenger chairlift; a giant swing that arcs three passengers high into the sky; a rock-climbing wall; and a Euro-bungee trampoline, which allows people to bounce on a trampoline while wearing a swivel harness attached to bungees for extra control and height on jumps and flips.
  For the young children, there is even a “Bouncy Bounce” inflatable play­ground.
  In addition to the Mountain Adventure Park, Jiminy Peak is popular for its hiking and mountain biking in spring, summer and fall. Those who partake in these activities can ride the ski lifts up the mountain to access the top of trails.

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At the Save the Bay Exploration Center, kids get a feel for tiny sea creatures like starfish.

  If you’re looking for something fun to do with the family this April vacation, take a trip to Newport’s Easton Beach and discover the Save The Bay Exploration Center.
Formerly run by New England Aquarium, the Exploration Center offers a chance to explore local marine life and see some of Narragansett Bay’s fantastic creatures.
  “When the aquarium operated the center, they had species from all over New England,” said Aquarist and Education Specialist Jean Bambara. “Now, we focus on species native to or caught in the Bay.”
  Upon entering the center, you’ll find yourself in the Explore Room. The popular Touch Tank is stocked with sea stars, crabs, and sea urchins waiting to be examined by little hands. Next door is the No-Touch Tank, with crabs, lobster, and larger starfish; these animals are handled by Exploration Center educators.
  In the Restore Room, you’ll learn about fragile bay habitats like eel grass beds, salt marshes, and fish runs. Charts of Narragansett Bay show the scope of this natural habitat.
  “They can see just how big the Bay is, see where they’re standing now, and maybe even find the town where they live,” Ms. Bambara said.
  The Protect Room’s first exhibit is a multi-sided tank of tropical fish. “In the fall, these fish get swept up from the tropics by the Gulf Stream, but they can’t survive the winter here,” she said.
  The Center saves those they can; right now, green file fish and moon snails swim contentedly in the tanks. Opposite is a circular tank of moon jellies, a new exhibit for 2008.
  “Moon jellies don’t swim, they drift,” Ms. Bambara explained. “They’re not strong enough to swim against the current.”
  Also in the Protect Room are camera-equipped microscopes. Tanks of brine shrimp and plankton bubble in a corner; practically invisible in the Petri dish, these creatures explode on the TV screens. Juvenile flounder swim from black to white sand in a split tank, so kids can watch them camouflage themselves.

  “Flounder are one of the Bay’s indicator species,” said Ms. Bambara. “When the flounder become hard to find, it tells us the Bay is out of balance.”
  An adjacent tank holds two large horseshoe crabs. Educators handle these while kids examine the elaborate armor that protects them from predators.
  The final room is dedicated to the Bay’s nightlife. The star is a 2-foot octopus captured as a juvenile by a local lobsterman. Also here are lobsters, mantis shrimp, snowy grouper, and bio-luminescent species like copepods.
  The Center offers far more than exhibits. Shoreline walks and beach cleanups are held during April school vacation. Family Nights take place the first Tuesday of every month through May, and summer camps for grades K-8 begin in July.

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Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology photos These Blaschka jellyfish are among dozens of glass pieces on display for the first time.

  Many years before they were commissioned by Harvard University to make the Glass Flowers, father and son artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka meticulously shaped glass and wire into lifelike models of marine animals.
Renowned for their beauty and exacting detail, the Blaschka marine invertebrate models were created for universities and museums throughout the world during the 19th century.
  But, until recently, they were rarely — if ever — shown at Harvard. Late last month, the Harvard Museum of Natural History opened “Sea Creatures in Glass,” featuring dozens of these spectacular glass animals. Many are on display for the first time since Harvard acquired them around 1878 – drawn from the collection of more than 430 marine models.  
  Delicate jellyfish and anemones, tentacled squid, bizarre sea slugs or nudibranchs, and other soft-bodied sea creatures captured in glass are a sparkling testament to the Blaschka legacy.  
  Combined with video, real scientific specimens, a recreation of the Blaschkas’ studio, and a rich assortment of memorabilia, these models of marine invertebrates offer intriguing insights into the history, personality, and artistry of the extraordinary men who created them.  
  “It’s so exciting to have these exquisite glass sculptures on public display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History,” said Dr. James Hanken, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard.  “They are not only beautiful, but anatomically precise and scientifically valuable.  They could still serve as teaching models of these invertebrates, which can be so difficult to preserve and display.”

  Employing the same techniques to shape the glass animals as were used to create the world-famous Glass Flowers, the Blaschkas used standard flame-working methodology, bending over a small alcohol lamp to work glass rods, tubes, and minute pieces of glass. Melted over the heat, the glass was then shaped using simple tools and reassembled by again heating the glass to fuse the pieces.
  The Harvard Museum of Natural History also displays Leopold Blaschka’s well-worn wooden lampworking table, along with his lamp, shears, tweezers, and other tools used to shape the hot glass.
  Together with Harvard’s Ware Collection of Glass Models of Plants, with more than 3,000 glass flowers, fruits, and plant sections on display, these newly cleaned and restored glass animals now comprise the largest Blaschka collection on display anywhere in the world.
  “Sea Creatures in Glass” will be on display through January 4, 2009.

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Drumlin Farm’s stump jump is a favorite activity for kids.

  Mass Audubon Society’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary bursts forth with life in springtime. Adorable baby lambs, pigs, and goats enchant and entertain adults and children alike. Hopeful seedlings push through the soil in the gardens.
  Even with all the activity, Drumlin Farm is much more than it appears. Sure, it is a great place to see farm animals and native wildlife, but the 232-acre Drumlin Farm is also a fantastic educational resource for everything from farm babies to birding to the value of eating locally grown food.
  Drumlin Farm offers an excellent day trip for anyone interested in birds, animals, nature, and farming. Although most frequently visited by young families who enjoy getting up close with the farm animals and rescued native wildlife, there are also many attractions and programs that appeal to all ages and interests.
  “We are both a working farm and a sanctuary,” explains Sanctuary Director Christy Foote-Smith.
  You can visit the farm animals in the ever-popular animal barns, or look in Drumlin Underground for an exciting chance to see skunks and foxes in their natural surroundings.
  A meandering stroll through the gardens offers a chance to learn about growing all manner of vegetables. The farm boasts a Discovery Trail where treasure boxes wait to be filled with natural gifts like pinecones and rocks from visiting children.
  There are different animal footprints, some even mimicking pursuit, cast in concrete to see. A giant hawk’s nest waits for children to clamber into and sit on the eggs. A stump jump is available for the pure fun of leaping.
  Visitors should not miss climbing to the top of the farm’s namesake teardrop-shaped drumlin for a breathtaking view.
  Drumlin Farm has been located off Route 117, in Lincoln, for more than five decades. It was bequeathed to the Audubon Society by Louise Ayer Gordon Hatheway in 1955, and the organization continues to carry on Mrs. Hatheway’s lifelong passion.
  Mrs. Hatheway sensed that people were slowly losing their connection to the land, Ms. Foote-Smith says. So she and her husband, Conrad, invited people to see the operations of a working farm and, hopefully, gain an appreciation for the land. Mrs. Hatheway’s donation stipulated only that it be used as a working farm and wildlife sanctuary with a strong educational component.

“For 52 years, Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm has carried out that wish,” says Ms. Foote-Smith. Of Mass Audubon’s 44 sanctuaries in the state, Drumlin Farm is the most frequently visited.
  After hiking around and examining all the animals and farm activities, hopping on a hayride to take in the surroundings is a fabulous end to the day.
  On your way out, you can stop at the farm stand to pick up seasonable vegetables, meats, wool, and, if you visit in early spring, maple syrup.
  Nothing beats a day at Drumlin Farm, learning about the habits of animals and birds and how to care for the Earth, says Ms. Foote-Smith. “It is just a beautiful place,” she says.

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The Children’s Museum’s Trashimals teach kids a creative way to recycle.

  Creative play takes a green turn at the Providence Children’s Museum this month. Kids will be treated to “Providence Children’s Museum Goes Green!”   The series includes two exhibits and three hands-on programs focused on recycling and reuse.
  The program series begins March 2 with “No Time To Waste,” a funny show about recycling that really gets the audience involved. The shows are about 20 minutes long and are sponsored by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.
  On March 8, 9, and 16, join the Re-Constructors for a crafty afternoon. In this drop-in program, children will have a blast creating art from “trash” like cardboard, newspaper, and bottle caps.
  “Kids get to play the game of ‘I know what that is,’” says Megan Fischer, Marketing and Public Relations Manager for the Children’s Museum. “They’re seeing objects they recognize used in a whole new way.”
  Take a stroll up the museum’s atrium walkway and discover Trashimals – adorable animals constructed from recyclables and found objects. These cute little critters were created by Rhode Island School of Design student Corinne Mucha, a member of the museum’s 2006 AmeriCorps team she often uses found objects in her art.
  “These pieces really grew out of her own artwork,” says Ms. Fischer. The Trashimals move into their new homes in the walkway’s window boxes on March 1, and kids will have the opportunity to create their own Trashimals in an open program on March 29.
  In the museum’s lunch room, visitors will find brand-new recycling bins sponsored by Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation and created by museum staff. These aren’t your average bins: They’re part of a complete exhibit that directly involves kids and parents in the recycling process.
“It’s going to be an interactive lunch experience,” says Ms. Fischer.
Recycling has always been a core part of the museum’s ethic.
  “We’re always reusing materials,” Ms. Fischer says.
  Styrofoam food trays are reborn as finger-painting trays or catchalls for collage materials. Lengths of hollow foam tubing become marble “roller coasters,” or scary Halloween trees. Sometimes, entire programs grow up around the materials the museum receives.
  “We look at something and say, ‘What can we create with this?’” Ms. Fischer explains.
  Many of the museum’s materials come from Recycling for Rhode Island Education, a nonprofit organization that turns corporate junk into educational tools. Others are donated by local businesses or museum employees.
  In addition to their policy of reuse, the museum endeavors to be as green as possible when fabricating and repairing exhibits, and when making improvements to the premises. Recycled flooring is already in use in the Children’s Garden, and the play-on map of Rhode Island is made from recycled tires.
  Learning how to “green up” their homes and schools is important for children, but it’s also great fun.
  “Kids get excited by recycling,” Ms. Fischer says. “It’s really fun and cool.”

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Wolves may howl, but ­contrary to popular belief, they don’t actually do it at the moon.

  The story of Little Red Riding Hood might be a good one for little children, but Joni Soffron says it’s sad that the popular tale has created an unfortunate stereotype about wolves.
Ms. Soffron is the director of Wolf Hollow, a nonprofit organization in Ipswich that uses the in-house wolf pack to spread the good word about wolves and their importance in our eco­system.
  “The image of a wolf as a granny-gulping monster is just too bad because actually wolves are very scared of humans,” says Ms. Soffron, “especially after all that we have done to them.”
Wolf Hollow has a pack of five wolves, and visitors get to see them interact almost as they would in the wild. Visitors are welcome most weekends, except when it rains or if the weather is too uncomfortably hot for the wolves.
  My family visited Wolf Hollow late last summer, and getting to see gray wolves up close was an

Visitors may find gray wolves have similarities to their furry best friends at home.

awe-inspiring experience for all of us. The hour-long lecture given by a volunteer explained how the wolves interact in the wild and helped dispel some myths.
  Ms. Soffron says such lectures help with the foundation’s mission of educating the public about wolves and how vitally important they are for our planet’s biodiversity. Getting rid of people’s misconceptions about wolves helps because it is the first step toward the public championing their cause in the wild.

  My girls, for example, learned that wolves don’t really howl at the moon. They were delighted to see just how many similarities there were between their own pet dog at home and the gray wolves at Wolf Hollow. Ms. Soffron says quite a few visitors own dogs, and they come to find out a bit more about their pets’ ancestors.