Summer in full swing at the Wetlands Institute

Looking for a unique vacation experience? Visit the Wetlands Institute where many programs are free with the price of admission. One-time admission tickets are $7 adults and $5 for children. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and evening hours to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Hooked on Fishing teaches kids how to bait a hook, cast a line, catch the fish, and reel it in on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Great for all ages and free with admission.
Salt Marsh Safaris begin with the award-winning film, Secrets of the Salt Marsh. Then it’s off along the salt marsh trails for a guided walk of the wetlands. The trail can be muddy, so be prepared. Weekdays through the summer at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. and on weekends at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Free with admission.
Featured Creatures highlights a different live animal weekdays at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. On Fridays learn how scientists use microchips, radio and tracking and more. Free with admission.
Totally Turtle Tuesdays 5 p.m. for all ages and free with admission. Call ahead to find out what the turtles are planning for that Tuesday.
Aquarium feedings Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:15 p.m. Help the staff feed the fish and terrapins. Fun for all ages and free with admission.
If you don’t mind getting your feet wet, and most kids actually love that, then Catch O’ The Day is a great way to learn what swims in the back bays by dragging a seine net to find crabs, shrimp and more. It’s fun for ages 8 and up on Mondays and Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
Music for the Marsh, a benefit concert for the Wetlands Institute, will be held at the Middle Township Performing Arts Center Friday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15; call the PAC at 463-1924.
Fabulous Family Nights Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. with most programs feature live animals.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12 -not Thursday -it’s “Who Lives Where.” Learn why a lizard or a human can’t live in the ocean or if a fish could survive on land. Learn about Dinosaurs Aug. 20 and meet some Animal Champions Aug. 27.
Tickets are $8 adult members; $9 nonmember and children under 12, $6 member and $7 nonmember.
Stop by Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and try kayaking, test different kayaks or have a go at stand-up paddleboards. Fun for ages and only $5.
Enjoy a Back Bay Birding and Wildlife Tour aboard the Skimmer pontoon boat with a naturalist guide on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. through the back bays of Stone Harbor and the Hereford Inlet area. Cost is $28, $15 for children 2 to 12 and under 2 free. Call 884-3100 for reservations.
Paddle the back bays in a kayak with a guide on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for a three-hour tour of the coastal marsh ecosystems. Single and tandem kayaks are available, $49 per person.
Sunset kayak tours are Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $49 for a single kayak and $54 for a tandem.
Board the Duke of Fluke at the Bayside Center in Ocean City for a sunset cruise that promises sightings of endangered skimmers, dozens of osprey and the area’s largest rookery of herons and egrets. Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m., Aug. 19 and Sept. 2, $22 for adults, $15 for ages 5 to 12 and children under 4 are free.
Visit wetlandsinstitute.org, call 609-368-1211 or stop by the Wetlands at 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor, for more information about membership, programs and events.