Seacoast region is home to wildlife refuge, nature center, and more science fun

This 25,000-acre tidal bay and the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve are places of learning and outdoor exploration. The area can be reached at many locations, but a good starting point is the Discovery Center, with exhibits about plant and animal life of the bay, and guides to explore it.
Visitors may hike on the many trails through forests, salt marshes, and mudflats, accessible at Adams Point, Crommet Creek, Great Bay Discovery Center Campus, and many other coastal sites. Boating may include kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, or motor boats. Several boat access sites are available. These are tidal waters so be sure to check tide charts before you go. The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is part of NH Fish & Game and any Reserve property and it is open to hunting and fishing .
Hours for Discovery Center: May through September, Wednesday-Sunday, 10ay-4 p.m. October: Weekends only. Grounds are open dawn to dusk year-round.

Located in Odiorne State Park, the Science Center offers an aquarium, and focuses on marine and area wildlife. Learn about the natural science of the Gulf of Maine and the plant and animal life that inhabit it. Events are scheduled on a daily basis, year-round, for all ages
Hours; Open daily February to October, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; November-February, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Ages 13 and older, $10; seniors and military,$8; ages 3-12, $5

The center consists of 182 acres of field, forest, and salt marsh, several buildings, and the annual interest income from a trust fund. It is used as a tree farm to demonstrate proper forest management, a bird and wildlife sanctuary, a garden and landscape demonstration site, and as a learning center in forestry planning, forest management, ecology, tree and plant identification, and wildlife stewardship.