Mark CT Trails Day, learn outdoor skills, drumming at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Road, has scheduled a variety of activities in June.

NATURE’S CHILD: Creatures of Redwing Pond – June 3, 10 a.m.

Join the Nature Center staff for a fun morning catching frogs and other creatures of Redwing Pond. We’ll start with a small talk on the animals that inhabit the pond. Then we will use our collection equipment to catch, observe, and release these critters. TUITION:  $7 per child ($5.00 for family-level FANCI members and Ansonia residents).  Please pre-register for this class for preschoolers and their adults.

CT TRAILS DAY – June 4, 9 a.m.

Join Nature Center director Alison Rubelmann and Ranger Dan Bosques for this morning walk.  Discover the flora and fauna of our typical New England woodland. This moderate hike will also visit the settlement of the Paugasucks. Bring water and snacks, and wear sturdy shoes. Suitable for older children and adults. FREE; call to register.

TREE I.D. HIKE – June 5, 1 p.m.

The towering giants that fill our forests have many uses and many names. Learn all about the trees we have here in CT, what they are used for, where they grow, which ones you can use for food, and which ones are best for lighting fires. You’ll learn not only how to I.D. trees by their leaves, but also by their bark! 

FREE. Please register and wear appropriate shoes.

FANCI ANNUAL MEETING – June 8, 5:30 p.m.

Join the Friends of the Ansonia Nature Center, Inc. to see what new and exciting projects they’ve been working on. Bring your own table setting and a casserole, salad, dessert, or other dish to share. Election of FANCI officers will take place at this meeting. Bring ideas for next year’s programs and projects.  Please register in advance.

PRIMITIVE FIRE SKILLS – June 11, 10 a.m.

Join Tom Nedweden, primitive technologist, in the art of fire making. Two hundred and fifty years ago this skill could have meant life or death. This ability, no longer widely known, will be shared with you. Learn where to find the best firewood when you’re stranded in the wilderness, the types of trees and other plants used to make tinder bundle, and how to create our very own coals to ignite the blaze! FEE: $5 per person.  Please register; all children must be accompanied by an adult.

OUTDOOR LIVING SKILLS: Lashing Project III – June 18, 10 a.m.

Join Ranger Dan for the final session of his Lashing Projects. Hike into the forest, find a suitable group of trees, and build a raised platform using what we find in nature! Our goal is to build a tree house using our lashing skills. 

FREE; please register in advance.

SUMMER SOLSTICE DRUMMING WITH CHE CARTAFALSA – June 18, 2 p.m.

Che Cartafalsa is a musician, instrument maker, and educator whose work has ranged from concert halls and orchestras to rock bands and West African street weddings. He has played in the Northeast as a member of Toubabou and the White-Eyed Lizard 

Band, Che passes on to his students what he has learned from African percussion masters, emphasizing instrumental technique, listening skills, and multilayered rhythms in percussion. Authentic instruments will help us learn traditional African rhythms. 
FREE; please register for this family program.

FULL STRAWBERRY MOON HIKE – June 20, 8 p.m.

The Algonquin tribes knew this moon as a time to gather the ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon. Join the Nature Center rangers for this nighttime exploration of the park’s trails as we follow the scents of the summer through the forest and fields. This adventure is geared toward adults and children. Wear sturdy shoes. Enjoy the summer fire too! FEE: $1; please register.

SUMMER NATURE DAYS – Open registration; choose one or more of our week-long sessions, each held Monday–Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dates: Aug. 1–5, Aug. 8–12, and Aug. 15–19.

For children 5 to 11 years old who love the outdoors and wildlife, these popular classes will be not only educational but also a chance to explore the 156 acres the park offers. We will visit a variety of habitats in the park such as wetlands, fields, and woodlands. A great choice for a fun late-summer experience! 
TUITION PER WEEK: $150 priority students (Ansonia residents and current family-level FANCI members); $175 all others.


This is a press release from the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center.