Learn cartooning, take a hike, more at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Road, has announced a variety of fun activities for June.

CONNECTICUT TRAILS DAY – June 3, 9 a.m.

Join Nature Center Director Alison Rubelmann and Ranger Dan Bosques for this morning walk.

Discover the beauty of the Nature Center’s typical New England woodland during the CT Forest and Park Association’s annual Trails Day weekend. We might get lucky and find a lady slipper or two.

This moderate hike will also visit the settlement of the Paugasucks. Bring water, a snack, and bug spray, and wear sturdy shoes. Suitable for older children and adults. FREE.

CARTOONING THE NATURAL WORLD – June 10 and 24, 10 a.m.
Ranger Amie Ziner, our artist in residence, will teach four classes in cartooning nature! We will use on site materials, stuffed specimens, and live animal observation to complete four cartoons with a plant and animal in each one.

Improve your drawing accuracy and realism for fun, for story illustration, and for expressing yourself using pictures—a picture is worth a thousand words! For ages 10 to adult. Limited space. FEE: $5 per class.
Please call to register 203 736-1053.

SUMMER SUN SPOTS – June 10, 1 p.m.
Join Bob Carruthers for a chance to view the sun safely. Serious eye damage or blindness can result from even a brief glimpse of our star. Never view it directly with the naked eye or with any unfiltered optical device, such as binoculars or a telescope. Bob will use a special instrument to observe the sun spots safely. He will project an image of the sun through a telescope onto a white screen. He will teach you what the sun is, what makes it shine, and what it’s made from. FREE.

“A PASSION FOR BIRDS” WITH HENRY LAPPEN – June 11, 2 p.m.
In this family program, participants learn how birds adapt to their environment, and why they look and act the way they do. Be captivated by Henry Lappen’s beautiful masks and by his dances among the crowd demonstrating the form and motion of the different species. The audience joins him while learning some mime skills and imaging. FEE: $5 per person.

EXPLORE REDWING POND – June 14, 1 p.m.
An introduction for our young naturalists and adults to learn about the inhabitants of Redwing Pond. We will scoop with ponding nets to capture and identify aquatic insects, fish, frogs, and turtles. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes—you will get muddy and wet. FREE.

FANCI ANNUAL MEETING AND POTLUCK SUPPER – June 14, 5:30 p.m. If you’re a member of FANCI and can’t make the regular meetings, now is the time to find out what we’ve been up to! Reports and the election of officers will take place. Bring your own table setting and a dish to share (12 servings), and your ideas and suggestions for next year’s activities. Please register by June 9.

FIELD TRIP: Meigs Point Nature Center, Three Shoreline Ecosystems – June 21, 10 a.m.–noon
Meet the Ansonia Nature Center staff at the Meigs Point Nature Center, Hammonasset Beach State Park.
We will explore three very distinct shoreline ecosystems with the Meigs Point staff – rocky shore, sandy beach, and salt marsh. We will learn what makes a species invasive and how animals adapt in order to survive in the intertidal zone at the rocky shore. Along the sandy beach we’ll identify shells and seaweed as well as drag a seine net to see what lives in Long Island Sound. In the salt marsh we’ll discover its age and why marshes are important to people and Long Island Sound. 

Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear shoes that can get wet and muddy.
FEE: $5 per person.

Please visit www.MeigsPointNatureCenter.org for directions. We will meet promptly at 9:45 am. Limited space.

NIGHT HIKE: Strawberry Moon – June 23, 7 p.m.
Native American tribes traditionally kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. The name of this moon, given because strawberries are harvested in June, was universal to all Algonquin tribes. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Wear appropriate footwear. For all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult). FEE: $1.

And register now for SUMMER NATURE DAYS!
Open registration; choose one or more week-long sessions, each held Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dates: July 31–Aug. 4, Aug. 7–11, Aug. 14–18.

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. Hikes, games, crafts, and cooking will be incorporated into our lessons. A great choice for a fun late-summer experience!

TUITION PER WEEK: $150 for priority students (Ansonia residents and current family-level FANCI members), $175 all others.

***ONGOING PROGRAMS***

• Sundays: Guided Hikes, 1 p.m. • Thursdays: Yoga for Your Health, 6:30 p.m. — call Pam, 203-888-4124 • Saturdays: Creature Features, noon

***THINGS TO COME (Summer 2017)*** • Firefly Hike • Summer Nature Days • Astronomy • Insects • Chris Rowlands


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