Enjoy music, learn about butterflies, hike, more at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature Center has announced its August schedule of fun activities for the family.

BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES – Aug. 1, 1 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon at the park on our guided hike. 
Explore Redwing Pond and our meadows for these beautiful six-legged, four-winged insects. See our native butterfly gardens and learn the benefits of native plants to our Connecticut butterflies and dragonflies. 
FREE.

FALL TERM JUNIOR RANGERS – Registration begins Aug. 2.  

Class runs Thursdays, Sept. 13–Nov. 1, 3:30–5 p.m.

Rowlands - Photo from Facebook 

CHRIS ROWLANDS: Puppeteer/Singer – Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Award-winning singer and songwriter Chris Rowlands offers an interactive kid-friendly presentation for music and nature lovers. His fast-paced show’s creative blend of music, comedy, and education teaches and inspires, using song, dance, puppets, and colorful props to teach kids about animals and their habitats. 
The Environment Magazine has honored Chris with its first E Award for his environmental education programs. Don’t miss this FREE musical program! 

EXPLORE REDWING POND – Aug. 4, 2 p.m.

Join our staff for a fun-filled afternoon catching frogs and other inhabitants of Redwing Pond. We’ll start inside with a brief discussion on the vertebrates and invertebrates that inhabit the pond and learn how to identify them. Borrow our collection equipment and help us catch, observe and release these interesting critters. FREE. Please call to register.

GEOLOGY OF THE ANSONIA NATURE CENTER: Hike and Talk – Aug. 5, 1-3 p.m.

Ranger Amie will lead the group in a walk along Raptor Woods Trail to view outcrops of bedrock and identify major mineral groups in CT. She will also share some of her personal collection of rocks and minerals, including fossils and semi-precious stones. You can bring your collection to show others too! Wear good hiking boots and bring a water bottle and a small bag for collecting a few samples. 
FREE. (This is not a Scout badge class). Ages 8 years old and up (children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult). Class size is limited; please pre-register.

ROCKS IN SPACE: Perseid Meteor Showers –  Aug. 12, 8 p.m.

Come to Ansonia’s darkest location for some unusual night sky viewing with Bob Carruthers and the New Haven Astronomical Society. In addition to a chance to see the annual meteor showers, there will be a short talk about meteorites. You will get to view and touch meteorites from around the world. This night will be the peak of the showers! No need to bring anything except for warm clothing and a chair. Telescopes and binoculars are not necessary. 
Children must be accompanied by an adult.  FREE.

CATTAIL MAT WEAVING – Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join Ranger Dan for a two-part series on cattails. Week 1 we will begin to collectively work on a mat made from the cattail reeds, and week 2 we will add the finishing touches to our mat. 
Learn how Native Americans from the Eastern Woodlands would use these reeds! Pack a bag lunch, and be prepared for swampy conditions. Adults only. 
FEE: $10 per person covers both weeks. Please pre-register; class limited to 8.

VINE CROWNS AND CIRCLETS – Aug. 19, 2:30 p.m.

Join Ranger Jessica on a woodland adventure to harvest invasive vines and weave them into beautiful crowns! Use these new skills to craft magical toys, hoops, bracelets, necklaces and dreamcatchers, all while helping our forests. Bring your own clippers. FREE. Ages 5 years old and up (children must be accompanied by an adult).

FULL STURGEON MOON HIKE – Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m.

The Native American fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. Join our staff on a hike in our meadows to watch as this reddish moon rises. Each child must be accompanied by an adult. Number of participants is limited so please pre-register. 

FEE: $3 per person. Wear appropriate footwear.

The Nature Center is at 10 Deerfield Road.


This is a press release from Ansonia Nature Center.