Learn about fireflies at Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center hike

 

Firefly Hike Saturday, July 18 8-9 p.m. ANSONIA - Join Ranger Jeremy for an evening walk around Redwing Pond and into the upper fields as we search for fireflies, glowworms, and other bioluminescent wonders of the summer night.  Learn about the life cycle and behavior of these fascinating insects while enjoying the beauty of the Nature Center after dark.  Wear appropriate footwear and bring a flashlight. $3 per participant ages 4 and older.

Register for Fireflies

Kids can explore Redwing Pond July 23 at Ansonia Nature Center

 

Explore Redwing Pond at Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center

Explore Redwing Pond – July 23, 11 a.m.

Join the Ansonia Nature Center staff for a fun-filled morning catching frogs and other inhabitants of the redwing pond. 

We will start inside with a brief discussion on what types of vertebrates and invertebrates 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 register at ancnaturectr@ansoniact.org

This is shared from a nature center press release.

Learn to fish, take a hike in June at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center,10 Deerfield Road, will hold a variety of educational activities in June.

CT DEEP FISHING EDUCATION PROGRAM – June 8, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

The Ansonia Nature Center is sponsoring this Department of Energy & Environmental Protection C.F.E.P. (Connecticut Fishing Education Program) Family Fishing Class. 

Colony Pond
/file photo

This is an opportunity for interested people of all ages to learn about fish identification, how and where fish live, fishing tackle and techniques, fishing laws and regulations, how to tie a strong knot, how to clean and cook your catch, sportsmanship and safety, how to cast, and where to catch fish. 
The two-hour classroom instruction at the Nature Center will be immediately followed by fishing with the instructors at Colony Pond in Ansonia until 3:30 p.m. All equipment and bait will be provided. 
Adults over the age of 16 are required to have a fishing license to participate in the fishing event. This free program, taught by Certified DEEP C.F.E.P. Instructors, is open to everyone 7 years old and up; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 
To register or for more information call chief instructor Dave Connelly, 203-231-0946.

FANCI ANNUAL MEETING AND POTLUCK SUPPER – June 12, 5:30 p.m. 

If you’re a FANCI member who 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 in advance.

MUD KITCHEN MADNESS – June 15, 1 p.m.

Calling children ages 3-5 years old and parents who don’t mind letting their children get muddy. Come to the Nature Center and use water and dirt to “cook up” mud pie masterpieces. 
Children will learn a physical understanding of volume, measuring, and the effects of water on soil. They will have pots, pans, spoons, bowls, and other materials to play in the mud. This program will be gently supervised by Ranger Amie. Bring your own apron, towels and a change of clothes. 
Your children will get muddy from head to toe so make sure they wear old clothes and shoes you don’t care about. 
Please call 203-736-1053 to register; class limited to 20. FEE: $6 each.

FIELD TRIP:  Silver Sands Mollusk Walk – June 22, 9:30 a.m.

Meet the Nature Center staff at Silver Sands State Park in Milford for a natural history walk. We will join Tim Chaucer, Director of Milford Marine Institute, Inc. and Gulf Pond Museum, for a leisurely interpretive walk to learn more about Connecticut’s marine mollusks. We will find examples of 2 of the 5 groups of mollusks, discuss and handle them, and learn the differences between the gastropods and pelecypods and which ones are vegetarians or carnivorous. This walk will last about 60 to 90 minutes. Meet in the Silver Sands parking lot at 9:15 am. FEE: $6 per person. Please call to register.

EXPLORE REDWING POND –  June 22, 1 p.m.

Join Ranger Dawn to learn what critters inhabit our beautiful Redwing Pond. Start with a short talk on the types of reptiles, amphibians, and insects you will see during your exploration. Head to the pond with nets and buckets to collect and observe these creatures. At the end participants will release the animals back into their home, the pond. Family-friendly program; children must be accompanied by an adult. Wear appropriate clothes and shoes for this wet and muddy adventure. FREE; please register in advance.

THEMED GUIDED HIKE: Wild Medicine in the Park – June 30, 1 p.m.

Join Ranger Jess for our Sunday guided themed hike. She will take you on this wild plant foray! You’ll hike around the Nature Center property hunting out wild medicinal plants and learning to identify them. She will also teach you how to make them into medicine. Sample some edible plants along the way too! Yum… For children 8 years old and up accompanied by an adult.  FEE: $6 per person.  

And register now for SUMMER NATURE DAYS!

Open registration; choose one or both of our week-long sessions, each held weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Dates: Aug. 5–9, Aug. 12–16.

For children 6 to 11 years old who love the outdoors and wildlife, these popular classes are not only educational but also a chance to explore the park’s 156 acres. 
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 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.

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.

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.

Redwing Pond House Preschool in Ansonia holding registration

ANSONIA - Registration has begun at The Redwing Pond House Preschool for the 2017-2018 school year.

Two weeks of ‘priority’ registration for Ansonia residents will be held Jan. 16-31. General registration for all other incoming students will begin Feb. 1.

The Redwing Pond House is a high quality, licensed preschool offering a nature-based curriculum located at 21 Milan St. on the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center property. 

The children spend a great part of each day outdoors, exploring our natural playground, hiking the many trails, and planting and tending a children’s garden.

The curriculum is influenced by the changes in weather, wildlife, and the wonders of nature.

To register or for more information call 203-734-7974, email jackie@rwphpreschool.org, or visit rwphpreschool.org.

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.