Save the date: View Geminids meteor shower at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - Celebrate one of the last meteor showers of 2023 on Dec. 14 with Ranger Jeremy at the Ansonia Nature Center! 

The Geminids will fill the sky with 120 meteors per hour at its peak between 9 and 10 p.m. 

Bring appropriate clothes for the weather, chairs, and blankets for a relaxing view. 

The Nature Center is at 10 Deerfield Lane.

Register online for this FREE event, suitable for all ages.
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSeBA6PYnZ7xNs.../viewform

This is a press release from the Nature Center.

Check out 'Rocks in Space' at Ansonia Nature Center

Perseid Meteor Showers 
ANSONIA - Come to Ansonia’s darkest location at 8 p.m. Aug. 12 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 warm clothing and a chair. 
Telescopes and binoculars are not necessary. 
Children must be accompanied by an adult. This event is free.
The Nature Center is at 10 Deerfield Road. 


This is shared from the Nature Center's Facebook page.

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 about turtles, butterflies, mushrooms, more at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Road, offers a variety of fun and educational programs in August.

BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES – Aug. 6, 1 p.m.

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon at the park on our guided hike. Explore the Redwing Pond and our meadows for these beautiful six-legged, four-winged insects. 

The guide will show you our native butterfly gardens and teach you the benefits of native plants to our Connecticut butterflies and dragonflies. 

FREE. Registration required. 

FULL STURGEON MOON HIKE – Aug. 6, 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, please pre-register. 
FEE: $3 per person. Wear appropriate footwear. 

MUSHROOM IDENTIFICATION FOR BEGINNERS – Aug. 12, 10 a.m.

Join a foraging family who hunt, photograph, identify, and love to eat the fungi in New England for a discussion and walk at the Ansonia Nature Center. 
We will dispel common myths, learn how to safely identify mushrooms with visual clues and guidebooks, and discuss mycophagy, the cooking and eating of wild mushrooms. 
After the lecture we’ll walk the property to search for wild fungi and put our newly learned skills to the test.
FEE: $5. Registration required.

ROCKS IN SPACE: Perseid Meteor Showers – Aug. 12, 7 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 and your family 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. Registration required.

TURTLE TALK – Aug. 26, 1 p.m.

Anthony Pierlioni is Senior Director of the TurtleRoom, an online radio show dedicated to these fascinating reptiles and the people who love them. 
He’ll share his knowledge and some turtle species with us.

He is a member of the Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle & Tortoise Preservation Group, New York Turtle & Tortoise Society, and New England Herpetological Society, as well as the online sites TurtleForum.com, TortoiseBoard.com, and TortoiseForum.org, where he can be found as Anthony P. 

You can contact him at anthony@theturtleroom.com. 
Registration required.

CATTAIL MAT WEAVING – Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sept. 2, 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. 
This program is for adults only. FEE: $6 per person covers both weeks. Please call to register.

ONGOING WEEKLY PROGRAMS

CREATURE FEATURE – Saturday at noon
Have you always wanted to pet a dove or hold a bearded dragon?  Here’s your chance!  Come meet the Nature Center’s Resident Animals every Saturday at noon!

GUIDED HIKE- Sundays at 1 p.m.

Have you ever wondered where the owls nest or where the deer sleep?  Join an Ansonia Nature Center Park Ranger on a Guided Hike every Sunday!

MONDAY NIGHT TRAIL RUN – Mondays in August and September, 5:30-6:30 pm

This is a call to all of the runners who want something that is out of the ordinary! Ranger Dan will lead you through our 156-acre network of trails, while you burn off the weekend's extra calories. We guarantee that this FREE program is the best way to start off your week.  
Please register and wear appropriate footwear. 

FAMILY ORGANIC GARDEN PROGRAM – Tuesdays, August through November

ANC will be continuing family-friendly activities in our organic garden. Learn about growing a variety of fruits and vegetables. Dress appropriately; keep in mind you will get water and soil on your clothing. 
FREE, with the potential to take home fresh local produce! 

Please call 203-736-1053 to register for all programs.

This is a press release from the nature center.

Learn about snakes, see puppet show, movie, more at Ansonia Nature Center

Programs planned in August
BACK TO BASICS: Natural Dyes – Aug. 1, 10 a.m. Join fiber artists Dawn Sotir and Jody Bishel to learn how to produce beautiful and sometimes surprising shades to dye your fiber using plants. They will take you for a short walk to identify plants in our area that may be used, and demonstrate their color dyeing techniques inside. Tuition: $8 per person for materials and supplies. Please register.

SNAKES OF CONNECTICUT – Aug. 1, 1 p.m. Meet some of nature’s most important predators up close and personal! Discover how they eat, what’s inside those long, skinny bodies, and how invasive species impact the natives. Ranger Jess will show us some of our indigenous snakes. Free. Please pre-register.

ENTERTAINER CHRIS ROWLANDS: Puppeteer and Singer – Aug. 7, 7 p.m. Come see Chris Rowlands, who’s famous for getting everyone involved. He brings animals to life through his music, comedy, puppets, and colorful props. Sing along as he shares his songs about animals and their environment. 

Please register for this free interactive presentation.

ROCKS IN SPACE: Perseid Meteor Showers – Aug. 8, 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 (and touch a real meteor!), lunar rays—glass ejecta from the moon’s meteor craters—and Saturn will be visible if we have clear skies. Telescopes will be available. Meet at picnic pavilion #2. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Please register.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: Hoot – Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m. Hoot is a film about three middle school children who try to save a burrowing owl habitat from being bulldozed by a developer who intends to turn the site into a pancake house. The children successfully protect the owl habitat, making this a great movie to prove the point that children can make a difference. Jimmy Buffett fans will be pleased to learn that he composed the soundtrack for Hoot. The movie is free; you can buy popcorn and lemonade for $1. 

Please register.

AMAZING WORLD OF ARTHROPODS WITH JAMES TULLY - Aug. 15, 1 p.m. Meet some of James’s amazing arthropods. He will teach us all about animals that have an external skeleton (called an exoskeleton), segmented bodies, and jointed legs. Come up close to real live scorpions, tarantulas, and our resident Walking Sticks. 

Please call to register for this free event.

For information or to register, call 203-736-1053.


This is a press release from the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center,10 Deerfield Road.