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(formerly the Science Center of CT)
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Exhibits, Events and Nature Walks

Exhibits - Special Project

 

Mia's Garden

This spring Roaring Brook Nature Center will begin work on Mia’s Garden, an area in front of the Nature Center building that will serve as a combination garden, educational exhibit and resting place for our students and visitors. The Garden is in memory of Mia Shand, a beautiful young lady who loved nature and had a tremendous curiosity about the natural world and how things work.

Mia's Garden will consist of two seating areas. The garden to the side of the front door will provide a gathering/seating area for our visitors and educational signs on animal senses. The circular garden to the side of the building will provide benches and educational signs explaining the local geology. Extraordinary geological rock specimens will also be on display in this area of the garden. New native plantings, a small water feature and bird feeding stations will complement this garden renovation.

We are very excited about this project and look forward to its completion in the months to come. We thank the many members of the Canton community who have been so generous in contributing to this project.

If you have questions about Mia’s Garden,
or wish to contribute to this project,
please contact Nature Center Director, Jay Kaplan,
at rbnc@thechildrensmuseumct.org
or call us at 860.693.0263


Special Events

 


Saturday
October 30th
10 AM- Noon
1 - 3 PM

ANNUAL HOBGOBLIN FAIR

What "critters" will appear on our trails this Halloween? The Hobgoblin Fair features the "Track-and-Treat" walk, children's crafts, cupcake decorating, face painting, a Country Kitchen of yummy homemade items, and a delicious lunch of homemade soup, bread and apple cider. 

 

Suitable for children ages 3-8 and parents

 

Cost per child: $5.00members, $6.00 nonmembers.

Fee includes the track-and-treat walk and two activity tickets for crafts. (Additional activity tickets on sale the day of the Fair).

 

PLEASE NOTE: this event will be held
RAIN or SHINE

 

Pre-registration with payment is required.

Click here for registration form
Please specify morning (10 AM-Noon) or afternoon (1-3 PM) session. Please note there are no refunds and participants should attend the session for which they register.

 

Children are encouraged to wear costumes IF they are suitable for walking in the woods and participating in crafts. Parents should plan to stay with their children.

Click here to learn more and to see pictures

from past Hobgoblin Fairs

 

 


Sunday
November 21st
Noon - 4 PM

HOLIDAY GIFT & CRAFT FAIR

Start your holiday shopping with our nature-related gifts for all ages. Handmade crafts will include candles, pottery, jewelry, soaps, felted ornaments and many other items.

Proceeds from this Friends of Roaring Brook fundraiser benefit the programs and activities
at Roaring Brook Nature Center.

There is no charge to visit the Nature Center or
to attend the Fair on this date.


   

Nature Programs & Events

 


Saturdays

Meet Matt Messina - Wildlife Artist

On Saturdays this fall, Nature Center visitors will have an opportunity to watch Avon High School student, Matt Messina, at work. Matt is an up and coming wildlife artist. Last spring he won the Connecticut State Duck Stamp for students. He is a student of Kathy Goff, a well-known wildlife artist who has a studio at the Farmington Valley Arts Center.

Matt will be working here most Saturdays during our regular hours.


Saturday
September 11th
10 AM - Noon


Mushrooms with Mushroom Marlene

Join Marlene Snecinski of the Connecticut Valley Mycological Association for a talk and stroll along the trails of Werner’s Woods. Learn fascinating facts about fungi, which ones are sought after as delicacies and which ones not to touch. Photography is encouraged.

The walk is jointly sponsored by the Canton Land Conservation Trust.

There is no charge to Land Trust and Nature Center members; $5.00 for others. Pre-registration is requested.


Sunday
September 12th
10 AM - 2 PM

Migration Day

Bring a picnic lunch and join us in the fields of Werner’s Woods as we watch for migrating hawks and other birds. Stay for a short time or as long as you’d like. This is the height of the fall migration and there is no telling what may fly by including birds, butterflies or dragonflies!

Pre-registration required. $6.00 member, $10.00 nonmembers.


Sunday
September 19th
1:00 PM



Join Mrs. Daly-Byrnes
and Mrs. Cohen
for an afternoon of
nature- inspired
art and exploration

Gnoming Around!

Would you like to spend a day this September Gnoming Around With Mrs. Daly-Byrnes and Mrs. Cohen?

Mrs. Cohen is a Pine Grove School Art Teacher and Mrs. Daly Byrnes is a Pine Grove School Reading Specialist. These two Pine Grove Teachers, both former Avon Teacher’s of the Year, have collaborated to bring Art and writing together in a children’s book entitled Gnoming Around.

Learn about the process of creating their children’s book, listen to their story, see a demonstration of how the illustrations were created, and make your own gnome house! Together, we will go on a nature scavenger hunt… and maybe even find a gnome!

Pre-registrtion is requested
Cost: $3 members, $5 nonmembers

Signed copies of the book will be available
for purchase or bring your own copy to be signed

Gnoming Around will be used for the scavenger hunt 


Sunday
October 3rd
2 PM

Aliens in Our Backyard!

What is taking over your yard? Oriental bittersweet? Japanese knotweed? Garlic mustard? Where did they come from, why are they here? What can you do to stop them from taking over? What's happening beyond our backyards? What new aliens are on our doorstep?

Join us for a presentation on these alien plants (and animals) and a hike on the trails of Werner's Woods as we go in search of these alien species.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers.


 

Sunday
October 3rd
3:30 - 5 PM

Autumn Hike & Yoga for Children

Explore the outside wonders of nature with an autumn hike, and then stretch, move & chill out with some fun & soothing yoga with yoga instructors Leslie Gordon and Julie Erasmus. Suitable for ages 6-12.

No yoga experience is necessary. Bring your own mat, if you have one.

Pre-registration is required. Cost: $8 members, $10 nonmembers.


Saturday
October 16th
10 - 11:30 PM

From Bedrock to Stone Walls

Join us as we take a trip back in time to learn how your backyard might have looked 100, 500 or 10,000 years ago.

Find out what changes have occurred in our area and how geology, ecology and human history have combined to create the landscape as we know it.

Pre-registration is requested. Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Half price for children.


 

Sunday
October 17th
2 PM

Ken Feder is the author of
A Village of Outcasts:
Historical Archaeology and Documentary Research at the Lighthouse Site

An Ever Widening Circle:
The People of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse

When Jon Elwell died in the late nineteenth century, newspapers called him the "last of the Lighthouse tribe." When Sol Webster died in 1900, newspapers call him the "last of the Lighthouse tribe." Just before Mary Matilda Elwell died in 1928, she called herself the last of the Lighthouse tribe.

But in fact, the Lighthouse people are not extinct or gone, nor are they forgotten. The descendants of the original settlers, the Narragansett man, James Chaugham and his white wife, Molly Barber, have not disappeared but are, in fact, vibrant members of an ever widening circle.

Ken Feder, Professor of Anthropology has, along with his students from Central Connecticut State University, excavated the village of what has been called the “Lighthouse tribe” in what is now Peoples State Forest. Dr. Feder will speak about the things he found there that illuminate the lives of the village’s residents.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Reservations requested.


Sunday
October 24th
1:30 - 3 PM

Fall Foliage Day

Join us for a guided fall foliage walk through Werner’s Woods and the nature center’s gardens, learn why the spectacular fall color show happens each year, and why some years are more colorful than others. Find out why trees lose their leaves and what happens to them when they hit the ground. A short program on fall leaves will be followed by a hike to view the colors.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Half price for children. Pre-registration is required.


Saturday
November 6th
1:30 - 3 PM

Family Nature Quest

Discover what fall treasures can be found in Werner’s Woods as you brush up on basic orienteering skills and follow clues deciphered through riddles and rhymes.

For families with children eight years old and up.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Half price for children.


Sunday
November 7th
1:30 - 2:30 PM

REI Winter Camping Demonstration

Winter can be a wonderful time to go camping if you are properly equipped and prepared. To find out what you might need to make a winter camping adventure safe and fun, join us at the Nature Center for a one-hour demonstration of winter camping equipment by REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), a national outdoor gear and clothing retailer.

This program is offered free of cost. A donation to help support the programs and activities at Roaring Brook Nature Center would be appreciated.


Saturday
November 13th
9:30 AM

Call the Nature Center
for details.

BIRDS IN LITCHFIELD

A special tour of the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy in Litchfield followed by birding at the White Memorial Conservation Center. Meet at the Nature Center at 9:30 AM to carpool, or meet us at the Waterfowl Conservancy. Bring a picnic lunch after which we will go birding on the grounds of one of the largest privately held nature preserves in the State.

Pre-registration with payment is required for this trip and reservations are limited to 12 participants. Cost is $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers and this includes a donation to the Waterfowl Conservancy.

This trip is not appropriate for young children


Saturday
November 13th

Annual Fall Bird Seed Sale

Here is a great opportunity to feed our feathered friends while also supporting the programs and activities at the Roaring Brook Nature Center!

We offer the high quality and well-known Lyric Wild Bird Food, at discounted prices. Orders are due two weeks before the pick up date of November 13th.

Call the Center at 693-0263 to receive your order form!


Sunday
November 14th
1:30-3:00 PM

Preparing For Winter

Find out how plants and animals prepare for the coming winter season on this leisurely hike along the trails through Werner’s Woods.

Pre-registration is not required.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Half price for children.


Summer Animal Demonstrations

 


THIS SUMMER
Monday to Friday
2PM

DAILY ANIMAL DEMONSTRATIONS
and other ACTIVITIES

New this summer - Nature Center visitors may learn about native wildlife each afternoon at 2 PM.

A 15-minute animal demonstration will be held daily Monday through Friday with close up opportunities to see an animal and learn about its habits.

We may also have nature crafts, exhibit tours and guided walks through the woods available for our visitors. Stop by and see what's happening at the Nature Center this summer.

No charge for these demonstrations or activities with admission to the Center.

   Additional information is available by calling
the Center at (860) 693-0263


Classes

 


Monday
September 20th
October 18th
November 15th
December 20th

1 - 2 PM

ADVENTURE STORY TIME

Adventure Story Time for children ages 2-5 will be held this fall on the third Monday of each month from 1:00-2:00 PM. Adults and children can participate in a shared story with a craft and short walk.

Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cost: $2/child with a maximum $5 per family
Pre-registration is requested


Can't make our story hours?
Bring your child and select a book from our
wetlands room library of children's nature books
and
create your own story time
at the Nature Center.


DISCOVERY DAY PROGRAMS

FALL DISCOVERY DAYS PROGRAMS

Discovery Days is the Nature Center’s enrichment series for children in pre-school and in grades K-3. The cost of each four week session is $40.00 for members, $50.00 for nonmembers. Discounts are extended to families with multiple children attending during the same time period. Portions of the program are held outdoors, please dress accordingly.

To learn more about our fall programs, click here.


NATURE CENTER 2010 SUMMER PROGRAMS

Spaces remain in several of our SUMMER 2010 Discover Days programs. Nature Center programs offer your child a unique blend of education and recreation that takes advantage of the curiosity and sense of wonder that all children feel towards the natural world.

This summer's program offerings include activities for pre-schoolers through students entering grade 8. Enrollment is limited; early registration is strongly recommended. To view our summer programs, click here.

For more information , please call us at (860) 693-0263 or send us a short e-mail at rbnc@thechildrensmuseumct.org


Guided Nature Walks

 


Wednesdays
August 4
August 18
7:30 - 8:45 PM

Wednesday Evening Walks

Wednesday evening walks provide a relaxing end to a busy summer day and an opportunity to observe animals that become more active in the cooler evening temperatures.

Long sleeves, a flashlight and insect repellant are recommended.

Cost: Adults $3 members, $5 nonmembers

Children: $2 members, $3 nonmembers.

Pre-registration is not required.

 

Saturdays
September 11th
October 2nd
October 9th
7:30 - 9 AM

Saturday Morning Bird Walks

Join us as we wander the trails through Werner’s Woods during the fall migration season. Binoculars and footwear for wet ground conditions are all you’ll need.

Geared for all levels of birding expertise. Bird walks are not geared for younger children.  Bring binoculars and dress for wet ground underfoot.   

Cost: $2 members, $3 nonmembers
Pre-registration is not required.


Friday Evenings
October 1st
October 15th
7:30-8:45 PM

Friday Evening Walks

Our evening walks provide a relaxing end to the busy work/school week and an opportunity to observe a wide range of animals that become more active in the cooler evening temperatures of autumn.

Dress for cooler weather and bring a flashlight

Pre-registration is not required.

Cost: $4.00 members, $6.00 nonmembers. Half price for children.

 


Guided
Nature Walks

 

During July and August, group nature walks may be scheduled by individuals, families or by organized groups on selected weekday afternoons. Walks may be general or may focus on a specific topic of interest. Call the Nature Center for additional information.

Volunteers Needed!
  • Volunteers interested in working with the Nature Center's Raptor Care Program (must be over 18 years of age), please call the Center (860) 693-0263. Whatever time you can offer will be appreciated.

For more information on our volunteer needs, click here.


Birthday Party Opportunities

During the school year, the Nature Center offers birthday parties on Saturdays (morning parties from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, afternoon parties from 1:30-3:30 PM) and on selected weekday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

During July and August, the Nature Center will offer birthday parties on selected weekday afternoons from 1:30 – 3:30 PM. (Please note that birthday party availability is subject to the Nature Center’s summer program schedule of classes and public events).

Parties include a live animal demonstration, nature walk, and use of our auditorium for holding the party. Cost of a party is $100 for members, $125 for nonmembers.

For more information, click here. To make a reservation call the Center at (860) 693-0263.


Scout Programs

Leaders of Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scout Troops, as well as Cub Scout Troops, will find that numerous badge requirements may be fulfilled by a visit to Roaring Brook Nature Center. Winter programs include the “Frosty Fun” badge for Juniors.

(For more information on Scout programs, call the Center at 693-0263.)