Friends of Sherwood Island State Park

Nature Center Hours, September and Early October, 2011

sherwoodfriends — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:19:09 +0000

The Nature Center is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 to 4, through October 9th. After that, the seasonally operated center will be closed until next spring. Aw. What happened to summer? It flew by!

Come by and enjoy a beautiful fall day at the park.

Free Admission Labor Day Weekend

sherwoodfriends — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:26:01 +0000

The park has reopened after storm cleanup, and admission is free this entire weekend. Come on over! The Nature Center is open and offers children’s activities like crafts, games, and puzzles, in addition to observing the animals in the touch tank and aquariums.

The Nature Center will be open on Labor Day, too.

Fundraiser: Shorefest, Friday, September 9

sherwoodfriends — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:55:34 +0000

Sherwood Island Shorefest

Friday, September 9, from 6 to 9, in the Pavilion at Sherwood Island State Park

The Friends of Sherwood Island State Park invite you to join us for an evening of fun, food (lobster, steak, chicken), music, and an irresistible silent auction.

$50 per adult

All proceeds go toward special Nature Center and park programming and equipment.

Registration form

Nature Center Activities, August 17-27, Updated!

sherwoodfriends — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:11:51 +0000

NOTE: Because of Hurricane Irene, the Science Experiment program on Saturday, Aug. 27, has been postponed. The entire park is closed Sunday, Aug. 28.

Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 17- 19

SpongeBob Gang
Come to the Nature Center and search for SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs, Gary, Sandy, and other SpongeBob friends. Go on a scavenger hunt! Learn about the real creatures and how they are the same or different from the cartoon characters. Get a SpongeBob sticker and more!

At 2: Nature Walk, scavenger-hunt style. Fun for all ages. Kids can earn a sticker.

Saturday Aug. 20

More SpongeBob adventures at the Nature Center. See above.

At 1: Shell Hunt and Craft. Meet Nature Center staff at East Beach. Walk the strand, hunt for shells, and learn about the animals that live in them. Make a craft to bring home.

At 2: Storytime by the Sea. The Westport Library’s Kris Nash reads favorite picture books under the tent on the East Beach.

*****

Sunday, Aug. 21, and Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 24- 27

Sounds Fishy Week: See live fish at the Nature Center! Play “Go Fish” and identify and learn about your “catch.” Make a fish wind sock to bring home.

Thursday, Aug. 25, from 1 to 4: Zoomobile! A live-animal show, presented by the Beardsley Zoo, under the tent on the East Beach.

POSTPONED Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2: Science Experiments. Bob Perry, Eagle Hill Southport’s science wizard (and teacher), conducts hands-on science experiments at the Nature Center. A sure-fire hit; no goggles needed.

*****

Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 31-Sept. 2

Eat or Be Eaten Week: Come help Nature Center staff feed the animals. Play a food web game.

Mystical Horses at the Nature Center!

sherwoodfriends — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:42:37 +0000

Sabina and her dad brought this lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus, to the Nature Center on Aug. 11^th. Sabina named it Mystical. A bony fish, the seahorse does not have scales, but bony plates covered with skin. It has eyes that move independently of each other and a tail that likes to wrap around thin seaweeds or grasses. Notice its long snout that it uses to suck up food. We are feeding it brine shrimp. Come see Mystical the seahorse and its cousins, our pipefish, at the Nature Center this month!

Panel Discussion: Careers in Public Service

sherwoodfriends — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:16:02 +0000

On Tuesday, August 9, from 5:30 to 7, at the Sherwood Island State Park Nature Center:

The public is invited to a free panel discussion, geared toward young people, about careers in public service. The speakers are as follows:

Maria Zambrano, Director of the Bridgeport Partnership for Student Success
Julia McNamee, public school teacher
Eden Werring, Executive Director of the Tauck Foundation
Karen Brown, Vice President of Programs at the Fairfield County Community Foundation

In addition, Craig Skinner, operations manager at Builders Beyond Borders, and Dan Levinson, co-founder Green Village Initiative (GVI), will make opening remarks.

Upcoming Events at the Nature Center, August 6-27

sherwoodfriends — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:52:35 +0000

The Sherwood Island Nature Center is open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 to 4. No charge for programs beyond the usual parking fees.

Saturday, August 6

All day: Make a bird craft. Play a game to learn about bird beak adaptations. Dissect an owl pellet, and discover what that bird ate last night.

At 2: Bird walk/scavenger-hunt style. Kids can earn a sticker! Meet at the Center.

Sunday, August 7, and Wednesday through Saturday, August 10-13: Sink or Swim Week

Test objects to see if they sink or float; you may be surprised. Plus, make a wooden toy boat to take home.

Thursday, August 11, at 6: The Sunset Lectures series presents David Brant, executive director of the Aspetuck Land Trust. For adults and teens. Free. No charge for parking after 6.

For an updated schedule of events from August 17 to August 27, click here.

Sunset Lectures: Global Climatic Change

sherwoodfriends — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:11:26 +0000

Thursday, August 4 at 6: “Global Climatic Change: Consequences and Cures.” Lewis Clark, a chemical engineer and a specialist in water- and air-pollution abatement projects, is the speaker. For adults and teens. No charge; free parking after 6 p.m.

The Sunset Lecture series takes place at the Nature Center, near the East Beach.

Happenings at the Nature Center, July 30-Aug. 5

sherwoodfriends — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:35:34 +0000

Saturday, July 30

All day at the Center: Make a newspaper seed pot to take home.

At noon : Garden Tour. Hear a native American legend about the Three Sisters Garden, and then tour our garden, looking for a vegetable to take home.

At 2: Shell hunt on East Beach. Look for shells and learn about the animals that inhabit them.

At 3: Nature walk, scavenger-hunt style. Meet at the Center.

Sunday, July 31

Learn about birds all week long.

All day at the Center: Make a bird craft; play a game to learn about bird beak adaptations.

At noon: Dissect an owl pellet: what did that bird eat last night? Limited to the first 8 participants.

At 2: A live birds of prey program, presented by wildlife rehabilitators from A Place Called Hope, takes place in the field just outside the Nature Center. Entertaining, educational, and lots of fun.

The Nature Center is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Wednesday through Friday, August 3-5

At noon: Dissect an owl pellet. What did that bird eat last night? Limited to the first 8 participants.

At 2: Bird walk. Meet at the Center to look for birds and other wildlife.

At the Nature Center, Wednesday through Friday, July 27-29

sherwoodfriends — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:14:53 +0000

Children’s Activities at the Nature Center, Wednesday through Friday, July 27-29

All day at the Center: Make a newspaper seed pot to take home.

At noon: Hear a Native American legend about the Three Sisters, and tour our own Three Sisters garden, looking for a vegetable to take home.

At 2: Seining. Come net animals from the shore of East Beach with Nature Center interns and staff.

Sunset Lecture

July 28 at 6: “Connecticut Parks: Back to the Future.” A talk by Dan Esty, the Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), will be followed by a Q. & A. with the audience. Expect to hear about Esty’s plans and ideas for the future, including the greening of Connecticut State Parks, maximizing social networking to attract visitors, the rationale behind the newly created Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and other topics. Co-sponsored by Green Village Initiative (GVI). For adults and teens.