Winter 2012-13
Calendar of Events
2013 Theme—Sustainable Communities
Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center Mission Statement
The mission of the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center is to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship that will connect our communities to the natural world of the Lower Naugatuck River Valley, and balance the demand for recreation with the need for conservation.
Unlike the winter of 2011-2012, maybe snowy
weather will prevail. If so, we’ll be here on
weekends to take advantage of cross-country
skiing and snowshoeing conditions. If you’d
like to be on our “call” list, phone 203-736-1053.
DECEMBER 2012
NATURE'S CHILD: Evergreen Trees – Fri. Dec. 7, 10:30 am
Create some one-of-a-kind woodland holiday cards, read a
short story, and take a little hike to find your tree! Geared
for preschoolers and their adult caregiver. TUITION: $6
per family ($4 for Ansonia residents or current family-
level FANCI members). Adults come for free. Please
register in advance.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT – Sat. Dec. 15, 1 pm
Beginning at daybreak—or before—for the 113th year, the
New Haven Bird Club will be locating, identifying, and
counting every bird they can find. You can join in this
small band of dedicated birders as they scout our park
after taking a short break in our building about noontime.
We’ll plug in the teapot for them, and set up a table and chairs. Please call us if you’d like to participate, or contact leader Chris Loscalzo ().
NATURAL HISTORY LECTURE SERIES: Paleobiology –
Sat. Dec. 15, 7 pm
Imagine looking for crocodiles in the desert! Dr.
Jonathan Weinbaum, an assistant professor at
Southern Connecticut State University, conducts field research in the colorful badlands of the American Southwest. He’s searching for fossils of the extinct ancestors of modern crocodilians. Come to learn what it means to be a reptile then and now! FREE, but please call to register. Geared for adults and older students.
PARK TOTS: A Tree for Wildlife – Fri. Dec. 21, 10:30 am
Make some simple pinecone birdfeeders, then take a short
hike to visit our “giving tree.” Tuition: $4 for family-level
FANCI members and Ansonia residents; others, $6 per
child. Adults come for free. Bring your toddlers and wee
ones in backpacks. Please call to register.
WINTER SOLSTICE DRUMMING CIRCLE – Sat. Dec. 22, 6 pm
As our part of the planet begins the season of long, cold
nights, let’s make some music by the fire. Children 12
and over with adults are welcome. Dress for the
outdoors. FREE, but bring a canned food donation for
the homeless. Please call to register with Ranger Dawn.
HOLIDAY VACATION NATURE DAYS: Toys Without Batteries – Thurs. & Fri. Dec. 27 and 28, 10 am
Our theme for this two-day program
is TOYS WITHOUT BATTERIES.
Discover the fun and excitement to be had without electronics! Registration begins Mon. Dec. 3 at 9 am for priority students (Ansonia residents and current family-level FANCI members), Mon. Dec. 10 for all others. TUITION: 4- and 5-year-olds meet from 10 am to 1 pm; $55 ($40 priority students). Six- to 10-year-olds meet from 10 am to 3 pm; $75 ($60 priority students).
FULL COLD MOON HIKE – Fri. Dec. 28, 6 pm
Plan to be with us as the full moon rises over
field and forest. Learn to identify trees by their
shapes in the moonlight. Stop and listen for
calling Great Horned Owls. Dress for the cold
and wear sturdy footgear. Limited to 30 including
families. Dangerous walking conditions will cancel. Leaders will be Rangers Martin and Wendy. FREE. Please preregister.
SURVIVAL HIKE – Sun. Dec. 30, 1 pm
If you had to, how would you manage to survive a cold and maybe wet winter night or two in the wild? Is there a way to stay dry and warm without a tent and fire? Ranger Martin will share some staying-alive techniques with us. Please call to register. FREE.
JANUARY 2013
HAPPY NEW YEAR’S DAY HIKE – Tues. Jan. 1, 2013, 10 am
Ranger Marty will lead a brisk hike through our
park’s frosty landscape this morning. Start your
new year off on the right foot, and resolve to
spend more time outside this year—even in
the winter! FREE, but please call to register.
Dangerous walking conditions will cancel, or
maybe we’ll have to break out the snowshoes!
NATURE'S CHILD: Fun with Ice – Fri. Jan. 4, 10:30 am
Let's look for ice on the birdbath, or icy puddles
in the park. Did you ever build an ice castle?
We'll build one today (even if there's no ice
outside). TUITION: $6 per family ($4 for Ansonia residents or current family-level FANCI members). Adults come for free. Please register in advance.
BACK TO BASICS: Soap Making with Goat’s Milk –
Sat. Jan. 12, 2 pm
This two-hour class will provide the basic skills you’ll need
to make wonderful soaps! Attendees will learn basic safety
and traditional techniques required for this time-honored
craft which makes great gifts—or soaps to keep for your
own use. Soap samples and recipes will be provided. Bring a small container for your take-home samples. Instructor: Dawn Sotir. FEE: $5 per person. Registration is required.
PARK TOTS: Winter Fun – Fri. Jan. 18, 10:30 am
Awareness of Nature and socialization with other small children and
their adult caregivers will be the goal of this class, while we
take a short excursion into the park. Cold fresh air will do
us good, and rosy cheeks look great! TUITION: $4 for
family-level FANCI members and Ansonia residents;
others, $6 per child. Grownups are free. Please call to pre-register.
D.E.E.P. C.A.R.E. PROGRAM: Ice Fishing –
Sat. Jan. 19, 9 am to 11 am
Join Dave Connelly and Ranger Martin for a morning of
instruction, for a review of equipment, techniques, bait,
regulations, and safety—and information on where to
fish and what you might catch! Adults and youngsters
are invited, but if you're under 12, you'll need an adult with you. Class size is limited so you must register. FREE.
WINTER STAR PARTY: Mars – What’s New? –
Sat. Jan. 19, 7 pm
A study of the red planet with Bob Carruthers and
Andy Poniros is planned. Following the landing of
the Curiosity rover, there’ll be lots to learn about.
If the weather is suitable, the big scopes will be
ready for your viewing. Dress for the weather outside. FREE, but please call ahead to register.
REAL FOOD with Tara Cook Littman – Sun. Jan. 20, 2 pm
Back to share her enthusiasm for wholesome and
unmodified food with us, Tara, once a New York
City prosecutor and now a holistic health counselor,
will provide her audience some guidance as we
seek a healthier lifestyle and food choices. FREE, but
please call to register.
WINTER TREE IDENTIFICATION – Sat. Jan. 26, 2 pm
Join Ali to take a crash course in winter botany with a
“twigenometry” class. Guaranteed to be fun and
educational, this program is suitable for adults and
school-aged kids, and scouts too. Children must be
accompanied by an adult. Registration is required. FREE.
FULL WOLF MOON HIKE – Sat. Jan. 26, 5:30 pm
Werewolves are not invited, but everyone else is! Dress for cold weather on uneven terrain. Limited enrollment. FREE. Children with adults only, please. Call to register.
NATURAL HISTORY LECTURE SERIES: Bat Chat –
Sat. Jan. 26, 7 pm
From the biology department at Southern
Connecticut State University, Dr. Miranda Dunbar
is batty about bats and has studied them all over North America. We'll share bat fun facts, debunk bat myths, and discuss local bat species and their very important role in our environment. Please call to register for this FREE program geared for adults and school-age children.
FEBRUARY 2013
NATURE'S CHILD: Groundhog Day – Fri. Feb. 1, 10:30 am
If groundhogs in Connecticut could talk, they'd ask why
people are waking up their relative in Pennsylvania!
Learn about their sleeping habits and hear a short story,
make a craft, and walk to their den site. TUITION: $6
per family ($4 for Ansonia residents or current
family-level FANCI members). Adults come for free. Please register in advance.
FISHING THE MID CONNECTICUT SHORELINE with Jim Turecek – Sat. Feb. 2, 2 pm
Jim’s lecture and slide presentation will cover a large
section of the Connecticut shoreline. Starting at the New
Haven Sandbar, west to Bradley Point and the Oyster River, over to Anderson’s Landing and Silver Sands, and ending up at Milford Point at the mouth of the Housatonic River, we will explore some very diverse habitats from flats and sandbars to the rips of the Charles Island tambolo. With over forty years’ experience of fly fishing this area, Jim will give you a serious insight into the area’s prey species and their predators. He’ll also display the primary prey species found in New England and the flies and lures that best represent them. All Jim’s patterns were designed after many hours of underwater study of species and their specific habitats. FREE, but please register in advance.
*NEW! RANGERS IN TRAINING – Registration begins Mon. Feb. 4, 9 am
We're offering a new program this winter for 14- to 16-year-olds. Several weeks of after-school sessions in February and March will give participants a realistic view of what it’s like to be a Nature Center ranger. Hands-on wildlife monitoring, trail clearing, groundskeeping, mammal tracking, nutritious meal planning and preparation, and much more are planned. TUITION: $40. A mix of exploration, adventure, and life skills experience will prevail. The minimum number of students needed for this class is 8; the maximum is 10.
BACK TO BASICS: Rug Hooking –Sat. Feb. 9, 2 pm
Learn one of the oldest art forms and how our
grandmothers and great grandmothers were upcycling
before it was cool! With a hook, rug backing, and a few
wooly "worms" you'll learn how to design, draw, choose
colors, and pull loops to create a rug that will last for many years. Instructor: Naomi Allen. TUITION: $40 includes all materials.
PARK TOTS: Whose Footprints Are in the Snow? –
Fri. Feb. 15, 10:30 am
For toddlers and infants with their adults, this program is planned
for outdoor time and a story inside. Take a little hike to
see who's been out and about in the park. TUITION: $4
for family-level FANCI members and Ansonia
residents; others, $6 per child. Grownups come for free. Please call to register.
ORIENTEERING FOR BEGINNERS –
Mon. Feb. 18 (President’s Day), 2 pm
Park Ranger Wendy will teach this basic orienteering
and map reading class. A good program for scouts
and other youth groups. Class size is limited to 12
children at least 6 years of age, each accompanied by an adult. TUITION: $6 per person. Call for information about suitable compasses, and to register in advance.
FEBRUARY VACATION NATURE DAYS –
Tues. to Fri., Feb. 19 to 22, 10 am
Some school systems in our area are open, while others are closed and on vacation this week. If our registration is sufficient, we’ll explore the park environs for wildlife signs and tracks, play in the snow (if we have it), and learn about survival shelters where we can stay warm and dry. Clever winter crafts and creative writing and storytelling are planned. Nature will dictate our activities! Call for more information. Registration begins Mon. Jan. 7 at 9 am for priority students (Ansonia residents and current family-level FANCI members), and on Mon. Jan. 14 for all others.
NATURAL HISTORY LECTURE SERIES: GMO Seminar –
Sat. Feb. 23, 7 pm
Currently teaching botany at Southern Connecticut State
University, Dr. Rebecca Silady will speak about genetic improvements in agriculture – from traditional breeding
to the green revolution to today's genetically modified
food. After completing her PhD at Stanford and
postdoctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute, she worked on developing drought tolerant corn at Monsanto. Dr. Silady is in a position to offer a balanced view of this controversial topic. Please call to register for this FREE program.
***ONGOING PROGRAMS*** • Sundays: Guided Hikes, 1 pm • Thursdays: Yoga for Your Health, 6:30 pm—call Pam, 203-888-4124 • Saturdays: Creature Features, 12 noon •
***THINGS TO COME (Spring 2013)*** • Early Bird Walks • Moonlight Hikes • More Nature Films • Animal Tracking • Maple Festival, Mar. 2 • Lecture Series Continues with Dr. Elizabeth Roberts of SCSU: Plant Microbes, Mar. 9 • Earth Day, Apr. 27 • Spring Break Nature Days • Spring Wildflowers • RWPH Spring Fair, May 11 •