Category Archives: Outdoors

CT River Museum Offers Range of Winter Wildlife Programs, Activities

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Eagles on Ice: White-headed adult eagles can be seen in numbers along the lower Connecticut River. Photo by Mark Yuknat.

Winter along the Connecticut River brings many things – including cold winds and grey skies.  But the change in seasons also signals a shift in the ecology of New England’s Great River.  The osprey, the swallows and the egrets may be gone, but in their place now are mergansers, goldeneyes, and the highlight – bald eagles.  These once rare, majestic birds can be seen fishing along the unfrozen lower Connecticut River, a testament to one of the greatest environmental recoveries of the last half century.  To highlight these winter wonders, Connecticut River Museum (CRM) has planned a range of programs and activities.

Connecticut River Museum is happy to again partner with Connecticut River Expeditions to offer Winter Wildlife Eagle Cruises in February and March.  These popular trips offer visitors a chance to get out on the River in winter to see eagles, as well as other winter species that visit the estuary such as harbor seals.

This seal is relaxing on the Connecticut River ice. Photo by Bill Yule.

Cruises aboard the environmentally friendly R/V RiverQuest provide passengers with a comfortable, heated cabin supplied with hot coffee and tea, as well as binoculars to aid in spotting and narration from a staff naturalist.  These cruises depart Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at various times in the morning and early afternoon, and are $42 per passenger.  Museum members get 10 percent off and group rates are available.

In addition, the Museum will offer its annual Eagles of Essex exhibit, which offers a wealth of information about bald eagles and their return to the lower Connecticut River.  Patrons can try their hand at building an eagle nest, and marvel at life size silhouettes of Eagles and other large raptors, a map showing good shore viewing locations, and other displays.  On the opening day of the season, Saturday, Feb. 3, the exhibit will host Family Activities related to the return of the Eagles from 1 to 4 p.m., free with Museum admission.

On Saturday, Feb. 17 and March 17, award-winning photographer Stanley Kolber returns to CRM to offer his annual Bird Photography Workshop.  Kolber has been photographing birds for years, and takes great pleasure in sharing his experience with aspiring photographers of all levels, through anecdotes, slides, and question and answer.  In addition to helping skills development, his greatest pleasure in giving workshops is the opportunity to kindle and encourage his audience’s interest in the natural world.  He hopes that young people as well as adults will attend the workshops, so that he can impart some of his own enthusiasm to the next generation.  These popular programs are also free with Museum admission.

Species other than Eagles visit our River during the winter months. Photo by Joan Meek.

A Live Birds of Prey Show will be offered on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m.  CRM will partner with Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation Organization for this annual show, which features a bald eagle and several other species of raptors.  Visitors will be able to get an up close look at the birds while learning more about the lifecycle and ecology of these magnificent animals.  This event will be held at the Centerbrook Meeting House and is free to the public.

For a full listing of event details, visit www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860-767-8269.  The Connecticut River Museum is located on the Essex waterfront at 67 Main Street and is open Tuesday – Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Connecticut River Museum, located in the historic Steamboat Dock building, offers exhibits and programs about the history and environment of the Connecticut River.

For more information, call CRM at 860.767.8269 or RiverQuest at 860.662.0577.

Today’s Goodwin Trail Hike in Hartman Park with Lyme Land Trust is CANCELLED

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Turtle Rock on Bald Nubble by Wendolyn Hill

1/14 Update: Due to icy trail conditions, this hike has been cancelled.

Start the New Year off with a moderately easy 2.6 mile walk in the woods. Everyone is welcome. Don’t forget your walking stick. Meet at the trailhead to the Goodwin Trail at Hartman Park Gungy Road.

Hikers will car-pool to the Holmes Road Parking lot in East Lyme and then hike the portion of the Goodwin Trail from the Holmes Road Parking Lot in Nehantic State Forest through Hartman Park back to Gungy Road, led by Wendolyn Hill, Lyme Land Trust board member and Town of Lyme Open Space Coordinator.

Hikers will visit the old CCC camp foundations, pass ancient colonial ruins and pause to appreciate the view from the beloved Bald Nubble on the red trail at Hartman Park. A snack will be provided. Bring water or something to drink.

The Richard H. Goodwin Trail, overseen by the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee, is a an extended trail system crossing four towns: East Haddam, Salem, Lyme and East Lyme. In the future, the goal is to connect to other existing trail systems in surrounding towns.

Dr. Richard H. Goodwin (1911-2007) was president of the Nature Conservancy from 1956 to 1958 and again from 1964 to 1966. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, was started in 1951, and Dr. Goodwin was one of its founders. Since then, it has protected 15 million acres of land in the United States and 102 million acres in 29 other countries.

Inclement weather cancels.

Reservations appreciated at openspace@townlyme.org.

Directions from Rte. 156 in Lyme: Take Rte. 156 to Beaver Brook Road. Travel about 2.7 miles on Beaver Brook Road. Turn left onto Gungy Road. Travel about 1.5 miles. Park along the road.

Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center Offers Teacher/Naturalist-led Hikes Saturdays in January

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This Saturday, Jan. 13, learn about the birds that overwinter here in Southeastern Connecticut while on a hike in Old Lyme led by CT Audubon. Photo by Amelia Graham.

Join one of the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center’s teacher-naturalists every Saturday in January at 9 a.m. for fresh morning air and a naturalist lesson as the group hikes in a different location each week.

These hikes are free to Connecticut Audubon members; $5 non-members.

 

Wonderful Wetlands at Watch Rock
Saturday, January 20, 9 a.m.

This walk will focus on natural cleaners of nature, we will discuss carbon sinks, decomposers, and natural filters like shellfish, moss, mushrooms, estuaries and more. Led by Morgan Allen.

Salt Marsh Ecosystems at Rocky Neck
Saturday, January 27, 9 a.m.

Connecticut has its fair share of salt marshes. They are both beautiful and crucial to many animals. Learn about why these habitats are important to a wide range of species. Led by Joe Attwater.

To register for any of the walks or for more information, visit this link.

State OSWA Nature Photo Contest Renamed to Honor Old Lyme Resident Diana Atwood Johnson

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Launched in 2016, the Open Space Watershed and Land Acquisition (OSWA) photo contest has been re-named in honor of Old Lyme resident Diana Atwood Johnson, an avid bird photographer who recently stepped down as the Chair of Connecticut’s State Natural Heritage, Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Review Board, having served in that position for 19 years.

The contest is intended to provide a venue for amateur nature photographers to celebrate the OSWA program, display their work, and provide Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) with new materials for our publications and communications.

Entrants are invited to submit up to three digital high resolution photos featuring OSWA properties for consideration (1280 x 960 pixels minimum).

The winners of each category will be displayed at the 2018 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference, in Connecticut Wildlife (the official bimonthly publication of the DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources), DEEP’s Open Space Annual Report and website, and CLCC’s website, e-communications and other promotional materials.

All entries must be received by Monday, Feb. 5, 2018.

Any questions? Contact Kathy at kblachowski@ctconservation.org

The Town of Old Lyme congratulates Diana Atwood Johnson, 2011 Citizen of the Year and chair of the Old Lyme Open Space Commission, on this most recent honor.

Potapaug Audubon Presents ‘Protecting Plum Island’ at Old Lyme Town Hall Tonight

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Aerial view of Plum Island lighthouse. (From Preserve Plum Island website)

Potapaug Audubon presents “Protecting Plum Island” with Curt Johnson of Save the Sound and the Connecticut Fund For The Environment, on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Old Lyme Town Hall, 52 Lyme St. Plum Island, one of the islands of Long Island, N.Y., three miles south of East Lyme, is in danger of going up for auction.

Plum Island is home to more than 1,000 species. It is a federally-owned wildlife sanctuary in one of the most densely populated areas of the country, but the government is preparing to sell this national treasure on the auction block.

That’s where Save the Sound comes in. In July 2016, Save the Sound sued the federal government under the Endangered Species Act and other laws, to encourage a conservation sale.

This event is the latest in Save the Sound‘s decades-long history of fighting to clean, protect, and preserve the waters of the Long Island Sound region.

Come learn more and see what you can do to help.

This event is free and open to public.