May
Family Activity: Look Up! Between the Winter & Summer Milky Way, Friday, May 9
Field Learning: Spring Peeper Seekers! Saturday, May 10
Family Activity: Outdoor Digital Photography, Saturday, May 17
Museum Lecture: Severe Weather in Southern New England, Sunday, May 18
June
Family Activity: Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden, Saturday, June 7
Field Learning: Three Centuries on a New England Farm, Saturday, June 14
Children’s Activity: Afternoon at the Museum, Friday, June 20
Field Learning: Wetlands and Wildlife at White Memorial, Saturday, June 21
July
Children’s Activity: Afternoon at the Museum, Friday, July 11
Family Activity: Everything You Want to Know about Atlatls! Saturday, July 12
Summer Camp: Amazing Biodiversity, Monday, July 14 - Friday, July 18
Field Learning: An Inside Look at Meigs Point, Saturday, July 19
Field Learning: Things That Go Splash In the Night, Saturday, July 19
Summer Camp: Archaeology Field School for Kids, Monday, July 21 - Friday, July 25
Family Activity: Project O, Saturday, July 26
Summer Camp: Further Adventures in Field Archaeology, Mon, July 28 - Fri, Aug 1
August
Field Learning: Bats Alive! Friday, August 1
Field Learning: The Secret Lives of Mushrooms, Saturday, August 9
Archaeology Field School for Adults, Monday, August 11 - Friday, August 15
Children’s Activity: Afternoon at the Museum, Friday, August 15
Day Trip: Whale Watch, Saturday, August 16
Look Up – Between the Winter & Summer Milky Way
Dr. Cynthia Peterson, Physics Department, UConn
Friday, May 9, 8 pm
UConn, Storrs location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Join Dr. Cynthia Peterson, UConn physicist and astronomer, for a look at the early spring sky, a time between the winter and summer positions of the Milky Way. This program will give a general orientation to the constellations, planets, and special celestial objects that you will see in the night sky using binoculars and small telescopes. Learn to use a simple star chart to spot some of the brighter stars and constellations. Dr. Peterson will tell you about upcoming celestial events to look for during the summer. Then, weather permitting, the session will conclude with a trip to the UConn Observatory on the roof of the physics building for a look at Saturn, Mars, and Mercury, as well as close-ups of nearby star clusters. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Spring Peeper Seekers!
Dr. Jen O’Brien, Biologist and Teacher
Saturday, May 10, 7 pm to 9 pm
Mansfield location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
You know spring has arrived when you hear Spring Peepers calling in the night . . . but has the timing of their spring announcement changed? Are they calling earlier? Whose croaky calls will you hear on this night in early May? Learn how to spot these nighttime callers – it isn’t easy! Put on your boots, bring your flashlights, and join Dr. O’Brien for a memorable and exciting night of amphibian action at the pond’s edge! Adults and children ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Outdoor Digital Photography
Janet Pritchard, Fine Arts Department, UConn
Saturday, May 17, 10 am to 12 noon
UConn, Storrs location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Have you scrapped your old-fashioned film cameras for the ease and instant results of digital cameras? In this field-based workshop, you will learn how to become a better outdoor digital photographer. UConn Professor of Fine Arts Janet Pritchard will give you a better understanding of the most effective ways to use a digital camera’s capabilities to capture the beauty of nature. Janet Pritchard is a renowned studio artist specializing in landscape photography images. Bring your cameras, ideas, and questions! Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Severe Weather in Southern New England
Glenn Field, Staff Meteorologist, NOAA
Sunday, May 18, 3 pm
Biology/Physics Building, Room 130
No registration needed – Free
In an 1867 speech, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) had these tongue-in-cheek comments about New England weather: “There is a sumptuous variety about the New England weather that compels the stranger’s admiration - and regret . . . it gets through more business in spring than in any other season. In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. . .”
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms occur in New England every year, but they are most prevalent from May through August. Although major tornadoes are infrequent, they have occurred. This presentation will discuss lightning, wind, hail, and tornadoes – the main threats from severe thunderstorms – and will show examples of how scientists differentiate between downburst/microburst damage and the damage caused by a tornado. What you will learn about lightning in this talk may shock you! Meteorologist Field will offer common sense knowledge that might help save lives. Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Glenn Field is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Taunton, MA.
Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden
Connecticut Landmarks Staff
Saturday, June 7, 10 am to 1 pm
Suffield location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
CSMNH and Connecticut Landmarks invite you to experience the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by two eighteenth-century Connecticut Valley families - until their fortunes collapsed - at the Phelps-Hatheway House in Suffield. The house was built in 1761 by wealthy businessman Shem Burbank, a Tory sympathizer who suffered a reversal of fortunes during the American Revolution. The house was bought and lavishly renovated by Oliver Phelps in 1788. Eight years later, Phelps left Suffield, bankrupted by his failed land speculation schemes. The Hatheway family owned the house throughout the 19th century, accumulating an attic full of artifacts that document life during that century.
Connecticut Landmarks staff will lead a tour of the house, which is still furnished with the Hatheway family’s 19th century belongings, and the formal flower gardens. After a lunch break, tour Suffield’s 18th and 19th century Main Street Historic District. Bring a picnic lunch and step back in time in this beautiful historic setting. Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Three Centuries on a New England Farm
Sandy Staebner, Director, Blue Slope Farm
Saturday, June 14, 10 am to 12 noon
Franklin location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
At this southern Connecticut dairy farm, learn not just where milk comes from, but see “who” it comes from! You will step back in time at the Blue Slope Museum, with its collection of artifacts and implements representing 200 years of farming. Everyone will have an opportunity to try some of these tools and learn what the daily lives of the people who lived here in the 18th and 19th centuries were like. You’ll end your visit with a drive-by tour of Blue Slope’s modern dairy operation and learn how milk comes to us from the farm to the store and then to your refrigerator! Bring a picnic lunch! Adults and children ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Fridays at the Museum
Friday, June 20, 1 pm to 3 pm
Friday, July 11, 1 pm to 3 pm
Friday, August 15, 1 pm to 3 pm
Museum of Natural History - Free!
Drop in any time between 1 pm and 3 pm these Fridays for cultural and natural history activities at the museum. During each of these Friday afternoon sessions, you can check out our exhibit, participate in a fun hands-on activity, and explore a different aspect of the world around us through experimentation and observation! Children entering grades 1 through 5, accompanied by an adult.
Wetlands & Wildlife at White Memorial
Dave Rosgen, Director of Wildlife Research, White Memorial Conservation Center
Saturday, June 21, 10 am to 12 noon
Litchfield location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
White Memorial Conservation Center is a 4,000-acre private nature preserve in the beautiful hills of Litchfield. It encompasses part of Bantam Lake, at 933 acres, the largest natural lake in the state formed by glacial outwash. The distinct environment makes White Memorial a birding hotspot year-round. Director of Wildlife Research and ornithologist Dave Rosgen, a specialist in midday bird watching, will lead you on a tour of the Little Pond boardwalk and associated wetlands. You will look at the landscape, and plant and animal communities, to see how they have been changed by human activity over time. Learn what the future may hold for this precious resource. Bring a picnic lunch and stay the afternoon to explore the Nature Museum and trails. Registration fee includes admission to the Nature Museum. Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Everything You Want to Know About Atlatls!
Gary Nolf, World Atlatl Association
Saturday, July 12, 10 am to 12 noon
UConn, Storrs location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Experience the thrill of learning to use the atlatl, an ancient spear-throwing tool that predates the bow and arrow. The history and secrets of this ice-age invention will be revealed by Gary Nolf, member of the World Atlatl Association and atlatl maker. He will bring examples of both traditional-style and modern atlatls and darts. Nolf is a nationally acclaimed competitor in sanctioned atlatl contests and has appeared on the David Letterman Show. Bring your own atlatl and dart or use one of ours, and learn to throw it like a pro! Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Amazing Biodiversity
K.A.S.T. – Kids Are Scientists Too!
Monday, July 14 through Friday, July 18, 9 am to 12 noon
For children entering grades 5 through 10
Advance registration required: $180 per student, $200 after June 2
Everyone knows there is great biodiversity in the rain forest, but have you ever wondered about the biodiversity of a building, football field, farm field, or urban pond? In this module, explore the biodiversity found on UConn’s campus by looking at several different habitats. Using lab and field techniques, you will examine and compare the species richness around the campus and find out how our lifestyles affect the world around us. This camp is offered through UConn’s Kids Are Scientists Too program. Call K.A.S.T. at 860-486-9219 or visit www.kast.uconn.edu for registration information.
An Inside Look at Meigs Point, Hammonasset State Park
Russ Miller, Director, Meigs Point Nature Center
Saturday, July 19, 10 am to 12 noon
Madison location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $15 per member, $20 per nonmember
Meigs Point at Hammonasset State Park is unparalleled in Connecticut – it includes three different ecosystems, a marine trail, and a visible recessional terminal moraine characteristic of the Long Island shoreline. It is also a premier bird watching area, providing a safe haven for threatened and endangered species. Meigs Point Nature Center Director Russ Miller will lead you in an exploration of the plant and animal communities living in these diverse areas, and discuss the geological processes that formed Long Island Sound and the shoreline we know today. Bring a picnic lunch, spend the afternoon at Hammonasset’s lovely two-mile beach, and enjoy some fun in the surf! Adults and children ages 5 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Things That Go Splash in the Night
Dr. Jen O’Brien, Biologist and Teacher
Saturday, July 19, 7 pm to 9 pm
Mansfield location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Placid and peaceful by day, life around the water wakes up when the sun goes down! Dr. O’Brien will show you how to recognize the signs and sounds of night creatures that fly, flutter and splash in and around the water, and teach you their biology and behavior. Discover what the health of wetland areas and their inhabitants can tell you about the local ecosystem we all share. Bring a flashlight, boots, and a net, and plan to get wet! Adults and children ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Archaeology Field School for Kids!
K.A.S.T. - Kids Are Scientists Too!
Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25, 9 am to 12 noon
For children entering grades 5 through 10
Advance registration required: $180 per student, $200 after June 2
Spend an exciting week exploring the world of field archaeology. You will learn about the science of archaeology and what practicing archaeologists really do. Then, you will be part of a real archaeological field crew, doing hands-on fieldwork and laboratory research at a real, ongoing archaeological dig. Every session we uncover something new! This camp is offered through UConn’s Kids Are Scientists Too program. Call K.A.S.T. at 860-486-9219 or visit www.kast.uconn.edu for registration information.
Project O: In the Lab and Out To Sea!
Saturday, July 26, 10 am to 4 pm
Avery Point location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $30 per member, $40 per nonmember.
Fee includes both morning workshop and afternoon cruise.
Spend the day experiencing marine science, both onshore and at sea, in this beautiful setting on the Connecticut shoreline. You will be in the Project Oceanology laboratory in the morning, exploring the natural history of Long Island Sound’s animal and plant life. In the afternoon, you will take a voyage out to sea on the Envirolab II research vessel. During the 2 1/2 hour cruise on Long Island Sound, you will experience hands-on marine science at the stern of the boat by pulling trawl and plankton nets, then examining the contents under the guidance of professional marine scientists. At the bow, operate the instruments and equipment used to study the physical and geological aspects of oceanography and look at the basic chemistry of seawater. Bring a picnic lunch! Adults and children 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Further Adventures in Field Archaeology
Prerequisite: Field Archaeology 101 or Archaeology Field School for Kids
K.A.S.T. - Kids Are Scientists Too!
Monday, July 28 through Friday, August 1, 9 am to 12 noon
For children entering grades 5 through 10
Advance registration required: $180 per student, $200 after June 2
This week learn even more about the science of archaeology and how archaeologists make important discoveries. After you have completed Archaeology Field School for Kids, join us for more hands-on investigation with an in-depth look at several specialties within archaeology presented by professional archaeologists. Learn how to analyze and interpret artifacts like the ones you have found at our dig site! This camp is offered through UConn’s Kids Are Scientists Too program. Call K.A.S.T. at 860-486-9219 or visit www.kast.uconn.edu for registration information.
Bats Alive!
Cheri Collins, Mammalogist, MNH Staff
Friday, August 1, 7 pm to 9 pm
Ashford location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Bats in your belfry? Bats in your barn? What are they doing when you see them fluttering about at night? Learn about bats’ unique biology and behavior from “Bat Mom” Cheri Collins and meet our local bat species. Find out where they live and what role they play in our natural environment, and examine mounted museum specimens of our native species. Listen in on bats in the wild with a “bat detector” to hear them use echolocation to sense their surroundings and locate insect prey. Then, view living bats as they emerge for the evening and fly about in the vicinity of a local colony! Adults and children ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
The Secret Lives of Mushrooms
Connie Borodenko, Connecticut Valley Mycological Society
Saturday, August 9, 10 am to 12 pm
(Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $10 per member, $15 per nonmember
Neither plant nor animal, mushrooms and other fungi are mysterious indeed! They pop up seemingly unpredictably, becoming full-grown in a matter of hours in some cases. Come learn why they are in their own taxonomic kingdom. Mycologist Connie Borodenko will lead you into the startling, colorful, sometimes delicious and sometimes deadly, world of mushrooms and fungi. Bring a basket for gathering. Adults and children ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Archaeology Field School for Adults
Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni, State Archaeologist, MNH/CAC
Monday, August 11 through Friday, August 15, 9 am to 3 pm
Central Connecticut location (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Advance registration required: $300 per member, $400 per nonmember
Spend a week with State Archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni at the Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center’s Field School! This intensive program will cover the governmental, legal, and cultural aspects of archaeology, as well as proper archaeological techniques. You will have the opportunity to participate in a “dig” at an historic property as part of the official team of investigators under the Office of State Archaeology. Your findings will add important information to our understanding of Connecticut’s rich historic past! Adults and older teens ages 16 and up.
Whale Watch
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Saturday, August 16
Bus departs Storrs at 8 am (Map will be mailed to participants.)
Departure from Plymouth at 7 pm (Please note that departure time is approximate,
and varies according to the length of our whale watch cruise.)
Registration includes bus transportation and whale watch ticket.
$60 per member adult, $50 per child
$75 per nonmember adult, $65 per child
Please register early as seats are limited. Registration closes by August 8.
Join us as we visit the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the museum’s annual whale watch trip! We will arrive in Plymouth at approximately 10:30 am so everyone will have some time to explore the town, visit Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II, the Statue of Massasoit, and the Pilgrim Hall Museum - all within easy walking distance! The Captain John Boats cruise will depart the dock at 2 pm. We will head out from the center of the Stellwagen Bank, accompanied by a professional marine biologist who will describe the whale species we are likely to encounter and the individual whales we meet along the way. After our cruise, enjoy dinner at one of the dockside restaurants before we depart at approximately 7 pm for our bus trip home. All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
