MARCH

MOM, DAD & ME: The Dirty Rotten Truth – Fri. Mar. 7, 10 am or 1 pm
Down in the ground, under your feet, thousands of tiny creatures are working hard to make our world a healthy place for us to live. Come to find out who they are. Classes are geared for children 3 to 5 years old with their caregivers. FEE: For FANCI members and Ansonia residents, $6 per child; for all others, $8. Pre-registration required.

MAPLE SYRUP TIME – Sat. Mar. 8, 1 pm, rain or shine
Long ago the native people of the northeastern states shared their sweet tree secret with the newcomers from Europe. Join us for this popular introduction to making maple syrup the old-fashioned way, as we choose the right tree for tapping. Dress for outdoors. FREE family-oriented program. Please call to register.

HISTORY HIKE – Sun. Mar. 9, 1 pm
Ever wonder how the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center came to be? Did you know that the property was a dairy farm and that the land was once known as David’s Meadow? Join Ranger Marty for this interpretive hike along our trails. FREE.

ORIENTEERING FOR BEGINNERS – Fri. Mar. 14, 1 pm (no school in Ansonia)
Bring your school-age kids to this introductory program presented by Ranger Wendy, and learn how to use a map and a compass to find your way around our park. Great for scouts too! FEE: $3. Please register in advance.

BACK TO BASICS: Naturally Dyed Holiday Eggs – Sat. Mar. 15, 2 pm
Decorate your own naturally dyed eggs before Easter. We will learn how to use roots, vegetables, and spices from the kitchen to create beautiful colors you won’t find in the commercial egg coloring kits. Bring your own white hard-boiled or blown-out eggs. The class is geared for adults and youth 15 and older. Registration is required and there will be a small materials fee.

P.A.C.K.—MUSIC AND NATURE: Birds of Prey – Sun. Mar. 16, 2 pm
Each spring these superb predators stake out their nesting territories to defend in the woodlands and fields of the Nature Center. With laser-like eyesight, razor-sharp talons, and killer instincts, they inspire awe in us. Come to learn more about them and to hear the music by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and learn about the mythical Russian “Firebird.” FREE, but please call to register. P.A.C.K. (Parents and Communities for Kids) is funded by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION: Drumming Circle – Sat. Mar. 22, 5 pm
Join Ranger Dawn to welcome spring back into our lives once again. We’ll meet in the large picnic pavilion, so pull up a bench and warm yourself around the fireplace. Please call to register, bring your percussion instruments, and dress for outside. FREE.

CT AMPHIBIAN MONITORING PROJECT – Fri. Mar. 28, 6:30 pm at Kellogg Environmental Center
We’ll meet at the Kellogg Center in Derby to review this important ongoing statewide research project, to meet some of our local amphibians, and to find out where they live! FREE.

TWO COYOTES: Friction Fire Workshop – Sat. Mar. 29, 1 pm
Join naturalist/educator Justin Pegnataro for this hands-on class. Carve your own bowdrill set and learn how to spin your first friction fire the way our ancestors did! This program is geared for teens and adults. For teens under 15 years, an attending adult is required. You’ll need a sharp knife for carving. TUITION: $25. Limited to 10 particpants.

KITE MAKING AND FLYING – Sun. Mar. 30, 11 am
Rangers Wendy and Marty are teaming up again to conduct this popular March workshop. We’ll hope for dry, windy weather so we can launch our creations! Materials fee: $5. Pre-registration required.

APRIL

GROWING YOUR OWN – ORGANICALLY – Sun. Apr. 6, 2 pm
Join the Ansonia Community Organic Gardeners to get started early this spring to grow your own fruits and vegetables or flowers for your table. Large garden plots are available for a very nominal fee, so get growing! Please call to register. For more information, call Martha or Jeff at 203-734-3404.

JUNIOR RANGERS: Spring Term Begins – Thurs. Apr. 10 – Registration begins Tues. Apr. 1 at 9 am
This after-school series is for students aged 11 through 14 years old, and is appropriate for those who love the outdoors, animals, and hard work! Help us take good care of our park. Parents must sign a permission and registration form.

MOM, DAD, & ME: Seedlings - Fri. Apr. 11, 10 am or 1 pm (note date change)
This program, all about seeds and their importance to us, will include some seedy refreshments. Come for a hands-on preschool adventure for 3- to 5-year-olds with a caregiver. See Mar. 7 listing for fee information. Choose morning or afternoon. Registration in advance, please.

BACK TO BASICS: Herb Gardening – Sat, Apr. 12, 2 pm
This class for adults will teach the basics for growing an herb garden. It will include culinary herbs and herbs grown for craft projects. Organic gardens will be emphasized, as well as the benefits of composting. FREE.

FISHING FOR KIDS – Sun. Apr. 13, 1 to 3 pm
7- to 14-year-olds will have fun learning the basics with Ranger Martin Wigglesworth and fishing enthusiast Russ Zelanin. FREE, but please call to register.

P.A.C.K.—MUSIC AND NATURE: Spring Singers – Mon. Apr. 14, 1 pm (school vacation week)
Calling all Parents and Communities for Kids’ families for this combined program with the Tinney Center. We’ll look and listen carefully as we scout the park while learning all about local amphibians. FREE, but please register in advance. Funding by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

SPRING BREAK NATURE DAYS –Tues., Wed., Thurs., Apr. 15, 16, 17, 10 am – Priority registration begins Mon. Mar. 24
Wild Communicators is the topic for this popular school vacation program. Geared for children 4 through 10 years old. Registration begins on March 24 at 9 am for Ansonia residents and FANCI members. All others can register starting on March 31. Tuition is $30 for 4- and 5-year-olds and $60 for 6- to 10-year olds; priority tuition for Ansonia residents and FANCI members is half price. Don’t delay—these classes fill up quickly.

AMPHIBIANS WITH ATTITUDE – Fri. Apr. 18, 6:30 pm
This family-oriented program will introduce you to some of our state’s common herps, as well as some that are not so common. Join Linda from the Beardsley Zoo and Donna from the Ansonia Nature Center for this program, and learn about the state’s amphibian monitoring program. FREE, but call to register.

P.A.C.K.—MUSIC AND NATURE: Whiz Kids – Sun. Apr. 20, 2 to 4 pm
Prepare to be amazed by the music made by children who play like seasoned professionals with a visit from the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Then learn about the wild babies residing at the Nature Center, and maybe meet a few. FREE, but please call to register. Funding by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION – Sat. Apr. 26, 10 am to 4 pm
We all need to eat, so a fitting theme for this year is Eating Locally. The Friends of the Nature Center will be hosting this event and providing music, food, and workshops which will inspire you to be a “locavore”–if you aren’t already!

TWO COYOTES: Nature Journaling – Sat. Apr. 26, two sessions
Join Justin Pegnataro and learn how a journal can become your best teacher. Learn the arts of observation, sketching, and poetry/prose. 11 am to 1 pm for children to 11 years old, and 1:30 to 3:30 pm for 12-year-olds to adults. TUITION: $10.

MAY

MOM, DAD, & ME: Look What I Found - Fri. May 2, 10 am or 1 pm
What should you do if you find a wild baby animal? Join Ranger Wendy to learn what to do and when to do it. Come for a story, a craft, and fun! For preschoolers with a caregiver. See Mar. 7 listing for fee information. Pre-registration required.

ENCOUNTERS OF THE WILD KIND – Sat. May 3, 10 am
Interested in wildlife rehabilitation? This class is planned for older students and adults who would like the opportunity to assist our native wildlife. FREE, but registration is required.

BACK TO BASICS: Spin Your Own Web—Beginner Drop Spindle Class—Presenter, Pam Blasko – Sat. May 10, 2 pm
Learn the ancient craft of the drop spindle and spin your own knitting yarn. Class will consist of a short lecture on the history of the drop spindle and how to prepare sheep’s fleece for spinning, followed by hands-on spinning with a drop spindle. Each person will go home with a small skein of yarn and the knowledge needed to continue spinning yarn. Class limit: 20. For adults and older students. TUITION: $12.

ORIENTEERING FOR MOTHERS AND OTHERS – Sun. May 11 (Mother’s Day)
Begin the course anytime from 10 am to noon. The Western Connecticut Orienteering Club will provide courses for all levels. FEE: $6. The meet contact person is Peter Grollman, grollmann06@sbcglobal.net. Visit the Western Connecticut Orienteering Club website: http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/rdewitt/wcoc/.

BLUEGRASS CONCERT – Sat. May 17, 7 pm
Join us for a Coffeehouse Concert by “Just Friends Bluegrass Band,” playing traditional, gospel, and contemporary bluegrass in their own unique style. TICKETS: $10 (Ansonia residents and FANCI members, $8), available at the Nature Center or by mail.

P.A.C.K.—MUSIC AND NATURE: Waterways – Sun. May 18, 2 to 4 pm
Bodies of water have inspired countless composers, from the 1700’s to the American Top 40. Hear how they have depicted all forms, from trickling stream to crashing waves, with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Then, accompany Wendy to our own pond to discover who’s living there, and why. FREE. P.A.C.K. (Parents and Communities for Kids) is supported by a partnership of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

TWO COYOTES: Lose Your Mind, But Come to Your Senses – Sat. May 24, two sessions
Get ready to super charge your senses when we “stop to smell the roses”! We’ll get down and dirty as we explore the natural world. Two sessions: 10 am to noon for children to 9 years, and 1 to 3 pm for 10-year-olds to adults. TUITION: $10.

WILDFLOWER HIKE – Sun. May 25, 1 pm
Ranger Marty will lead this hike to discover the ephemeral forest wildflowers growing along our wooded trails and wetlands. FREE.


ONGOING PROGRAMS
Sundays: Guided Hikes
Thursdays: Yoga for Your Health
Saturdays: Creature Features
Saturdays: Two Coyotes Wilderness School (justin.pegnataro@twocoyotes.org)

COMING ATTRACTIONS
CT Trails Day (June 7 & 8)
Summer Vacation Nature Days (Registration for Ansonia residents and current family-level FANCI members starts Tues. May 6; mark your calendars!)