June 2006

Water Investigations & Experiments: Educator Workshop

06/02/06

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

08/11/06

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

In this one-day workshop, educators will learn how human activity impacts water resources in Connecticut such as the Housatonic River watershed. Discover how children can develop their own inquiry-based experiments focusing on water quality. Topics covered include water quality standards, simple water testing procedures, basic watershed mapping techniques, and more. Participants will receive a comprehensive curriculum book. Registration is required. Admission is $35 per person. Presented by Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby CT 06418. For more information, call 203-734-2513 or visit www.ct.gov/dep.

Annual Meeting and Lecture of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy

06/02/06

7:30 p.m.

George C. Stanley, Jr., Grandson of William Stanley, and Bernard Drew, Great Barrington Historical Society, will join Kirkpatrick Sale for the Annual Meeting and Lecture of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy. The event will be held at the First Congregational Church, Main Street in Great Barrington. For more information, call 413-528-3391 or email river@gbriverwalk.org.

Dedication of the William Stanley Overlook

06/03/06

11 a.m.

The Overlook is located near the Dresser Avenue entrance to the Housatonic River Walk in Downtown Great Barrington. The dedication ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at 39 Dresser Avenue in Great Barrington with George C. Stanley, Jr., Grandson of William Stanley. A reception will follow. At 12:30 p.m. there will be a walking tour of the William Stanley sites in Great Barrington led by Bernard A. Drew, Great Barrington Historical Society. For more information or to make reservations, please call 413-528-4953 or email drew24@bcn.net.

Birdwatching in the 21st Century

06/03/06

4 p.m.

The Audubon Sharon and the Housatonic Valley Association invite you to meet David A. Sibley, called the successor to John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson, the renowned bird artist and author's highly acclaimed field guides to birds have been praised. He will show his brilliant artwork and speak on Birdwatching in the 21st Century. Tickets are $100, $50 and $35. Presented by Audubon Sharon & Housatonic Valley Association, Amenia Union Road, Sharon CT 06069. For more information, call 860-364-0520 or visit www.sibleyinsharon.org.

Bowlfest 2006

06/04/06

1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

The event allows participants to enjoy fine artisanal foods creatively displayed and local fine wines. They will enjoy live musical performances and will participate in a lively silent auction of designer fine craftwork by the artists and faculty of Brookfield Craft Center in the Center's Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery. Reservations are required along with a donation of $50 per person. All proceeds from the event support the Center's extensive campus renovation campaign. Presented by Brookfield Craft Center, 286 Whisconier Road, Brookfield CT 06804. For more information, call 203-775-4526, email info@brookfieldcraftcenter.org or visit www.brookfieldcraftcenter.org.

CT Trails Day Paddle

06/04/06

12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Join DEP educator Diane Joy and HVA's Elaine LaBella for a beautiful canoe trip at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. View the wildlife and discover the history of the rivers. Bring your own canoe or kayak and pfd or borrow one of ours. Discover the movement to make this a National Heritage Area. Bring lunch and beverages. Meet at the Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby. Sponsored by the Housatonic Valley Association, CT-DEP, and Healthy Valley 2000. To pre-register, for directions and more information call Diane at 203-734-2513 or email diane.joy@po.state.ct.us.

Hinsdale Flats ACEC Canoe/Kayak excursion with Hoffman Bird Club

06/10/06, 9 a.m.

Spend the morning quietly touring the Hinsdale Flats Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife area observing wildlife and maneuvering over 20+ beaver dams. Meet at the river crossing on Bullards Crossing Road in Hinsdale. Bring your own boat, PFD, lunch and water. For more information, call 413-394-9796 or visit www.hvatoday.org.

Archaeology & Ecology Walk Through Peoples State Forest

06/17/06

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Archaeology & Ecology Walk Through People's State Forest. Spend an early summer morning walking through evergreen and hardwood forest and along wetlands and streams! Anthropologist Andrea Rand and naturalist Walter Landgraff discuss local archaeology and the ecology of People's State Forest. Fee: $12, $10 for members. Presented by Institute of American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road, Washington CT 06793. For more information, call 860-868-0518, email iais@charter.net or visit www.birdstone.org.

Canoe Trip on the Housatonic River

06/17/06

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Program will launch at the Housatonic River - Decker Boat Launch, Lenox. Watch for frogs, fish, heron, muskrats, and signs of beavers along the meandering Housatonic River. This leisurely paddle will take us through the Housatonic Valley Wildlife Management Area. Join us to learn about the natural history of the waterway that is the heart of the Berkshires. Children must be at least 10 years of age, accompanied by an adult and know how to swim. Admission is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Presented by Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox MA 01240. For more information, call 413-637-0320, email berkshires@massaudubon.org or visit www.massaudubon.org.

Washington Rochambeau March to Victory Weekend

06/17/06

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

06/18/06

11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Come celebrate the 225th Anniversary of the March of General Rochambeau sent here to assist his new Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington in defeating the British in our War of Independence. See the largest full Revolutionary War Encampment in New England in 2006!

Onsite activities include Full Battle Demonstrations, Rapid-Fire Musket Competition, Contra Dance & Carriage Rides, 18th Century Medical Demonstrations, 18th Century Suttlers (Vendors) Demonstrations, Meet George Washington...And Much More! Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and children under 12. For more information, call 203-597-9527, email dana@northwestct.com or visit www.southburybattle.com.

Canoe/Kayak Trip on the Housatonic River

06/17/06, 9:30 a.m.

This trip of approximately 4.5 miles is a beautiful quiet stretch of river with wide meanders that run through the Great Barrington and Sheffield flats. Meet at the Public Access site parking lot. Bring your own boat, PFD, and refreshments. For more information, call 413-394-9796 or visit www.hvatoday.org.

Housatonic Hills Road Race

06/18/06

9 a.m.

The Housatonic Hills Road Race offers a 27 mile loop for cyclists with both pro and amateur abilities. Presented by Zephyr Cycling Team Inc., Southbury Training School, Southbury CT 06488. For more information, call 203-598-3967, email hhrr@zephyrcycling.com or visit www.zephyrcycling.com.

Project Troubador Grove Festival

06/24/06

5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

17th international lakeside festival in Lakeville, CT featuring music, dance and theater from around the world. Admission is $5 for children 12 and under; $10 for adults. Presented by Project Troubador, Salisbury Town Grove, Lakeville CT 06068. For more information, call 860-435-0561, email eliot@projecttroubador.org or visit www.projecttroubador.org.

Lover’s Leap Gorge Paddle Excursion

06/24/06

10 a.m.

Join Robin “Dixie” Delancy of the Housatonic Valley Paddle Club (HVPC) and the Housatonic Valley Association for a three-hour paddle from New Milford’s Addis Park to Lake Lillinonah. Meet at Addis Park on Grove Street in New Milford at 10 a.m. Participants should provide their own canoes or kayaks and personal flotation devices. Bring water and a picnic lunch. To register or for further information call (860) 672-6678.

Duck Day

06/25/06

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Activities will include waterfowl handling, egg hatching, tours of Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Sanctuary, story telling, face and mask painting, dancing, live raptors, and art contests. Demonstrations will involve waterfowl nest box construction, veterinary care and wood carvings. The event is free. Presented by Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Sanctuary, 210 Duck Pond Road, Litchfield CT 06759. For more information, call 860-567-2062 or email duckpondroad@snet.net.

Promisek/Beatrix Farrand Garden

06/25/06

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Open Garden Days. Beatrix Farrand was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the designer of this garden. Suggested donation of $5. Presented by Promisek Incorporated, 694 Skyline Ridge Road, Bridgewater CT 06010. For more information, call 860-354-1788, email promisek@promisek.org or visit www.promisek.org.