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Steep Rock Association Fall Programs!

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Join Us for Fall Fun with Steep Rock Association!

Check out the fun-filled and educational nature exploration programs that Steep Rock is hosting this fall. From studying reptiles and insects to historical hikes in our beautiful Steep Rock Preserve, there is something fun for everyone!

Space is limited! Register online to secure your spot for one of these great programs!

Snakes of Connecticut                               Steep Rock Association Logo

Tuesday September 20, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Join Brian Kleinman of Riverside Reptiles for a power-point presentation on the natural history and identification of Connecticut's native species of snakes. This will be followed by an introduction to several of Connecticut's snakes, including the famous Northern Copperhead.

The program will be held at the Gunn Memorial Library: 5 Wykeham Road, Washington CT.

For Ages 12+ - children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information on this program visit their website.

River Bug Hunt!

Saturday September 24, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Join Rory Larson, Steep Rock Association's Land Steward, for a morning in the Shepaug River. Scour submerged rocks immediately upstream of the riding ring bridge in Steep Rock Preserve and identify the dislodged bugs! All equipment (nets and bins) will be provided.

The program will start in the parking lot near the riding ring in the Steep Rock Preserve.

All ages welcome – children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information on this program visit their website.

Hike with us on the Roxbury-Tunnel Road Connector

Saturday October 1, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Hike from the Tunnel Road from the Steep Rock Preserve Riding Ring in Washington, to Roxbury’s Battle Swamp Preserve during a collaborative Roxbury Land Trust – Steep Rock Association hike. Guides from both the Roxbury Land Trust and Steep Rock Association will lead the three-mile, one-way hike. Along the way, these hike leaders will discuss, among other things, the history of the preserves, land trust resource management, and the Shepaug River.

The program will start in the parking lot near the riding ring in the Steep Rock Preserve.

For Ages 15+ - children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information on this program visit their website.

Nature on the Go…at the Library!

Saturday October 1, 1:00 p.m. for families

Tuesday October 4, 3:00 p.m. for K-1st graders

Thursday October 6, 3:30 p.m. for 2nd and 3rd graders

Explore nature indoors with stories and crafts. Nature books read to you by Steep Rock Association (SRA) staff & volunteers surely add delight to your day. From sunflowers to butterflies, children will discover some of nature’s joys and mysteries.

The program will be held at the Gunn Memorial Jr Library.

Please contact the Gunn Memorial Library for registration: 860 868 2310

For more information on this program visit their website.

Blessing of the Animals

Sunday October 2, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In honor of St. Francis Assisi’s birthday, an interfaith Blessing of the Animals will be held at the Riding Ring near the main parking lot of Steep Rock Preserve.  Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, hamsters, parakeets...all creatures great and small are welcome to bring their human companions and receive a blessing for health and well-being. Photographs of beloved animals who are no longer with us can also be brought for blessing. Volunteers from Steep Rock Association will welcome you while First Congregational Church of Washington volunteers will be on hand to offer blessing and refreshments of all sorts for animals and their human attendants.

Registration is not necessary!

For more information on this program visit their website.

Holiday House Hike into History

Saturday October 15, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Join Steep Rock Trustees for a historic trip back in time to explore the ruins of the magnificent hotel designed by Architect Ehrick Rossiter, which once stood on a Steep Rock hillside overlooking the Shepaug River, and examine how the Holiday House impacted the lives of so many of its visitors.

The program will start at the parking lot near the riding ring in the Steep Rock Preserve.

For more information on this program visit their website.

 

 

Come Celebrate the Arts in Litchfield County this Weekend!

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Come Celebrate the Arts in Litchfield County this Weekend!

 

A Story of Place

A cocktail party will be held on Saturday September 10 in honor of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council. Guests are invited to join for cocktails and explore the newly restored 1769 Benton/Anderson Farm studio of artist Michael Quadland.

The tickets are limited so RSVP at ncac9-10-16.eventbrite.com or call 860 618 0075. Tickets are $55, and the event is located at 232 Benton Road, Morris (4:30-6:30 p.m.).

“What can an old house tell us about the past life and times of the people who lived there? And what can its restoration and repurposing tell us about the present and future?"

Old House

 

Support the Arts & Humanities in Litchfield!

The Litchfield Historical Society is holding a Barn Bash Fundraiser on Saturday September 10. The Barn Bash features cocktails, dinner, and entertainment from jazz singer Wanda Houston. Proceeds from the event will support the LHS’s educational programs and their new Tapping Reeve Landscape project, which will recreate elements of landscapes long found in Litchfield.

Tickets for the bash start at $125 per person. The Barn Bash is located at the White Barn at South Farms, 21 Higbie Road, Morris (6:30-11:00 p.m.). For more information visit their website or call 860 567 4501.

 Litchfield Historical Society

 

Bridgewater’s Finest: Art Show & Studio Tour

The Burnham Library in Bridgewater is having a reception on Saturday September 10 to celebrate the opening of a group show, the event includes six artists who have opened their studios for a tour.

This is a free event sponsored by the Friends of the Library. The reception is located at the Burnham Library 62 Main Street South, Bridgewater (4:00 – 6:00 p.m.). The show will be up until September 29. Maps are available at the library and studios. For more information visit their website or call 860 354 6937.

After School Arts Program offers February Fun

 

The After School Arts Program Performance

The After School Arts Program (ASAP) will offer an engaging series of performances, projects and classes throughout the month of February. Their vision and mission is inspiring: "to honor children's imagination, invite them to create, encourage them to take risks, and trust their resourcefulness, they will become the empowered and resilient adults the world really needs." 

Music in the Schools, In School Performance

There will be a 'Music in the Schools, In School Performance' at Shepaug High School this Tuesday, February 9th, 2016. There are two snow dates; Wednesday, February 10th and Thursday, February 11th.

Playing in the Band

Who doesn't want to be a rock star? Playing in the Band for Grades 6-12 will take place on Tuesday, February 23 from 2:30pm – 4:15pm. It will be taught by Joe Bouchard in the Shepaug School Band Room.

Performance with the Inter-District Project and Communith Dance Project

ASAP will Present Pilobolus on Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th at 7 pm. The performances with the Inter-District Project and Communith Dance Project will take place at Pomperaug Regional High School, 234 Judd Road, Southbury, CT 06488. The snow date is Sunday, February 21st at 2 pm. Tickets are selling fast so make sure to register for this spectacular event!

Children in Cooking Class

Calling all child chefs! Anne Gallagher will teach a Pre-K cooking class on Wednesdays, February 17th through March 2nd from 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm. The class will take place in Wersebe Hall.
 

About The After School Arts Program:
ASAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing?young people with opportunities to create beautiful and meaningful works of art in a creative?and collaborative environment. By inspiring the next generation to discover and embrace?their own creativity.ASAP hopes to not only enrich lives, but to change them forever.

For more information about these programs and about ASAP, please click here.

A Crash Course in Parenting: Conversations on the Green

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tech <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/Gunnery.jpg" style="width: 588px; height: 396px;"></p> <p>A Crash Course in Parenting will be a town hall style event that will take place at The Gunnery this Sunday, October 25th at 3:00 pm. All proceeds will benefit Greenwoods Counseling Referrals, Inc., a non-profit agency that provides referrals for affordable mental health and social services in Litchfield County.</p> <p>This Conversations on the Green special event features Julie Lythcott-Haims & Jessica Lahey and the discussion will be moderated by Jane Whitney.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/Julie.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"></p> <p>A former Stanford University Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising, Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the award-winning “How To Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kids for Success.” The book, published earlier this summer, is an expose of the harms of helicopter parenting and a manifesto for allowing children to sally forth independently, and to develop the resilience and inner resourcefulness to become thriving adults. “Lythcott-Haims is a national treasure, a psychologist, sociologist and anthropologist rolled into one,” says Madeline Levine, the author of The New York Times bestsellers “The Price of Privilege” and “Teach Your Children Well.” “Witty, wise and dead-on, Lythcott-Haims is a tonic for what ails this generation of kids and parents.”<br>  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/Jessica-Lahey-150x150.jpeg" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;"></p> <p>Jessica Lahey is a mother, educator, author, and speaker. She writes the bi-weekly column “The Parent-Teacher Conference” for the New York Times, is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, and a commentator on Vermont Public Radio. Her book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, was published in August to critical acclaim. A wise, engaging book, steeped in scientific research and tempered with common sense.” said Daniel T. Willingham, author of Why Don’t Students Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom. “Lahey offers one of the most important parenting messages of our times: Unless we allow our children to learn how to take on challenges, they won’t thrive in school and in life. Ellen Galinsky, author of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. “Her extremely helpful book tells her story, compiles research, and provides hundreds of doable suggestions.”</p> <p>The discussion will take place at the Gunnery School, 22 Kirby Road in Washington, Connecticut. A portion of all tickets is tax deductible and they are available at two levels; individual tickets are $45 and 'Angels on the Green' at $250 which includes preferred seating and a chance to meet the speakers at a cocktail reception after the 'conversation'.<br><br> For tickets or more information<br> email: greenwoodspresents@gmail.com or call 860-806-6003<br> or click here to <a href="http://greenwoodsreferrals.org/conversations-on-the-green-oct25/">register now</a>.</p> <p> </p>

Steep Rock Association Programs bring Nature to Life

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tech <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 171px;"></p> <p>The Steep Rock Association has unveiled their spring and summer programs for 2015. There is a wonderful selection of courses which highlight the customs of animals in nature, wildflowers, organic gardening and more. Here is a program that looks at the mysterious life of reptiles:</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Riverside Reptiles</p> <p>Saturday, March 28<br> 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.<br> Location: Max Theatre at Rumsey Hall School (201 Romford Rd, Washington Depot)<br> Audience: All Ages; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> Back by popular demand, naturalist Brian Kleinman returns with his impressive collection of reptiles and amphibians. This interactive, “hands on” learning experience will introduce us to numerous examples of these two similar yet different groups of animals, and explain why the populations of many reptile and amphibian species are declining world-wide. Well-known for his engaging rapport with children, Kleinman allows his audience to get up close and personal with the wonderful world of lizards, toads, snakes and turtles. New to his collection of fascinating creatures is a baby alligator!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(1).jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 225px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">The Shepaug River Then and Now</p> <p>Thursday, April 2<br> 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.<br> Location: Wykeham Room at The Gunn Memorial Library (5 Wykeham Rd, Washington)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> The history of the town of Washington is centered along the Shepaug River. Meaning “Rocky River” in the Algonquin language, the Shepaug has provided the vital waters needed to sustain the town’s earliest farms and mill industries and has continually given nourishment to the varied wildlife that lives near or in its waters. Today, the Shepaug River provides Washingtonians with numerous recreational possibilities and is at the core of Steep Rock Association’s efforts to preserve critical habitat. Calling rivers “good allegories for the passage of time”, Curtis Read reprises and updates his “Shepaug Now and Then” presentation, originally given in 1998 to kick-off the “Celebration of the Shepaug” exhibition.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(2).jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 233px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Organic Gardening with Winvian's Chef Eddy</p> <p>Sunday, April 12<br> 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.<br> Location: Washington Montessori School (240 Litchfield Turnpike [Rte. 202], New Preston)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> Judea Garden is proud to open its 2015 growing season with this rare opportunity to hear Winvian’s award winning executive chef Chris Eddy, “a crusader for adventurous cuisine”, talk about Winvian’s commitment to growing its own ingredients for the table. Chef Eddy is a well-known advocate of sustainable non-gmo (genetically modified organism) gardening practices that he applies to Winvian’s own three-quarter acre garden, planted with the herbs and vegetables used in his restaurant dishes.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(3).jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 200px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">An Evening Woodcock Walk</p> <p>Saturday, April 18<br> 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.<br> Location: Macricostas Preserve (Christian Street)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> The American woodcock, also known as the “timber doodle,” is a shy and elusive bird that spends most of its time hidden from view. In the early spring, however, the male woodcock leaves the safety of protective ground cover at dusk to perform a unique mating ritual that combines a distinct call and an aerial display that has been called, “one of the magical natural sights of spring time in the east.” The program will include a brief introductory overview of the life of the American woodcock, followed by a 1 – 1 ½ mile hike along the fields of Macricostas Preserve. Participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing, walking shoes and bring a flashlight.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(4).jpg" style="width: 225px; height: 300px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">The Natural History of Spring Wildflowers Lecture</p> <p>Saturday, May 3<br> 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.<br> Location: Washington Montessori School (240 Litchfield Turnpike [Rte. 202], New Preston)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> Steep Rock Association and the Washington Garden Club are pleased to welcome well-known wildflower author Carol Gracie to talk about the native wildflowers that brighten our woodlands in spring. More than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit, each wildflower plays an important role in nature by providing food for pollinators, which in turn help disperse the flower’s seeds. Join us as we learn about the fascinating life histories of some favorite spring wildflowers.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(5).jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 300px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">The Natural History of Spring Willdflowers Hike</p> <p>Saturday, May 3<br> 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.<br> Location: Hidden Valley Preserve (Main Parking Lot, Bee Brook Rd)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> As an accompaniment to her lecture (see above), wildflower expert Carol Gracie will lead a wildflower identification hike at Hidden Valley Preserve. Space is limited.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.usmre.com/5739/blog/unnamed%20(6).jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 200px;"></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Things That Fly</p> <p>Saturday, May 3<br> 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.<br> Location: Hidden Valley Preserve (Main Parking Lot, Bee Brook Rd)<br> Audience: Ages 12 and older; all children must be accompanied by an adult<br><br> As an accompaniment to her lecture (see above), wildflower expert Carol Gracie will lead a wildflower identification hike at Hidden Valley Preserve. Space is limited.</p> <p>After the long winter, these programs offer the perfect opportunity to both enjoy and learn about nature!</p> <p>To register for any of these amazing programs, click<a href="http://www.steeprockassoc.org/whats-happening/explorations-in-nature/#Mailinglist"> here</a>.</p>
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