Connecticut Audubon Society
Center at Fairfield

Connecticut Audubon Society
Center at Fairfield
2325 Burr Street
Fairfield, CT 06824
203-259-6305

Visitor Hours
Our Nature Center, Nature Store and live
“Birds of Prey” Compound are open to the public :
Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sunday noon-4 p.m.
Closed Mondays.

Directions

Our Nature Center features live animals and other nature-related exhibits and (from late spring and throughout the summer) a Butterfly Garden. Farm Pond (right behind the building) is a great place for spotting frogs, turtles and ducks. Our live “Birds of Prey” Compound is home to a variety of owls and hawks, two Peregrine Falcons and a Turkey Vulture.

Our adjoining 152-acre Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary is open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk year-round. It comprises rolling woodlands, meadows, streams, marshes and ponds with raised boardwalks and bridges that allow access to a variety of habitats, 7 miles of trails including the Chiboucas Wheelchair-accessible Trail for the Disabled, observation platform, interpretive signage and an Algonquin wigwam replica. 

CAS Center at Fairfield -- General Information
Located in the historic Greenfield Hill section of Fairfield, the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield was constructed in 1971, adjoining the 152-acre Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary. This Sanctuary comprises rolling woodlands, meadows, streams, marshes and ponds with raised boardwalks and bridges that allow access to a variety of habitats. The Center provides an indoor setting for interpretation of the Sanctuary and serves as the hub of youth and adult environmental education programs and activities throughout the year.

Focus: To promote awareness of Connecticut's terrestrial and freshwater wetland ecosystems and foster their preservation through education and related activities.

CAS Center at Fairfield -- Features

• Classrooms and meeting rooms (also available for rent)
• Natural history library
• Educational exhibits
• Solar Greenhouse
• Nature Store with items related to environmental studies

On The Grounds

• Birds of Prey Compound
• Roy & Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary - 7 miles of trails
• Boardwalks, observation platform and interpretive signage
• Algonquin wigwam replica
• Wheelchair-accessible Trail for the Disabled

Environmental Activities

• Classes, lectures and workshops related to birds and their habits and other environmental topics .
• Programs for school groups, Scout troops and other community organizations (comprehensive program brochure is available).
• Youth programs held after-school and weekends including weeklong summer day camps and classes.
• Birthday Parties that are both fun and educational.
• Adult classes in wildlife art and photography.

Annual Special Events

• Bird Seed Sales Days
  (Oct., Dec., Feb., April)
• Reptile Education Days (Sept. & April)
• Egg Hunt & Breakfast (spring)
• Enchanted Forest (Oct.)

Volunteer Opportunities

• Animal Care Program: For young adults 13 to 20 years of age who help us to care for the Center's non-releaseable education animals. (See below for more information.)
• Sanctuary Docents: For adults eager to share their love and knowledge of nature with others. Seasonal training sessions available.

Spotlight on our Center at Fairfield's
Young Members and Volunteers

Many thanks to the following Boy Scouts for completing their Eagle Scout projects at the Center at Fairfield:
To James Belasco for repairing boardwalk along Dirty Swamp Trail.
To Patrick Hoyt for repairing boardwalk along Deer Meadow Trail.
To Ruari Clancy for trail maintenance on Cottontail Cut-off and boardwalk repair on Streamside Trail.
To David Borowy for boardwalk repair between Farm Pond and Streamside Trail.
To Joe Furniss for trail marking along Muskrat Hollow, Oxcart, Dirty Swamp and Fox Run trails and for boardwalk repair along Muskrat Hollow Trail.
To Corey Franzen for boardwalk repair on Muskrat Hollow Trail.
To Matt Marshall for repair of the teaching platform at Farm Pond and a boardwalk on the back lawn.
There’s always more work to be done! If your Cub Scout den or pack or your Scout troop is interested in a community service project, or if you are considering an Eagle Scout project at the Center at Fairfield or at the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary, please contact Carol Kratzman, Education Coordinator, at 203-259-6305 ext. 112 or ckratzman@ctaudubon.org.

And a big “thank you” to Linnea Scerbo and her Animal Care Volunteers. Our Center’s Animal Care Volunteer Program is staffed by young adults 13-20 years old who volunteer at least one day a week to assist with the care and keeping of the Center’s Education Animals. Our animals need tender loving care 365 days a year, so three cheers to all our Animal Care volunteers for their dedication! If you would like to volunteer, please read about the article about our Animal Care Program. Applications are available at the Center's Nature Store.

About our Animal Care Program

The CAS Center at Fairfield's Animal Care Program provides young adults 13-20 with an opportunity to interact with and care for the Center's non-releasable Education Animals. Our Center is home to many different animal species and our staff and volunteers are dedicated to providing the finest care possible for these special "Wildlife Ambassadors." All our animals are in some way unable to survive in the wild, either because of permanent disabilities or because they were raised as "pets" and never learned to hunt for their food.

Our Education Animals are comfortable in the presence of humans and have been handled extensively by the Center at Fairfield's Animal Care Staff. They are also the star attraction of many classes, programs and special events we offer that are attended by thousands of children and adults every year. As "Wildlife Ambassadors" they can communicate to children and adults in special ways that human educators cannot.

Our Education Animals are a very important part of our environmental education and conservation programs and they are treated with the utmost respect. Therefore they must be cared for by well-trained, dedicated and caring volunteers.

Do You Want to Volunteer?

The main goal of our Animal Care Program is to provide a healthy, safe and enriched environment for our Center's many Education Animals. These animals rely on our Center staff and volunteers for all their needs.

A second goal of the Program is to involve and educate young adults in the care of domestic animals and wildlife. Through their involvement, these young adults will learn firsthand the importance of environmental stewardship and conservation, and we believe they will spread that message to friends and family.

If you are interested in becoming an Animal Care Program volunteer please contact Animal Care Supervisor Linnea Scerbo at 203-259-6305 ext. 114 or lscerbo@ctaudubon.org.  Applications are also available in the Center at Fairfield's Nature Store.

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Directions to CAS Center at Fairfield:

From I-84:  Take Routes 25, 8 or 91 south to Wilbur Cross/Merritt Parkway (Route 15). The see Merritt Parkway directions below.

From Merritt Parkway:
From the north: Take Exit 44/Fairfield, turn left at light at bottom of the ramp. Go left at the next light, go under the Parkway bridge and then turn right at the light onto Congress St.
**At the first stop sign, turn right onto Burr St. The CAS Center at Fairfield is less than 1 mile on the left.

From the south: Take Exit 44/Fairfield, at end of ramp turn right onto Congress St. Follow directions from ** above.

From I-95: Take Exit 21/Mill Plain Rd. Proceed north and straight for 4-1/2 miles (Mill Plain becomes Burr St.) The CAS Center at Fairfield is on the left.