Connecticut Audubon Society
Center at Glastonbury


1361 Main Street
Glastonbury, CT 06033
860-633-8402

New Visitor Hours starting June 1, 2009:
Tuesdays thru Fridays: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sundays: 1-4 p.m. (please call first).
(Closed Mondays.)

Click here for Directions

Focus: To promote awareness of the Connecticut River ecosystem, the birds and habitats it supports, and foster their preservation through education and related activities.

General Information
Located near the Connecticut River, the state’s major waterway, Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury has taken full advantage of its unique location since opening in 1982. The Center is adjacent to the 48-acre town-owned Earle Park with its forest trails and scenic vistas of Tom's Pond, meadows and bluffs overlooking the Holland Brook river. The Center's 4,000-square-foot facility offers a full range of environmental programs and full calendar of events throughout the year for people of all ages.

Environmental Activities

• Activities on natural history and environmental topics for children, field trips for families and adults.
• Programs for school classes, Scout groups and other organizations.
• Vacation classes
• Teacher workshops
• Nature Hikes

Annual Special Events

• The Natural World Photography Exhibit -- February
• Banff Mountain Film Festival (February)
• Earth Fair -- April
• Art for Nature's Sake Art Show -- May
• Bird Seed Sales -- all year.

Earle Park Highlights

• 48-acre town park between Main Street and the Connecticut River
• Maturing forest of beech, tulip and red oak trees
• State champion bitternut hickory tree
• Silver maple flood plains and red maple swamps
• Bluffs overlooking the Connecticut River
• Trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and horse-back riding
• Tom's Pond and Holland Brook.

Our Center at Glastonbury is a popular place for families and friends to visit. We welcome volunteers and are flexible to accommodate your availability. Please call our Center at 860-633-8402, or Volunteer Coordinator Larry Lunden at 860-232-2416 for more information. You can also Click Here for a Volunteer Form that provides more details.

Trained college student Nathaniel Child holds "Trinity," a resident Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Sally Carbone.

"Animal Caretakers" Program for 8-12 year olds

32 animals currently live at our Center at Glastonbury. About one-half of them are birds (including a Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl and Screech Owl); the rest are rabbits, reptiles, mice, rats, gerbils turtles and guinea pigs. Many are "non-releasable" animals, meaning they once lived in the wild but because of some permanent injury (broken wing, partial blindness) they can no longer survive in the wild. So they live at our Center and are an important part of our education programs.
As part of our year-round "Animal Caretakers" program, 8-12 years old volunteers and a parent or guardian are trained by our teacher-naturalists to take care of one of our resident animals, learning what the animal eats, how to feed them and clean out their cage and, depending on the animal, how to handle and exercise them. Each volunteer and his/her parent or guardian is generally assigned to care for 1 animal once a week, but volunteers who have the time may be assigned additional time and/or animals. For more information contact teacher-naturalist Kasha Breau (who is also a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator) at 860-633-8402 ext. 204 or kbreau@ctaudubon.org. Born at our Center in December 2008, "Snowball" is a pigeon and white dove mix. Photo by Sally Carbone.

High School Students: Volunteer
at our Center and Earn Credits!
Many high school students are volunteering at our Center at Glastonbury and earning school credits at the same time! There's always plenty of work to do and our staff provides training. If you love animals and want to give back to your community, this is a great opportunity! Contact Center director Sally Carbone at scarbone@ctaudubon.org for more information. High school intern Billy Finn holds "Skittles," a Broad-winged Hawk. Photo by Sally Carbone.

School Environmental Education Programs
For Central CT, Pre-K through Grade 8

For over 25 years the CAS Center at Glastonbury has provided curriculum-related nature programming to schools in Central Connecticut.  We offer 26 different innovative and hands-on programs that conform to both the National Science Standards and the Connecticut Science Framework. Each hour-long program focuses on the natural world, and most include an outdoor component so students can experience their environment, and learn to develop their science skills and their senses, under the guidance of our trained naturalist.

Programs are offered at our Center at Glastonbury (which is adjacent to Earle Park, a 48-acre sanctuary with a variety of habitats) as well as in your classroom or at an appropriate site of your choice. Due to the interactive nature of our programs, the maximum class size is 25 students. Our current program offerings include: "Animals from the Center" for Pre-K to Grade 8; "Birds of Prey" for Grades 3-6; "Life Underground" for Grades 2-5; "Native Americans Along the Connecticut River" for Grades 3-6; "Skulls and Skeletons" for Grades 5-8, and "Weathering the Winter" for Grades 3-5, among many others. Click here for a complete list of programs, plus fee and registration information.

To register for 1 or more programs and for more information, please call our Center at Glastonbury at 860-633-8402 from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday.

Nature Programs for Scouts

Our teacher-naturalists will work with you to develop a program covering appropriate requirements for nature-related badges and projects. Each program is 1 hour and must be scheduled in advance. Tell us about your project and we will plan activities to compliment it. Activities or field studies related to animals, plant life or environmental issues can be arranged. All programs include indoor time and outdoor activities in 48-acre Earle Park adjoining our Center. Click here for more information.

Birthday Parties at the Center at Glastonbury
We offer age-appropriate programs customized to the interests of your child and guests, including "Animals in the Center" (our most popular party!), "Pond Life," "A Walk in the Woods," or a party we design especially for you. Click here for more information.

Animals at Your Pre-School Programs

We offer 30-minute programs at your pre-school featuring a visit with one of our live or mounted animals, presented by our staff. Your can also schedule a program at our Center at Glastonbury for your pre-school class or group. Programs are offered Monday-Friday year-round, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The programs we offer are: "Animals from the Center"; "Reptiles from the Center"; "Watching Birds"; "Minibeasts"; "Underground Animals," and "Smorgasbord," a nature-themed program we design just for you. Click here for more information.

Literature-based Nature Programs at the Library
For Families with Young Children

Each 45-minute program features a story, coordinated interactive play and a visit with a live or mounted animal, led by our staff member. During our Eye Guess program, we'll read Phyllis Limbacher Tildes' book and discover 8 animals by using its clues, then visit with a turtle, owl and mouse. We offer 3 other book-based programs year-round as well as seasonal programs. Click here for more information.

A Seasonal Gift Arrives at our Center at Glastonbury
On Dec. 23, 2008, a Ring Neck Dove named "Winter" became the newest addition to our Center at Glastonbury's animal nursery. Its parents are "June" and "Cloud," two of the many non-releasable education animals that live at the Center. "Winter" is pictured in the gloved hand of CT Audubon teacher-naturalist and wildlife rehabilitator Kasha Breau. Photo by Sally Carbone.

John Craggs, Ethan Brooks, teacher-naturalist Kasha Breau, a volunteer, and former Center director Judy Harper show off our new, much larger flight cage in April 2008.

Building the Better -- and Bigger! -- Bird Cage
Thanks to Eagle Scout Ethan Brooks, our Center has a huge flight cage where birds that are ready to build their strength and coordination can safely practice flying. These birds are patients of our licensed wildlife rehabilitators are are being given a second chance after suffering injuries or being orphaned.

Wildlife rehabilitators Kasha Breau, Betsy Craggs and Jenny Nord designed the flight cage. Donations came from Betsy and John Craggs, Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Melzen Farm Supply, Mary Beth Kaeser of Horizon Wings, David Buckwald, and a gift in memory of Alice Cavagnaro Casella. In-kind donations were provided by Keeney Rigging & Trucking, Dave Brooks, Dave Buckwald, Rosanne Higgins, Nayaug Chimney Sweep and John Craggs. Ethan Brooks organized the project and accomplished it with the help of friends, families and members of Boy Scout Troop 50. When you visit our Center, check out the flight cage to see who is on track to be released back into the wild. Our new flight cage gives these birds a much better chance at success.

Do You Have Quality Items to Donate?

We thank the many folks who have donated some very interesting items for us to sell on eBay. Last year we made enough money to buy ample food for the animals (many injured or orphaned) we take care of along with some new cages and supplies, plus new supplies to keep our education programs up-to-date. This year we would like to purchase a small weather station and get hooked up to the Connecticut Meteorological network. But we need more quality items donated to us, including collectibles like old tube guitar amplifiers, old tube radios, 8mm film projectors, etc., that we know will go to a good home when someone buys them on eBay. (Please don’t be offended if we reject an item because we think it won’t sell. Our Center is small and storage is at a premium!) Please call 860-633-8402. 

Directions:
From I-84 in East Hartford

Take Exit 55/Route 2 East to Route 17 Exit and follow from below.**

From I-91 North
Take Exit 25 to Putnam Bridge/Route 3.

Follow Route 3 over Connecticut River to Route 2 East (note: move into left lane quickly for Route 17 Exit) and

**Take Route 17 Exit (Portland/South Glastonbury). Our Center is on the right, 2.5 miles from the exit.

From I-91 South

Take Exit 25N to Putnam Bridge/Route 3.
Follow Route 3 over Connecticut River to Route 2 East (note: move into left lane quickly for Route 17 Exit) and

**Take Route 17 Exit (Portland/South Glastonbury). Our Center is on the right, 2.5 miles from the exit.

From Middletown
Go east on Route 66 to Route 17 North.
Follow through South Glastonbury. Continue on Route 17 another 1.5 miles. Our Center is on the left.

From Marlborough and Southeast
Take Route 2 West to Exit 10, turn left and then turn right at first stop sign.

At first stop light, take left onto Chestnut Hill Road.
Follow for 3 miles to Main Street. At Main Street turn right. Our Center is 1/4 mile on left.