Connecticut Audubon Society
Coastal Center at Milford Point

1 Milford Point Road
Milford, CT 06460
Phone: 203-878-7440

Fax: 203-876-2813

Visitor Hours

Our Nature Center is open:
Tues.-Sat.: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday: noon-4 p.m.
Closed Monday
Directions

Admission: By Donation

Our adjoining 8-acre Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge
& Bird Sanctuary is open dawn to dusk year-round.

General Information
Connecticut Audubon Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point provides unique hands-on environmental education and outdoor adventures for area youth and adults.
Opened in 1995, the Coastal Center is located on an 8.4-acre barrier beach known as the Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, and is situated next to the 840-acre Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh and Wildlife Management Area at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The Coastal Center also provides unique, easy access to Long Island Sound and its many habitats: tidal salt marshes, barrier beaches, tide pools and coastal dunes.
These diverse and interactive environments of salt water, tidal marsh and fresh water create rich habitats that support an enormous variety of bird, plant and animal communities that are ideal for observation and study. A variety of educational exhibits, live animals and program space for crafts, games and other activities can be found inside the Coastal Center.

Bird-watcher's Paradise
The Coastal Center is also one of the best spots on the East Coast for bird-watching. An estimated 315 different species, including many rarities have been seen here. Photo: Immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron by Tricia Lombardi.

Focus: To promote awareness of Long Island Sound's ecosystem, the birds and habitats it supports and to foster their preservation. Against a backdrop of a picturesque beachfront and thriving wildlife habitats, Connecticut Audubon's Coastal Center at Milford Point offers a special window onto one of CT's most precious natural resources -- Long Island Sound.

Center Features

• Educational exhibits
• Tide pool demonstration tank
• Salt-marsh laboratory funded by the office of Long Island Sound License Plate Fund
• Program and meeting rooms

On The Grounds

• 8-acre Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary
• Boardwalk & observation platform with interpretive signage
• 70 ft. covered observation tower for panoramic vistas

Environmental Activities

• Classes, lectures and workshops related to environmental topics for beginning and experienced naturalists of all ages.
• Programs for school groups, Scout & Explorer troops and other community organizations (program brochure is available).
• Youth programs held after-school and weekends including week-long summer day camps and classes. Pre-school programs available.
• Birthday Parties that are both fun and educational.
• Adult Lecture Series on various ecological aspects of Milford Point.
• Interpretive Bird & Nature Walks led by naturalists.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Sanctuary Rangers and Docents: For adults eager to share their love and knowledge of nature with others. Seasonal instruction in nature studies and teaching methods given to volunteers.
• Nature Store: A variety of nature related toys, books, and gifts.

Directions
From I-84 eastbound
Take Route 8 south to I-95 North or exit 27 to I-691 to Route 15 South (Wilbur Cross/Merritt Parkway) to exit 54 connector to I-95 South and follow below**

From I-84 westbound
Take I-91 South to I-95 South and follow from below**

or
I-91 South to Route 15 (Wilbur Cross/Merritt Pkwy.) South to exit 54 connector to I-95 South and follow from u below

From Route 15, Merritt Parkway
Take exit 54 connector to I-95 South and follow from below**

**From I-95 North and I-95 South
Take exit 34. Turn right at light where exit ramp meets Route 1. Go 1/2 mile to third light at Naugatuck Ave. Turn left on Naugatuck and go 0.8 miles to second light at Milford Point Rd. Turn right and follow Milford Point Rd. 1/2 mile, passing tennis courts on right and small wildlife sanctuary (at 1.1 miles.) to stop sign at Seaview Ave. Turn right, go .35 miles to Sanctuary. Road forks: take the right fork (left fork is private road) into parking area.

Kudos to Wilcoxson Junior Girl Scout Troop 7102!

We would like to thank the members and leaders of Wilcoxson Junior Girl Scout Troop 7102 for a job well done! Over the course of the past year, the girls raised money to buy and then erect bird feeders at the Coastal Center. They also bought the seed and maintained the feeders, coming once a week from September to June to fill them. In addition, they placed six bluebird/swallow boxes around the property and helped maintain our butterfly garden. We can’t thank all of you enough -- great job!!!

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 Coastal Center at Milford Point, please contact Louise Crocco, Facilities Manager, at 203-878-7440 or lcrocco@ctaudubon.org.

Our 2007 "Big Sit" Bird-spotting Team Was a BIG Success! 101 Species Spotted in 14 Hours – Setting New CT Record & Winning 2nd Place in the U.S.!

On October 14, 2007, our "Big Sit" team of bird watchers spotted 101 different species between 4:45 am and 6:30 pm at CAS's Coastal Center at Milford Point – beating Connecticut’s previous State Daytime record of 93 species and earning 2nd place honors in the entire country!
The “Big Sit” is an international bird-spotting and fundraising event, this year involving bird spotters in 49 states and countries.  The goal is to spot as many different birds species as possible without leaving your seat/spot – which is a 17-foot circle. No “Big Sit” team in Connecticut has ever exceeded 100 species in the event’s 15-year history.

Our 2007 “Big Sit” team “perched” themselves on the platform at Milford Point, just a short walk down the beach from our Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point -- and arguably one of the best spots in Connecticut for birding.

Our record-breaking “Big Sit” team consisted of one Connecticut Audubon Society staffer and three members of the B.W. Surf Scopers.

Among the species spotted by “Big Sit” team members Frank Gallo (Connecticut Audubon’s Director of Coastal Education) and B.W. Surf Scopers Frank Mantlik and Patrick and Jim Dugan were: Great Cormorant, American Bittern (3), Yellow-crowned Night Heron (3), Snow Goose (6), 12 species of ducks including Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail (3), Common Eider (1), Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter (3), 11 species of diurnal raptors including two Bald Eagles, 15 shorebirds including American Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Western Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Caspian Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Marsh Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Pipit, plus 8 sparrow species including White-crowned, Salt marsh, Sharp-tailed, and Bobolink. 
Thanks to everyone who donated funds and who came out to Milford Point to cheer on our “Big Sit” team. All funds raised will help support Connecticut Audubon Society’s conservation, education and advocacy programs. 

Guided Family Canoe Programs Through
The Charles E. Wheeler Salt Marsh

Join us on a guided canoe tour of the 840-acre Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh. Steeped in local history, the Marsh offers an abundance of birds and other wildlife, beautiful vistas and a chance to paddle and relax. Sign-up early for these popular tours! Bring drinking water and wear shoes that can get wet. Contact the Coastal Center for more information. Trip routes are subject to change due to weather. High winds can cause trips to be canceled even on sunny days so please call 90 minutes in advance to confirm trip status. Advance registration required; also inquire about canoe tour dates in September and October.

Dates for Family Canoe Programs

Sat., May 24, 1:30–4 p.m. (First Spring Tour!)
Sat., June 7, 1:30-4 p.m. 
Sat., June 21, 12:30–3 p.m.
Sat., July 19, 11:15 a.m.–1:45 p.m.
Sun., July 20, noon-2:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 2, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 
Sat., Aug. 9, 4:30–7 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 23, 3:15–5:45 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 24, 4:15–6:45 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 30, 9:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 6,  3-5:30 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 20, 2-4:30 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 5, 2:30-5 p.m.

Fees using our Coastal Center Canoes:
--CAS Members: $25/person, $65/canoe (up to 3 people).

--Non-members: $35/person, $95/canoe (up to 3 people).

Fees using your own canoe or kayak:
--$19/CAS Member, $29/Non-member.

About International Migratory Bird Day

International Migratory Bird Day was created in 1993 by staff at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. From 1995 to 2006, the program was under the direction of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of its consistent growth, IMBD is now the premier education project of Environment for the Americas. IMBD continues to focus attention on one of the most important and spectacular events in the life of a migratory bird: its journey between its summer and winter homes. Today it is celebrated in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Central America through bird festivals and bird walks, education programs and Bird Day!
IMBD officially takes place on the second Saturday in May. But it was recognized that this date doesn't work well for all bird event and bird festival organizers, or for the migratory birds themselves. To the south, migratory birds have already left, heading for breeding sites to the north. Farther north, the birds haven't arrived. Now, IMBD is celebrated almost year-round. Most U.S. and Canadian events take place in April and May; fall events are the norm in the Caribbean and Latin America. Each year a team of IMBD coordinators and sponsors work together to select a theme that meets diverse criteria -- conservation-based, current, positive, tangible, educational and engaging -- to reach the varied audiences that celebrate IMBD. The 2008 IMBD Theme is “Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitats and People.”
(Source: http://www.birdday.org/history.php)

There is no specfic event planned at the Coastal Center to celebrate IMBD. But the Coastal Center is open for business and is one of the best spots on the East Coast for bird-watching. An estimated 315 different species, including many rarities, have been seen here. So come on down!

Other CAS Centers are celebrating IMBD with activities and events during May; please check each Center's web page.

The Coastal Center's 2008 Summer Program

The Coastal Center's Summer Program is staffed by experienced teacher/naturalists and college-educated men and women who have experience working with children. Each group has a lead teacher and assistant counselor. Our camp has a “First Aider” on site who is First Aid and CPR-certified. All our lead teachers are also qualified to dispense medicine and are Epi-pen trained.

Weekly "Lunch Bunch,"Noon- 1 p.m.

Pick up your child an hour later for the morning session, or drop your child off an hour early for the afternoon session. Fee: $30 per week of supervised lunch and activities. Campers must provide their own lunch. (Please write “Lunch Bunch” on registration sheet and include fee.)

Summer Camp Registration Form: click here.

Schedule of 2008 Summer Programs:

Beach Bums, for Ages 4-5.
3-day programs are held Tues.-Thurs.
(except week of June 30), 9 a.m.-noon.
Our Beach Bums programs let younger campers interact with nature using their senses, guided exploration, hands-on activities, games and crafts. Together, we’ll explore our beaches, marsh, forest and fields, meet live creatures and have tons of summer fun at the shore! Themes change weekly. Sessions fill quickly and run with a minimum of 5 children. Weekly fee: $125/child CAS member; $180/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership). All campers will receive a CAS tee shirt.

Dates:

Week 1: June 3-5.
Week 2: June 10–12.
Week 3: June 17–19.
Week 4: June 24–26.
Week 5: June 30-July 2 (Mon.-Wed.).

Week 6: July 8–10.
Week 7: July 15–17.

Week 8: July 22–24.

Week 9: July 29– 31.

Week 10: Aug. 5–7.

Week 11: Aug. 12–14.

Week 12: Aug. 19–21.

*Aqua Quest, for Grades 4-6. 

These full-day programs cover a variety of topics, inviting children to explore nature in enjoyable and stimulating settings. Each day, children engage in hands-on exploration, activities, games, crafts and active summer fun! Weekly fee: $310/child CAS member; $365/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership). All campers will receive a CAS tee shirt.

*Seashore C.S.I. (New!)
June 23-27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Unravel mysteries of land, air and sea, as we tackle Seashore C.S.I. challenges! Something’s “fishy” at the Coastal Center. We’ve been “floundering” around tracking clues to a string of mysterious “crimes.” Ancient creatures have been seen lurking under rocks, hiding beneath the waves and slinking along our shores. Help us ferret out clues, reconstruct “crime scenes” and find answers to some amazing seaside mysteries. Care to take an “archeological dig”? What could arrowheads, potshards and bits of broken shells mean? Can you piece together evidence that Native Americans once lived here . . . perhaps find an arrowhead? What’s in the box? It’s not Jack. Are those bones? All our witnesses have clammed up, flown the coop or evaporated into thin air. Help!  

*More Wacky Seashore Science (New!)
July 28-Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

We’ve created another week of wacky experiments, activities and games. Have a “gack” attack creating silly substances that bounce, stretch and snap. Construct and fly your own “paper tiger” rockets, make mini water cyclones and test your creative skills at kite construction and flying. Enter the egg-drop contest and make a solar car or fan. There’s even time to explore the beach and meet some weird land and water creatures. See what spins your top, flies your kite and boosts your rocket, experimenting with more wacky seashore science.

^Audubon Expeditions, for Grades 5-9.

Get ready for a week of travel and new adventures! Let Connecticut Audubon’s talented teacher/naturalists guide your child on a fun-filled week of summer exploration! We’ll visit new sites each day as we seek out Connecticut’s incredible natural wonders and wildlife! All campers will receive a CAS tee shirt.

^Advanced Expeditions: Where the Wild Things Are III (New!)

For Grades 6-9, July 14-18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Take the best of Wild Things I and II, add awesome new outdoor adventures and it’s Wild Things III! Want to hike on Connecticut’s famous Blue Trail, go mountain-biking or wild blueberry picking? Care to explore a cranberry bog, go prospecting for gems or track a beaver?  Here’s your chance to canoe in a marsh, tag horseshoe crabs, band birds at the beach and seek out odd salamanders, mammals, birds, fish and frogs. There are always new creatures to meet and places to explore going where the Wild Things Are! Fee: $345/child CAS member; $400/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).

^Expeditions: Surf and Turf (New!)

For Grades 5-8, Aug. 11-15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
(Plus Thursday overnight at the CAS Coastal Center.)

We’re serving up a week full of land and sea adventures! Our menu consists of exciting expeditions and exotic day trips . . . fabulous forays to wildlife-rich destinations. As an appetizer, we start with active group challenges, followed by a canoe tour of our 840-acre salt marsh. Our blue-plate special is to go behind the scenes at the famous Peabody Museum. Other entrées include a river romp for aquatic turtles and stream-life, topped off with a cool swim. Included are a tour of a rare white cedar swamp, a quest to find porcupines and a Thursday overnight at the Coastal Center, complete with toasted marshmallows and a pancake breakfast. For dessert, we have a ferry ride to a heron rookery, sprinkled with egrets, night-herons and a tern or two. Come dine on some fine summer adventure! Fee: $355/child CAS member; $410/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).

+Junior Naturalists 

These exciting weeklong half-day programs provide your child hours of hands-on exploration, games, crafts and summer fun! Each week focuses on a different topic, inviting children to explore nature in an enjoyable and stimulating setting. All Campers will receive a free CAS tee shirt.

+“One Fish, Two Fish . . .” (New!)
June 30-July 2 (Mon.-Wed.).
Grades: 2-3: 9 a.m.-noon.

Grades K-1: 1-4 p.m. 

. . . Red Fish, Blue Fish”! We’re basing this nature-filled week around the wonderful writings of Dr. Seuss. “Horton Hears a Who,” “The Lorax,” “Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose,” “Yertle the Turtle” and other engaging stories will act as our spring board into a world of outdoor exploration. Campers will exercise their imaginations, meet live animals, and do hands-on activities, crafts and games. Hey, we may even tackle something silly, like the tongue-twisting “Fox in Sox.”  Count on this to be a naturally outrageous week! Fee: $125/child CAS member; $180/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).

+Seashore Explorers, July 7-11.
Grades K-1: 9 a.m.-noon.
Grades K-1: 1-4 p.m.

Grades 2-3: 1-4 p.m.

There's more to the seashore than meets the eye.  Enter an incredible underwater world of exotic sea creatures through exciting hands-on activities, games, and crafts!   Meet live fish, clams, crabs, shrimp, and other incredible creatures, as we explore hidden worlds within our tidepools.  Countless treasures abound along our shores!  Come explore! Session fee: $150/child CAS member; $205/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).

+Sea Stars (New!)
Session 1: for Grades K-1,
June 23-27, 1-4 p.m.

Session II: July 21-25

Grades K-1: 9 a.m.-noon, and

Grades 2-3: 1-4 p.m.

We’ll find those stars of sea and shore -- crabs, oysters, mussels and more -- as we sift through sands, wade through waves and wander our shores! Seashore activities, games and a few surprises await! Session fee: $150/child CAS member; $205/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).

+To the Beach (New!), August 4-8.

Grades K-1: 9 a.m.-noon.

Grades K-1: 1-4 p.m.
Grades 2-3: 1-4 p.m.

Horseshoe Crabs, Lady Crabs, Puffer Fish, and Whelks are just a few of the many incredible animals that we’ll meet as we head to the shore to explore. Some jiggle like jellyfish, others scuttle like crabs and many just clam up. Meet creatures that fly, swim and crawl in a week at the beach that can’t be beat! Session fee: $150/child CAS member; $205/child Non-member (includes free 1 year CAS Family Membership).