News & Visitor Information at the Center at Fairfield
The Birds of Prey Compound at the Fairfield Nature Center is currently closed.
Osprey Nation report shows 2024 was a good year in Connecticut but Ospreys had trouble elsewhere
Osprey Nation steward Joseph Szalay photographed these Ospreys on their nest in Ashford, one of the most northerly nesting sites in the state.
November 18, 2024—Ospreys in Connecticut flourished in 2024. The successful nesting season shows that the local revival of these previously imperiled hawks continues, although with concerns about a more difficult season to the south.
Volunteers for Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation project kept track of 726 active Osprey nests this year. Those nests produced 1,077 fledglings.
That’s the highest number of nests and fledglings in the history of the project, which started in 2014. The average number of fledglings per nest was a strong 1.48.
The details and an analysis are contained in the just-released “Osprey Nation 2024 Season Report,” written by Scott Kruitbosch, Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation coordinator.
Click THIS LINK to read the report and a full discussion, a summary of the report’s key takeaways, and an overview of the situation on Chesapeake Bay.
Recognition from the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce
Pictured (l to r): CT State Representatives Jennifer Leeper and Sarah Keitt; CT Audubon Fairfield Region Dir. Amy Barnouw; Fairfield Chamber President & CEO Beverly Balaz; First Selectman Bill Gerber and State Senator Tony Hwang.
Connecticut Audubon is thrilled to have been honored by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce with its 2024 Environmental/Conservation Non-Profit Award. The award was presented at the Chamber’s annual recognition dinner at the Patterson Club, celebrating organizations that have made significant contributions to the Fairfield community.
Accepting the award on behalf of the Fairfield Region, Director Amy Barnouw expressed appreciation to all of the generous supporters and contributors who make it possible for Connecticut Audubon to deliver impactful programming for the Fairfield community and beyond.
Thankful for Interns’ Impact!
It was hard saying goodbye to interns Ellen and Oliver who brought their great enthusiasm and talents to the Fairfield Nature Center this spring. The graduating seniors from Staples High School quickly became valuable members of our Center family, working with staff to complete key projects including trail maintenance and mapping; helping with summer camp preparations, and researching and creating exquisite plant ID signage–designed and illustrated by Ellen–for the pollinator garden. We are grateful for their exceptional work and dedication, and look forward to hearing about the successes that lie ahead for them. They can be proud that their contributions will have a lasting impact on all who come to visit the Fairfield Nature Center and Sanctuary.
Frog Pond Restoration
Frog Pond now offers prime habitat for amphibians and birds alike, including a new water feature which attracts birds by mimicking the sound of a woodland stream.
On May 8, 2024 the Fairfield Nature Center hosted the Fairfield Garden Club and local town officials, including First Selectman Bill Gerber, for the ribbon cutting and re-opening of Frog Pond.
Thanks to the generosity and vision of the Garden Club and the Frost family, as well as other project partners Oliver Nurseries and Loglisci Water Gardens, the habitat has been fully restored at this small but mighty watering hole just steps away from the Center’s front door. This project is a great example of the power of our community collaborations, for which we are so grateful!
We hope you’ll stop by soon to enjoy the sights and sounds of this special retreat.
What to do with “abandoned” or “orphaned” birds
The CT DEEP has excellent advice for what to do if you find an “orphaned” bird. Click this link. Photo by Stephanie Galea/The Connecticut Audubon Society
Have you found an abandoned bird?
Birds and other wildlife that seem to be abandoned or orphaned at this time of year often are not actually abandoned or orphaned.
The Connecticut DEEP has advice about what to do if you find a bird that you think is abandoned. There are several alternatives.
Click here to learn about them.
Please do not bring injured or orphaned animals to any Connecticut Audubon Society facility. Connecticut Audubon is not authorized to accept injured or abandoned animals.
But if it is obviously injured, it may need help. The CT DEEP has more information here about dealing with distressed wildlife.
Monitoring Air Quality in Fairfield
We’ve installed a PurpleAir monitor at our center as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental conservation. The monitor allows us to track local air quality and add to a community database, which can be used by weather tracking organizations, climate scientists, and the general public to learn more about the air around them.
PurpleAir monitors measure the concentration of air pollutants, providing real-time data on air quality conditions. By placing these monitors at our centers, we aim to educate about pollution and its impact on both human health and the environment.
Air quality is a critical component of environmental health, as poor air causes respiratory issues to people and wildlife. Birds are especially susceptible to poor air quality, but natural spaces like wildlife sanctuaries provide a pollution buffer and improve the overall health of the area. These monitors will allow us to better understand local air pollution levels and how green spaces impact them.
You can see the real-time data in the box below. There’s more on the PurpleAir website. We hope it helps people see where concentrations of pollution are, to make informed decisions regarding their health and the environment.
We thank CT DEEP and PurpleAir for donating these monitors to our centers.
Mobile App
Explore our centers and sanctuaries on your mobile device
Soar through our centers and sanctuaries with this free app, which highlights unique and interesting features at each stop. Take one of our tours while you’re onsite or plan ahead with detailed directions and maps to your nearest Connecticut Audubon location.
Features include:
- Tours of our Centers and Sanctuaries
- Bird IDs with photos and descriptions
- Tips on how to create a native garden for birds and pollinators
- Interactive maps
For Android and other non-Apple devices, visit the web-based app. Software platform © Cuseum, Inc.
This App was made possible by Planet Fuel Charitable Fund.
Parents Recognize Connecticut Audubon as One of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids
Once again, Connecticut Audubon made the list of favorite destinations in the state for children and families. In this year’s 2023 KidsOutAndAbout.com annual readers’ survey — out of dozens of choices — The Connecticut Audubon Society came in at #9 by parents voting in Fairfield County!
This recognition shows how Connecticut Audubon’s environmental education activities and programs are valued for the fun, engaging ways they teach all ages about the natural world, and for building an appreciation and awareness of preserving the environment for future generations.
Thank you to all who voted and support us in educating over 100,000 children and adults annually at our centers, as well as our management of 22 wildlife sanctuaries encompassing over 3,400 acres of open space in Connecticut.
Center at Fairfield is Thankful for Lobby Refresh
“Even castles in the sky can do with a fresh coat of paint” -Haruki Murakami
If you’ve stopped by our Center at Fairfield recently, you might have noticed things are looking a little spiffier. Thanks to the generous donation from the Ring’s End Paint Center earlier this year, we were able to transform our front lobby, main room and library with a fresh coat of neutral color.
We were lucky to hire Ryan SanAngelo as our painter. Ryan also happens to be a beloved local musician and children’s book author, and his dedication and attention to detail were greatly appreciated – especially in managing the high ceilings in our great room!
At left is the Center’s lobby “before” painting; remaining photos reveal the bright transformation “after” the refresh.
Built in the 1960s, the Center at Fairfield has been the hub of our region’s educational programs ever since. Each year we average over 10,000 visitors who come to hike the Larsen Sanctuary, see the Birds of Prey Aviary or participate in one of our programs. Many also stop in the Nature Store and stroll through the lobby to visit our resident animals.
Thanks to Ryan and Ring’s End, our Center looks bright and beautiful. We hope you’ll stop by soon for a visit!
General Information
The Fairfield Nature Center is a hub of environmental education activities and events throughout the year. The Center has live education animals, exhibit areas, and a Nature Store with a wide variety of birding and nature-related merchandise. The Center’s grounds feature a pollinator garden, live birds of prey compound and adjoins the 155-acre Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary offers visitors seven miles of walking trails featuring streams, ponds, forest, and fields with diverse plant and animal communities, and also includes the mile-long Edna Strube Chiboucas Special Use Trail.
The Chiboucas Special Use Trail opened in 1999 and was refurbished in 2012. Designed for wheelchair use, the Trail was the first project undertaken by the Wheels in the Woods Foundation. It was renovated in the spring of 2020 to provide an upgrade and repair damage caused by last year’s storms. To accommodate wheelchairs, the trail is five-to-seven feet wide and paved with finely crushed rock. It circles through the sanctuary’s 155 acres, following an easy grade through the woods, along the edge of a meadow and over several streams and swamps. Interpretive signs stand at intervals along the way, and there are numerous benches available.
There is a nominal admission fee for non-members or non-residents of Fairfield. Trails are open year-round, seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Larsen Sanctuary Trail Map – click here.
Larsen Sanctuary Bird Checklist – download the checklist.
Wish List
Dishwasher – gently used no larger than 23 wide by 24 deep.
If you would like to donate a dishwasher, please call 203-259-6305 ext. 109.
Animal Care requests (please call 203-259-6305 ext. 116):
- 75 gallon aquarium stand
- 100 foot garden hose
- Pump style hand sprayer
- Water dechlorinator 32 ounce
- Timothy hay
- Guinea Pig food (Supreme Selective diet)
- Carefresh paper small animal bedding
- Used bath towels
- Newspaper
- Raptor rig – call for details
Visit Our Fairy Garden!
There’s a lot of activity in the green house… little voices chattering with delight as they search for fairies, tiny pigs and ponies in the Fairy Garden exhibit. This teeny garden of whimsy is a miniature landscape. Small-scale plants, foliage that looks like mini forest trees and teensy accessories g
ive the illusion of tiny creatures living in the garden.
This charming garden was created by Master Gardeners Anne Mele, Mary Hogue and Kristine Scerbo with the assistance of green house volunteer Jessie Linderoth.
Fairy gardens are often located in small secluded areas in the garden, giving visitors the impression that they just happen to fall upon this magical place. So come, stumble upon our Fairy Garden, you’re sure to find magic here!
The Fairy Garden is located in the greenhouse at the Fairfield Nature Center and is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Directions
From I-95: Take Exit 21 Mill Plain Road. Go north on Mill Plain Road for 4.5 miles (Mill Plain Road becomes Burr Street). The Center is on the left.
From the Merritt Parkway: Take Exit 44 Route 58. Northbound: Turn right onto Congress Street at the end of the ramp. Proceed to the first stop sign. Turn right onto Burr Street. The Center is approximately 1 mile along on the left. Southbound: Turn left at the light at the bottom of the ramp, and turn left at the next light onto Route 58. Go under the bridge, and turn right at the light onto Congress Street. Proceed to the first stop sign. Turn right onto Burr Street. The Center is approximately 1 mile along on the left.
From I-84: Take Routes 8 or 25 or I-91 to the Merritt Parkway, and follow the directions, above.
