News at the Center at Pomfret
Tree Pests and Pathogens
April 21, 2025
Pests and pathogens are ubiquitous in Connecticut woods, but their impacts vary greatly. Frank Cervo, State of Connecticut service forester for our region, will discuss some of the most significant insects, fungi, and diseases plaguing our forests on Thursday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road. Presented in collaboration with the Eastern Connecticut Forest Landowners Association (ECFLA), admission is free for CAS and ECFLA members and $5.00 for non-members. Registration is requested (call 860-928-4948). The Society’s interest in the forest ecosystem is explained by its mission to protect birds and other wildlife and to conserve habitats. It’s in the trees that the lives of birds and those of insect pests intersect. Read more.
Peter Mayer Folk Concert
April 7, 2025
Stillwater, Minnesota folk singer, Peter Mayer, performs on Friday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret. The charge to attend the concert is $25. Registration is required as seating is limited. Go to ctaudubon.org/pomfret-programs or call the Center at 860-928-4948 to register and reserve your seat(s). Admission at the door will be $30, only if seating remains available. For 30 years, guitar virtuoso Peter Mayer has been singing and songwriting full-time, performing in venues across the U.S. and around the world. His music has been performed by Kathy Mattea, David Wilcox, Claudia Schmidt, Anne Hills, Priscilla Herdman, Darryl Purpose, Billy Jonas, and Ronny Cox, to name just a few artists. Song books, church hymnals, and folk radio playlists across the country include his work. Peter has eleven albums to his credit. Read more.
CAS Offers Naturalist Training
March 12, 2025
The Center at Pomfret will begin its 2025 Volunteer Naturalist Training Program on Tuesday morning, March 25. Offered annually, the program consists of ten, four-hour (8 a.m. to noon) sessions on Tuesdays from March 25 through May 27. The cost to attend is $200 for CAS members; $258 for non-members. The non-member price includes a CAS family membership. Upon completion of the program, trainees contribute a minimum of 40 volunteer hours to CAS. Read more.
James Keelaghan Concert
February 20, 2025
Canadian roots and folk musician, James Keelaghan, performs on Friday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road. David Woodhead will accompany him on bass. James Keelaghan is a masterful storyteller and accomplished artist. He combines an insatiable appetite for finding the next unique storyline with brilliantly defined craftsmanship and a monogrammed artistic vision. Read more.
Meet an Opossum
December 9, 2024
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to pet an opossum, we can help you with that. And even if that isn’t on your 2025 list, admit it, now you want to!
The educational ambassador opossums of Ferncroft Wildlife Rescue (FWR) in Woodstock will be at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret on Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 p.m. Brandi, a real charmer, will be making her debut. Old hands Bob and Wendi will join her. Read more.
The Quiet Corner Loses An Eagle
November 13, 2024
On November 4th, wildlife rehabber Sherry Harmon posted on Facebook about a Bald Eagle that lost its life in Pomfret when it was electrocuted.
An eyewitness described what happened. The eagle flew down from a tree to grab an easy meal—a squirrel killed by a vehicle. When the eagle flew up, its wing hit a power line, and the magnificent raptor immediately dropped to the ground.
Sherry, who operates Nutmeg Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation, was contacted for help. Although she arrived quickly, the eagle had already died. Read more.
Winged Wonders: Barreds and Bats
September 15, 2024
The Fledgling 4, an entertaining and informative nature documentary about Barred Owls, will be screened at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret on Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. The film’s producer, Joe Gowac, will join us for the evening. He is a wildlife videographer, photographer, and second grade teacher from East Hampton. In March of this year, Joe discovered a Barred Owl nest site in the woods near him. He proceeded to go there for 100 consecutive days, documenting the daily existence
and antics of the owl family. Read more.
On Sunday, October 20 at 2:00 p.m., the topic will be bats, the only mammal capable of true flight. Maureen Heidtmann, one of only three licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Connecticut specializing in caring for bats, operates WingHand Rehab and Education. She will provide an overview of bats of the world and then discuss the nine species that occur in our state, grouped as cave bats (six species) and tree bats (three species). All species but the big brown bat are state listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Read more.
Harvard Forest and CAS Collaborate
September 13, 2024 
On a glorious, sunny September day, local middle and secondary school science teachers met at Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, to attend a free, day-long, indoor/outdoor workshop presented by Harvard Forest staff and Connecticut Audubon Society teacher-naturalists. Instructors introduced participants to the “Our Changing Forests” long term ecological research project, teaching them how to establish and monitor a schoolyard plot in order to document forest change over time. This year’s participants were from Griswold, Thompson, Windham, and Woodstock. Read more.
Woodstock Academy science teachers
Susan Lovegreen and Jennifer Burdick
UNFI Helping Hands Volunteers
March 15, 2024
We are very grateful to the UNFI Helping Hands Volunteers, who donated their time to help with spring clean up at the Center at Pomfret.
Wildlife in Connecticut’s Changing Landscape
February 19, 2024
Paul Colburn will present a natural history of Connecticut from the early 1600’s, when European colonists arrived, to the present on Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m. at the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center. Paul is a graduate of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Master Wildlife Conservationist Program. Adult admission is $5.00 for CAS members; $10.00 for non-members. There is no charge for children 12 and under. Paul describes the interactions between native species and Europeans, particularly from habitat and harvest perspectives. In this context, he covers Eastern mountain lions, Eastern gray wolves, Eastern coyotes, elk, turkeys, passenger pigeons, fishers, white-tailed deer, black bears, New England cottontails, and more. Read more.
Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut
January 6, 2024 
The American Chestnut Foundation’s (TACF) documentary, Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut, will be shown at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret on Sunday, February 18, at 2:00 p.m. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session with Jack Swatt, president of the Connecticut chapter of TACF, and Ginny Patsun, manager of the TACF seed orchard in Stafford. The event is presented in collaboration with The Wyndham Land Trust. No registration is required and there is no admission charge. Read more.
Among Fall-Returning Birds: The Northern Harrier
October 23, 2023
Most of us tend to think of birds returning to Connecticut in spring to breed. There are some birds, however, that return to the state in the fall. These are birds that migrate south to winter here, leaving in the spring for their more northerly breeding grounds. The Northern Harrier, once known as the Marsh Hawk, is one of them. They usually arrive in October at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Pomfret. At least three individuals have been sighted recently. Read more.
Black Bears in the Quiet Corner
September 10, 2023 
Paul Colburn will discuss black bears on Saturday, October 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center. Paul is a graduate of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Master Wildlife Conservationist Program. Adult admission is $5.00 for CAS members; $10.00 for non-members. There is no charge for children 12 and under. Paul discusses the history of black bears in Connecticut, their habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and current research studies. Read more.
Stone Walls in New England: History, Inventory, and Recommendations for Conservation
September 10, 2023 
UConn professor of earth sciences and author, Dr. Robert Thorson will outline the history of our quintessentially New England fieldstone walls, provide several key clues to interpreting them, link them to modern habitats, and make recommendations for their conservation and management. His presentation will be at the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center on Wednesday, October 4, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The admission fee is $5.00 for CAS members; $10.00 for non-members. Registration is requested. Read more.
New Summer Residents – Sandhill Cranes
August 17, 2023
As many as five Sandhill Cranes have been seen this spring and summer in Pomfret and Hampton. They have spent much of their time in Maple Swamp (between Drown and Paine Roads in the Abington section of town) and may have attempted to nest there, although no one has reported seeing young. Folks living around the large swamp texted back and forth, tracking the cranes’ comings and goings. The birds were seen feeding on lawns and in farm fields and pastures. Read more.
Canaries outside the coal mine: Are Connecticut’s birds being affected by smoke from Canada’s wildfires?
July 2, 2023 (update of a June post by Tom Anderson, CAS Director of Communications)
How is the smoke from the Canadian wildfires affecting birds? In 2020, a team of researchers at the University of Washington was concerned about the effect of smoke from wildfires on birds. A review of the scientific literature, published in IOPScience, found that very little work had been done on the topic. One of the researchers, Kaeli Swift, Ph.D., wrote a blog post titled, “How Smoke Affects Wildlife.” It states, “It’s clear that smoke isn’t good for animals, resulting in anything from carbon monoxide poisoning, to respiratory tissue damage, higher blood acid levels, stunted growth, compromised immune systems, and even death.” Read more.
Northern Bobwhite Surprise
June 27, 2023
Since April, a male Northern Bobwhite, a species of quail native to Connecticut, has been seen and heard regularly around the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret at 218 Day Road. Two female Bobwhite with babies of different ages have been spotted at the southern end of the sanctuary, about half a mile away from the building. Several observers have seen a couple of males. There also have been reports of Bobwhite on the other side of town and in neighboring towns. What are the birds’ origins? They are almost certainly pen-raised, escaped or released birds or descended from such. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), the results of a number of studies indicate native Bobwhite has been extirpated from Connecticut for years. Read more.
Purple Martin at Bafflin Sanctuary
June 13, 2023
Do you wonder what you are seeing in the distance as you drive by the Connecticut Audubon Society field on Route 169, opposite the Pomfret Community School? Many folks do. The answer is an active Purple Martin housing complex.
Purple Martin, a bird species of special concern in Connecticut, return here to nest in April and May and leave for their wintering grounds in South America as early as August. They are cavity-nesters and live in colonies. Read more.
A Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington: Senator George P. McLean, Birdman of the Senate
June 5, 2023
Millions of birds migrate to, from, and through Connecticut every year. They are protected by landmark environmental protection legislation enacted over a century ago that still saves birds today. Learn how Connecticut Senator George P. McLean helped establish lasting legal protections for birds by overseeing the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. McLean’s story will be told by Will McLean Greeley, his great-great nephew and author of his biography, on Thursday, June 22, at 7:00 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center. Read more.
Remembering Ben Williams
Spring 2023
We have lost a giant in Ben Williams. A passionate defender of education and the natural world, he was a constant presence on the Bafflin Sanctuary long before the Center’s inception. He was our champion from the very start as a founding regional board member, serving as chairman and leading the charge for the Center’s building campaign. In addition, Ben was an inspiration to area children. He was famous for regularly showing up with an interesting find – an emerging Luna moth, baby snapping turtles, whatever he had discovered that day. Read more.
Restoration of Bird Populations: Woodcock – A Case Study
February 7, 2023 
Dr. Min Huang, who leads the CT DEEP migratory bird program, will discuss the American woodcock and protection and restoration of its habitat on Saturday, February 18, at 2:00 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center. This program is presented in collaboration with the Eastern Connecticut Forest Landowners Association (ECFLA) and the Wyndham Land Trust (WLT). Read more.
Eastern Coyotes in Connecticut
December 28, 2022
You may have heard them howling at night, calling the family group back together or declaring their claims to territory. Or, you may have watched one cross a field or a road, running with its tail low, almost dragging on the ground. Coyotes, first documented in Connecticut in the 1950’s, have spread across the state. Their population is estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 individuals. Read more.
Sports Pioneer Leaves a Legacy in Peaceful Places
November 18, 2022
Hikers on the Day Brook trail at Connecticut Audubon Society’s Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret have a new place to rest and enjoy the view – a granite bench donated in the memory of local sports pioneer, Pam Childs. Inspiring young athletes for decades, Pam Childs left a lasting mark on high school girls’ basketball in Northeastern Connecticut. She coached her Putnam teams to 411 wins and eight Quinebaug Valley Conference titles from 1969 to 1999. At her 2001 induction into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the three words that many used to describe her were: “Legend. Pioneer. Institution.” Read more.
The Bobcat: Connecticut’s Secretive Wild Cat
October 10, 2022 
Paul Colburn, a master wildlife conservationist, will speak about bobcats on Saturday, November 5, at 2:00 p.m. at The Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Center at Pomfret, 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center. Adult admission is $5.00 for CAS members, $10.00 for non-members. There is no charge for children 12 and under. In recent years, bobcat numbers have increased in Connecticut. Reports of sightings and vehicle-kills show that bobcats live throughout the state, in both urban and rural areas. Read more.
New Bird Tracking Technology Installed
April 14, 2022
The structure behind the equipment barn at 218 Day Road resembles the old-fashioned, outdoor television antennas that once were ubiquitous. It is, in fact, the latest technology for tracking migratory birds. It is one of more than 1,300 receivers in the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a rapidly expanding network of automated stations around the world. Motus is the Latin word for movement.
How does it work? Birds are fitted with tiny, lightweight radio transmitters (nanotags) and the station receives their signals, usually within a six-to-ten-mile radius of the receiver. The nanotags’ small size and weight allow researchers to attach them to the smallest of migrant birds and not interfere with their activities. Read more.
