Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center Programs & Events

Join us each Tuesday evening from 6-7pm for a guided kayak/canoe trip on scenic estuaries. Enjoy birds, wildlife and sunsets. Each participant must bring their own kayak/canoe and PFD. Sunscreen, bug spray and binoculars are encouraged. Open to ages 16 and up. Members $3 Non-member $5.

July 24 – Lieutenant River State Boat Launch, Old Lyme Register

July 31 – *Location change* Uncas Pond, Lyme Register

August 7 – Smith Neck Town Landing, Old Lyme Register

August 14 – Messerschmidt Pond, Westbrook Register

August 21 – Rogers Lake, Old Lyme Register

August 28 – Powers Lake, East Lyme Register

Each Wednesday we will gather from 8:30-9:30 a.m. for a guided trail walk as we explore local trails. Our naturalists will point out  flora and fauna in some of the area’s best hiking spots. Sunscreen, bug spray and binoculars are encouraged.

Open to all ages. Members $3 non-members $5, Children 10 and under free.

July 25 – Champlain Farm South, Old Lyme Register

August 2 – Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, Stonington Register

Every Thursday morning join us from 8:30-9:30am for a guided shoreline stroll. Connecticut shorelines are home to a wide variety of plants and animals, so there’s something new to see every day! Sunscreen, bug spray and binoculars are encouraged. Open to all ages. Members $3 non-members $5, Children 10 and under free.

July 26 – Hammonasset State Park Register

Saturday, July 28, 9am
Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve, East Lyme

Overlooking the Niantic River to the east, the 457-acre Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve is an important home for numerous species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and plants. Clark Pond, numerous wetlands, and dense forests provide diverse habitats for hiking and birding along the well-marked trails.

Enter the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve via Veterans Memorial Park by turning onto Memorial Park Drive off of Rte. 161. There is ample parking adjacent to the ballfields.

This event is free, register here

Sunday, July 29, 3 pm – 5 pm
Old Lyme Beach

Join a local landscape artist and a CAS teacher-naturalist for a beginners sketching workshop for those who want to learn how to quickly capture what they observe in the natural world around them. This two hour session includes an explanation of the process and a demonstration of art materials that can be used to make simple sketches. No artistic experience needed. The presenters will guide participants through several exercises designed for a beginner, but also can be useful to an experienced art-maker to add to their skill set. The first hour of the program, which will be done inside at tables, will consist of demonstrations and simple sketching lessons. The second half will be sketching on a naturally conserved beach in Old Lyme, a five-minute walk from the initial site on mildly rough terrain,. Suitable for ages 15 and up. Participants are responsible for their own supplies. Members $3; Non-members $5

 After registration, directions and a simple supply list will be sent to you. Register here.

Wednesday, August 8, 6pm
Watch Rock Preserve, Old Lyme

Join Jesse Gillis for an evening stroll through Watch Rock Preserve. We will discuss how to identify trees, and learn to recognize our common species as one recognizes friends. Along the way we will begin to develop a sense for their interactive roles in the environment, and enrich our own experience when walking among our tall wooded friends. 

Dress for weather and insects. Bring your favorite tree book, binoculars (those leaves are so high up!), water bottle, and curiosity. Tree ID should be a fun experience, and a walk through the woods is always time well spent. 

$5 for members, $8 for non-members, register here

Photo by Don Breeger

Friday, August 17, 6 p.m.
Bluff Point State Park, Groton

Search for night-herons, nighthawks, owls, and other birds that are active later in the day during this evening birding basics at Bluff Point State Park. The diverse habitats of the park support a wide array of species, and the well established trails allow for easy viewing.

This event is free, register here

Guided Ecology Paddle
Saturday, August 18, 9 a.m, – noon
Chapman Pond, East Haddam

Join Connecticut Audubon Society conservation biologist Jim Arrigoni on a guided paddle to Chapman Pond. Embarking from the boat launch just downriver from the Goodspeed Opera House, we will paddle along the shoreline of the Connecticut River to the entrance of this secluded water body that provides refuge to many species of aquatic plants and birds. Lush stands of Wild Rice provide a stage for the tinkling serenade of Marsh Wrens, while Great and Snowy Egrets forage along the edges. The calls of Scarlet Tanagers and Warbling Vireos may be heard from the forested hillslopes. Please have your canoe or kayak ready to go at 9AM. After returning to the boat launch at noon, stay for a bag lunch and recap at the picnic area adjacent to the Goodspeed Opera House. This event is organized by the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center in collaboration with the Friends of Whalebone Cove.

Members $15 Non-members $20, Register here