Connecticut Audbon Society
The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center

The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center

Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center
Programs & Events


Looking to schedule one of our interactive programs exclusively for your group?

Click Here for Details!

All programs can also be provided in person or virtually via Zoom


 

Connecticut River Lecture Series Spring 2024

Now in our ninth year, the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center’s Connecticut River Lecture Series has focused on the unique relationship between our environment, nature, art, and the impact on our community life.  Our Spring series will address these topics with three experts in their field. Our first lecture in April will introduce a prolific but relatively unknown bird artist of the 20th Century. In May we will vicariously explore the Connecticut River Watershed, perhaps planning our next excursion. Finally, but importantly, our last speaker of spring is a scientist whose mission is preserving and protecting our coastal communities in the face of mounting weather-related challenges. 

Click here to learn more about the series and our speakers.

 

Rex Brasher: Prolific but Overshadowed and Unknown with Janine Caira, Ph.D.
April 18, 2024; 4:00 p.m.
Essex Meadows, Essex
Register here

Resilient Connecticut: Protecting Our Coastal Communities with John Truscinski
May 9, 2024; 5:00 p.m.
Old Lyme Town Hall, Old Lyme
Register here

Exploring the Connecticut River with Patrick J. Lynch
May 16, 2024; 5:00 p.m.
Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme
Register here


 

Vernal Pool Training for Conservation & Inland Wetlands Commissioners

Saturday, April 6: 9am-12:30pm
RTP Estuary Center, Old Lyme

Vernal pools are an important wetland habitat found throughout Connecticut. Often overlooked and undervalued, they provide essential breeding habitat for numerous amphibian and invertebrate species. This workshop will introduce vernal pools, what they are, how they function, and what species are dependent upon them for survival. With over 60 years of combined experience with local land use commissions, Denise Savageau and Michael Aurelia will review the role Conservation and Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commissions play in protecting this special resource. The workshop will begin indoors and then a short walk to the field. Boots and appropriate field dress attire required. Registration is free. Please pre-register by March 30.

Co-hosted by CT River Coastal Conservation District and CT Audubon Society. Click Here for more information about the presenters.

Register here


 

Youth Programs

RTP Estuary Center Afterschool Adventures Program

RTP Estuary Center Summer CampRegistration Open For All Sessions!

The RTP Estuary Center’s afterschool program allows participants the opportunity to participate in hands-on, inquiry based learning experiences through STEAM based activities. Participants will learn how to use various types of scientific equipment and design, conduct experiments based on different weekly, seasonally-based topics while still leaving room for crafts and games.  Themes will reflect the seasonal change found in nature. Each program will run for 7 weeks, meeting once a week from 3:45-5:00 pm. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring a snack and water bottle. Cost is $85 per 7 week program for members; $100 for non-members. * 6 week program is $75 for members and $90 for non-members

Busing is provided ONLY for Mile Creek Elementary and Lyme Consolidated students from school to the RTP Estuary Center for drop-off. Parent/Guardian must pick-up from RTP Estuary Center.

Session 5
Tuesdays; April 16- May 21 – Register Here
Wednesdays; April 17-May 22 – Register Here


 

April Vacation Week

Monday, April 8- Friday, April 12
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
RTP Estuary Center

Explore with us this spring at the RTP Estuary Center! Outdoor explorations, hands-on science experiments, games, and creative activities are in store!  Outdoor attire required. Program is for ages 5 – 11. Each child should bring a water bottle and a snack and lunch. Registration is required. $375/child for the full week or $75/child per individual day

Click Here  to Register for the Full Week

Click Here to Register for Monday, April 8
Click Here to Register for Tuesday, April 9
Click Here to Register for Wednesday, April 10
Click Here to Register for Thursday, April 11
Click Here to Register for Friday, April 12


 

Family Walks

Photo by Gilles Carter.

Saturday, March 23; 9:30-11am at Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme
Saturday, April 6; 9:30-11am at Honey Hill Preserve, Lyme
Saturday, April 20; 9:30-11 am at Canfield Woods, Essex

Spring is in the air! Join teacher-naturalist Morgan Allen on a fun family walk! We will look and listen for birds and other wildlife and enjoy the beauty of nature. Walk is suitable for ages 5 and up. $10 members; $15 non-members; $5 for children ages 12 and under.

– Walk at Rocky Neck will be an approximately 1 mile walk on level dirt, paved, and sandy terrain. Restrooms on site.
– Walk at Honey Hill will be an approximately 1 mile loop on level dirt terrain, with a few slightly steeper spots and some stream crossings. No restrooms.
– Walk at Canfield Woods will be an approximately 1 mile loop on dirt terrain, with some steeper and wet areas. No restrooms.

Saturday, March 23 at Rocky Neck, East Lyme – Register here

Saturday, April 6 at Honey Hill Preserve, Lyme – Register here

Saturday, April 20 at Canfield Woods, Essex – Register here


 

Family Day at the RTP Estuary Center

Saturday, April 27; 1-5 p.m.
RTP Estuary Center
Join us for an afternoon of family fun along the banks of the Lieutenant River! Enjoy games, science and nature activities, art and more.  At 3pm we will welcome local band Sunny Train! The Lion’s Club will also be on site providing food and drinks.

Cost : $10/ Family
Registration is recommended.  All ages welcome!

Register Here

 

 

 


 

Adult Programs

Spring Nature Walk

Photo by Frank Mantlik.

Saturday, March 23; 9-11 am in Lyme
Saturday, April 27; 9-11 am in Old Lyme

As the snow melts and temperatures start to rise, nature goes through many changes. Animals come out of hibernation, plants start to bloom, and insects are more active. We look and listen for these first signs of spring and more through the beautiful forests and wetlands of a couple of great preserves in Southeastern CT. $13 for members/$18 for non-members.
– Walk in Lyme will be an approximately 1 mile loop on mostly level dirt trails, with a few slightly steeper sections. No restrooms.
– Walk in Old Lmye will be an approximately 1.5 mile out and back on level dirt trails. No restrooms.

Saturday, March 23, 9-11 am at Beebe Preserve in Lyme – Register here

Saturday, April 27, 9-11 am at McCulloch Open Space in Old Lyme – Register here

The RTPEC frequently uses open space and land trust properties that are open to the public without fee.  Open space permits our use of these properties and receives no part of any fee collected by the RTPEC.

 

Amphibian Walk

Saturday, March 30; 10 am-noon
Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve, Lyme

Some of the first sure signs of spring are the peeps of tiny Spring Peepers or the duck-like call of the Wood Frog. Many amphibian species rely on seasonal wetlands for breeding, and unique plants and insects can be found in there as well. Join us to search the wetlands that dot the Brockway Hawthorne Preserve and look for the numerous amphibian species that call it home. $13 for members;$18 for non-members.
– Walk will be an approximately 1-1.5 mile out and back on mostly level dirt trails, with a few slightly steeper sections. No restrooms.

Register here

 

Beaver Walk

Saturday, April 6; 2-4 pm
McCulloch Open Space, Old Lyme

No animal does more to change the landscape than beavers, and they are extremely important in habitat succession. Beaver ponds provide critical habitat for fish and amphibians, and as they drain, they turn into meadows and early successional forests for birds and mammals. We’ll search for evidence of beavers and how they change their surroundings, as well as the birds that rely on beaver modified habitats in the Ames Open Space property in Old Lyme. $13 for members/$18 for non-members.
– Walk will be approximately 1.5-2 mile out and back on mostly level dirt trails, with some slightly steeper spots. No restrooms on site.

Register here

The RTPEC frequently uses open space and land trust properties that are open to the public without fee.  Open space permits our use of these properties and receives no part of any fee collected by the RTPEC.

 

Welcome Back Ospreys of Pratt Cove

Wednesday, April 10; 9-11 am
Pratt Cove, Essex

Historically, Ospreys return to Pratt and Post Coves in late March and typically one or more pairs build nests at locations that allow excellent viewing from the Deep River Land Trust’s Evelyn Hawthorne and Smyth Sanctuaries. The natural history and unique adaptations of these unique “fish hawks” will be the focus of this event, but as we walk the mostly level ¼ mile trail, we will also scan the marsh for waders, waterfowl and other raptors. The woodland margins can be excellent for spotting early spring land migrants as well. $13 for members/$18 for non-members.
– Walk will be approximately .25 mile on level, dirt terrain. No restrooms on site.

Register here

 

Spring Bird Walk

Saturday, April 13; 9-11 am
Connecticut College Arboretum, New London

Birds in Connecticut eagerly await the coming of spring, as we put away our winter gear and welcome back the birds we haven’t seen since the fall. Trees and bushes are full of songbirds in the morning, many of which have just traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to get back to their breeding grounds. We’ll look for warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and more in the forests and wetlands of the Connecticut College Arboretum, an important stopover site for a diversity of bird species. Free for members of either the CT Audubon Society or CT College Arboretum; $10 for non-members.
– Walk will be an approximately 1-1,5 mile loop on level dirt, gravel, and wood chip terrain. Portable toilet on site.

Register here


 

Webinars via Zoom

 

Corvids Webinar

Photo by Gilles Carter.

Wednesday, March 20; 6-7 pm

The term “Birdbrain” is a misnomer, with many bird species showing quite the degree of intelligence. One group in particular that is well known for its intelligence are the Corvids, our crows, jays, and ravens. In this webinar, Conservation & Education Coordinator Joe Attwater will go over the behaviors of these incredible birds, and which ones call Connecticut home. Joe will discuss:

  • Corvid behaviors & Intelligence
  • Breeding & Nesting Behaviors
  • CT Species
  • Threats & Conservation

Register here for Zoom link

 

Flycatchers Webinar

Wednesday, April 17; 6-7 pm

You’re watching a small horde of insects when suddenly a small bird darts in to grab one mid-air. Chances are it was a flycatcher, one of the most adept groups of birds at catching insects in flight. In this webinar, Conservation & Education Coordinator Joe Attwater will discuss the aerial insectivores that call Connecticut home during the summer. Joe will discuss:

  • Feeding, breeding & nesting behaviors
  • CT Species
  • ID tips
  • Threats and conservation efforts

Register here for Zoom Link


 

 

 

 

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