Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center
Programs & Events
Looking to schedule one of our interactive programs exclusively for your group?
Celebrate Your Child’s Birthday at the RTP Estuary Center!
RTP Estuary Center Migration Magic Programs
Migration Magic is a month-long, family-friendly celebration of Connecticut’s birds.
It features more than 50 bird walks at preserves and parks in communities around the state, plus an array of webinars, presentations, talks, and even a concert.
Check Out the events happening with the RTP Estuary Center Here
One highlight is the month-long Birdathon, for people of all ages and all skill levels. Participate in this friendly competition at any time during May 2025. The goal is to spot as many bird species as you can. The Birdathon is a fundraiser for bird conservation in the state. Great fun and great prizes for a great cause!
Click Here to Support the RTP Estuary Center in the Birdathon
Click Here to Check Out all of the Migration Magic Events Happening Around the State!
Youth/Family Programs
Family Day at the RTP Estuary Center
Saturday, April 26; 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 3 p.m. we will welcome the local band Sunny Train! The Lion’s Club will be on-site, providing food for the afternoon.
Cost: $10/ Family
Registration is recommended. All ages are welcome!
Register Here
RTP Estuary Center Afterschool Adventures Program
Registration Open For Session 5
Tuesdays, May 13, 20, and 27; 3:45-5:00 p.m.
The RTP Estuary Center’s afterschool program allows participants to engage in hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences through STEAM-based activities. Participants will learn how to use various types of scientific equipment and design and conduct experiments based on different weekly, seasonally-based topics while leaving room for crafts and games. Themes will reflect the seasonal change found in nature. Our May session is three weeks, meeting once a week from 3:45-5:00 pm. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring a snack and a water bottle. Open to Grade K-4. Cost for all 3 weeks is $37 for members and $45 for non-members. Contact Heather at hkordula@ctaudubon.org for questions. Click Here for required registration paperwork
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.
Register Here
Adult Programs
CT River Lecture Series Spring 2025
New research on the behavior of Atlantic sturgeon aggregating in the Connecticut River – With Hannes Baumann
Wednesday, April 30; 5-6 pm
Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) are large, iconic fish that already roamed the earth along with dinosaurs, but in human times, they have become critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Until the early 1900s, they used to spawn in the Connecticut River, but that ended as their population declined, just like in so many other rivers along the North American Atlantic coast. Since 1998, however, the strict protection of sturgeons under the Endangered Species Act has led to cautious signs of recovery, and the animals appear to rediscover their habitats in Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River. To further the species protection and conservation, researchers from CT DEEP and the University of Connecticut have been monitoring this particular Atlantic sturgeon aggregation, checking on fish size and age, while using telemetry of acoustically tagged animals to find out where and when exactly sturgeon use the different parts of the river. This talk will share some of our recently published findings, which surprisingly showed that sturgeons of all sizes and ages like to swim up the Connecticut River in summer. Are they searching for food, or could some be motivated by spawning there again?
Register Here
Fathoming the Ocean – A Deep Dive into Our Relationship with the Sea – With Helen Rozwadowski
Wednesday, May 7; 5-6 pm
Old Lyme Town Hall
Discover the ocean’s story as you’ve never heard it before, one that reveals the ocean’s role in shaping human history and culture, and our ongoing relationship with the sea. Dr. Helen Rozwadowski, a leading historian of ocean science, explores the profound and multifaceted relationship between humans and the oceans. Mankind has had a long and enduring, expansive, profitable, and, at times, chaotic and catastrophic relationship with the waters that cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface. She will examine how curiosity has driven technological, cultural and environmental changes, emphasizing our interconnectedness with the vast waters that cover much of the Earth.
Register Here
Click here to learn more about our speakers
Webinars via Zoom
Shorebirds Webinar
Wednesday, April 23; 6-7 pm
Shorebirds are some of the champions of the bird world when it comes to migration. Most species that can be seen in Connecticut breed in the far north in the Arctic, and they pass through the state on their way north, stopping along our coastline and wetlands. In this webinar, Conservation and Education Coordinator Joe Attwater will review this incredible group of birds and which ones you can expect to see in Connecticut. Joe will discuss:
- Breeding & nesting behaviors
- Shorebird migration
- Threats & Conservation
- Shorebird families & which species are in CT
Register Here for Zoom link
Free to attend. Suggested donation $10. Registration required
