The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center

Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center Programs & Events

We are currently offering small group in-person programming following all current COVID-19 safety procedures. See below for details. Our building will remain closed.

Looking to schedule one of our interactive webinar programs exclusively for your group?
Click Here for Details!

Spring 2021 Lecture Series

Nature’s Treasure Revealed: CORALS, PLANKTON AND BUTTERFLIES

3 FREE Lectures from 3 distinguished scientists
All lectures begin at 6 p.m. via Zoom

Thursday, March 11, 2021, 6 p.m.
Coral Reefs: Rainforests and Canaries of the Sea
Mark Hixon, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Thursday, April 8, 2021, 6 p.m.
Butterflies: Monarchs, Migrations and Conservation
Robert Michael Pyle, Ph.D., conservation biologist and author of The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies, will be interviewed by Evan Griswold.

Thursday, April 29, 2021, 6 p.m.
The Secret Life of Plankton: The Base of the Marine Food Web
Hans Dam, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut.

SPECIAL OFFER: DINNER prepared by renowned chef Ani Robaina, formerly chef to the Gates foundation, currently owner and chef Ani’s Table.
$75.00 per meal & pick up day of the event between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER

Virtual Courses

New! Sketching Birds for Beginners Virtual Course

Mondays, April 26, May 3, and May 10
4:30-6:00 p.m.

Interested in learning how to sketch local songbirds in their natural habitat? Grab your pencil and paper and join teacher-naturalist and artist Morgan Allen for a three-part bird ID and sketching workshop! Participants will learn basic sketching techniques, gain confidence in drawing, and discover tips and tricks for identifying songbirds of southern New England. Each session will offer strategies for illustration techniques as well as identification tips in order to develop your ability to recognize songbirds. Each weekly live session will be recorded and available for multiple views throughout the course. $30 for members; $45 for non-members

Click here for a description of what we will cover each week

Register here

For the Birds Three Week Mini-Courses

A LIVE & INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL SERIES

Whether you are new to birding or are a seasoned veteran who wants to brush up on your skills, these mini-courses are for you! Each mini-course will center on a different theme allowing participants to dive a little deeper into the identification, migration, and charismatic features of the avian families we see here in Connecticut.

Each 3- week mini-course will include an hour-long interactive live webinar per week which includes a live Q and A as well as access to the webinar recording for the duration of your subscription and resource lists which will include common species identification and a list of recommended field guides, apps, and websites.

Live Webinars take place on Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m.
Course requires the use of Zoom.

Mini-Course Descriptions and Dates

Session 3 – Waterfowl: Geese, Ducks, and Swans: March 23-April 6 – Course is closed
Session 4 – Wonderful Warblers: April 20- May 4
Session 5 – Hovering Hummingbirds: May 18-June 1
Session 6 – Sensational Shorebirds: June 15 -29
Session 7 – Swallows and Swifts: September 7-21
Session 8 – Birds of Prey: October 5-19
Session 9 – Spectacular Sparrows: November 2-16

Click Here For More Detailed Course Description and Dates

Click here to register for a 6-course subscription

Click here to register for a 3- course subscription

Click here to register for an individual course subscription

Course Instructor:

Joe Attwater

CT Audubon teacher-naturalist

Joe Attwater has been a teacher-naturalist with the CT Audubon Society for 4 years and leads many of the center’s bird-related programs including guided hikes, webinars, and virtual mini-courses. He also conducts breeding bird surveys and habitat assessments of both private and public properties. Joe has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Rhode Island, where he focused on ornithology.

Click Here to Access Previously Recorded Live Webinars

Bird Walks

Spring Migration Bird Walks

Spring is an exciting time to go birding in Connecticut, as many species move into and through the state from wintering grounds further south.

The diversity can be overwhelming, especially when identifying warblers high in the canopy or picking out songs in the dawn chorus.

Join one of our spring migration walks to learn all about our spring migrants in some of the best birding spots in the southeastern part of the state! $10 for members; $15 for members. Space is limited to 12 participants.

Masks are required and social distancing guidelines will be followed.

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

Saturday, April 10; 9 – 11 a.m. – Griswold Preserve, Old Lyme -all spots have been filled

Wednesday, April 14; 5-7 p.m. – Hatchetts Hill Preserve, Old Lyme

Saturday, April 17; 9 – 11 a.m. – Lay-Allen Preserve, Old Lyme

Wednesday, April 21; 9-11 a.m. Avery Farm Nature Preserve, Groton

Monday, April 26; 5-7 p.m. – Lohmann CT River Preserve, Old Lyme

Webinars via Zoom

Rare Birds of Connecticut Webinar

Wednesday, April 28; 6 p.m.

California Gull at Hammonasset.

Well over 400 bird species have been recorded in CT. Of those, over a quarter of them are rare, sometimes only having been spotted once or twice in the state. Where did these birds come from, and why are they here? In this webinar, teacher naturalist Joe Attwater will go over the species that cause birders in the state to drop what they’re doing and grab their binoculars.

Joe will discuss: