Girl Scouts
Boy Scouts
From Daisies and Cubs to Gold and Eagle, The Connecticut Audubon Center at Glastonbury has programs and project ideas for every age. Our staff looks forward to working with you to develop a program for science and nature-related topics, including conservation, ecology, habitats and bird study. Click here for program information.
No matter what your interests or talents, you can help: volunteer teachers, Center hosts, animal caretakers, office and general indoor/outdoor help are just some of the skills that keep your Glastonbury Center going.
We will provide full instruction and information; you just need to bring a willingness to learn and a cheerful smile. If you are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities described below, contact Center Director Michelle Eckman at 860-633-8402 ext. 205 or meckman@ctaudubon.org.
Our Center is fully handicapped-accessible. If you have allergic reactions to animals, this may not be the place for you! Click here to download a printable application form (please print the two pages back to back on one sheet).
Phone, Reception & Nature Store Hosts: We need cheerful, helpful people (you can bring a friend & work in twos) who enjoy talking to the public on the phone and in person. Phone and reception volunteers need to be empathetic and helpful. Some office or clerical help is also appreciated.
We need volunteers from 10-3 daily except Sundays. Saturday volunteers are especially important and must be able to function independently without staff supervision. Training will be offered by staff and experienced volunteers. We also have openings for both adult and youth animal caretakers.
Administrative Help: Assist the Director with phone calls, correspondence, research and other tasks. This would be good experience for students in business or secretarial schools.
Volunteer Coordination: Would you like to learn how to recruit, screen and train volunteers? Did you know that this is a career that you can get certification in? Our director would love to teach a couple of people how to work with volunteers to the best advantage for the Connecticut Audubon Center. Learn to organize groups of volunteers, schedule volunteers to cover office, events and animal care, work with court-ordered volunteers, involve teens, and recruit for specific needs.
Publicity Volunteer: We are looking for someone who will come in once a week for at least an hour to enter our event information on-line into community calendars, and event and tourism websites. An organized person with some publicity experience would be very helpful. Keep track of our on-line listings, update as needed, and provide a list to our publicity volunteer team of which events have been listed and where.
Gardening Volunteers: Experienced gardeners are needed to maintain the teaching and wildlife gardens around our Center. Weeding, transplanting, pruning and mulching are among the skills required. Bring a friend or two and help beautify the Center grounds. After a brief training and orientation session, volunteers can garden on their own schedules.
Event Committee Volunteers: Our events raise money to support our Center, care for our animals, provide science education for thousands of children each year, and raise awareness. There is something for everyone to do! Publicity, taking minutes, planning public education programs, hanging photographs, setting up tents, cooking or baking, setting up or cleaning up, asking for donations or putting up posters – you name it, we need your help!
Opportunities include adult & family education programs, our annual photo contest and our Harvest Dinner. Join a committee and find yourself in the midst of community members who enjoy doing what they are doing, have fun doing it and help us accomplish our mission!
CAS Summer Camp
Non-Releasable Raptors in Our Aviary (L-R):
Buddy (Broad-Winged Hawk)
Trinity (Red-Tailed Hawk)
Cookie (Barred Owl)
Too small in this photo? Come see them “in person” and take your own (no flash, please).
Click here to learn more about them.
The Coastal Center Nature Store is offering a 20% discount on premium bird seed orders. It’s the perfect time to start stocking up for the fall and winter. To ensure that adequate supplies are available, pre-ordering is strongly recommended. Click here for order form. Order forms must be received by November 9, 2016.
So, what to put on the menu? Most of the birds that stay in Connecticut are seed eaters. Seed and suet provide the calories and nourishment they need to stay warm, and healthy as the cold weather approaches and food becomes scarce. Good choices for food include black oil sunflower seed, safflower seeds, nyjer and suet-a great energy source.
Upcoming events for November!
Coastal Center – Spectra Volunteers
On October 8th, thirteen Right of Way (ROW) Agents from Spectra Energy’s Connecticut office led a volunteer grounds cleanup and maintenance project day at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point.
The Spectra Energy employees volunteered to paint decks and center signage, rake the grounds, weed flower beds, clean up brush, and prepare the Center for the coming months. Cathy Hagadorn, the Center Director shared “When volunteers such as Spectra Energy take time to volunteer here, it is an investment in our future.”
“We are so appreciative of the Spectra Energy’s team of volunteers that worked hard this past Saturday. Their collective 40 hours of work here really made an immediate impact. The frequent visitors and birders to the center immediately noticed the projects that were completed.”
The Center greets anywhere between 15,000 – 20,000 visitors and students each year from around the state. There are various science education programs for K-12 and university students. The educational programs and operations are funded in part by foundations, individual donations and memberships. The Center doesn’t receive federal, state, or municipal funding. As a result, volunteers and partners are crucial to the maintenance and operation of the Center.
“Conserving Connecticut’s environment is a top priority for Spectra Energy, making our work with the Audubon Society a perfect opportunity to serve our community,” said Arthur Diestel, Director of Stakeholder Outreach for Spectra Energy. “Whether it’s helping the Connecticut Audubon Society save more of its resources for education or ensuring that our own projects utilize 95% of the state’s existing infrastructure, we believe in preserving what we have, and this weekend was just one more way to do that.”
Spectra Energy – coporate volunteering at the Coastal Center
Trail Wood, the former home of writer-naturalist Edwin Way Teale and his wife Nellie, and our Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret, were chosen by the editors of Yankee Magazine as the Best Nature Sanctuaries in Connecticut, in May 2013.
Trail Wood’s 168 acres are open year-round for hiking.
Download the story of Trail Wood here.
For directions, click here.
Download the CT Audubon Trail Wood Sanctuary Rules
This is a FREE 2-hour Animal Rescue First Responder training hosted at the Coastal Center.
Saturday December 17, 2016 1 – 3:00 p.m. 
First responders are vital to Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program. The initial response helps us determine the status of an animal and helps us prepare for action when necessary. Learn about federal regulations that ensure the safety of these animals. You will also learn how to identify Connecticut and Rhode Island’s marine mammal and sea turtle species.
(MUST be 18 or older to attend)
RSVP required, for your free tickets please – click here.
Saturday, November 12: Eisenhower Park (Community Gardens) – Sparrows
Saturday, November 19: Milford Point – Thanksgiving Duck Run
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Milford and Stratford are blessed with many wonderful parks. Expert birder Frank Gallo, Director of Connecticut Audubon’s Coastal Center (CAS), has handpicked the best sites to explore in autumn, from hidden gems, such as Booth Park, to more well-known sites, such as Silver Sands State Park. Frank will guide walkers to a variety of species of seasonal birds at each location. No experience necessary. Binoculars are available upon request. Preregistration recommended. Contact Louise at 203-878-7440 x 502 to register and to request binoculars. Meet at each park; directions will be provided.
Fee: weekly $9 per walk ($5 seniors, $7 CAS members)
Saturday, November 19 – Milford Hotspots – Ducks
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Explore some of the best birding sites in Connecticut with expert birder, Frank Gallo. Each site has its own unique character. Come join the fun. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and be prepared for a leisurely walk. Meet at the site. Directions to each site will be provided upon registration.
Fee: Weekly – $20/person (CAS member $15); Seniors $10
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Our mission is to conserve Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and their habitats.
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