Families learned the ins-and-outs of New England's historic stone walls during the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation's most recent Sunday At the Sanctuary event, hosted at Fraser Woods Montessori School on March 18.Stone Wall SecretsSmithsonian's 1998 "Notable Books for Children" collection. The book has stood the test of time, Dr Thorson said, because its story still rings true., which was chosen for the To learn more about upcoming Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation events, visit cvhfoundation.org.

Dr Robert Thorson, UConn professor and founder of the Stone Wall Initiative, shared what makes stone walls great for wildlife and how they can reveal the geological features of an area.

He read excerpts from his award-winning children's book,

During his slideshow presentation, he explained how the openings between rocks can help many types of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects find shelter and hide from predators. The stone walls can also make a habitat richer by creating seedbeds, shade, moisture, and ventilation for the area.

"Stone walls are everywhere in Newtown," Dr Thorson said. He encouraged everyone to go out and discover stone walls in their areas and enjoy the history they hold.

Guests were then invited to meet stone wall wildlife up close with Becky Newman, education director of Earth Place in Westport; participate in a hands-on activity exploring an indoor stone wall with Master Stone Mason Andrew Pighills; and learn about lichen that grows on stone walls at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation's discovery table.

Throughout the event, adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes were on site from Companion Pet Rescue (CPR) of Southbury and beCause 4 Paws of New Milford.

The next Sunday at the Sanctuary will be "Gardening For Wildlife" on April 29, from noon to 3 pm, on the sanctuary property at the end of Old Farm Road. The event is free for all ages and will have adoptable animals onsite.