Audubon Family Day Is June 26—

Barn Dancing, Bird Watching And BBQ

By Dottie Evans

SOUTHBURY — See live hawks and owls with commentary by Sharon Audubon raptor expert Scott Heth. Hike the river trail with Greenwich Audubon birding guru Ted Gilman. Hear local poet and naturalist Polly Brody read selections from her latest book.

Or grab your partner and head over to where the real action is at the newly refurbished Audubon education barn for line, contra, or square dancing and a little multigenerational do-si-do-ing.

Whatever your preference, there will be something for every nature lover of every age at Audubon’s upcoming Barn Dance & Family Day scheduled for Sunday, June 26, from 1 to 6 pm.

“It’s an event where the whole family can partake and we’re trying to be as flexible as possible,” said center manager John Longstreth.

He urges everyone to come for some or all of the events, and to call and sign up ahead of time “so we can plan better.”

“Last-minute participants will be welcome, too,” Mr Longstreth added.

Cost of the event is $20 per family and does not include food. There will be a BBQ and drink concession put on by Country Joe’s under a tent throughout the afternoon, and a shuttle service will be running continually from the parking lot off East Flat Hill Road in South Britain up to the Audubon Center’s education barn for those who do not want to walk the half-mile river trail.

“If you’ve got a stroller with those big, cushy wheels, all the better for taking the trail route,” Mr Longstreth added.

For youngsters, there will short classes offered by naturalists and teachers on a number of subjects including animal tracking and pelt identification, bird bingo, Name That Animal with Tom Zissu, make-your-own suet feeder, nature art with Waterbury teacher Jeanne Kozenieski, making bird masks with Center Education Director Ellen Turner, bird banding with Christy Melhart, and a butterfly and dragonfly walk with Mark Szantyr.

Families who enjoy camping will be interested in the demonstration camp set up by Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) with the latest equipment for outdoor living.

While some demonstrations and the concession area will be ongoing, many of the classes and barn dances are scheduled twice during the afternoon so visitors can mix and match their activities according to preference.

“Come when you can, and stay as long as you like. This family festival is something we’ve been doing for three years now, and we’re expanding the concept as we go along,” Mr Longstreth said.

Barn Dancing As Outreach

The Audubon Center at Bent of the River in South Britain is a 650-acre nature sanctuary where birds and other wildlife are protected and their unique habitats are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

A visit to this pristine place across the Pomperaug River just minutes off I-84 is like time out from the 21st Century world of technology and urbanization. The sanctuary, known originally as “Ye Bent of Ye River” according to colonial property deeds, was most recently the estate of Howard and Althea Clark. After Mrs Clark’s death, it was willed to Audubon in 1993. Before the Clarks bought it in the 1930s, the core property had been farmed continuously by the Mitchell family since the 1750s.

The sanctuary, now called simply The Bent, encompasses many ecosystems and habitats including unfragmented forest, grasslands, old meadows, vernal pools, riverside forest and red maple swamps. As a result of this variety, visitors can, if they are quiet and observant, see a large number of species of plants and animals in a fairly small space.

The Bent has about 15 miles of hiking trails through meadows and woods, some of which run through countryside that feels very remote and wild. Yet the Audubon Center’s mission is not simply to provide an escape to beauty and seclusion.

“We are working hard at our educational programs, especially targeting middle school-age children from the inner cities who might otherwise never know what a clear-running stream looks like or hear wild bird calls,” said Mr Longstreth.

Besides cooperating with the Bridgeport schools by inviting whole classrooms to spend time with the center’s educational director and in the field, the Audubon staff is always looking for more ways to introduce surrounding communities and educators to their activities and programs.

The Barn Dance & Family Day is one such effort that they hope will help get the word out, drawing more people to the center. It is modeled on a similar festival held every year in Sharon that has met with increasing success.

“We’ve got some terrific, very knowledgeable presenters this year,” Mr Longstreth said, “because we wanted to be as inclusive as possible.”

The following sponsors have helped make Audubon’s Barn Dance & Family Day possible: Farrell Marketing & Design, Southbury Printing Centre Inc, Charles Burke Interior Design, Crompton Corporation, Bennett Sullivan Associates, Civil 1, St Pierre Oil Company Inc, Pomperaug Chiropractic, Southbury Food Center, Smith & Company, Giuliano & Richardson, O&G Industries Inc, Edward Jones, and Phyllis Mount.

The Audubon Center at Bent of the River is at 185 East Flat Hill Road in Southbury. Take Exit 14 off I-84 and turn left onto Route 172 North. Go through the light 1.4 miles into South Britain and watch for East Flat Hill Road on the left (after South Britain Country Store and before the Congregational church). The Audubon Center entrance and parking area is a short distance on the left.

Trails are open to public 7 days a week during daylight hours. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Call 264-5098 for information and reservations for Audubon Barn Dance & Family Day.