Humans, fluttering creatures, and crawling insects mingled at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary on Sunday, September 18. It was the first in a new series, called "Sundays at the Sanctuary," hosted by The Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation.the foundation's website.cvhfoundation.orgMore information about the foundation and sanctuary is available on its website , including a schedule of planned events. The remaining 2016 Sunday at the Sanctuary event dates are available, and a schedule of 2017 Sunday at the Sanctuary dates will be available shortly, according to Ms Hubbard.cvhfoundation.org

Each monthly Sunday at the Sanctuary event will be geared to celebrating the changing environment of that month. All of the Sunday at the Sanctuary events are free and open to the public.

The Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation was created to carry on the memory of Catherine, one of the victims of 12/14. The foundation is raising funds to build the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, which will be on the property deeded to the foundation by Governor Malloy in 2014.

Located at the end of Old Farm Road, the sanctuary will eventually provide rescue and adoptive services. The foundation is a charitable organization that supports projects and programs that reflect Catherine's memory, like the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, Cornell Veterinary Medical School's Shelter Medicine Scholarship, Catherine's Peace Team, and Catherine's Cups of Kindness, according to

The September event's theme was the changing seasons, foundation President Jenny Hubbard said, ahead of an 11 am "Butterflies Abound" workshop led by the Audubon Center at Bent of the River's Henryk Teraszkiewicz. Ms Hubbard said local educators Kim and Mike Hossler were also helping out with the day's activities.

Mr Hossler offered a guided hike at the sanctuary to highlight the exciting seasonal changes in nature, and Ms Hossler, an art teacher in the district, led quick drawing lessons. Ms Hubbard said the drawings would allow participants to bring the beauty of the surrounding nature at the sanctuary home, without physically impacting it. The entire program for the day ran from 9 am until 3 pm.

Mr Teraszkiewicz also had handouts describing the impact of native plants on birds available for participants.

Ms Hubbard noted the site's barn was open, with Catherine's Cups of Kindness kits available there.

.According to the foundation's website, the Catherine's Cups of Kindness initiative "allows volunteers of all ages to spread kindness and raise money for the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary by hosting a beverage stand and pouring tasty drinks for others. Our hope is that patrons feel encouraged to pay that kindness forward with a donation, raising funding to help us provide care for animals in need of healing support." Kits are also available to order online at

Ms Hubbard said the next Sunday at the Sanctuary, set for October 16, will be called "Night Flight." It will include exploring the world of bats - or "misunderstood wildlife," as Mr Teraszkiewicz called them - during the day. A representative from Bat Conservation International will share a lecture, and one of the activities will be building bat boxes. Mr Teraszkiewicz said he will lead an "Owl Prowl" at night.

Participants will spend an hour "speaking" with owls using an app, Mr Teraszkiewicz said, before starting the Owl Prowl hike in the evening. Mr Teraszkiewicz said he has noticed a number of owls at home at the sanctuary.

November's Sunday at the Sanctuary theme will be "Settling In," and Ms Hubbard said participants can plan on building bunny bungalows for New England cottontails and bird feeders, as just two of the day's activities.

For winter Sunday at the Sanctuary events, Ms Hubbard said the plan is to start the gatherings in the site's barn, to warm everyone up before venturing out into nature.

The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary is open from dawn to dusk, Ms Hubbard said, adding that the Sunday at the Sanctuary events are a way to preview what will be possible at the location once the sanctuary facilities are up and running. People can enjoy the space now, Ms Hubbard said, before tromping off in boots with others under Mr Teraszkiewicz's guidance to participate in field samplings for the "Butterflies Abound" workshop.

Some of the creatures discovered at the event by participants included monarch caterpillars and an Eastern tailed-blue caterpillar. A monarch butterfly and a sphinx moth were also spotted fluttering between flowers.

"All of these are free," Ms Hubbard said, speaking about the series. "We just want to encourage families and folks in the area to come out and enjoy the sanctuary."