April 21, 2022
This Friday (April 22) is Earth Day and organizations in New Canaan will host a handful of events in the coming days to acknowledge the need to celebrate and conserve the world’s climate, wildlife, forests, and waterways.
Here are some of the events that are scheduled in New Canaan:
Saturday, April 23
New Canaan Nature Center: Earth Day Extravaganza
Join the Nature Center’s Pollinator Pathway Community Partners for an Earth-centric celebration that will include nature walks, sustainable crafts, animal meet-and-greets, live music, and more.
- Designing with Plenty for Pollinators, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Karen Bussolini will lecture in the Sturgess Room about how to design habitats and gardens that are wildlife-friendly and will attract pollinators. She’ll show inspiring examples of gardens and discuss maintenance strategies that work. Click here to register
- Outdoor exhibits, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Visitors of all ages can participate in tree identification walks, live animal shows featuring Christine’s Critters & Wildlife in Crisis, plant sales, GreenLink trail walks, a self-guided scavenger hunt, Spring crafts and games, a food tent, and live music by School of Rock. Click here to purchase tickets.
Grace Farms: The Wonder of Trees
Forests play a leading role in the well-being of the world’s ecosystems because of their ability to sustain biodiversity, benefit the climate, and support the wellness of humans. Grace Farms will be hosting a variety of family-friendly activities that celebrate trees and encourage the conservation of forests and wetlands.
- Birds and Trees, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Master Birder Frank Mantlik will examine the many species of birds that live at the complex.
- Forest Bathing, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Erika Long of the Community Mindfulness Project will help reveal a tree’s ability to alleviate stress and anxiety and improve our focus, wellness, and mental health.
- Tree Printing and Tree Communities | Find the Lines, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Led by the Arts Initiative, children and families can wander through the black locust grove, weave yarn through the trees and contemplate the interrelatedness of nature and life.
- Plant an Oak, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Learn about the more than 250 species of life that can live within the branches of an oak tree, and then take a seedling home and plant it in your yard or garden.
- Architectural Elements | Timber, 11 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: A brief examination of sustainability in architecture and landscape.
- Soaring Through the Treetops, Noon to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Educator Brian Bradley will talk about the birds of prey who frequent the property and how they use trees to survive.
- Spring Tree Walk, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: On this walking tour, Laura Green from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environment will point out the more than 50 species of trees that grow on the property.
- The Flourishing Life and Trees, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Our Faith Initiative Team of Director Dr. Matthew Croasmun and Coordinator Karie Grosh will explore the importance of trees as religious and cultural symbols and living in balance with nature.
- The Tree Bar | Earth Day-inspired Library Resources, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: We’ll have a curated selection of books and other resources about the power of trees and conserving the forests.
Monday, April 25
Lapham Center: War on Mother Nature
Join historian Mark Alberston at 1 p.m. for a presentation on the long-term environmental effects that the use of Mustard Gas during World War I had on a forest in Belgium. Nearly 60 years after the chemical was used during the battle for the town of Ypres, the trees in the surrounding forest were oozing sap filled with toxins.
