Month: March 2014

April Fun at the Institute of American Indian Studies

The Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut has a busy April planned that will be fun for the whole family. In the Artist Corner for example, the IAIS is proud to highlight the artistry of Takara Matthews, a member of the Abenaki
Sokoki tribe and a Champion Women’s Fancy Dancer and Jingle Dress Dancer. For sale will be a variety of beaded purses, medallions, earrings. Takara also proudly serves her country as Airman 1st Class in the Vermont Air National Guard.

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On Saturday, April 12 from 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., the IAIS is holding a Native Soles, Moccasin Making Workshop. Traditional Native American clothing varied widely from tribe to tribe, but one nearly universal element was the moccasin. The word moccasin comes from the Algonquian word meaning shoe or footwear. These sturdy slipper-shaped type of shoe were sewn from tanned animal hide. Join Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke, and make your own classic style moccasin for a baby, child or an adult. Registration and prepayment required. Please call for reservations. Fee for Baby Moccasin: $25; $20 IAIS Members. Fee for Child or Adult Moccasin: $45; $40 IAIS Members.

April 26 is a big day at the IAIS as two exciting events are planned. At 1 p.m. in honor of Earth Day, the IAIS will be showing the Emmy -award winning documentary Journey of the Universe: An Epic Story of Cosmic Earth and Human Transformation. Weaving together Weaving together the findings of modern science with cultural traditions of the West, China,Africa, India and Indigenous peoples, this documentary explores the human connection to the cosmos. Fee: Included in regular museum admission: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors;$5 Children; IAIS Members Free.

Also on April 26 at 5 p.m. the Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club presents A Taste of Native America. This dinner will feature traditional foods and includes roast venison, rabbit with wild rice, steamed mussels, garlic mashed potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin soup and Indian pudding. Non-alcoholic beverages included (BYOB if desired). Good food, music and conversation regarding the Club’s recent and upcoming archeological excavations will abound. Limited seating. Prepayment and registration required. Please call for reservations. The fee is $50 per person.

On April 27 from 12:30 – 3:30 the Institute is hosting Nature’s Bounty: Foraging for a Healthy Lifestyle that will teach participants to identify common edible plants in Connecticut.

For more information visit http://www.iaismuseum.org. For information on Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Spring into spring at Bent of the River Audubon

Bent of the River Audubon located on 185 East Flat Hill Road in Southbury is celebrating the return of spring migratory birds this April with several programs that are sure to help you enjoy this annual migration.

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On April 4 for example at 6:30 p.m., Bent of the River is hosting a program called “Timberdoodling”! Participants will meet in the Bent of the River Parking Lot (members free, non-members $5) to observe one of North America’s most intriguing mating displays as the male American Woodcock struts, peents, flies, and whistles his way into the females favor. Past walks have proven very successful in witnessing this impressive display. In addition, we are also likely to see the courtship flight of Mourning Doves, and hear the classic “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call from our resident Barred Owls, all with a background symphony of Spring peepers. This is a very popular program and registration is limited so register soon. Rain cancels this event. Registration is required. Please email Jim Drennan at jdrennan@audubon.org or call (203)264-5098 ext. 303.

On Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. the Land Management Staff of Bent of the River will present information on how Audubon manages sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife at the Kingsley Room in the Southbury Public Library on 100 Poverty Rd. in Southbury. This free event will include information on how to improve landscapes at home to provide better habitats for birds and other wildlife. The focus of this evening will be on shrub and grassland habitat species including butterflies, dragon flies and the plants they need to survive and thrive. This presentation is perfect for gardeners interested in improving their gardens and landscape while spending less maintenance time! The meeting is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Please email Jim Drennan at jdrennan@audubon.org or call (203)264-5098 ext. 303.

Jewels of the Blue — Eastern Bluebird management will be the topic of discussion on Thursday, April 17 at 7 pm at the historic barn at Bent of the River Audubon Center. The cost for this program is $3 for members and $5 for non-members. It has been estimated that the Eastern Bluebird population has decreased 90% since the mid 1800’s due to the introduction of the starling and house sparrow from Europe. These species are more aggressive than the bluebird and will kill both adults and eggs to take over the nesting location. However, since the late 1960’s, populations have been recovering due in large part to the popularity of constructing bluebird nest boxes designed to keep starlings out and educating the public about how to deal with house sparrows. Bent of the River land manager, Jim Drennan, will lead a discussion on how best to attract, care for, and manage your bluebirds, and relate the challenges Audubon faces caring for their 25 Bluebird nest boxes. If time permits, there will be a walk into the meadow to observe bluebird habitat.
Registration is required. Please email Jim Drennan at jdrennan@audubon.org or call (203)264-5098 ext. 303.

For more information about Bent of the River visit http://bentoftheriver.audubon.org. For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com.

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Spring Programs for Gardeners at Greenwich Garden Education Center

The Garden Education Center of Greenwich located on 130 Bible Street in Cos Cob is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to promoting horticulture, conservation and the arts through educational programs, outreach activities and special events. In March and April, the Center is offering a series of programs perfect for the home gardener.

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On March 27, for example, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. the Center and the Greenwich Land Trust have partnered to bring Charles Day, a former commercial fruit-grower to explain this ancient craft and demonstrate the techniques involved. In this 3-hour session he will teach participants about the collection and storage of scion wood, rootstocks and their function, different types of grafts and the reasons for using them and the art of tying and waxing. Participants will have the opportunity to hone their grafting skills on real trees in one of the Greenwich Land Trust’s beautiful orchard preserves. Registration is required and the material fee is $5; registration for members is $35 and $45 for non-members. It is suggested that you dress for the outdoors and bring your lunch; the Center will provide drinks and dessert.

On April 2, from 10 a.m. – noon, there will be another grafting class this time on tomatoes with local horticulturist Alan Gorkin. Grafting plants is another form of propagating herbaceous, fast growing plants such as annual vegetables. Gorkin will discuss the relatively “new “ process of grafting tomatoes, and why we do it and participants will practice the technique in class and take materials home to grow in their own garden. The materials fee for this class is $7.50 and registration for members is $25 and $35 for non-members.

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If you want to learn how to simplify gardening to fit your lifestyle, don’t miss the program by Kerry Mendez on April 24 at 10 a.m. This inspiring lecture provides easy-to-follow downsizing strategies, recommended no-fuss plant material, and design tips for stunning year-round gardens that will be as close to autopilot as you can get. Registration for this lecture is required and registration for members is $35 and $45 for non-members.
Also on April 24 is a “Girls Night Out” with cash and carry flowers from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. This informative workshop has many tips on how to choose and arrange store-bought flowers with expert floral designer, Miriam Landsman. Reservations for this evening are required and the cost is $30 for members and $40 for non-members. A light dinner and dessert will be provided, bring your own beverage.

To register for these programs visit www.gecgreenwich.org. For information on Fairfield County visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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CONNfection- Connecticut Food and Wine Showcase

The Waterbury Neighborhood Council will host the second annual CONNfection event, a showcase featuring Connecticut made food and wine, on Thursday, March 27, from 6p.m. – 9p.m. at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main Street in Waterbury.

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CONNfection attendees will have the delight of sampling some of the best home grown and homemade products that Connecticut has to offer, including pasta, sausages, artisanal breads, gourmet olive oils, specialty condiments and relishes, biscotti, cookies, chocolates, cupcakes and more.

Guests will also have the opportunity to sample a variety of beer and wine from local breweries and vineyards, as well as Onyx Moonshine, the first legal moonshine to be brewed in New England. The list of vendors scheduled to appear include 1249 Restaurant, The Bites Company, Fascia’s Chocolate, The Grotto Restaurant & Mrs. G, recent “Cupcake Wars” winner Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes, La Molisana Sausage, The Olive Oil Factory, Pasta Gallery, The Provender of New Morning Market, Saha Sauces LLC, Sweet Confections by Regina LLC, Sweet Maria’s, and more to be announced.

CONNfection is sponsored in part by The Good Life Wine and Spirits, as well as the City of Waterbury’s Arts and Tourism Commission. Proceeds from the event will be used by the Waterbury Neighborhood Council for their work on behalf of all Waterbury neighborhoods, including downtown where the Palace Theater is prominently located.

For information on Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

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Journey to a Magical Cloud Forest- A Quiet Place at the Oliver Wolcott Library and White Flower Farm

The Oliver Wolcott Library on 160 South Street in Litchfield is hosting the photographs of Sue Kennedy through April 25 in the Gallery of this lovely library.

Twenty years ago Sue Kennedy was in Texas working on a Kinesiology and Adapted Physical Education PhD. If anyone had told her that photographing and raising orchids was what she would be doing today, she wouldn’t have believed them. She is here to share her journey, and hopes you will smile, find joy, and most of all, peace from these images of her quiet and powerful children of the Magical Cloud Forest.

Blue Cattleya

Sue’s father was a pediatrician in the Torrington/Litchfield area, but he always had a second great passion…orchids. Before medical school he earned a PhD in Botany from Cornell and dreamed of discovering and naming a new orchid. After retiring from medicine and armed with a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit, he and his wife took many collecting excursions including the Amazon, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Plants were brought home, potted or mounted, and treasured in his “quiet place,” the greenhouse he had built.

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When her father passed away and her mother became ill, Sue was forced with a dilemma – let the orchids die, sell them off or give it a go. She dove in and never looked back. With each blossom she began to see and photograph the unique character of each plant. She shared her images with friends and would see their eyes light up with a kind of childish wonder, peace and joy. Sue continues to capture how light is reflected and penetrates; how it enlightens; how each bloom is a fascination.

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After visiting the Library, stop by White Flower Farm to look at the fabulous selection of plants to be found there. White Flower Farm is located on Rte. 63, 167 Litchfield Rd. a few miles south of the center of Litchfield. Visitors to White Flower Farm will find a wide array of plants for sale. The shop at White Flower Farm opens in April. Visitors may also explore several beautiful display gardens that are adjacent to the shop. For more information about White Flower Farm visit www.whiteflowerfarm.com.

For more information on programs at the Oliver Wolcott Library call 860-567-8030 or www.owlibrary.org For information on Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Women Make A Difference at Wesport Historical Society

As part of the Westport Historical Society’s Women Who Make A Difference program, there will be a presentation on Kimberly Wilson on March 20 from 12 noon to 1:15. If you’ve ever wanted to meet Harriet Tubman or one of the other African American women who made black history, come to the WHS for Westport actress Kimberly Wilson’s one- woman show “A JOURNEY…”

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Wilson’s performance uses song, movement and dialogue to bring to life Tubman, a runaway slave who led hundreds of other slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, as well as former slave and Abolitionist leader Sojourner Truth, civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and the poet Maya Angelou.

In addition to presenting such iconic historical figures as Tubman and Parks, Wilson also includes an African queen and a slave woman, who are intended to be representative of the African American experience. African Queen, who endures a brutal journey on a slave ship, is a reminder of the rich native African culture and heritage in place before the start of the slave trade, Wilson says. The slave woman, the actress says, represents the struggles of slaves in a strange land with a strange language, crushed by the destruction of family and culture, and surviving through courage, hope, hard work and never-ending faith.

Sojourner Truth was a former slave from New York who became an outspoken advocate for the rights of both blacks and women and helped recruit black troops for the Union Army during the Civil War. Fast-forward 100 years to Rosa Parks, who, with many others, helped “kick-off the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala. bus, spurring a city-wide bus boycott and forcing the city to lift the law requiring segregation on public buses. Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and author Maya Angelou is also an important Civil Rights Era figure whose poems and books emphasize looking to the future with hope and courage, Wilson says.

Actress, singer, poet Kimberly Wilson was a member of theater companies in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. She is now an active member and Board Treasurer of the Theatre Artists Workshop in Norwalk, CT.

This event is sponsored by Catamount Wealth Management, Catered Lunch included $15, WHS Members $12, For Reservations 203-222-1424 or visit http://westporthistory.org. For area information: www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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