Month: May 2019

MARINE LIFE ENCOUNTER CRUISES” OF THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Get a deeper new appreciation for Long Island Sound when you meet some of its resident fish, crabs and other creatures brought up wriggling and wet right out of the water right before your eyes, during a Marine Life Encounter Cruise offered by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

These fun and memorable outings will be offered on most Saturdays and Sundays in May and June, with departures at 1:15 p.m. (There is no cruise on May 11.) Beginning June 25, they’ll run daily Tuesdays through Sundays through the summer. The 2.5-hour cruises give participants close-up, often hands-on introductions to a variety of fish, crabs, mollusks and other animals brought up onto the Aquarium’s research vessel.

“Any boat ride is fun, but the Aquarium’s cruises offer the exciting bonus of giving participants an amazing window into what’s below the waves,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth.

The Marine Life Encounter Cruises bring up animals from different levels of the Sound’s depths. A video microscope hooked up to a giant-screen monitor provides a magnified look at wriggly plankton gathered at the sunlit surface. Sponges, mollusks, worms and tiny crabs are revealed to be hiding in a sample from the muddy bottom. And everyone inspects the trawl net’s bounty: varieties of fish, crabs, mollusks and always a few surprises; maybe squid; maybe even a small shark! Maritime Aquarium educators involve participants in the processes, including sorting through samples, logging data, helping to pull in the trawl net and returning animals to the water.

“Every cruise is different depending on what animals come up onto the boat,” Sigworth said. “And it is the thrill of witnessing first-hand how alive Long Island Sound is – even within sight of Manhattan – that will best inspire stewardship on behalf of the Sound.”

Besides being fun and eye-opening, Marine Life Encounter Cruises also contribute to local scientific research. Water-chemistry and weather readings are taken. And details about the animals brought onboard are entered into the Aquarium’s Long Island Sound Biodiversity Project, a database of physical and biological features available online to teachers and researchers.

Cruises take place aboard R/V Spirit of the Sound, the first research vessel in the country with quiet and “green” hybrid-electric propulsion. Through June 30, cost of a Marine Life Encounter Cruise is $29.95 per person ($24.95 for Maritime Aquarium members). The Maritime Aquarium’s cruises are perfect for family fun. However, all passengers must be at least 42 inches tall. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Capacity is limited so reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-up tickets will be sold space permitting. Cruises depart from the dock near the Aquarium’s IMAX Theater entrance. Marine Life Encounter Cruises also are available by charter for schools, camps, Scouts and other groups. To reserve your spot or for more details, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org/cruise-schedule or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

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Summer Camp @ Institute for American Indian Studies 2019 Explore, Create & Discover!

Spend the summer of 2019 @ The Institute For American Indian Studies! Our camp programs offer an immersion into the natural world and culture of Connecticut’s Eastern Woodland Native American people through the exploration of our replicated 16th century Algonkian Village, our forests, three sisters garden, and museum. Experienced and professional educators provide young and curious minds with exciting programs that engage and educate.

The programming for the Institute for American Indian Studies Summer Camps have been created to inspire and engage children from ages 5-12 and 13 to 16 in explorations of the natural world and history of Connecticut’s first inhabitants on Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with extended camp options available with pre-registration. Young people from ages 13 – 16 can apply to a counselor in training program. Interactive activities include traditional stories, crafts, team building activities, and games that bring history to life in age-appropriate contexts. Kids will explore hands-on exhibits in our museum as well as in our outdoor replicated 16th century outdoor Algonkian Village and Three Sisters Garden located on 15 unspoiled acres, go on hikes to Steep Rock and the Shepaug River, and visit our traditional herb and flower garden. The week specific programming includes a group project that allows campers to practice the skills that they have learned to create something to take home and share with their friends and family or to leave at the museum for future visitors to enjoy. Kids will make friends, enjoy the summer and learn about Native American culture.

Weekly camps with different themes run from July 8 -August 16, 2019. Kids that love archeology and wonder what tools archeologists use to discover the past will enjoy Digging Detectives: Archeology Week, July 8-12. If your children are interested in food, Eating with the Seasons: Foraging in the Forest from July 15-19 teaches children how Native Americans were able to thrive in the natural world using their knowledge of the forest and rivers. Crafty Creations week on July 22-26 is sure to inspire the budding artist in your child. In this program, kids will learn about crafts, music, arts, and storytelling from a variety of Native American cultures, past and present.

To experience the beautiful natural environment at The Institute as well as to sharpen outdoor survival skills, Get Out! Woodland Survival, July 29 – August 2 will teach children outdoor living skills from knot tying and navigation to the safe use of fire in an outdoor setting and much more. On August 5-9, Tech It Out! Not So Primitive Technology will uncover the mysteries of the past and show kids how Native Americans figured out creative ways to thrive in their environment. The creation of tools, the construction of shelter and how to find food in the natural world that surrounds them will be on this week’s agenda. The final program of the summer, Nature Nuts: Forest and River Ecology from August 12-16 teaches the valuable lesson that all living things are connected. This important life lesson will be taught through games, stories, crafts and more.

For complete registration information, visit http://www.iaismuseum.org. Pricing is $228 for members of The Institute for American Indian Studies and $285 for non-members; families with two or more children registered to get a family discount. Registration forms and a non-refundable deposit of $100 is due by May 17, 2019. The summer camp director is Gabriel Benjamin and he can be reached at gbenjamin@iaismuseum.org.

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Seasport Association Announces 2019 Summer Season

This past winter, members of the Seaport Association in Norwalk has been hard at work planning the 2019 Summer and Fall season. The events that the Association is offering runs the gamut, but they are all perfect for aficionados of the great outdoors, Long Island Sound, private islands, and historic lighthouses. Some events are pure family fun and, others highlight carefully curated themed events and cruises for adults.

This year on Memorial Day Weekend, the Seaport Association is offering its’ inaugural cruises to Sheffield Island on May 25, 26, and 27. On all three days, cruises will leave the dock at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. In accordance with Coast Guard Regulations, the boat is limited to 49 passengers, so be sure to book your cruise online early. The tour includes the journey out to Sheffield Island, a tour of the historic 151-year-old lighthouse and the cruise back to the dock. It is best to arrive about 15 minutes before the cruise departs in order to facilitate boarding. For more info click here.

In June, the Seaport Association is hosting five very special events. If you love birds, don’t miss the three special Birding Cruises on June 9,16 and 23, 2019 that depart the dock at 8:30 a.m. On this National Geographic-like three hour birding experience you will learn about the importance of migratory birds and their behavior. Keep your eyes peeled for egrets, American oystercatchers, herons, terns, gulls, cormorants at a safe and inspiring distance with a birding expert. For tickets click here.

If you have dreamed of Yoga on a Private Island, the Seaport Association can make this dream a reality on June 29, 2019, with their annual Sunrise Yoga Cruise that departs the dock at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 10:30 a.m. For more information click here.

If you love oysters, don’t miss Docktails and Oysters on June 29, 2019. At this fundraiser event that takes place dockside @ Norm Blooms Oysters, you will dine on unlimited raw clams and oysters literally fresh off the boat as well as on a variety of delicious passed and tabled appetizers. For tickets to this popular event click here

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Once again, on July 20 and 2, 2019, pirates invade Sheffield Island where children young and old get a glimpse of the legends and lore pirates. Scallywags of all ages will step into the world of pirates on Sheffield Island and be entertained with a myriad of fun activities like hunting for treasure on the beach, sword fighting, and listening to tall tales of adventure on the high seas. For more information click here.

Another fun-filled event, that is quintessentially an American treat, especially on Sheffield Island is the Seaport’s popular Island BBQ taking place this year on July 27 with the boat departing the dock at 5:30 p.m. For more information click here. If you love Italian food, then the special Sheffield Island Isola Italiana Night on August 24 is not to be missed! For more information click here.

If wearing a costume just one day a year on Halloween is not enough for you, no worries, on August 3 and 4 the Seaport Association is hosting “The Haunted Lighthouse” event. At this fun-filled kid-friendly event the Sheffield Lighthouse is decorated in a ghoulish way to provide thrills, chills, and giggles for youngsters of all ages. Stories and other activities round out the fun. New this year is the Haunted Lighthouse, after dark for adults only! For tickets click here.

Each week beginning in June, the Seaport Association offers Wednesday Night Acoustic Cruises (June 19-Sept. 18, 2019), Thursday Night Clambakes on the Island (June 13-Sept.19,2019), and Friday Night Sunset Cruises (June 14 -Sept. 20, 2019). The Seaport Association is also planning to host several specially themed Saturday Night Cruises.

This year the 42nd Oyster Festival, the crown jewel of the events organized by the Seaport Association is being held on Friday, Sept. 6, Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept.8, 2019. For up to the minute details check the website here.

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New Exhibition @ The Institute for American Indian Studies The Legend of Lover’s Leap

When visiting Lover’s Leap State Park in New Milford, you might wonder how this relatively new State Park founded in 1971 got its name. If you want to know about the legend of Lover’s Leap and the fascinating history of this scenic spot then head to the Institute for American Indian Studies located on Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut to see the new exhibition. The Lover’s Leap Exhibition will be on display through July 2019.

The Heart of the Matter

The Legend of Weantinaug tells the story of Lillinoah, daughter of Chief Waramaug who fell in love with a European settler from Stratford. The elders of her village, Weantiaug, wanted to kill him; she pleaded for his life and saved him. The young man stayed in the village for several seasons and, consequently, he and Lillinoah became engaged. Eventually, he told Lillinoah that he had to leave the village so he could tell his family of their engagement. Lillinoah waited for the young man to return for more than a year, to no avail. Like any concerned parent, Chief Waramaug told Eagle Feather, one of his bravest warriors to marry his daughter, Linninoah. Distraught at the thought of marrying someone she did not love, Lillinoah slipped out the night before her wedding and rowed over the falls, just as she did, her lover came upon her and jumped in to join her. They drowned together giving the bluff that overlooks the Housatonic River the name, Lover’s Leap.

The Legend of Weantinaug has become part of the cultural heritage of the Litchfield Hills and is told in this exhibition with interesting historical notes and lavish illustrations. Ironically, the Institute has identified fifty Lover’s Leap stories around the country where lovers are said to actually take the plunge. Most of the stories identified have at least one Native character, usually, a woman falling in love with a white man or forbidden lovers from two warring tribes.

Visitors to this exhibition will travel from the Pre-European contact life of Native Americans and the legends they left behind for us to ponder to the gilded age of the Hurd Estate. As the exhibition moves through time it traces the exciting development of the regions industrial heritage and the ways in which the landscape was altered forever as the need for hydroelectric power became increasingly important in the 20th century.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village. Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518. Book Connecticut’s exciting new attraction, Wigwam Escape 1518 and get into the Museum for half price.

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Before the Bow and Arrow Atlatl Workshop @ Institute For American Indian Studies

When people think of Native American weapons, bows and arrows are among the first things that spring to mind, and with good reason. Just about every Native American community had some form of a bow and arrow that was used for hunting or warfare, and sometimes for both.

Before the bow and arrow, Native Americans, along with people from many other cultures worldwide used something called an Atlatl for hunting and fishing. Essentially an atlatl is a dart thrower that allows hunters to throw a dart or arrow farther and faster than by hand alone. To learn more about this ancient technology and to make and throw your own atlatl, The Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting a very special workshop, Atlatl Workshop with Susan Scherf, on May 11 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

The Workshop

If you like to make things with your hands and test your skills, then this workshop is for you. Participants in the atlatl workshop will learn about the history and different designs of this useful ancient weapon that was used by Native Americans as well as by a multitude of cultures around the world. Under the guidance of atlatl expert and IAIS Educator, Susan Scherf, participants will learn about the different designs of this ancient weapon before making their own atlatl and dart.

The fun really begins with learning how to use your newly made atlatl and seeing how much farther your arrow goes. The atlatl session ends with a friendly atlatl throwing competition. If you become an atlatl fan, you might end up competing in atlatl competitions that are held throughout the world!

This workshop is $5 for members of the Institute and $15 for non-members and, an adult must accompany participants under 18. To reserve your spot for this fun and educational workshop call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org.

About the Atlatl

An atlatl is one of humankind’s first mechanical inventions that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world. Basically, an atlatl is an ancient type of a spear thrower that was used to throw a spear farther and faster towards the quarry. The word atlatl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs who were using them when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

According to the World Atlatl Association, early people in the Americas used atlatls to hunt mammoths and mastodons around 11,000 years B.C. Much later, a variety of atlatl types were used in different parts of North America. Many of the large stone projectile points found in North American sites were used with atlatl darts and not arrowheads.

Atlatls continued to be used alongside bows and arrows by many Native Americans. Experimentation through the years taught Naive American hunters that by using a spear throwing stick, or atlatl and using a whip-like action to release the spear the weapon would go a greater distance and have a deeper penetration. Atlatls were used to fish and to hunt large and small game animals.

Typically the projectile point of the spearhead was made of hard stone such as flint that was made by a Native American flintknapper. The spearhead was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut or birch. The spear measured about 4 feet long and the atlatl thrower measured about two feet long and was typically made of wood or antler.

Birdstone atlatl weight

In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear thrower as a counter-balance and good luck charm to help the hunter hit his quarry. The spear holder was retained after the spear was thrown and sometimes a leather thong was attached to help the thrower retain it.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village, Wigwam Escape Room, Museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

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INCREDIBLE INVENTORS: WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

In honor of Frances Osborne Kellogg’s 143rd birthday, the Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby Connecticut will have a photo exhibition celebrating the achievements of female inventors and innovators during the month of May.

Born on May 11, 1876, during the Victorian Era, Frances was a Renaissance woman who was involved in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fields—managing her factories, breeding prized Holstein-Friesian cattle, and playing and teaching the violin. Additionally, her family had several patents in garment accessories and building design.

In the 1890s, when Frances was a young woman on the verge of taking over her family’s businesses, 58 percent of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students were girls. By 1955, a year before Frances’ death, girls represented less than half of all STEM students. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 2016 report, women worldwide represent 35 percent of all students enrolled in STEM-related fields of study. Frances was an advocate of higher education for girls and women, and this special exhibition is meant to inspire and bring attention to the incredible women leaders in STEAM from Frances’ time to today.

Visit the Osborne Homestead Museum throughout the month of May and learn about the women who changed the world! The Osborne Homestead Museum, a facility of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, is open for free guided tours on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue off of Rte. 34 in Derby. For additional information call (203) 734-2513.

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