Under the Harvest Moon @ Woodcock Nature Center

On Friday, September 20 at 7 p.m. join the staff and supporters of Woodcock Nature Center for one of their largest fundraisers. Experience an enjoyable evening of food, live music, and more to benefit the nature center’s well-loved programs in environmental education.

Held in and around Woodcock’s picturesque candlelit pavilion and pond, a highlight of the evening is carefully prepared “dinner-by-the-bite” by chefs Sarah and Bernard Bouïssou of À Table in Ridgefield. Plus, wine from Cellar XV Wine Market, brews and spirits from Nod Hill Brewery, and Litchfield Distillery, delightful desserts, unique live auction items, and much more!

New this year: live music by Fairfield County’s own Present Company, VIP picnic table tickets, and stay tuned for our pre-event virtual silent auction running from September 6-16. For tickets https://cbo.io/tickets/wnc/tix and for the silent auction preview https://cbo.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=wnc

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Get Ready for Old Fashioned Fun Italian Style!

Bocce’s origins can be traced back to 5200 B.C. with ancient Egyptian artwork that depicts boys playing a game that resembles bocce. As bocce’s popularity grew, it spread through Asia Minor and was adopted by the Greeks and passed on to the Roman Empire. Bocce can be played by anyone, young and old alike, and because of its ease and versatility, it spread throughout the world. Bocce has even made it to Norfolk, Connecticut! Get ready to join the fun on October 6 for Norfolk, Connecticut’s 6th annual Bocce Tournament beginning at 3 p.m.

So get your Bocce team together and head to Norfolk’s Bocce Court located at 10 Station Place. This year brackets start to form at 3 pm and the rolling will start as soon as two teams are assembled. If you want your team to have a guaranteed spot, please email lboucher@norfolkmgmt.com This year event organizers are planning to run 8 teams with 4 people on each team to let as many people play as possible. If you have less than 4 people we may merge you with another small team. Participants will be treated to pizza! Winners will have an engraved name place on the Fence of Fame to be admired for all time!

If you want to take your chances on playing, you’re also welcome to show up and join a team when you arrive if there are spots available! This is a fun fall afternoon and you might end up on our Fence of Fame! If you don’t want to play, half the fun is cheering on your favorite team!

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Three Days of Fun! Norwalk Oyster Festival September 6, 7, 8

The last great event of the summer is taking place at Norwalk’s Veteran’s Park on September 6, 7, and 8 with tickets on sale at seaport.org and at the gate. This festival is the Seaport Association’s largest fundraiser that helps with its mission of education, preservation, and restoration of the Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Connecticut’s maritime icon. One of the most unique things about the Norwalk Oyster Festival is that all the entertainment is included with the price of a ticket, and all kids, 12 and under get in free on Sunday with a paying adult, making this one of the most family-friendly events around.

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This year’s stellar entertainment line-up on the Optimum Main Stage will please all age groups. Friday night kicks off with the exuberant performance of Funky Dawgs at 7 p.m. and is followed by the high-energy performance Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, Badboy takes the stage at 1 p.m. and is followed by JD Leonard known for his modern country vibe that keeps fans mesmerized. The Norwalk Oyster Festival is excited to welcome back Mike DelGuidice who will be performing at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. DelGuidice has been wowing audiences around the world with his powerful vocals, showcasing his talent, eclectic songwriting, friendly, and engaging stage presence, and has built a national following as a full-time touring member of Billy Joel’s Band. On Sunday, Connecticut’s own Drew Angus will be performing with his band at 2:00. This year, the Norwalk Oyster Festival is ending with “feel good energy” when Let’s Sing Taylor gets all the “Swifties” in the crowd up dancing and singing along with what has been hailed nationwide as the ultimate Taylor Swift tribute band.

The entertainment doesn’t stop there. New acts this year include the Ready Go Dog Show featuring high-flying canine athletes. The second new act is the XPOGO Show composed of the most talented and experienced extreme POGO champion pro athletes who have performed in 26 countries and on America’s Got Talent. There is plenty of family fun, especially in Kids Cove where unlimited ride wristbands are offered for $35 on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For shoppers and treasure hunters, the New England Crafts Village offers the work of 80+ vendors that offer items that appeal to all tastes, budgets, and ages. And, for foodies, the Norwalk Oyster Festival is a gastronomic extravaganza. Foodies rejoice at the fest’s unique offerings from Mexico, Columbia, Greece, Jamaica, and Italy. Not to be forgotten are the “gifts of the sea,” that New Englanders have celebrated for a good long time – lobsters, clam chowda, and oysters, of course!

Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for kids 5-12 (free on Sunday with a paying adult). On Friday the festival hours are 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are available online at seaport.org and at the gate. Shuttles are available from Norwalk Community College and Calf Pasture Beach. For detailed information seaport.org.

About First County Bank
First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford, CT for over 170 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 13 branches in Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Canaan, and Westport offering deposit products, mortgages, wealth management, business banking services, and a full array of digital banking products including mobile and online banking. First County Bank has more than 220 employees, assets in excess of $2 billion and is a winner of the Hearst Connecticut Top WorkPlaces award 2020-2023. For additional information, please visit www.firstcountybank.com, or follow us @Firstcountybank on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

About the Norwalk Seaport Association
The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education, and public awareness of Norwalk’s maritime environment and heritage. The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival. In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse; its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. For more information, visit http://www.seaport.org

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Annual Founders Day Clambake to Raise Funds for the Institute for American Indian Studies Local Indigenous Artists to be Celebrated

The Institute for American Indian Studies is celebrating its annual Founders Day Clambake on Saturday, September 14, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Riverwalk Pavilion in Washington Depot, 11 School Street. Along with the traditional Indigenous foods of lobster, clams, corn, and potatoes, guests will be treated to an array of artworks by two featured artists, painter Claudine Purdue and fashion designer Brandi Sawyer-Emmons. A silent auction will feature original artwork by local artists such as Elizabeth McDonald and Ruth Jaffe, as well as prints by Cora Marshall, a Native American artist, gift certificates and items from local businesses, and many other items and collectibles. Ojibwe flute artist Allen Mahahbee will perform and is offering one of his hand-made flutes to the silent auction.

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The cost to attend this fundraiser is $75.00 per person. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. To register, visit online at https://www.iaismuseum.org by September 12.

The focus on Indigenous visual arts is new this year, as the IAIS is publicizing its annual art scholarship program. The Institute gives a small stipend to an emerging Native American artist currently enrolled in an arts program and offers them an opportunity for a one-person show at the museum. This year’s recipient will be announced at the event. Claudine Purdue is the 2023 artist. Her paintings explore the stories of Mi’Kimaq and Acadians who are her ancestors. Brandi Sawyer-Emmons, known as BThunder, creates Native American-inspired apparel and accessories including her popular Teepee handbag. Clambake attendees will have an opportunity to bid on items created by these two award-winning artists, along with the other silent auction items. Winners will be announced after this dinner.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland, the IAIS offers educational programs, both permanent and changing exhibits and a replicated 16th-century Algonkian village. Its research department maintains extensive archeological and ethnographic collections and conducts archeological digs and other research. Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than 12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

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A Morning Ramble to Apple Hill and Cat Swamp @ White Memorial Foundation

Start your day on Saturday, August 31st with a hike up to what Gerri refers to as White Memorial’s “Jewel in the Crown”; Apple Hill. If you want to participate meet at the Apple Hill parking area on East Shore Road at 8 a.m. The hike is free but you must pre-register because this hike is open to 15 participants.

On this walk, keep your eyes peeled for Vultures and Eagles soaring overhead. Then take a stroll down the Laurel Hill Trail to visit the spectacular Cat Swamp. Wind your way through a carpet of Princess Pine to the swamp where sightings of Wood Ducks, otters, herons, beavers, and hawks are commonplace.

photo credit: White Memorial

Be sure to wear sturdy, waterproof shoes. A hiking pole might be useful. Some water and bug spray might come in handy too! To register click here

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2024 Forestry Interns Complete Summer Intensive at Great Mountain Forest

For each of the last 76 years, Great Mountain Forest (GMF) has offered a select group of forestry undergraduate students from around the country an immersive summer program in all aspects of forest management in GMF’s more than 6,000 acres of diverse landscapes and managed forests in Norfolk, Canaan, and Falls Village, Connecticut.

Working under the direction of experienced forester Matt Gallagher, who holds a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of the Environment, this summer’s forestry interns gained hands-on, in-depth experience and skills working through a curriculum that included measuring forest tree species diversity and regeneration on 550-acres, harvesting, and processing timber, managing invasive plants and insects, and maintaining the infrastructure of a working forest. In addition to hard work, the interns explored some of the career paths they might pursue visiting a local sawmill, shadowing a researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and visiting with state and nonprofit forestry and conservation professionals.

The 2024 GMF Forest Interns were Ian Montgomery-Gehrt, a senior at Paul Smith’s College majoring in Forest Ecological Management, Kyle Joray, a junior at Paul Smith’s College studying Ecological Forest Management, and Daniel Semmel, an undergrad at the University of Connecticut in the Natural Resource Program. The long-term impact of the Great Mountain Forestry Intern program can be seen through the careers of hundreds of men and women graduates who have gone on to a range of important forestry and conservation-related professions throughout the country from professors of ecology and forest firefighters to forest managers, directors of land trusts, and loggers.

To learn more, see this short video celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the GMF Forest Intern Program at https://vimeo.com/870470040

“It is so rewarding to see the way these forest professionals grow, working out in the field and developing a diversity of skills whether it is learning how to work the sawmill, collect forest data, or simply build professional relationships,” said Michael Zarfos, Ph.D., and GMF Executive Director. “Our ultimate goal is to impart meaningful skills, experience, and a landscape of possibilities, positively influencing the interns’ careers. They are the future of our New England forests.”

About Great Mountain Forest
Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a leader in forest stewardship. For more than a century, we have been demonstrating how sustainable management can protect biodiversity and support ecosystems. By serving as a hub for education and research, we are spreading the benefits of sustainable management so that communities across New England derive educational, economic, and recreational and health benefits from their forests—now and well into the future. GMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit encompassing 6,200 acres of contiguous forestland in Norfolk, Canaan, and Falls Village Connecticut.

JanetLeave a comment