Connecticut Travel

Some of the tiniest creatures of the ocean emerge on the biggest IMAX® movie screen in Connecticut with “Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and will show at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily through Feb. 16, 2017, on the Aquarium’s six-story screen.

It’s narrated by acclaimed oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, and pairs perfectly with a new 3,000-gallon coral reef exhibit – featuring more than 40 species of wildly colorful fish – that opened Sept. 6 in the popular Connecticut family attraction.

Filmed over three years in vibrant marine environments from the Bahamas to Fiji, the first IMAX® movie directed by Jean-Michel Cousteau provides a compelling new look at a secret world within the ocean that is perhaps the biggest story of all – that the smallest life in the sea is the mightiest force on which we all depend. In gorgeous underwater sequences, audiences are introduced to over 30 species of animals – some no bigger than one inch long – and witness behaviors captured for the very first time, thanks to new filming technologies in ultra-HD 5K, slow motion, macro, and with motion control.

“Secret Ocean” magnifies – in the IMAX format, by thousands of times – the unique adaptations and ecological roles of such creatures as sea hares, Christmas tree worms, arrow crabs, basket stars, cleaner shrimp and clownfish. These animals may go unseen by divers and don’t get their own weeks on “Animal Planet,” yet they are vital to the health of a reef system.

“Since the 1940s, the Cousteau family has been deeply connected to the water. Several generations have grown up with our Calypso adventures, which revealed to the public what was a totally unknown world at that time,” Jean-Michel Cousteau said in a statement.

“Thanks to the new technology developed specifically for us, I immediately understood that this was a revolution in underwater filming that would allow us to capture a whole new range of behaviors I had never before witnessed in my 69 years of diving. ‘Secret Ocean’ takes us one step further in the discovery of the ocean in a way my father, Jacques Cousteau, could have only imagined.”

Diving alongside marine biologist Holly Lohuis, Cousteau provides a new view of the underwater world that will leave audiences in awe of the beauty and diversity of the oceans – the source of all life on our planet – and inspire an even stronger desire to protect what they have seen for the first time, or re-discovered along the journey.

“Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean” is produced by Ocean Futures Society & 3D Entertainment Films, and distributed worldwide by 3D Entertainment Distribution. It was written by Pamela Stacey. Gavin McKinney served as director of photography. Dr. Richard Murphy was the chief scientific advisor. The original musical score was written and performed by Christophe Jacquelin.

One IMAX movie is included with admission to The Maritime Aquarium, which is $22.95 for adults, $20.95 for youths (13-17) and seniors (65+), and $15.95 for children (3-12). Kids under 3 get in for free. Learn more about the IMAX movies (even view trailers), exhibits, programs, study cruises and special events – and purchase advance tickets – at www.maritimeaquarium.org. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut has planned a wide variety of events for November and December that will be fun for the entire family from learning how to create a fire to shopping for Indian arts and crafts.

November begins with a friction fire workshop on Saturday, November 12 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Participants will learn the way the way Native American people created fire by using only what nature provides. Andrew Dobos and Deneen Bernier of Three Red Trees School of Natural Living will guide participants through the process of making fire by friction using the bow and drill method. Each participant will leave with their own set of fire making tools. This is a physical skill; kneeling, bending and safe use of a knife are required. Pre registration for this event is required and the fee is $20 for members and $25 for non members.

Also on November 12 from 6 pm to 8 pm there will be a full moon walk. Participants will navigate by moonlight through the Institute’s replicated Algonkian village and surrounding woods with traditional lanterns through hemlocks, witch hazel and oaks. The journey will conclude by relaxing around the campfire. The fee is $12 for members and $15 for non members.

On November 13 from 12 noon to 2 pm there will be a traditional ceremony in the outdoor village in honor of Veteran’s Day. Participants and visitors are invited to a light lunch after the ceremony.

The Winter Indian Arts & Crafts Market begins on the weekend of November 26 and 27 and continues on December 3 and 4 and December 10 and 11. Visitors are invited to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts from local Native American crafters, jewelers, and artists. This is the perfect time to to meet and buy directly from the artists while learning about contemporary Native American art and cultures. Gourds, pottery, jewelry, rattles, artwork, and flutes are just some of the items that will be offered. The market is open from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

On December 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the Institute is hosting Artifact Identification Day. Visitors are invited to join the conversation as Director of Research & Collections, Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D., identifies and provides interesting commentary about your local stone objects and Native American cultural items. This event is included in the regular museum admission of: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors; $5 Children; IAIS Members Free.

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Once again this year the Westport Historical Society located on 25 Avery Place in Westport is hosting it’s popular Holiday Market on November 18 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on November 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Holiday Market will feature vintage gifts, antique prints and handmade jewelry, soaps and letterpress cards. Highlights include a wine reception Friday evening, Nov. 17, talks and book signings by guest authors both Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18, and a BBQ food truck will be at this festive event on Saturday.

Three of the sellers craft their own products that includes: Cynthia Alexander, who designs and makes her own jewelry and also has an aromatherapy line of lavender-filled silk pillows and accessories, Catherine Romer of Nod Hill Soaps in Wilton who makes makes soaps, candles and body lotions and Karen Zuckert of Gingerbitz Bakery in New Canaan who bakes gingerbread houses and cookies.

The list of sellers also includes:
M&F Antique Prints, owned by Fiona Mittag of Wilton, has original architectural engravings, some dating to the mid-1600s, and hand-colored lithographs. Subject matter includes Italian palaces and churches, flowers, flora and fauna and china, decorative porcelain and urns. Mittag, who has a degree in art history and studied interior design at Parsons, also sells high-end custom frames in 22-carat gold leaf and in woods such as cherry, maple and walnut. Some are hand carved. Visit the website at M&F Antique Prints

Suzanne Saltzman sells silk shawls made of fabrics from India, Italy, France and Nepal and scarves and evening bags. She decorates the items herself with black onyx, lapis, picture jasper, crystals, turquoise, Chinese jade and mother of pearl. The Manhattan resident formerly designed a line of jewelry sold at Bloomingdale’s and other department stores across the country.
Jean Forte Vintage Gifts carries antique and vintage flatware, sterling, glassware, silver plate, one of a kind vintage jewelry pieces, what she calls “an eclectic mix of beautiful things.” Forte, a former fashion designer and Norwalk residents, also has her own catering business. Visit the website at Jean Forte Vintage Gifts.
Anita Designs offers a line of natural linen napkins, fingertip towels and tissue box covers designed by Anita Sobelson of Weston. Sobelson also sells scented candles and other gift items.

Grano, of Cynthia Alexander, is a former investment banker who developed an interest in semi-precious stones while visiting Hong Kong on business. Some of her jewelry features jade carved in the traditional Chinese style that has “a Zen feeling.” She also has eye pillows filled with lavender and flax seed that are “very calming”.
Visit the website at Cynthia Alexander.

Saltbox Press, owned by Lynda Campbell of Wilton, specializes in custom wedding invitations and greeting cards made of cotton paper, which gives “a rich, soft, feel.”
For the Holiday Market she will have a calendar with a separate letterpressed sheet for each month as well as holiday themed single cards with vintage images. Campbell does all of her printing in the basement of her antique saltbox house. Visit the website at Saltbox Press.

Talks will be given by Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey of Weston and Dr. Sasha Carr, a psychologist specializing in child and family sleep.

Talks are scheduled for:

Friday, at 3:00 p.m. – Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey. Visit the website at Red Bee Honey.
Marchese, a former illustrator and designer, switched careers in 2000 and now runs a successful honey business. She is also the author of “Honeybee: Lessons from An

Accidental Beekeeper” and co-author of “The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey.”
Saturday, at 11:00 a.m. – Dr. Sasha Carr Visit the website at Dr. Carr.
Carr says she that after becoming a mom she “discovered there’s a science (and art) specific to dealing with children’s sleep within the context of a family,” an experience that led her to receive postgraduate training at the Family Sleep Institute. She is the author of “Putting Bungee to Bed,” an illustrated bedtime book for children.

This November the Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport is welcoming two new guests to the New England Farmyard exhibit — an adorable pair of miniature horses! Miniature horses are derived from many sources and are the result of nearly 400 years of selective breeding. In prehistoric times small horse breeds were most likely the products of surviving harsh natural climates and limited feed. Today, knowledge of genetics has made the possibility of breeding specifically for size a reality. The first mention of a miniature horses dates back to 1888 and research shows little public awareness until the 1960s.

Typically, miniature horses are no bigger than a large dog and can be found in many color patterns. The pair of miniature horses now residing at the Beardsley Zoo are approximately 9 hands high or about 36 inches at the withers which refers to the ridge between the shoulder blades.

The male, Nutmeg, and the female, Caramel, are both 8 years old and are part of a rescue operation and living on a horse farm in Vermont managed by one of the Zoo’s former employees. Now they are safe and sound at the Beardsley Zoo and waiting to meet many new friends.

When visiting the Zoo, don’t miss the construction zone by the Rainforest Building. This new space will be a 760 square foot addition and will house an expanded animal commissary. When finished visitors will be able to watch staff prepare food for their charges. There will also be an above ground refrigerator/freezer for animal food, new dry food storage space, an office for the Zoo’s Animal Registrar, and zookeeper locker rooms. Expected completion is early 2017.

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on what to see and do in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

On November 12 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Road in Wilton is hosting a cranberry wreath making workshop for kids to commemorate Veterans Day. The children will be making a wreath to remember our vets, decorated with cranberries. The ceremonial laying of a wreath at a grave site or memorial is practiced around the world. Heads of state, the U.S. president, military and veterans honor departed members of the armed forces by laying a wreath of flowers and greenery at the site.

While fashioning their wreath, the children will hear from Lola Chen, Museum Educator, about the history and significance of Veteran’s Day and wreaths. This activity also includes a snack. The cost to participate is $10 per child Wilton Historical Society Members, maximum $25 per family; the cost for non-members is $15 per child, maximum $35 per family. Please register: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.

Did you know?
The symbolism of the wreath has been used at funerals since antiquity to represent a circle of eternal life. Laurel is also a commemorative symbol. Woven into a wreath, it was used by the ancient Romans to crown victors and the brave as a mark of honor.

Wreaths are commonly laid at the tombs of soldiers and at memorial cenotaphs during Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day ceremonies. Wreaths may also be laid in memory of persons lost at sea, either from an accident or due to navy action. In a memorial service at sea, the wreath is lowered to the water and set adrift.

The Housatonic Valley Association’s Annual Auction to Benefit the Environment is marking its 26th year on Sunday, November 6 at 1 p.m. at the Washington Primary School located at 11 School Street in Washington Depot. It is gearing up for another successful auction. The proceeds enable HVA to carry out its mission of conserving the natural character and environmental health within the communities of the Housatonic River watershed.

Supporting the auction helps conserve riverfront land, clean up pollution, protect drinking water, save wildlife habitat, allow countless children toi enjoy and learn about our natural world – and so much more in the Housatonic River Valley.

Christine Baranski, HVA Board member and costar of CBS’s The Good Wife, is chairing the Benefit Auction Committee along with Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe, Sam and Lynn Waterston, Diane von Furstenberg, Linda Allard, Pam and Jack Baker, Robert Couturier, Diane Meier and Frank Delaney, Carolyn Klemm, Hamilton South, Anne Swift, John Favreau, Heather and Damian Woetzel and Judy Auchincloss.

Auctioneer extraordinaire Tim Luke takes center stage at 3 pm. He has been featured on HGTV’s Cash in the Attic. With his co-auctioneer Greg Strahm, he keeps auction bidders on their toes with high energy, humor and warmth.

Washington’s own Chris Zaima is bringing his design expertise to the setting this year and, along with Debby Bennett of Kent Greenhouse and Gardens, will create just the right ambience for music (Miles of Swing), delectable edibles (Executive Cuisine), cocktails, wine, and exuberant bidding.

Honorary Auction Committee members at the Diamond and Platinum sponsorship level are invited to a special Bellini Brunch reception hosted by Linda Allard and Baranski at Linda’s home from noon to 1 p.m before the auction.

The auction has been a sold-out event for the past several years and raises over $150,000 annually for projects that protect land, rivers and local drinking water. Last year it grossed $250,000. Donors, along with more than 225 guests, make this possible.

The auction lineup of donations from friends throughout the Valley includes exotic vacations and weekend country getaways as well as theater and sporting event tickets, fine dining, home furnishings, antiques, artwork, outdoor gear and adventures and unique opportunities not available at any other event.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 860-672-6678 or online at www.hvatoday.org.

About HAV
Founded in 1941, HVA is uniquely dedicated to protecting the entire Housatonic River Watershed. The watershed includes about 2,000 square miles of land stretching from western Massachusetts through western Connecticut and eastern New York to Long Island Sound. HVA’s offices are in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut; South Lee, Massachusetts and Wassaic, New York. For more information, please visit hvatoday.org.

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