Flanders Nature Center Offers Program on “What Do Plants Know?”

​Though we may take plants and trees for granted, they are actually very unique and far more complicated than most people know. In fact, plants share many of the senses that humans possess. On Friday, January 26th Naturalists and photographers Barbara and Peter Rzasa will provide insight on how plants actually have developed the ability to see, smell, feel, remember, communicate, tell time and know where they are. How do plants do this? Do they have a “brain” as some researchers advocate? Attend this PowerPoint program to discover just what plants know!

The program will be held at 7PM that evening   at the Flanders’ Studio   which is located at the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Road in Woodbury. The cost is $10 for members or $15 for non-members.

Those interested may register online at http://www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

About Flanders

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust acquires, preserves and manages land; and uses the land to promote understanding and appreciation of nature, art and the environment. Founded by artist, farmer and environmentalist Natalie Van Vleck, Flanders provides a variety of environmental education programs year-round, designed to bring a deeper understanding of art, nature and farming to children, youth and adults in the Woodbury region and throughout Connecticut.

Surviving Winter - Native American Style

Have you ever wondered how Native Americans in the Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut lived through the cold winter months just a few generations ago?  The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington has developed a program that will answer many questions regarding how Native Americans survived and even flourished during the harsh New England winter months.  

Today, we depend electric blankets, heated cars, expensive down coats, and homes heated automatically by furnaces; and still we complain about the cold weather.  In contrast, the Algonquian Indians of Northwest Connecticut lived in homes heated by open fires that were built of bark and saplings.  They wore skins and furs to keep warm and had to watch the changes in the wind and the behavior of animals in order to predict a snowstorm or blizzard so they were not caught unprepared.

On Saturday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. join museum educator, Griffin Kalin  to for an in-depth look at the winter survival techniques used by Connecticut's Native Americans. Learn the secrets of Connecticut's indigenous people and how they saw the cold as a spirit that had great power and was worthy of great respect.  Learn how body heat and fire was used, the best time to chop wood and how area wildlife, the sky and the wind helped to predict winter storms.

This informative and fun program is appropriate for all ages. The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children. This program is free for members of the Institute for American Indian Studies.  Make sure to dress warm and to wear boots, hats and gloves as this is an outdoor program.

DID YOU KNOW?

 Native people were known to cut wood when it was well below freezing. Why? Not only were they kept warm through the effort, but cold wood splits more easily!

Two Programs Jan. 20 @ New Canaan Nature Center

The New Canaan Nature Center located on 144 Oenoke Road in New Canaan is hosting a evening winter owl prowl on Saturday, January 20 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  

The winter light of the full moon will be the guide as participants explore magic in the woods and unravel the mysteries of our nocturnal neighbors, the owls. Hikers will discover how owls use their keen senses to navigate the night and learn first-hand how they can hunt in the dark. A highlight of the event is to see if staff can identify owls by their tell-tale calls, before getting to meet a couple owls up close & personal back at the Center. It is best to register online for this event.

A "green cleaning" event is offered for adults on January 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that will focus on nontoxic solutions to everyday cleaning problems. A focus will be on how to avoid unnecessary greenwashed commercial products. Participants will learn the science of grime and see how a few simple ingredients can be combined for effective and inexpensive cleaning and disinfecting. At the end of the session, folks will mix and take home your own multi-purpose anti-bacterial spray cleaner, made with essential oil, liquid soap, and other ingredients.

Meet Brisby the Owl @ CT Audubon

On January 27 from 1 pm to 2 pm the general public is invited to the Audubon Center at Fairfield located on 2325 Burr Road to meet their newest resident.

Stories take us to other worlds. On Saturday, Jan. 27, the Connecticut Audubon Society offers a journey to the animal kingdom during a Winter Storytelling event at the Center at Fairfield. With a cup of cocoa in hand, listen to favorite picture book animal stories, then be among the first visitors to meet Brisby, the center's new resident barred owl. All ages are welcome; must be able to sit and listen to a story.

Suggested donation: $2. More information at 203-259-6305, ext. 109. Visit www.ctaudubon.org/center-at-fairfield for a complete list of their winter programs and special events.

Orientalism In American Art and the Silvermine Art Colony

The New Canaan Historical Society is presenting a unique exhibit on Orientalism curated by Tom Davies (curator of Art in America), Susan Gunn Bromley, Museum and Art Consultant, and Advisory Committee member Edward Vollmer.  This exhibition runs through March 31. 

The exhibit features American artists who traveled, painted and often lived for extended periods in an area that stretched from Morocco across North Africa, Egypt, The Holy Lands and Persia to India.  In the 19th century, this mostly Islamic world became known as the "Orient."  The European and American artists who, beginning in the 1840s, ventured into this forbidden world were called "Orientalists."  The show includes more than 30 paintings and etchings plus furniture, rugs, jewelry and decorative objects. 

Associated with this exhibition, on January 28 @ 2 p.m. the New Canaan Historical Society will welcome Zuhair Suidan who will give a lecture on  "Where To? A Perspective on the Arab World", will touch on the history of the Middle East, address recent political developments and implications for the future.

Mr. Suidan brings a unique perspective to the seemingly intractable difficulties in the Middle East. As an American, a Palestinian, an Israeli, and an Arab Christian, Mr. Suidan's outlook has been framed by a life of many cultural and geopolitical experiences amid a varied geography. He was born in Palestine. As a young boy he became a refugee in Lebanon for 5 years. He received his high school education in Israel, and his university education in the United States.

Mr. Suidan is a long-time resident of New Canaan raising four children who were educated in New Canaan's public schools. He has volunteered with the Town Players of New Canaan for a number of years and has served as President of the New Canaan Men's Club in 2016-2017.

Professionally, Mr. Suidan had a long career with IBM. Since 1993, he has headed Suidan Associates, a management consultancy focused on business development and strategic planning.

Birds of Winter Workshop for Kids @ Wilton Historical Society

American robins, the state bird of Connecticut, have not yet returned from warmer climes, but other species are in our area, surviving the snow and cold. On Saturday, January 20 from 11:00 – 12:30 at the Wilton Historical Society, a Birds of Winter Workshop for Kids will be presented. 

   

Educator Lola Chen will be discussing what birds are in the area for the winter, information that is gathered by the National Audubon Society at its annual Christmas Bird Count. She will share the history of the Audubon Society, while the kids work on a useful project – making a bird feeder with grapevine and suet for our feathered friends.  The children will help make their own snack.

Suggested for ages 6 – 12. Wilton Historical Society Members $10 per child, maximum $25 per family; Non-members $15 per child, maximum $35 per family.  Please register: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257. 

Did You Know?

“Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is the longest running Citizen Science project in the world. Started in 1899 as a way of encouraging people to count birds instead of shoot them, the CBC takes place each year from mid-December to early January when thousands of volunteer birders contribute to the long-term study of early winter bird populations across North America. Count captains in each local area coordinate volunteers for their respective "count circles," and count birds (both number of species and number of individuals) throughout a 24-hour period.

CBC participants range from expert ornithologists to beginning birders, following established protocols to ensure consistent data collection. The data from each count circle is tabulated and submitted to the National Audubon Society, to be used by scientists in a wide variety of studies.” – National Audubon Society

The 2017-2018 Christmas Bird Count in Connecticut ran from December 16 – January 1. Audubon Greenwich counted birds in the Greenwich to Stamford area, while in Westport, the Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Sanctuary participated.

An American Odyssey: The Jewish Experience in Greenwich

This exhibition curated by the Greenwich Historical Society located in Cos Cob will explore the history of the Jews of Greenwich within the broader context of the history of the town and the nation.

Beginning with the question of why Jews chose to settle in Greenwich and how they gained an economic foothold, the exhibition will explore the experience of Jewish families living and working in Greenwich for more than a century. It will examine how they, like other immigrants, struggled with the pull to integrate into American society and yet also remain distinct. And it will look at how they, as well as other minorities in Greenwich, have contributed to the larger community despite experiencing periods of discrimination and restrictions on worship, employment and housing opportunities.

Although the lion's share of the growth of Greenwich's Jewish community began in the 1960s (today about 11 percent of the population is Jewish), the tale really begins with the mass exodus of Jews from Eastern Europe to America between 1880 and 1920. The stories of those who sought to build new lives here–emblematic of larger historical themes–will be told through photographs, artifacts, archival documents, ephemera and first-person accounts. The exhibition will also explore the little-known fact that there were Jewish property owners in Greenwich as far back as Colonial times.

An American Odyssey: The Jewish Experience in Greenwich is curated by Dr. Ann Meyerson, a nationally recognized independent museum curator who most recently co-curated The First Jewish Americans: Freedom and Culture in the New World (October 28, 2016 to March 12, 2017) at the New-York Historical Society.

Learn to make Leather Gloves Native American Style

It  has been a record breaking cold this January with temperatures in the minus column, so why not take a few tips on how to keep your hands warm from a Schaghticoke Native American whose ancestors have made their home here for thousands of years. The Institute for American Indian Studies is offering a program Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. that is fun and educational and will teach you how to keep your hands warm!

 

Although there are few references to Native Americans wearing mittens before the 1800s there are many references to them after this date including the integration of gauntlet gloves which were used by the U.S. Cavalry in the 1800s.  Several historic sources indicate that Native American woodland Indians protected their hands against the harsh New England climate with mittens that were made from a variety of skins from otter fur that would keep their hands dry to deer or elk skin.

The Institute for Native American Studies is hosting a fun and informative "Leather Mitten" workshop that will teach participants about the lore of mittens in Native American culture and how to create your very own leather gloves on January 13 at 1 p.m. 

Participants will join, Schaghticoke, Darlene Kascak to learn how to make a unique and warm pair of mittens!  Space is limited so please call 860-868-0518 to register or email general@iaismuseum.org. Registration is $20 for non-members and $15 for members.

Colonial Kitchen Hands on History Demonstrations

The Wilton Historical Society is hosting colonial kitchen hands-on history demonstrations on January 7 and 14 from 1 pm to 3 pm.

Adding another layer of experience to a visit to the Great Trains Holiday Exhibit at the Wilton Historical Society, Sunday afternoon visitors can immerse themselves in a typical Colonial task in the 1740 Betts Kitchen.  Sisters Kate Gluckin and Sarah McCullough, both experts in Colonial domestic arts, will be demonstrating cutting, peeling and drying apples for a Marlborough Pie; grinding spices; sewing and embroidery; butter churning and dough kneading; wool carding and spinning and more from 1:00 – 3:00 on Sundays, January 7 and 14.  

Kids can try their hand at these tasks, too! Please check the website for details.  No charge. All ages.  The Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT   06897 www.wiltonhistorical.org