Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Marks World Wetlands Day with Explorer Justin Fornal

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo will host international explorer and extreme athlete Justin Fornal in a winter swim on Sunday, February 2 at 8:00 a.m. Fornal is the host of UNEXPLAINED AND UNEXPLORED, a map-themed exploration series on the Science Channel. Hisapproximately two-hour, three-mile swim will begin in the Steward B McKinney National Wildlife Refuge between Stratford and Bridgeport, continue into the inner coastal waterway and conclude back at the launch site. In June of 2018, Fornal was listed as the “#3 most adventurous person in the world” by Men's Journal. 

“Justin generously offered to use his adventurous spirit and remarkable skills to help raise awareness for the Zoo’s conservation efforts,” said Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Education Curator Jim Knox. “We decided to hold a swim on World Wetlands Day to highlight the Zoo’s conservation success with endangered animals, as well as our work with staff and students to protect federally endangered Piping Plovers along this stretch of wetlands.”

This cold-water swim will also serve as the first of several field equipment tests leading up to Fornal's expedition this summer where he hopes to become the first person to swim unassisted from Canada to Greenland.  He is currently planning the first historic swim from Ellesmere Island, Canada to Greenland across the Nares Strait for summer 2020. 

“My work as a researcher and explorer often takes me to far off places,” said Fornal. “I wanted to do something to focus attention on the work being done right here in Connecticut. We can have a global impact by helping biodiversity locally. I hope that this swim and my television series can help inspire the next generation to unplug and physically engage their environment.” 

Fornal will be accompanied by a half dozen support-team chase boats, manned by Zoo staff and educators. The support teams will be equipped with both above and below water GoPro cameras to document the swim. Weather and water conditions will be evaluated that morning before entering the water, as a safety precaution. 

World Wetlands Day is celebrated each February 2 to raise global awareness of the importance of wetlands for people and the planet.

Native American Winter Survival Techniques February 1 @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Modern resources, gadgets, apps, and technology – we all use them to make our lives easier. But what if we didn’t have all of them to rely on? Native American communities living in Connecticut managed to live quite comfortably through the harsh New England winter. They spent the summer and fall preparing, storing, and foraging for winter by using a multitude of natural resources that are key to surviving in the winter.

On Saturday, February 1 at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut beginning at 1 p.m. join museum educator, Griffin Kalin to learn how to find shelter, make food, and stay warm when the weather is cold and your resources are diminished. An unusual highlight will be a demonstration of how to tan a hide in order to make leather for clothing. This program on how to survive in the Eastern Woodlands without twenty-first-century technology is fun, informative and thought-provoking. Best of all, the Winter Survival program is free with the price of a modest admission – adults $10, seniors, $8 and children $6.

Participants will learn how to start a fire in the snow, how to find food in the forest, and how to make a shelter from the natural environment. This is an immersive experience for program participants because they will actually visit the 16^th century replicated Algonkian village on the grounds of the Institute that is composed of several wigwams, a longhouse, a fire circle, drying racks, and the dormant three sisters' garden cultivated by the Institute every summer.

It is exciting as well as an engaging experience that is suitable for all ages. The experience will make you feel as though you have stepped back in time as you explore the forest and learn the ways of the Eastern Woodland Indians.

To participate in this event be sure to dress warm and wear appropriate footwear because some of this program will be outside.  In addition to this program, entrance to the museum with its fascinating exhibits and wonderful gift shop featuring locally made handcrafted Native American art, crafts, and jewelry among other items is also included.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a 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 cultur

Human Dog Sled Race Just One Highlight of the Salisbury JumpFest Friday, Feb. 7-Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020

Salisbury, CT, January 26, 2020- Are you up for some quirky winter fun? Get a group of your friends together to enter JumpFest’s Human Dogsled Race! This unusual winter event is part of the 94^th annual Ski Jumping Championships in Salisbury, Connecticut taking place on Friday, February 7, Saturday, February 8, and Sunday, February 9.

The human dogsled team consists of six people, five pulling, and one rider. It is so much fun to watch these colorful sleds and costumed teams race against one another! The teams compete in timed, two teamed races, and the two fastest times in the men, women, and mixed categories run a second race. Trophies are awarded to the three fastest teams in each category. There is also a people’s choice trophy for the most unusual sled and costumes.

The Human Dogsled Competition takes place on Friday, February 7 around 9 p.m. after the ski jumps for the evening are over. The registration fee is only $25 (paid on February 7 at the event) and all human dogsled participants get into Jumpfest free! For detailed information www.jumpfest.org. To download the registration form click here.

The registration fee helps SWSA, a non-profit volunteer organization to continue to foster the sport of ski jumping and the Eastern National Ski Jumping Championship.

Festival Schedule

JumpFest kicks off on Friday, February 7 at 6 p.m. with Target Jumping beginning at 7 p.m. Target Jumping is followed by the infamously fun Human Dog Sled Race, a crowd favorite that begins between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Teams of six participate, five pulling the sled and one riding. The sleds and costumes, of course, boggle the imagination! Trophies are awarded for the best in men's women's, mixed categories. Competitors navigate a .3-mile course through the snow. It’s all in fun, and teams can get very creative with both their costumes and sleds. Two large bonfires and warm food and beverages are available.

On Saturday, February 8, things warm up with a Junior Meet that is followed by the practice of participating jumpers from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. The main competition begins at 1 p.m. It is thrilling to watch these Olympians in the making defy gravity and soar through the air with runs of up to 200 feet. Another tradition is the Snow Ball Dance taking place at the White Hart Inn with entertainment by the Steve Dunn Band. This is the perfect time to mingle with fellow sports lovers, bid at the silent auction, and take a chance on a raffle ticket that benefits the Salisbury Winter Sports Associations (SWSA) programs. The admission to the Snow Ball Dance is $15. The highly anticipated Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships on Sunday, February 9 begins with practice at 11 a.m.; the competition begins at 1 pm. At this event, there are often Olympic hopefuls that display the tremendous coordination, skill, and grace that have what it takes to soar so far and so high with a smooth and successful landing. Make ski jumping history and be there to see if the Salisbury record is broken - perhaps a new contender for the Olympics! Even the most sedentary spectators will appreciate the extraordinary coordination and skill required to make this jump! Judging from past history, some of the competitors here will go on to the Olympics.  

Coffee, hot chocolate, beer, wine, hot toddies, and food will be available at all events. As this is an outdoor event, and it is winter, please dress warm - don't forget your cowbell and cellphone for great photo opportunities! On Friday, February 7, the event ticket booth opens at 6 p.m. and admission is $15; on Saturday, February 8, the event opens at 10 a.m. and tickets are $15, on February 9 the event opens at 11 a.m. and tickets are $15. The Snow Ball Dance is $15 at the door. The Human Dog Sled Race entry is $25 on Friday, February 7 with the downloaded pdf.

About Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA)

It all began in 1926, when a gentleman named John Satre (Say-tree) showed off the sport he had learned in his native Norway with the unlikely feat of jumping from the roof of a shed while wearing skis. To everyone’s surprise, instead of crashing Satre soared through the air and glided to earth. It looked like fun and by the next summer, several neighbors had gotten together to begin building a proper takeoff and ski run. A former cow pasture became the landing area. On January 29, 1927, the club, the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) held its first competition with a crowd of more than 200 spectators. This all-volunteer group has hosted several National Championships and, today continues to maintain Satre Hill, introduces young and old to the sport of ski jumping, and organizes the competitions. 

Watch Future Olympians Soar in Salisbury's 94th Annual JumpFest February 7,8, and 9

This will be the 94th year when ski jumpers and lovers of winter sports converge in Salisbury at Connecticut's signature winter event, JumpFest. Ski jumping was introduced to this bucolic town in 1926 when a Norwegian farmer, Mr. Satre sailed off his barn; making ski jumping a winter tradition here ever since.  This year, JumpFest is taking place on February 7, 8, and 9, 2020, at Satre Hill on Indian Cave Road in Salisbury.  For updates and more information click here or info@jumpfest.org

There are only a half a dozen ski jump facilities on the East Coast, with JumpFest being the southernmost location. Some of the best athletes will be here competing in an event that has launched many Olympians.  As a matter of fact, three of the four men that participated in the Olympics at Sochi had something in common, they were all from the east coast, and they all participated at JumpFest.

For the Tri-State area and beyond, JumpFest offers a very special opportunity to watch these graceful athletes fly through the air ---  up close! The anticipation of watching competitors travel up to 200 feet through the air at more than fifty miles an hour and, guessing who is the fastest -- and highest in real-time -- is an unforgettable experience.  It is so much fun to be part of the excitement!  The crowds' ring cowbells to cheer on their favorites and the jumpers take notice. The excitement reaches a crescendo when the slap of skis hits snow in a smooth landing with everyone hoping that this jump beats the Salisbury record, an impressive 231-foot jump.

Festival Schedule 

JumpFest kicks off on Friday, February 7 at 6 p.m. with Target Jumping beginning at 7 p.m. Target Jumping is followed by the infamously fun Human Dog Sled Race, a crowd favorite that begins between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Teams of six participate, five pulling the sled and one riding. The sleds and costumes, of course, boggle the imagination! Trophies are awarded for the best in men's women's, mixed categories. Competitors navigate a .3 mile course through the snow.  It’s all in fun, and teams can get very creative with both their costumes and sleds. Two large bonfires and warm food and beverages are available.

On Saturday, February 8, things warm up with a Junior Meet that is followed by the practice of participating jumpers from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. The Junior 20 to 30-meter competition begins at 1 p.m. It is thrilling to watch these Olympians in the making defy gravity and soar through the air with runs of 65 to 98 feet. Another tradition is the Snow Ball Dance taking place at the White Hart Inn with entertainment by the Steve Dunn Band. This is the perfect time to mingle with fellow sports lovers, bid at the silent auction, and take a chance on a raffle ticket that benefits the Salisbury Winter Sports Associations (SWSA) programs. The admission to the Snow Ball Dance is $15. 

The highly anticipated  Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships on Sunday, February 9 begins with practice at 11 a.m., the competition begins at 1 pm. At this event, there are often Olympic hopefuls that display the tremendous coordination, skill, and grace that have what it takes to soar so far and so high with a smooth and successful landing. Make ski jumping history and be there to see if the Salisbury record is broken - perhaps a new contender for the Olympics! Even the most sedentary spectators will appreciate the extraordinary coordination and skill required to make this jump! Judging from past history, some of the competitors here will go on to the Olympics.  

Details and More 

Coffee, food, and hot chocolate will be available at all events. As this is an outdoor event, and it is winter, please dress warm - don't forget your cowbell and cellphone for great photo opportunities! On Friday, February 7, the event ticket booth opens at 6 p.m. and admission is $15; on Saturday, February 8, the event opens at 10 a.m. and tickets are $15, on February, 9 the event opens at 11 a.m. and tickets are $15. The Snow Ball Dance is $15 at the door. The Human Dog Sled Race entry is $25 on Friday, February 7 with the downloaded pdf.

Between events, there will be plenty of time to explore the charming town of Salisbury with its many intriguing shops and restaurants all within walking distance of Jumpfest. A highlight is an art show, The Wonders of Winter hosted by the Salisbury Association that includes art by 34 national and international artists showcasing sixty works of art in six locations including William Pitt/Sotheby's International Realty, Sweet William's Coffee Shop & Bakery and the White Hart Inn, all within walking distance of each other on Main Street, Salisbury. Many of the paintings are on sale with a portion of the profits going to the Salisbury Winter Sports Association youth skiing programs and ongoing facility improvement. 

About Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA)

It all began in 1926, when a gentleman named John Satre (Say-tree) showed off the sport he had learned in his native Norway with the unlikely feat of jumping from the roof of a shed while wearing skis. To everyone’s surprise, instead of crashing Satre soared through the air and glided to earth. It looked like fun and by the next summer, several neighbors had gotten together to begin building a proper takeoff and ski run.  A former cow pasture became the landing area. On January 29, 1927, the club, the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) held its first competition with a crowd of more than 200 spectators. This all-volunteer group has hosted several National Championships and, today continues to maintain Satre Hill, introduces young and old to the sport of ski jumping and organizes the competitions.