Enjoy the company of fellow hikers and get some great outdoor exercise. Expect a 5-7 mile hike.  Goodwin Guide Kat Gayson, will be taking you on this long distance hike as she points out nature tidbits here and there.  All are welcome, including friendly dogs.

Gerri Griswold is Director of Administration and Development at The White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, Connecticut. She has handled animals for twenty-four years as a wildlife rehabilitator and educator and is licensed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the United States Department of Agriculture. Over the years Griswold and her animals have delivered hundreds of programs to libraries, classrooms, Scout troops and organizations like the National Park Service and the Yale Peabody Museum. They have appeared on the cover of The Weekly Reader and The Late Show with David Letterman.
$10 for non-members/$5 for Friends of Goodwin Forest and CFPA members

Anna Sjodin, Ph.D candidate at University of Connecticut will be here to discuss her research on bats and patterns of disease in bat populations, along with discussing their notoriety for hosting deadly human diseases.  By applying natural history and ecological theory to viruses, she works on understanding where and how these pathogens occur.

Anna’s passion for animals, conservation, and the outdoors (especially bats) came from her childhood and her love for Janell Cannon’s book Stellaluna. Learning more about bats during her undergraduate years inspired her to study the bat-human connection. 

Join Beth Bernard, Program Director at the James L. Goodwin Conservation Center in a unique experience where we discover the lost art of the Sit Spot. This observation tool increases awareness, calms the body and mind, and opens up a world of awesome nature sightings! We will be taking a short hike and participating in exercises that awaken our senses. During our Sit Spot, we will stay in one spot and let nature come to us.  By slowing down, we will be able to notice more in nature than we ever thought possible. Be dressed for the weather and bring a small mat or towel to sit on if you desire. If the weather is inclement or unusually cold we will participate in awareness activities indoors. Age 12-adult.

We will take a field trip to local Hampton Maple Sugar House ‘Bright Acres Farm’.  Come and see how they used to make maple syrup in a homemade backyard evaporator and how they make it today, in a new post and beam sugar house with an energy efficient evaporator.  Learn about the differences between each of these set-ups.  Discover how this all natural product is made, and get a taste!  There will be a chance to collect some sap if you would like, weather permitting.  Our hosts will also explain how to start your own backyard sugaring operation.
Dress for the weather, outdoor program.

$10 per box for non-members/$5 per box for Friends of Goodwin and CFPA members. 

Get an introduction to the beloved bluebirds with Master Naturalist graduate Jim Bancroft who monitored Goodwin’s bluebird trail and is also monitoring bluebird and American kestrel nest boxes in Glastonbury.

Bluebird populations were on the decline since the late 1800s but are now making a comeback. This is partially due to bluebird boxes that have been built and set up by people!  

Nest box monitoring is a rewarding way to learn more about birds and contribute to scientific knowledge. At the beginning of this program, you will learn about the bluebird nest boxes at Goodwin and the bird species that use these boxes. You will also learn how to monitor nest boxes in your own neighborhood and how and why to report your nest box sightings. You will have an opportunity to build your own bluebird nest box to take home and enjoy!  If you’re interested, following the program, we’ll visit Goodwin’s bluebird nest boxes to clean and prepare them for the coming breeding season.

These are easy to moderate but casual walks taken on forest trails.  They are a great opportunity to get outside, learn something new and maybe even meet a few new friends. These walks are very popular, and not just for seniors!  All are welcome. Hiking sticks are available to borrow.

These are easy to moderate but casual walks taken on forest trails.  They are a great opportunity to get outside, learn something new and maybe even meet a few new friends. These walks are very popular, and not just for seniors!  All are welcome. Hiking sticks are available to borrow.

Brothers Ed and Fran Baranski have been wandering into the wilderness for years, building their own canoes, doing some rigorous camping, and just learning how to survive in nature by their own skill. Now, they want to teach you some of the skills they’ve learned.

The brothers return to teach the next step in survival.  Staying warm in the winter is crucial and the brothers will show you how to start and maintain a fire during the winter.  They will be demonstrating techniques at the fire pit at Goodwin’s campsite.  Dress to be outdoors.

This workshop is intended for all gardeners of all experience levels. We share best practices and pitfalls for gardening in eastern Connecticut. These monthly workshops cover a wide-range of topics, so please come with your questions, your expertise, and your own stories of success and failure in your gardens.

This month we are joined by Mary Concklin, the Associate Extension Educator of Fruit Productions and IPM in the Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture at UConn.  She will be discussing management on fruit trees, fruits, and other related topics.

Steve Hackett, owner of Trophy Room Taxidermy in East Hampton, Connecticut is an award winning taxidermist on the state and national level.  He will be bringing his knowledge to Goodwin Conservation Center during his presentation and question.

The relationship between prey and predator is a delicate balance in our complex and ever changing world.  In this program, we’ll take a look at these relationships to determine risks to and potential damage to the balance of our local ecosystem structure.                 

Conservation Educator Michael Grady returns with a brand new program that discusses the state of our ecosystem and includes hands on experience outdoors to discover how nature is letting us know the problem.

Do you like reading about the environment and nature?  Do you wish you could discuss your favorite books with other people? Join other like minded folk who want to talk about their favorite books and find suggestions for new and wonderful reads.  The book we will be continuing with is A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm by Edwin Way Teale. This book chronicles Edwin’s experiences at his farm in Hampton, CT.  Please come to the club having read as much of the assigned book as possible. 

This workshop will emphasize the identification and use of our wonderful weeds.  Example plants will be shared and a weed walk will be included to help participants recognize plants.  Recipes will be shared and demonstrated.

Debra Hultgren is a retired public school educator and administrator.  In retirement she is a practicing community herbalist and master gardener.  She grows, harvests and prepares foods and medicines and teaches others how to include these healing traditions in their own lives.

Continuing on with what you learned in January, learn “what’s next” for your hive. This program is part of a year-long series that will teach you all you need to know about keeping bees. Dave Gilbert joins us again as he teaches us where and how to get supplies and how to continue upkeep on your hive during the winter months.

Goodwin’s naturalist, Jasper Sha will lead a discussion about climate change. He will discuss how climate change works, how humans are impacting global changes, and will answer some commonly asked questions and misconceptions. Come learn, ask questions, and find out a little bit more about something often talked about but rarely examined clearly.

Winter Programming is provided to you by the Friends of Goodwin Forest, in partnership with Connecticut Forest & Park Association.  Membership to the Friends of Goodwin helps fund our programs, so that we may continue to provide quality programming on forestry, wildlife and general conservation education to youth and adults. If you are interested in joining, or for more information on the Friends, visit our website at http://www.FriendsofGoodwinForest.org.

If you have a passion about a conservation, environmental, ecologically-related topic of your choice that you want to share, this is your opportunity.  We here at Goodwin would like you to present that knowledge to your peers!

Host a hike, give a presentation, do some outdoor activities or experiments, or just have an open ended discussion. 

Goodwin Conservation Center is looking for volunteers who have knowledge about various conservation-related topics and the ability and desire to share that knowledge with others. We are looking for with knowledge in all conservation topics including birding, rocks, invasive species, survival skills, pollution, photography, nature technological equipment, and more.

Teaching experience helps but is not required. For more information, contact Jasper Sha at jasper.sha@ct.gov.

If you love mixing technology and the outdoors, geocaching may be the perfect activity for you.  It involves searching out hidden objects in the landscape with coordinates and clues.  Goodwin State Forest is home to a few geocaches.  Try and find the secret treasure!  Just go to https://coord.info/GC19ZHE

Proper clothing for winter programs is ESSENTIAL.  Wear warm coats and extra layers (more than you think you need!).  Cotton socks have little insulation value and absorb moisture. Once wet, cotton loses all insulation value, making your feet even colder.  Wool socks, when wet, wick the water away from your feet, keeping your feet warm and dry.  Socks are the most important part of winter attire!  Please come prepared for outdoor programs.

James L. Goodwin Conservation Center, 23 Potter Road, Hampton CT 06247

Programs are free unless otherwise noted. Donations are encouraged and allow us to continue providing quality programming.

Pre-registration is requested for all programs but not required unless stated otherwise noted.                  

For more information or to register: 860-455-9534 or jasper.sha@ct.gov, or visit http://www.friendsofgoodwinforest.org/current-programs.html