Harbingers of Spring
Welcome to Spring! As the days get longer, the temperature warms, and bird songs fill the morning air, what is your favorite harbinger of spring—red winged blackbirds, crocuses, fiddleheads, mourning cloak butterflies? For Steep Rock Association, spring means getting outside with you! We are excited to begin offering our slate of spring events and activities. Some will be virtual, some in the field, and some a mixture of both. Read below for a list of our upcoming March activities. We are still following all state and federal Covid guidelines—enrollments will be limited, pre-registration required, participants must wear masks and socially distance as appropriate. Our primary goal is to keep everyone safe, healthy, and able to enjoy the unfurling of spring and the return of wildlife to our preserves. For those interested in camping, SRA will not be accepting reservations until a final decision on our camping season is made in mid-May. We hope to see you at our events and in our preserves as Nature awakens from her winter slumber.
See you on our Trails!
Brian Hagenbuch, Ph.D., Executive Director
Trout Fishing Season Opens Early, Again
By executive order, trout fishing season is officially open, so dust off your tackle, tie a couple flies, and enjoy the advance on incredible angling opportunities in Steep Rock Preserve and Hidden Valley Preserve this year. Please help us protect sensitive riparian habitat and the viability of trout populations by adhering to our Fishing Rules and Regulations.
Thank you and tight lines!
Look, Build, Play
Join Steep Rock Association’s Conservation Science Manager, Rory Larson, and A.S.A.P for “Look, Build, Play”! These creative and imaginative play times will be done virtually and in person (masks are required). For more detail and to register please visit A.S.A.P.
Mark Your Calendar…
Monday, March 15, 2021, 6:30 pm on Zoom
Join author and historian, Carol Santoleri for theillustrated presentation “Rossiter’s Riverside Retreat”. This program is being co-sponsored by the Gunn Historical Museum and Steep Rock Association. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, which will be sent to your provided email address. Visit the Museum’s registration page to sign up: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/gunn-museum/museum-registration-page/
The History of Steep Rock Association: The Jewel in the Crown, written by Carol Santoleri, is available at The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot, CT (cash and check) and J. Seitz & Co., 9 E Shore Rd., New Preston, CT (checks only). Need to pay with a credit card? The book can also be ordered online from the Steep Rock website (www.steeprockassoc.org).
Virtual Story Time
Saturday, March 20, 2021, 1:00 pm
Denise Arturi, Judea Garden’s Manager and Head Gardner, joins the Gunn Jr. Library for a Saturday Virtual Event sharing the inspirational true story of how Katie Stagliano, a third grader from Summerville, South Carolina, grew a forty-pound cabbage in her backyard and donated it to help feed 275 people at a local soup kitchen. Like Katie, Judea Garden started with the simple of idea of growing food to help those in need. Twelve years later, volunteers have grown over 40,000 pounds of food helping to end hunger in our community. “Katie’s Cabbage reminds us of how small things can grow and thrive when nurtured with tender loving and care and of how one person, with the support of family, friends, and community, can help make a powerful difference in the lives of so many.”
While listening to the story, children can plant their own cabbage seeds at home to nurture in their own gardens. Register with the Gunn Jr. Library to request these seed kits for curbside pickup.
NestWatch
NestWatch – A Citizen Science Oppertunity
Virtual Training: March 29, 2021 at 5:00PM
Field Season: April 5, 2021 – August 27, 2021
Do you enjoy hearing the musical call of eastern bluebirds at a forest edge, or marveling at the iridescent plumage of tree swallows swooping through the air? SRA does too!
We conduct research to better understand what contributes to their success and need your help to monitor nest boxes in SRA preserves. Citizen scientists will have a unique look into a breeding bird’s life by observing construction of a nest, counting eggs laid and hatched, watching the development of offspring, recording behavior of adults, and documenting invasions by other animals.
People of all ages and experience levels are invited to participate. Please register here to receive an invitation to our virtual training session and learn more about the project.
