Summer is best enjoyed outdoors! This program is for children, ages 2 to 5, with special needs and a caregiver. Children will make new discoveries as we explore seasonal nature topics through activities, meeting live animals, stories, crafts and lots of time outside. In addition to learning about nature, this class will provide plenty of…
Spend the morning at Coogan Farm. Stop by the J.X. Barn for an inclusive, open art studio for families with children of all abilities. Our naturalists / artists will be on hand to provide project inspiration and materials to create your own masterpiece. After making art, spend time hiking the trails to enjoy the beauty…
Celebrate the Full Sturgeon Moon with a night hike at the Peace Sanctuary. With a DPNC educator as our guide, we’ll wander the trails and wait for the moon to rise over the Mystic River. Meet at the bottom of the driveway by Peace Sanctuary at 233 River Road in Mystic. Pre-registration required, masks are…
Join Farmer Craig to learn the benefits of composting in this online class offered via Zoom. From reducing your waste to helping your garden and plants grow, to combating climate change, composting is important and doesn’t have to be complicated. We will cover the importance of soil tests and how to conduct one. A soil…
Discover old quarries and follow the Pequotsepos Brook as we hike the Coogan Farm and Stone Bridges Trails. Meet at DPNC. This program is suited for adults and older, interested children. Preregistration is required and masks are optional. Members and Nonmembers: FREE
Saturday, September 18, 10 am – 12 pm Learn how to identify several common invasive plants and how they are being controlled at Coogan Farm without the use of synthetic herbicides. We will visit areas around the property where solarization or smothering have been used for site preparation before replanting with native pollinator-friendly plants and…
September is the best month for catching insects and spiders. Gather the family and join us as we search the meadow looking for grasshoppers, butterflies, spiders and more! Please wear closed toed shoes and sunscreen. Pre-registration required. Meets at DPNC Members and Nonmembers: FREE, funded through a grant from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
Celebrate the Harvest Moon with a night hike at the Peace Sanctuary. With a DPNC educator as our guide, we’ll wander the trails and wait for the moon to rise over the Mystic River. Meet at the bottom of the driveway by Peace Sanctuary at 233 River Road in Mystic. Pre-registration required, masks are optional.…
Join us for a reflective walk at the Peace Sanctuary as we observe the International Day of Peace. Please note this walk is of moderate difficulty over uneven terrain. Meet at the bottom of the driveway at the Peace Sanctuary, located at 233 River Road, Mystic. Preregistration is required. This program is suited for adults.…
Sunday, September 26, 10 am - 12 pm Spend the morning at Coogan Farm in the J.X. Barn for an inclusive, open art studio for families with children of all abilities. Our naturalists / artists will be on hand to provide project inspiration and materials to create your own masterpiece. After making art, spend time…
Soil and its microbiology are more important than anything else that makes your vegetables grow. Now that you have gotten your soil tested, in this online class offered via Zoom we will provide instruction on how to read your results and how to use them to make adjustments to your soil. We will also cover…
Have fun creating mushroom crafts during this unique creation station at the Nature Center! Create your own mushrooms using recycled materials, make mushroom stamps, learn how to do spore printing and more! This program is suited for families and is part of our Mushroom Week activities. Drop by anytime between 1 and 3 pm and…
Are you interested in foraging for mushrooms? Join DPNC and lifelong wild food forager Keith Cowley for a program about what local mushrooms are in season, including the popular wild mushrooms of New England. We will also explore ethical foraging for wild edibles and identify some common useful species. Keith Cowley is the Ethical Forager.…
Tune in this morning at 10 am for a special Facebook Live as part of our Mushroom Week activities for tips on growing mushrooms at home from Farmer Craig. In our Giving Garden at Coogan Farm, we are growing Shiitake, Maitake, Reishi, Blue Oyster, Pearl Oyster and Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Our Mushroom Week activities are…
Mushrooms are a natural wonder. During this class we will learn how to draw mushrooms, with instruction from DPNC artist/educator Rob Reas. We will be working with pencils, but if you have a preferred medium feel free to bring it. Materials are provided. This class is suitable for all levels of artists, intended for adults…
Saturday, October 16, 10 - 11:30 am In this class geared towards preschool children with special needs and a caregiver, children explore nature every month. Activities, circle time, animals and lots of time outside give the students and caregivers plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the outdoor world! Masks are required for adults and…
Ages 7 - 12 Do you have a budding artist at home? Have your child ages 7 - 12 join us for a two part class to learn to make natural dyes and paints. Thousands of years ago there were no craft stores or websites and people looked to the earth for their materials to…
Learn firsthand how to safely enjoy our region's wild mushrooms. Join us to learn from Ryan Bouchard and Emily Schmidt, creators of The Mushroom Hunting Foundation, who will begin this immersion class with a slideshow of amazing all-local photography, explaining the science and the safety rules of mushroom hunting, and focusing on the autumn mushrooms…
Learn more about our amazing local mushrooms on this self paced hike on the trails at DPNC. Upon arrival, pick up your guide and follow the path to discover and learn more about various species of fungi. Once you complete your walk, stop by the picnic tables to look at various mushroom specimens and try…
Starting early is key to a successful garden! Let us help you get started in this online gardening class offered via Zoom. Farmer Craig will provide tips on what to grow, where to buy supplies, when to start plants inside, transplanting, companion planting and much more to help ensure you are ready for next year’s…
Ages 7 - 12 Do you have a budding artist at home? Have your child ages 7 - 12 join us for a two part class to learn to make natural dyes and paints. Thousands of years ago there were no craft stores or websites and people looked to the earth for their materials to…
Spend the morning at Coogan Farm in the J.X. Barn for an inclusive, open art studio for families with children of all abilities. Our naturalists / artists will be on hand to provide project inspiration and materials to create your own masterpiece. After making art, spend time hiking the trails to enjoy the beauty of…
Join us as we explore looking for resident and migrating songbirds and raptors. This program is great for birders of all skill levels. Meets at Coogan Farm. Preregistration is required. This program is suited for adults. Masks are optional. Members: $17, Nonmembers: $20
Join us via Zoom to learn more about our local bat species, their important role in the ecosystem and what you can do to help them. This program is suited for adults. Preregistration is required. Upon registration you will receive a separate email with a Zoom link in it, don’t forget to check your spam…
Enjoy the beautiful views and learn more about the history of the Peace Sanctuary as we hike the trails making late fall discoveries. Meet at the bottom of the hill at the Peace Sanctuary on River Rd in Mystic. Pre-registration is required. Members and Nonmembers: FREE
Everyone deserves a night out! Have an evening out while your kids, ages 5 to 12, spend the evening at the Nature Center. We will enjoy games, activities, meeting live animals and a night hike. We’ll have pizza for dinner and round out the evening with s’mores around the campfire. Please be dressed for the…
Tune in to learn what species you can expect to see in your backyard with identification tips and tricks. We will also cover how to attract birds to your landscape.
Start your weekend early and join the Nature Center to enjoy the beautiful views of the Mystic River. With a DPNC educator as our guide, learn more about the history of the Peace Sanctuary as we hike the trails making late fall discoveries. Meet at the bottom of the hill at the Peace Sanctuary at…
Birding can be a wonderful activity for the whole family to enjoy! Join the Nature Center to learn the basics of birding with your family and get your children excited about birds in our area. Bring binoculars if you have them. Preregistration required. Meets at DPNC. Members and Nonmembers: FREE, funded through a grant from…
In this class geared towards preschool children, ages 2 to 5, with special needs, and a caregiver, we will explore nature every month. Activities, circle time, animals and lots of time outside give the students and caregivers plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the outdoor world! Masks are required for adults and encouraged for…
Plants need not only sun and water to grow, but also need a buffet of essential mineral nutrients in order to thrive. Mineral nutrients are found in the soil, and can be added via numerous amendments and fertilizers. Join us to learn about the importance of adding minerals to your soil in this online class…
Do you have a budding artist at home? Have your child ages 7 - 12 join us for this fun class to learn to make natural dyes and paints. Students will discover how to use the natural colors in vegetables, teas, coffee, fruits and many other unexpected sources to create beautiful art work. This program…
Join the Nature Center as we explore Coogan Farm looking for resident and migrating songbirds and raptors. This program is great for birders of all skill levels, and is suited for adults. Meets at Coogan Farm. Preregistration is required. Masks are optional. Members: $17, Nonmembers: $20
Tune in to learn about turkeys, which is especially fitting this time of year. We’ll share fun turkey facts, such as they can fly at speeds of 55 mph, have a home range of several square miles and like to roost in trees!
Spend the morning at Coogan Farm in the J.X. Barn for an inclusive, open art studio for families with children of all abilities. Our naturalists / artists will be on hand to provide project inspiration and materials to create your own masterpiece. After making art, spend time hiking the trails to enjoy the beauty of…
Join us for our free drop off program for children ages 5 to 10 to learn more about our local animals, plants, and habitats. This program’s topic is insects in winter! We will learn more about how insects survive the winter, go on a winter bug hunt and spend lots of time outside. Preregistration is…
This is a wonderful time to appreciate the evergreens that brighten the winter landscape! During this walk we stop to learn identification tips and tricks for the many evergreens that grow at DPNC, from Christmas Fern to Hemlock. Meet at DPNC. Members: $8.50, Nonmembers: $10
Tuesday, December 7, 6:30 - 7:30 pm Bird migration is a mysterious and amazing process. Join the Nature Center for this presentation to learn more about birds that migrate, including the birds who come to Connecticut for the winter! For interested participants, you may also attend one of our December Wednesday birding programs for free.…
Interested in learning how to control garden pests without using chemical pesticides? In this online class offered through Zoom, you will learn organic approaches to pest control that promote a thriving and successful garden. We will cover common insect pests of the Northeast and how to prevent and recover from outbreaks using natural methods. This…
Come experience the wonder of a winter walk in the woods at the Nature Center, lit by the soft glow of over 500 luminaria. Enjoy a self guided walk through woods, and warming up by a festive campfire with hot apple cider or hot cocoa, sure to make your evening complete. This program is suited…
