Stamford, CT -- Stamford Museum & Nature Center has released its April 2017 CALENDAR OF EVENTS. Scroll through the information below to learn about all the exciting activities!
SPECIAL EVENT
13TH ANNUAL HECKSCHER FARM EGG HUNT
Saturday, April 8, 10 am–12 noon
A springtime favorite! Children ages six and younger bring their own baskets and hunt for hundreds of eggs that will be hidden all over Heckscher Farm. The gates to the Farm will open at 10 am, and eggs will be distributed throughout the two-hour event. Once a participant has collected a minimum of five eggs, they can be turned in for a goodie bag. Parents and older siblings are welcome to come along in support, but please be mindful that the Egg Hunt is for children ages six and younger only.
SM&NC Members: $5 per child, ages six or younger
Non-members: $5 per child, ages six or younger, plus gate admission
Eggcellent Eggs!
Saturday, April 8, 10 am–12:30 pm
After you have hunted for your eggs on Heckscher Farm, stop in to Heckscher WILD! and Overbrook Nature Center to celebrate other animals that lay eggs. Discover the special eggs of salamanders, why bird eggs come in different shapes and colors, and meet some of our egg-laying snakes. We’ll have ongoing self-guided crafts in Overbrook, live animal visits in Heckscher WILD!, and at 12:30 pm join us for a live “Egg-laying Animals” class in Overbrook to meet a chicken, snake, and more!
SM&NC Members: FREE
Non-members: Included with gate admission
Recycled ReCreations Makerspace Launches on April 11, 2017
Visit the Stamford Museum during Take-a-Hike Week, April 11–13, to see our new Recycled ReCreations Makerspace!
Makerspaces are creative, DIY environments where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. The Stamford Museum is joining in on the fun – with an SM&NC twist. Located in the Children’s Corner of the Stamford Museum, our new Makerspace will be chock-full of materials to create, invent, and innovate, all of which are from safely recycled or reclaimed products. From egg cartons to leftover packaging, our materials will allow budding artists and inventors to create, while exploring the ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The Makerspace will be open during regular Museum hours and is free to SM&NC Members and included with the gate admission for non-members. Builders will be able to show off their creations through a special social media campaign that will be unveiled this spring.
To celebrate the opening, we will be collecting some gently used materials to use in the Makerspace, as well as to benefit local organizations. The full list of materials and Take-a-Hike week programs will be listed on stamfordmuseum.org closer to the event.
For more information about the SM&NC’s new Recycled ReCreations Makerspace, please contact Lisa Monachelli, Director of Education, at 203.977.6568 or lmonachelli@stamfordmuseum.org.
APRIL PROGRAMS
Outdoor Adventures: Amphibian Amble
Friday, April 7, 7–8:30 pm
This series of family programs, led by the Stamford Museum & Nature Center Environmental Education team, explores the amazing natural wonders found right here on our campus. Grab your flashlight and hiking boots to discover some of the unique creatures – like wood frogs, American toads, and spotted salamanders – that visit our vernal pools once a year for breeding season. Register early for this spring favorite! Limited enrollment; recommended for ages 5 and older. Meet at Overbrook Nature Center. Pre-payment and pre-registration are required. Call 203.977.6521 to register.
SM&NC Members: $5/person | Non-members: $8/person
TAKE-A-HIKE WEEK
Tuesday, April 11–Thursday, April 13
Get outside and join us for our annual Take-a-Hike week programming. This year, we’re offering hikes and self-guided crafts each day. Pick up your 2017 passport to collect stamps and prizes! A full schedule of programs will be available at stamfordmuseum.org prior to Take-a-Hike Week, but here’s what’s in store each day:
Tuesday, April 11: RecycleMania Day
We’ll kick off our week with the opening of our new Recycled ReCreations Makerspace in the Stamford Museum, where visitors can create and build with a variety of recycled materials. Plus, join us for hikes to the Rotten Log Hotel to meet nature’s recyclers, discover the cycles of the seasons, and more.
Wednesday, April 12: Forest & Farm Adventures
Our awesome annual adventure scavenger hunt returns, along with favorites like our Hay Hike on the Farm, Scat and Signs Hike, and more forest and farm fun!
Thursday, April 13: WILD! Water Day
Enjoy perennial favorites such as our Vernal Pool and Stream hikes, along with a special “hike” through our Powerful yet Fragile: Connecticut’s Waterways photography exhibition in the Stamford Museum. Plus, discover how water plays a role in the lives of our Heckscher WILD! creatures.
SM&NC Members: FREE
Non-members: Included with admission
Sunday Explorers
Sundays, Through May 14, 12–4 pm
Our popular Sunday drop-in programs return for the spring season. Join us for a weekly hike on our nature trails or meet and feed some of our Heckscher WILD! animals. Explore Heckscher Farm as we greet goats, plant in our organic vegetable garden, peak into our historic barns, and more! We will have some great self-guided crafts and additional animals and exhibits, too, in Overbrook Nature Center. Recommended for ages 5 & up. (No Sunday Explorers programs on April 16 and April 30.)
12-4 pm Self-guided Crafts
1 pm Trail Hike
1:30 pm Animal Meet & Greet
2:30 pm Explore Heckscher Farm (meet at chicken coop)
3 pm Animal Meet & Greet
SM&NC Members: FREE
Non-members: Included with admission
After School Programs
Junior Curator 101
April 24–28, Monday through Friday, 3:30–5 pm
This unique, hands-on program provides an overview of basic animal care and experiential learning on Heckscher Farm. The course includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Heckscher Farm and various hands-on experiences, such as cleaning and feeding of animals. Upon completion of the program, each participant will be eligible to become a farm volunteer. For ages 10-13. Space is limited!
SM&NC Members: $140
Non-members: $160
Scout Programs
Water Wonders Scout Day
Sunday, April 30, 1–4 pm
Fees: $9/scout | Troop/den leaders free | additional adults: $2/each
Astronomy Nights: An Evening at the Stamford Observatory
Join us at the Stamford Observatory on select Friday nights for a real treat as we explore the night sky, planets, stars, and more! Start by enjoying a presentation on a special topic in astronomy, followed by a visit to view the night sky through our 22-inch telescope. The presentation portion of the program will be held rain or shine. Viewing hours are weather permitting. Please call 203.977.6537 for weather updates with regard to telescope viewing. These programs are suitable for all ages 5 and over.
April 7 Space Architecture: Run, Hike, & Camp on the Moon (Tony Faddoul)
April 21 Totality: A Guide to the Great American Eclipse (Jupiter Joe)
May 5 Spring Constellations (Tim Haag)
Summer hours: (Begins April 1)
7:30 pm – Presentation (rain or shine)
8:30 pm – Telescope viewing (weather permitting)
Location: Enter from Scofieldtown Road;
GPS users: 151 Scofieldtown Road.
SM&NC Members: Free
Non-members: Adults $5, Children (5–17) $3
Preschool Child with Adult Programs, Spring 2017
Awaken your senses to the arrival of spring. Visit the newborn animals. See and smell the flowers. In the classroom make your own signs of spring. All classes take place at Heckscher Barn. Please note that siblings who are in a baby carrier on parent are welcome. For safety reasons, we ask that arrangements be made for other siblings. Register at stamfordmuseum.org.
Spring! 10–10:45 am
Age: 2 | Instructors: Teri Barry (Mon & Fri); Beth Strauss (Tue & Thu)
CODE EC1S April 3 & 7 (Monday & Friday) or
CODE EC2S April 4 & 6 (Tuesday & Thursday)
This two-day, one-week session introduces our little farmers to what happens at this time of year on the Farm. Child and adult will create a project together to remember their experience.
SM&NC Members: $30
Non-members: $50
Little Farmers 9:30–10:15 am
Age: 18–24 mos. | Instructor: Beth Strauss
CODE EC3S 6 weeks, Tuesdays, April 18–May 23 or
CODE EC4S 6 weeks, Wednesdays, April 19–May 24 or
CODE EC5S 6 weeks, Thursdays, April 20–May 25
Our youngest farmers will see how Heckscher Farm is waking up from the winter: new baby animals, peepers in the pond, and plants beginning to grow. Children will create a project with attending adult.
SM&NC Members: $95
Non-members: $115
Art Farm 9:30–10:15 am
Age: Just 2 | Instructor: Teri Barry
CODE EC7S 6 weeks, Fridays, April 21–May 26
Our young two-year-olds will visit Heckscher Farm to see and hear what new things are happening with the animals, in the garden, and in the pond. Children will create a project with attending adult.
SM&NC Members: $95
Non-members: $115
Spring! 10:30–11:15 am
Age: 2+ | Instructor: Teri Barry
CODE EC11S 6 weeks, Mondays, April 17–May 22 or
Visit the Farm and see how spring has arrived. Meet baby farm animals, hear peepers in the pond, and see plants sprouting in the garden. Children will create a project with attending adult.
SM&NC Members: $95
Non-members: $115
EXHIBITIONS
POWERFUL yet FRAGILE: Connecticut’s Waterways
Images from Women Photographers of Connecticut
Through May 29, 2017
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s latest exhibition, Powerful yet Fragile: Connecticut’s Waterways, runs through May 29, 2017. How important is water in our lives? How does human activity impact the waterways of Connecticut? How can impacted waterways be reclaimed and natural ecosystems restored? Explore these themes through dramatic and poignant images captured by the Women Photographers of Connecticut, a diverse group of women photographers from across the state.
The Stamford Museum Galleries are open to the public Monday-Saturday, 9 am-5 pm; Sunday, 11 am-5 pm. Admission is free to SM&NC Members and children age 3 and under. Admission for non-members: $10 per adult; $8 seniors (65+); $6 students (18+, with valid ID); $5 children (4-17).
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Stamford Museum & Nature Center
Stamford Museum & Nature Center, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art and popular culture, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction, seeking to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, promote environmental stewardship and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibitions, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor’s experience of its unique site. Stamford Museum & Nature Center is located at 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT (3/4 mile North of Merritt Parkway Exit 35.) For more information call 203.322.1646 or visit www.stamfordmuseum.org.
Hours: Heckscher Farm, daily 9 am-5 pm; Nature’s Playground, daily 9 am-5 pm; Stamford Museum (main building), Mon.-Sat. 9 am-5 pm; Sun. 11 am-5 pm; Heckscher WILD!, Tues.-Fri. Noon-4 pm, Sat. & Sun. 10 am-4 pm.
Admission Fees*: SM&NC Members – Free; Adults $10; Seniors (65+) $8; Students (18+ with valid ID) $6; Children (4-17) $5; Children (3 and under) Free
*excludes festival days & special events