Stamford Museum & Nature Center July 2017
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SM&NC Sunday Farm Market
Sundays, 10 am–2 pm, Through October 8
The SM&NC Sunday Farm Market is back at its summertime setting on the Meadow, and this year we’ve added some new vendors to offer a wider variety of items. Also available are our very own farm-fresh eggs made by our chickens on Heckscher Farm, maple syrup made in our own maple sugar shack, and wool from our sheep. There will be weekly farm-related family activities during the “Market Madness” program led by one of our environmental educators. Admission to the Sunday Farm Market, only, is free; gate admission is required for all non-members who opt to participate in Market Madness activities.
Market Madness
Sundays, Through August 13, 10 am–2 pm
Support local farmers and explore the SM&NC through hands-on activities. Our Sunday Farm Market will be the center of our Summer Sunday programs. Come for a self-guided craft on the Meadow, farm animal meet & greets, and lunch with Bert & Sadie, our North American River Otters, each week. At 12:30 pm, join us for Edible Science, where we’ll explore the science behind some of our favorite foods, such as pizza, S’mores, and ice cream. Please check our website for the complete list of activities each week.
10 am–2 pm Self-guided craft (weather permitting, at Farm Market)
10:30 am Meet a Farm Animal (at Farm Market)
Noon Animal Meet & Greet (at Heckscher WILD!)
12:30 pm Edible Science (at Farm Market)
1 pm Otter feeding demonstration (at Otter Pond)
Edible Science
Sundays, Through August 13, 12:30 pm
Why do marshmallows turn brown in the campfire? Why is pizza dough stretchy? How do we make maple syrup? As part of our Market Madness programs, discover the answers to these yummy questions in our new Edible Science series as we create, cook, concoct, and eat! We’ll have a new topic each week, like “Bee Vomit Cricket Corn,” made of popcorn with honey, roasted mealworms and crickets. It’s on the Edible Science menu for Sunday, July 2!
Mark your calendar for Sunday, July 16, when we celebrate National Hot Dog Day at the SM&NC Sunday Farm Market.image002.png@01D2F0CC.D344ECF0" alt="http://www.stamfordmuseum.org/images/clear.gif" border="0">Join staff from Fleishers Craft Butchery in Greenwich to celebrate a great food holiday. Fleishers meats come from local farms, are pasture-raised, hormone and antibiotic-free, and all around tasty! Join us for a sampling of some amazing hot dogs, and discover how much better tasting locally farmed meats are and learn about Fleishers' nose-to-tail approach to butchery. Fleishers hot dogs will be available for sale, as well as a variety of local meats from Truelove Farms, our local meat vendor.
EXHIBITION
MAIZE: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain
Through Monday, September 4, 2017
Corn – or maize, as it is called in most countries – is grown on every continent in the world, except Antarctica. This large, edible grain was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico 8,000 years ago, and humans have deliberately altered and adapted it to meet their needs ever since. Today, maize is the largest production crop in the world!
This summer in the Stamford Museum Galleries, you can explore the science and history of maize and see why it continues to surprise us today. Learn about fascinating advances in the science of plant genetics, the process of evolution, and how “useful mutations” can address world health and hunger issues.
See how maize was adopted by Native Americans across North and South America through historic and rare corn-related objects from the Permanent Collection of the Stamford Museum, including archaeological material from the Stamford area that is more than 500 years old.
Developed and managed by the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth located in Ithaca, N.Y. Funding has been provided by the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program DBI-0820619.
SM&NC Members: Free; Non-members: included with gate admission.
The Stamford Museum galleries are open Monday–Saturday, 9 am–5 pm; Sunday 11 am-5 pm.
ASTRONOMY NIGHTS: AN EVENING AT THE STAMFORD OBSERVATORY
Friday, July 7: Private Space Travel - When Can I Book My Vacation to the Moon? Presentation by Tony Faddoul
SM&NC Members: Free | Non-Members: Adults $5, Children (5-17) $3
Summer hours:
7:30 pm – Presentation (rain or shine)
8:30 pm – Telescope viewing (weather permitting)
Location: Enter from Scofieldtown Road;
GPS users: 151 Scofieldtown Road.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
This series of family programs, led by the SM&NC Environmental Education team, explores the amazing natural wonders found right here on our campus.
Things with Wings Night Hike
Friday, July 21, 7–8:30 pm
Explore the crepuscular and nocturnal creatures that call the SM&NC home. We'll take a sunset hike to look for our resident bats and birds, search for signs of local owls, and see what insects are out and about. We'll discover the difference between flying and gliding and meet some animals that can move on the wing. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Please call 203.977.6521 to register.SM&NC Members: $5 | Non-Members: $8
SUMMER DROP-IN PROGRAMS
Summer Corn-ucopia!
Wednesdays, July 12 - August 16, 3:30–4 pm
Celebrate our a-maize-ing new exhibit, MAIZE: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain, by exploring the curious case of corn. We'll discover the importance of corn, how it has been used, who likes to eat it, how to cook it, and why this ancient grain continues to surprise us. We might cook corn muffins over the campfire, learn how to grind corn, meet animals that eat corn, create a corn craft, or plant some corn relatives to take home. Meet in the Stamford Museum galleries.
A Day in a Farmer's Life
Tuesdays, July 11 - August 15, 10–10:30 am
Learn about the day-to-day life on Heckscher Farm by taking a peek at some of the different chores that have to be done throughout the year. We might milk goats, wash and card wool, create enrichment items for one of our Farm animals, or walk a donkey.
Heckscher Farm Animal Meet & Greet
Mondays, July 10 - August 14, 2:30–3 pm
Do you know the difference between a llama and an alpaca? Have you ever given a pig a belly rub? Join us each week for an up-close look at one of our farm animal groups. Discover how we care for and enrich our animals' lives, and have a chance to touch them, too! One animal/animal group per week.
Heckscher WILD! Animal Meet & Greet
Wednesday - Fridays, July 12 - August 18, 11 am & 2:30 pm
Stop by Heckscher WILD! to meet one of our teaching animals from around the world and discover how they are adapted to their native habitat. Animals will vary depending on the day; programs will be approximately 15 minutes.
Summer Stars Planetarium Shows
Sundays, July 9 - August 20, 2–3 pm
Search the summer night sky ... during the day! Discover some of the common constellations of the summer and the stories behind them. Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served. Doors open 15 minutes before scheduled program. Recommended for ages 5 and up. No strollers, please. Shows start promptly; no late admission. Parents must accompany children.
Summer Drop-in Programs are free for SM&NC Members and included with gate admission for non-members.