September 28 – October 4

Museum Children Free Week

Courtesy of Joan and Jack Benham. Free admission to children ages twelve and under when accompanied by an adult.

 Grades 1-3: Tuesdays in October (Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24)  
Grades 4-6: Wednesdays in October (Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25)
After-School Adventures – Sponsored by the Torrington Savings Foundation
3:45-5:00pm
Bring your kids out to White Memorial for programs designed to awaken curiosity and foster an appreciation for the natural world. Every session brings a new adventure, whether it’s exploring a new part of White Memorial property, meeting a live animal, or taking part in an outdoor activity. Join us for afternoons of experiential learning in the outdoors. Parents/Caregivers are welcome to stay, but it is not necessary. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room. 3:45-5pm. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Please call 860-567-0857 or visit whitememorialcc.org to register. Space is limited. Admission is FREE thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Torrington Savings Foundation.

October 5

Nature’s Nursery

Join us on the first Thursday of each month from September – December for an engaging program designed just for your young nature lovers. Every session will include a story, an encounter with a live animal, and an activity or craft. Some of our activities might be outside, so dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes. Parents/Caregivers, we ask that you stay for the duration of the program. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room. 4-5pm. Advanced registration is required. To register, please call 860-567-0857 or visit whitememorialcc.org. Space is limited. Please inquire about financial aid as needed. Members: $9/child per session or $30/whole series, Non-Members: $13/child per session or $50/whole series 

October 7

Forestry In Practice with Jeff Ward and WMF Forest Manager, Mike Berry

We offer this stellar opportunity to learn about forestry practices in the Five Ponds area of the Foundation with Dr. Jeff Ward and WMF Forest Manager Mike Berry. After meeting your hosts at the trail head, walk past Beaver Pond and learn about the 2020-2021 harvest to learn about tree species that live in a young forest. You’ll then be guided to an area of the shelterwood cut in 1984 followed by the over storey removal in 200-2001. Learn about the wildlife in the area and how they benefit from forestry practices and what a clear cut area looks like 23 after it was harvested. There’s even more! You’ll visit 3-year old, 23-year old, and 39-year old stands. In the end you’ll walk through unmanaged forests to experience the difference.

About Dr. Jeff Ward, Department of Environmental Science and Forestry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Dr. Ward has expertise in identification and life histories of native trees and shrubs, forest management, invasive shrub control, plantation establishment, and forest nursery operation. He is knowledgeable about the natural history of Connecticut, landscape maintenance, and methods of reducing deer browse damage.

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Meet at the trailhead at the intersections of Routes 63 and 61. The program is FREE but you must pre-register by calling 860-567-0857 or online: www.whitememorialcc.org  Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses.

October 9

Columbus Day

Office Closed

October 12 – 18

Museum Children Free Week

In Memory of Tish Samponaro from Her Husband, Philip G. Samponaro. Free admission to children ages twelve and under when accompanied by an adult.

October 14

Bats in Art and Culture with Gerri Griswold

Are they the demons portrayed in western art or the Swallows of the Night and symbols of goodness in eastern cultures? Gerri Griswold takes you on a journey through eastern and western art to illustrate how bats have been perceived through world  art history dating back 1000 years.10:00 a.m., ZOOM , Members: FREE  Non Members: $10.00. Pre-registration is required. Call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org 

October 14

Our Lady of  Gasteromycetes: The Mushrooms of Violetta White Delafield with David Rose

Violetta White Delafield (1875–1949), sister of Alain and May White, was an American botanist well-known for her horticultural pursuits at Montgomery Place, the ancestral estate of the Delafield and Livingston families of the Hudson Valley. Delafield was also an accomplished mycologist, the author of important papers on a group of fungi known as gasteromycetes. Her watercolor illustrations of mushrooms and contributions of fungal specimens to the herbaria of The New York Botanical Garden and New York State Museum retain significant scientific value to this day. This talk will explore her career as one of the early female workers in the field of mycology.

About our speaker: David Rose has studied mushrooms for many years. He has been a contributing editor to the journal Fungi since 2008, which publishes his column "Notes from Underground." Rose is an archivist and has worked at the NY Botanical Garden, and is presently Archivist at the New Rochelle Public Library. He has also written on John Cage and mycology, which led to a couple years of celebrating that subject with the John Cage Trust at Bard College. In 2019, a "John Cage Mycology Weekend" turned into a celebration and exhibit of both Cage and Violetta White.  Rose lives in New Rochelle, New York. 2:00 p.m., A. B. Ceder Room, Members: $10.00, Non Members: $20.00, Pre-registration and pre-payment are required.

Call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org

October 19

Babies in Backpacks with Kelly Orr

For Ages 6 months to 2 years!

10:00-11:00am
Children ages 6 months through 2 years can explore the great outdoors with us on the third Thursday of every month from September – December. This is a place for caretakers to learn about being outside in all safe weather with babies and toddlers, to try out different hiking carriers, swap suggestions on gear, and help encourage each other to be outside more! The very flexible schedule will typically be a half hour of walking and a half hour of outdoor sensory exploration. Having fun is our only expectation! Bring any milk, snacks, and supplies you will need, but we won’t go too far from your car. Dress for the weather! We will go out in snow, rain, and sun, as long as it is safe! Caretakers must stay for the duration of the program. Meet in the Pollinator Garden. 10-11am. Advanced registration required. Register at whitememorialcc.org or call 860-567-0857. Space is limited. Please inquire about financial aid as needed. Members: $9/child per session or $30/whole series, Non-Members: $13/child per session or $50/whole series 

October 20

Star Party

This astronomy program is organized by members of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club and the Mattatuck Astronomical Society. Weather permitting; there will be star gazing after the program. 7:00 P.M., A.B. Ceder Room. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You are invited to bring your own telescope or binoculars. FREE… Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses 

October 21
The Fungus Among Us with Dave Paton

Dave Paton is just plain giddy about mushrooms and wants to share his enthusiasm with you! Spend a couple of hours in the forest with Dave learning do’s and don’ts, basic identification, and stories behind all of the fungus among us! The program begins with a brief introduction in the Ceder Room to view some specimens. 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., A. B. Ceder Room, Dress for the weather! Members: $15.00, Non-members: $30.00, Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org Class is limited to 20 participants! Sign up early! Foraging is not allowed on Foundation property.

October 21

Camping with Kids!

Join Kelly Orr for some tips and tricks she has learned to make camping with kids realistic, simple, and fun! Kelly has been camping her whole adult life, and that now includes her two-year-old son.  As a family they often camp, road trip and explore the outdoors.  This program will be a fireside chat covering simple family friendly cooking, basic campsite safety and cold weather sleep set ups.  This can be done with a wide range of gear, for any budget.  All you need is the desire to have fun! You can bring your tent and set it up to pretend camp and help get your family comfortable with your gear.  There will be a tent set up for you to check out if you don’t have one of your own! Whether you have never been camping or consider yourself a pro, this will be a super fun afternoon! Come chat, make a S’More, and some hot cocoa, and share the wonders of camping with your kids! Dress for the weather, bring a chair or blanket, meet at Pine Grove II. FREE…2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Pre-registration required. Call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org  Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses. 

October 26 – November 1

Museum Children Free Week

In Memory of Ron Hummel from His Family and Friends. Free admission to children ages twelve and under when accompanied by an adult. 

October 28

Hitting White Memorial’s Peaks with Gerri Griswold

It’s not as difficult a feat as it may sound! Today we’ll hike up Windmill Hill, Wheeler Hill, Apple Hill, Laurel Hill, and Schermerhorn Hill! We’ll drive from point to point and discover some interesting features and (hopefully) signs of wildlife along the way! Plan on a 4 hour outing. Dress for the weather. Bring snacks and water, wear sturdy hiking boots. A walking stick or hiking pole might even come in handy! 8:00 a.m., Meet in front of the A. B. Ceder Room. Please pre-register by calling 860-567-0857 or register online:

FREE… Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses.