Join us as we explore the wonders of butterflies, bees, birds and pollinators, the plants that sustain them, and how to protect these incredible creatures! So, come on down to the sanctuary to enjoy a one-of-a-kind pollinator party and a chance to marvel at the natural environment all around us. Bring the whole family, meet our experts and experience our amazing line up of activities. Free for all ages. All participants must register. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Cancellations due to weather will be posted on our website.

The RACE FOR CATHERINE is back and you’re invited to lace up, join in and spread kindness one step at a time! The sanctuary’s 3rd annual “5K for Kindness” takes place in person in Newtown on Sunday, October 15th or virtually from your own corner of the world October 13-15th. Last year, 280 participants from 29 states and two countries joined us, creating a wave of kindness that extended much further than a 5K. Now, it’s time to show once again how compassion wins, kindness heals, and communities come together in health and solidarity. Run/Walk for Catherine – Live or Virtually. Early Bird Registration until 8/15.

Join us in welcoming KMR Arts who will be presenting an art exhibit at the park by Beth Rundquist, on view beginning September 29. An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, September 30 from 3 to 6 pm, with an artist talk on Sunday, October 8 at 3 pm.

“I am consistently pulled toward full abstraction,” LeSage says of her painting style. “I am intrigued by walking the line between worlds. It mirrors the human experience: we are conceptual creatures living in a physical world.” She often draws inspiration from the bucolic Berkshire Mountains. “They provide color displays that change by the season, the day, the hour,” she says.

This exhibit is on view through Sunday, November 4

Women surrealist painters are uncommon in the history of art yet a Connecticut resident, Kay Sage, became a well-known surrealist artist. She and her second husband would make Woodbury, CT home starting in the 1940s.  Join Historian and author John Cilio and learn about the fascinating life of Kay Sage, her Woodbury connections, and her now famous paintings, at the Woodbury Public Library on Tuesday, October 10 at 6:30 PM. 

Her life was extraordinary and often dramatic. Born in New York, she married early, gaining the title, Her Royal Highness but the role proved too confining and she was too independent to compromise.   A late 1930s Paris painting exhibition of her works would change her life forever.   She would marry again to fellow artist Yves Tanguy, inspiring a new artistic identity and became a noted surrealist painter and poetry artist. At the start of World War II she helped numerous surreal painters of her circle escape from Europe to New York.

John Cilio is a historical storyteller, author and researcher who has brought historical stories back to life for over 15 years. A member of the Organization of American Historians and the Association for the Study of Connecticut History, he retired from IBM corporate marketing communications. He has published seven historical books and numerous articles for national and regional periodicals. His book about helicopters, whose foreword was written by a son of Igor Sikorsky, is a listed reference source at the Smithsonian Institution. Register for this program on the Woodbury Library’s website www.woodburylibraryct.org or call 203-263-3502 for more information.

Join Liz Cornish, owner of New Season in Life, LLC, for a presentation that explains the differences between Skilled Nursing Homes, Independent and Assisted Living Communities, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, and Memory Care Communities at the Woodbury Public Library on Thursday, October 12 at 6:30 PM. The talk will focus specifically on Assisted Living and Memory Care Communities and explain how these communities can differ in care and amenities. Also provided will be information regarding questions that families should ask and things to look for in an Assisted Living or Memory Care Community.  Learn how and when to start a conversation with your family member about transitioning to an assisted living or memory care community and different ways to pay for Memory Care or Assisted Living. Registration is preferred for this program; visit the Library’s website www.woodburylibraryct.org or call 203-263-3502 for more information.

Woodbury Public Library will celebrate the marvels of autumn with an open mic for writers and readers on Thursday, October 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Woodbury Public Library.  The event is free and open to the public.Woodbury’s Poet Laureate Sandy Carlson will moderate the event.  The evening’s featured poets are Julie Cook and Betty Lou Bowles of Woodbury, Faith Vicinanza of Southbury, and Karen J. Ciosek of Wallingford.  Julie Cook  has been a music educator for more than 30 years. A published poet and fiction writer, she also composes songs and choral works. Ms. Cook is a Music for People certified improvisation facilitator who fosters creativity and wellness through the arts.   Betty Lou Bowles has enjoyed taking pictures of nature since she acquired her first smartphone.  She says she is grateful for the opportunity to share her work and hopes to be an inspiration for others to seek and share their own voices.  Faith Vicinanza has been deeply involved in Connecticut poetry for years and has published widely.  Currently she is Poet Laureate of Southbury.  Karen Ciosek is a retired teacher who lives in Wallingford. Guests are welcome to share their own work or the work of a favorite writer.  All are welcome to join this literary celebration.  To register for this event, visit the Library’s website www.woodburylibraryct.org or call 203-263-3502 for more information.

“Thrive: Resources for Aging Well in the Community” will welcome the public at the Woodbury Senior Community Center, 281 Main Street South, on Saturday, October 14 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. “We’ve been working on this for six months,” says Cathy Monckton, chair of the Commission for Seniors organizing committee. “It will showcase 22 state and local organizations with programs and services for older adults, their families, and friends.” Among those present will be Connecticut Community Care, New Opportunities, Western CT Area Agency on Aging, Western CT Mental Health Network (Waterbury), and financial advisor Edward Jones. The town of Woodbury will be represented by its new Friendly Visitor Program, the Community Services Council, the town Municipal Agent and Social Services director, the Office of Emergency Management, the Public Library, the Senior Community Center, and the Helping Hands Ministry of the Woodbury United Methodist Church. Representatives from two local veterans’ organizations will also man a table, and the Friends of the Woodbury Senior Community Center will have copies of their latest “Services Supporting Seniors” brochure to hand out. Housatonic Valley Health District will offer free blood pressure screenings, and a podiatrist will advise on foot care. 

Presentations in the O&G Community Room will kick off at 11:00 am, starting with Lois Nelson of Nelson Senior Consulting Services talking about Planning for Aging Challenges. The 12:00 noon presentation will be by Brass City Harvest dietitian Nicole Teixiera discussing Fabulous Foods for Adults. At 1:00 pm Jeanne Di Minno of the Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri law firm will speak on When to Call an Elder Lawyer. At 2:00 pm, financial advisor Kristina Matwijec of Edward Jones will advise on Financial Scams, followed at 3:00 pm by Maria Tomasetti representing the Alzheimer’s Association, speaking on the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s. A Meals in Motion food truck from New Opportunities will offer a choice of toasted veggie or pulled chicken paninis, water, and assorted fruit beverages. Coffee, tea, and water will be available in the Senior Center. 

 The one-day event will also feature a drawing for a gift basket of chocolates, wine, theater tickets, and other luxury items. Tickets for the grand prize are free on entry and sign-in.

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.

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

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. 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.

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

Our Lady of Gasteromycetes: The Mushrooms of Violetta White Delafield with David Rose | White Memorial Conservation Center | October 14th

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