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Along Our Trails
Scavenger Hunts

The Nature Center is posting
a series of nature scavenger hunts
along our trails to add to your enjoyment. 
Scavenger hunt maps are available at the
front door of the Nature Center.

DONATIONS WELCOME!

Turkey Daze!
Scavenger Hunt & Guided Hikes

How well do you really know Meleagris gallopavo, the wild turkey, a cousin of the domesticated turkey? What is a turkey’s snood? What is a Jake? Do turkeys have beards? Take a self-guided turkey scavenger hunt or register for a guided hike at 1:30 pm. crafts, quiz and more.

MASKS REQUIRED IN THE NATURE CENTERFree with admission to the Nature Center

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
FOR GUIDED HIKES

Members $6 each / $21 famiy of four
Nonmembers  $11 each / $36 family of four

To register for Friday guided hike, click here

To register for Saturday guided hike, click here

To register for Sunday guided hike, click here

Full ‘Cold’ Moon Night Hike

Bundle up and join us for a guided woodland hike under December’s full moon. This month’s moon is known by early Native American tribes as the Full Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark.

Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight.

$11 each / $36 family of four

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Click here to register for the full moon hike

Early Winter Solstice Hike

The Winter Solstice arrives Tuesday December 21 at 10:59 am in Hartford. In terms of daylight, this day is 6 hours, 4 minutes shorter than on June Solstice. Join us for a late afternoon hike to learn how nature anticipates the upcoming lengthening of the days.

Members $6 each / $21 famiy of four
Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Click here to register for the hike

Winter Solstice Celebration VIRTUAL Presentation

Join us on one of the longest nights of the year to celebrate the arrival of the winter season and learn how people have celebrated this special day and season over the millennia.

Nonmembers Click here to register for this ZOOM program     Cost $5

Free for members Click here for link

Ever wonder where the animals go in the winter or how the snow and ice form?
If so, here is a winter vacation program for you! These three days will be packed full of discovery and winter adventure.

Three-Day rate:
$130 members
$160 nonmembers

Click here to register for 3-day program

Daily Rate:
$45 per day members
$55 per day nonmembers

Click here to register for 12/28 program

Click here to register for 12/29 program

Click here to register for 12/30 program

Pre-registration required

Required forms:
Covid Waiver, Medical , Photo Release

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

New Year's Guided Hike

Start the New Year with a guided hike through the trails at Werner Woods.
Learn how the wildlife are surviving
the winter season.

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required
Click here to register

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Stories in the Snow

Looking for some fun winter activities?
Visit the Nature Center and take a hike through the woods.
Weather permitting, look for tracks or other signs of animals who spend the winter in Werner Woods. Make a winter animal craft.

Hike and crafts free with admission to the Nature Center. No need to preregister

MASKS REQUIRED INSIDE BUILDING

Family Winter Survival

What do you do if you get lost in the woods in winter? Learn what basic supplies you may need to survive a night outdoors. Includes shelter construction and fire building.

Dress for winter weather
Not geared for children under 9

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Click here to register (link coming soon)

Under the ‘Wolf‘ Moon Night Hike

Join us for a guided hike under the full moon known by early Native American tribes
as the Full Wolf Moon, named for
the time of year when wolves
howled in hunger outside the villages.

We won’t hear any wolves, but we may hear owls and other creatures of the night.

Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight.

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

$11 each / $36 family of four
Click here to register

Pre-Groundhog Day Hike

Will the Groundhog see his shadow and
what does it really mean?
Take a guided walk through the forest
to uncover the mysteries of wildlife habits
in mid-winter.

Take our groundhog day quiz. Make your predictions on when spring will really arrive.

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required.
Click here to register (link coming soon)

LOVE OUR ANIMALS

Join us as we celebrate Valentine's Day with our wonderful animals. Make special Valentines for our animals and loved ones. Special visits with the animals throughout the day.

Crafts & animal visits free
with admission to the Nature Center
No need to preregister

Donations for the animals our Wishlist
are appreciated.

MASKS REQUIRED INSIDE BUILDING

Under the ‘Snow’ Moon Night Hike

Join us for a guided walk under a full moon. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell
during this time of the year.
Since hunting is difficult, this moon has
also been known by some tribes as the
Full Hunger Moon, since the harsh weather
made hunting difficult.

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Dress for the weather & bring a flashlight

$11 each / $36 family of four
Pre-registration required
Click here to register (link coming soon)

Winter Tree ID Hike

If you look closely, the winter trees buds, twigs, bark, and general shape give plenty of clues as to their identity. Join us for a late winter hike to learn who’s who in our woods.

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required.
Click here to register (link coming soon)

MASKS & RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Winter Wonderers
Vacation Program for Grades K - 5

Fun with snow and ice, animal tracking
and, depending upon weather conditions,
maple sugaring will be part
of this two-day vacation program.

Daily Rate:
$45 per day members
$55 per day nonmembers

Pre-registration required

Click here to register (link coming soon)

MASKS REQUIRED

Maple Sugaring
in Your Own Backyard

Our annual demonstration teaches you
how to make maple syrup the easy way.
We’ll cover the entire process from
identifying the tree to the best part
– tasting the final product.

Cost: $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration not required

MASKS REQUIRED

Under the ‘Sap’ Moon Night Hike

Join us for a guided walk under a full moon. This moon was known to Native Americans
as the Full ‘Sap’ Moon.  It marks the time
when maple sap begins to flow and the
annual tapping of maple trees begins.

Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight

$11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required

Click here to register (link coming soon)

MASKS REQUIRED

Spring Equinox Hike

Join us to celebrate the beginning of astronomical spring.
This year the spring equinox occurs
on March 20 at 11:33 am.
Look for signs of spring on our trails.
Spring crafts available.

Free with admission to the Nature Center.

No need to preregister

MASKS REQUIRED INSIDE BUILDING

April 1st Owl Prowl

Listen and look for barred owls and other nocturnal creatures along our trails.

Not geared for very young children

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required - space is limited

Click here to register (link coming soon)

MASKS REQUIRED

The Frogs of Spring

The wood frogs are waking up from their long winter’s frozen nap and other amphibians
will soon be waking up as well.

Join us as we celebrate these
remarkable creatures.
Listen to stories about frogs & salamanders.

Take a hike to our vernal pool to listen to their spring ‘quacking’ and make wood frog crafts.

Free with admission to the Nature Center
No need to preregister

MASKS REQUIRED

International Dark Sky Weekend

International Dark Sky Week draws attention to the problems associated with light pollution.

A growing body of research suggests that the glow of uncontrolled outdoor lighting is causing serious harm to nocturnal animals, insects,
and migrating birds.

Learn five simple solutions available
to mitigate light pollution
in our towns and at home.

More information to come

Vernal Pool Walk / Amphibians Program

Join us for a program on the amphibians
that inhabit vernal pools followed by a walk to local wetlands to view nocturnal wildlife.

Not geared for very young children
Dress for the weather & bring a flashlight

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration required
Click here to register (link coming soon)

MASKS REQUIRED

Spring Fever!
Vacation Program for Grades K - 5

How do animals know that spring has arrived? Join us for a week of morning fun & exploration in forest, field and pond.
Spend vacation mornings looking for wildlife
at Roaring Brook Nature Center.

Daily Rate:
$45 per day members
$55 per day nonmembers

Weekly Rate:
$210 members
$265 nonmembers

Pre-registration required
Click here to register (link coming soon)

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs!
Spring Scavenger Hunt

Spring is the season of eggs –
bird eggs, frog eggs, turtle eggs, fish eggs! Learn about the wildlife who lay eggs
and where they lay them.

Find the hidden “nests” around the Nature Center, then head out on the trails on a
Eggs, eEeggs, Eggs scavenger hunt.
Crafts all day.

Free with admission to the Nature Center.
No need to preregister.

Flatbread Pizza Night
Fundraiser for the Nature Center

A percentage of the pizza sales supports
the Nature Center.

Bring your friends, bring your family
for dinner at Flatbread’s
at The Shoppes at the Farmington Valley.

Earth Day Talk:
Gardening for Wildlife

Your garden is home to many wonderful creatures. Learn about their life cycles,
their ecological value, and how to bring life
to your garden by planting the right plants,
as well as providing shelter and water.

Learn how your yard can become a certified wildlife habitat through the
National Wildlife Federation or can become a Pollinator Pathway garden.

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Preregistration required
Click here to register (link coming soon)

Weekend Bird Walks

An early morning walk through Werner’s Woods provides welcome sights and sounds for beginning birders as well as those with more experience in the field.

Bird walks are not geared
for younger children.

Bring binoculars and dress
for wet ground underfoot.

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Pre-registration is not required

Annual Mother's Day Wildflower Talk & Walk

Connecticut has a myriad of spring wildflowers. Find out why they bloom in the spring, where to find them, how they got their names and what makes these plants so special.

Join us for a special lecture from 1 to 2 pm
and at 2 pm for a guided walk through our native plant gardens looking for wildflowers.

Geared for ages 9 and up

Members $6 each / $21 family of four Nonmembers $11 each / $36 family of four

Registration required
Click here to register (link coming soon)

Turtle Derby:
A Run for the Strawberries

Join us for an afternoon of turtle races as we celebrate the opening of our new turtle ponds for the season.

Will the winner be Tobey, the ornate box turtle; Juliette, the box turtle;
or Timber, the wood turtle.
Turtle crafts available
.
Free with admission to the Nature Center.
No need to preregister.

Click here to learn about more events and programs offered by

Discovery Day Programs

Registration is open for the upcoming Discovery Days, the Nature Center’s enrichment series for children. Four week programs are offered for pre-schoolers and a parent, for students in kindergarten and kindergarten readiness programs and for elemantary age students. For more details, click here.

Roaring Brook Nature Center's
SUMMER 2021 Programs
offer your child a unique blend of
education and recreation
that takes advantage of the
curiosity and sense of wonder
that all children feel toward the natural world.  

Click here to learn more and to register online

Click here for our
SUMMER PROGRAMS 2021brochure

The Nature Center can create special programs
for your home school group. 

Explore the wonders of our
woods, fields, and stream.

Each class will investigate a different aspect
of a central theme, complete with
hands -on experiments &
plenty of time outdoors.

Classes comply with
CT State Sceince Standards for
Pre-K to Grade 2

To learn more or to schedule a program,
email us at rbnc@thechildrensmuseumct.org
or call 860.693.0263

Click here to learn about
Homeschool programs
offered by
The Children's Museum in West Hartford

Nature Walks

During July and August, group nature walks may be scheduled by individuals, families or by organized groups on selected weekday afternoons. Walks may be general or may focus on a specific topic of interest.

Call the Nature Center for additional information.

The Werner Woods trails are open year-round for self-guided tours.  Trail guide books are available in the Nature Center store for $2.00.

Birthday Party Opportunities

During the school year, the Nature Center offers birthday parties on Saturdays (morning parties from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, afternoon parties from 1:30-3:30 PM) and on selected weekday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

During July and August, the Nature Center will offer birthday parties on selected weekday afternoons from 1:30 – 3:30 PM. (Please note that birthday party availability is subject to the Nature Center’s summer program schedule of classes and public events).

For more information, click here. To make a reservation call the Center at (860) 693-0263.

Sunday before Thanksgiving
Noon - 4:00 pm

Holiday Craft Fair

CALLING ALL CRAFTERS! 
Are you interested in being a part of our Holiday Craft Fair?  We welcome vendors who have produced hand-made gifts and/or natural products to sell as 'gifts' during the holiday season.

For an registration form, please contact Margery Winters at mwinters@thechildrensmuseumct.org or 860.693.0263

70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT  06019          Phone: 860-693-0263          rbnc@thechildrensmuseumct.org
Copyright © 2006 Roaring Brook Nature Center. All rights reserved worldwide