Town of Sharon Newsletter - March 2023
From: Town Of Sharon
March 2, 2023
Greetings!
The origins of maple sugaring (the practice of making maple syrup from sap) are steeped in legend. Native Americans began the practice long before Europeans arrived in North America. However, no one knows what tribe first discovered it. There are multiple legends regarding its discovery. One story states that.....
click below to read the full story.
The History of Maple Syrup - Maple Valley Cooperative (maplevalleysyrup.coop)
Sharon Audubon Center
Started from the Bottom now they’re Here:
Bald Eagles’ Success in CT
When: Saturday, March 4th 10-11AM
Location: Sharon Audubon Center
What do Bald Eagles and hip-hop artist Drake have in common? Both rose to the top despite the odds being stacked against them. Twenty years ago, it would have been noteworthy to see a Bald Eagle in Connecticut. Now, however, it’s not unusual to see them flying overhead or perched along the Housatonic River. Their recuperation in the state is due to a couple of important factors, with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s wildlife division continuing to monitor the species through the work of Brian Hess.
Brian Hess is a wildlife biologist with the DEEP Wildlife Division. He has worked with a wide range of birds including ducks, condors, and prairie-chickens. Hess has worked for the agency’s Wildlife Diversity Program since 2014.
Join Brian Hess and Sharon Audubon Center naturalist, Bethany Sheffer, for an exciting program on the resurgence of Connecticut’s Bald Eagles and their outlook for the future.
Fee: $10/participant
Suitable for ages 13+
Pre-paid online reservations ONLY.
Registration link: click here
Call 860-364-0520 x115 or email Bethany at bethany.sheffer@audubon.org with questions.
Accessibility
Public parking located fewer than 50 yards from the nature center facility.
Wheelchair and powerchair ramp, access, and restroom located near the rear entrance of the nature center facility.
Public restrooms available.
Audubon Ctr. MapleFest
with Maple Bake Sale
Event Date: Sunday, March 12, 2023 - 12:00pm
Sharon Audubon Center hosts MapleFest along with Maple Bake Sale
Sharon Audubon Center, located at 325 Cornwall Bridge Road (Route 4) in Sharon, CT, will once again be holding its annual MapleFest and Maple Bake Sale on Sunday, March 12 between 12pm and 4 pm. On-going guided 45-minute to one-hour tours will lead visitors through the Center’s sugaring operation, including a working sugarhouse and a re-creation of Native American and early colonial sugaring methods. Participants can watch as pure sugar maple sap is collected from the trees and turned into delicious maple syrup. Admission for the event is $10.00 adults and $5.00 children (2 and under free.) Wear warm clothes and boots, as the entire tour is outdoors, and trails are often muddy, or snow covered. Tours go out approximately every 15-20 minutes.
Fresh, homemade maple baked goods, as well as coffee and water, will also be available for purchase during the day as part of the Maple Bake Sale. Each treat will be made with the Center’s very own maple syrup! Depending on production, fresh syrup will be available for purchase while supplies last.
For more information on MapleFest or the Sharon Audubon Center sugaring operation, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520 x105, visit www.sharon.audubon.org, or like us on Facebook.
Hoodies and Woodies: Two Dynamic Ducks You’ll Want to Know
When: Saturday, March 18th 10AM-12PM
Location: Sharon Audubon Center AND Miles Wildlife Sanctuary
Hooded Mergansers and Wood Ducks, affectionately known to birders as “Hoodies” and “Woodies”, are inarguably Connecticut’s most decorative and charismatic breeding ducks. They’re colorful, animated, and are part of a very small cohort of cavity nesting ducks in the state. Join us in learning about their natural history before caravanning to Miles Wildlife Sanctuary to observe them. The Hoodies will be in the full swing of their mating displays (which you won’t want to miss!) and will likely provide an unforgettable show.
Join Sharon Audubon Center Naturalist, Bethany Sheffer, in appreciating these delightful ducks.
- Fee: $15/participant
- Suitable for ages 13+
- Pre-paid online reservations available, but cash and check payments also accepted onsite.
- Registration link: Click here
Call 860-364-0520 x115 or email Bethany @Bethany.sheffer@audubon.org with questions.
Accessibility
- Public parking located fewer than 50 yards from the nature center facility.
- Wheelchair and powerchair ramp, access, and restroom located near the rear entrance of the nature center facility.
- Terrain is uneven; a mixture of grass and gravel for viewing at Miles Wildlife Sanctuary. Walking distance will be fewer than 200 meters from the pond to the parking lot, 1/4-mile total.
- Public restrooms NOT available at Miles Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mirror on the Wall: Preventing Window Collisions with Effective and Affordable Solutions
When: Saturday, March 25th 10-11AM
Location: Sharon Audubon Center
While (most of the time) we recognize that clear space in front of us as a window, songbirds often don’t, which results in staggering bird mortality each year in the U.S. Whether at your home or business, there are a variety of affordable measures you can take to prevent that beloved backyard cardinal from colliding into your sliding glass door. Join Vicki Dauphinais, member of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, in learning about the scope of this problem and what you can do to help. Vicki always brings examples of the alternatives she speaks about, and you will see them first-hand.
Vickie Dauphinais is a board member of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society (LHAS). She has been an active member for the past 6 years. Vickie enjoys hiking and birding with her Audubon friends. Since retirement from healthcare, she is planning on getting more involved in fulfilling LHAS mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on wild birds and their habitats.
- Fee: $10/participant
- Suitable for ages 13+
- Pre-paid online reservations available, but cash and check payments also accepted onsite.
- Registration link: Click here
Call 860-364-0520 x115 or email Bethany at bethany.sheffer@audubon.org with questions.
Accessibility
- Public parking located fewer than 50 yards from the nature center facility.
- Wheelchair and powerchair ramp, access, and restroom located near the rear entrance of the nature center facility.
Sharon Historical Society
Illustrators in the Northwest Corner
Wendell Minor
Historic Illustrators:
Arthur Getz and Eric Sloane
JUST IN!!!!
Lakeville Hose Co. Ladies Auxiliary
CORNED BEEF DINNER
W/Chinese Auction
March 8th at the Lakeville Firehouse
5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Take Out Available
Adults: $17.00
Seniors: $14.00
Children under 10 years: $11.00
For more things to do or explore please visit the following websites
Visit CT
Sharon Audubon
Sharon Historical Society
Sharon Playhouse
Hotchkiss Library
