All are welcome to Farm Day at Flanders

WOODBURY >> Visitors can capture the sights, sounds and experience of a real New England farm when Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust holds its annual Farm Day on Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Van Vleck Farm and Nature Sanctuary, 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury.

This fun filled celebration will be packed with farm based activities that will build memories for families and kids alike. Families can visit with live farm animals like sheep, rabbits, horses, cows and chickens as well as the newest Flanders’ spring arrivals including a set of triplet brother goats and a miniature horse born last month named “April Surprise.” There will be food, music and family-friendly entertainment on the grounds throughout the day.

Members of the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservation Center in Litchfield will be on hand to talk about some of their rescued birds. Dianne Parmelee, author and Flanders educator will be available for a meet and greet and book signings of her new release, “Spot A Lot Dot.”

Farm Day visitors can hop on to a wagon to go for a hay ride, touch a wide collection of vintage tractors, take a pony ride, watch wood carving demonstrations, buy unique items from local artisans, enjoy delicious homemade food and treats and more.

In addition, the trails at Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust will be open from dawn to dusk for hiking, at no charge so families are encouraged to make a full day of it while celebrating the great outdoors and getting a taste of the farming life.

Admission is $7 per person and free for children age 2 or under. All proceeds are used to support Flanders’ environmental education programming. For more information, visit www.flandersnaturecenter. org , on Facebook at FlandersNatureCenter/facebook, or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10.

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental education, and on the acquisition, conservation, and stewardship of open space.

Through its land trust initiatives, Flanders actively works to protect important natural sites and the area’s landscape character and quality of life. Flanders manages over 2,300 acres of preserved land in Woodbury and neighboring towns.

Educational programs for children and adults are offered at the Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary, Flanders’ main campus in Woodbury. Trails at its major nature preserves are open to the public at no charge from dawn to dusk. For more information, call 203-2633711 or flandersnaturecenter.org

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Baby goats are waiting to greet visitors at Flanders Nature Center’s Farm Day on Saturday.