The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Nature day shares sights, sounds
LITCHFIELD — Hundreds of adults and children visited the White Memorial Conservation Center at 80 Whitehall Road on Saturday, to experience and learn about regional flora and fauna at the 37th Annual Family Nature Day.
In the sunny, 65-degree weather, the guests of honor this year included birds of prey, a porcupine, racing turtles, Nature’s myth-laden creatures of the nights (bats), a Burmese python and Bradley, White Memorial’s own Black Labrador mascot.
At around 11 a.m. at the Center’s Carriage House, Gerri Griswold, who has served for 11 years as the center’s director of administration and development, introduced visitors to an elderly North American porcupine by the name of “The New One.”
“The New One,” she explained later, had appeared six years ago in a Winchester resident’s barn, refusing to leave. “New One” took to captivity easily, and has remained in Griswold’s care ever since.
Flying creatures winged it during Family Nature Day. Raptors appeared for a demonstration at the Carriage House lawn, exhibited by the
Horizon Wings Raptor Center. Later, at the Carriage House, Griswold, also known as “The Bat Lady,” gave children a look at her rescued bats and told them how the flying mammals “are good guys.”
Griswold also emceed the proceedings with a microphone outside in front of the Museum’s A.B. Ceder Room. “We have Family Nature Day rain or shine,” she told spectators. “Only once did we have to move indoors. We are here, rain or shine, smiling.”
This year’s crowd broke past records. According to Griswold, Saturday’s attendance was expected to surpass 1,500 visitors, with the annual raffle already being completely sold out around midday.
Meanwhile, the center’s Community Outreach Coordinator Marlow Shami, volunteer Bob Stern, and museum dog Bradley took 27 people on an expedition walk along the grounds, starting from the museum entrance.
Although White Memorial Conservation Center dates back decades and has a storied commerce history, it was established officially in 1964, in the former home of Alain White and his sister May. The conservation center includes 40 miles of trails spanning 4,000 acres for hiking, biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The grounds also comprise the Bantam Lake shoreline, campgrounds, and Apple Hill. The center includes a nature museum with wildlife dioramas and exhibits focusing on local natural history. Additionally, the center is used for environmental education programs yearround for children and adults.
On Saturday afternoon, the local bluegrass band the Zolla Boys (consisting of Ben, 18, and Sam, 17) played original and cover songs, while nearby Bunnell Farm gave horse-drawn wagon rides to children and adults.
Various nature agencies and craftspeople manned their tables at the center’s front lawn. Gary Gemino, of Wolcott, was among a dozen volunteers from the Connecticut
Woodcarvers Association, who showed children how to carve walking sticks at seven busy work stations.
“It is going excellently,” said Gemino, who has recently been exhibiting his own intricate, detailed woodknot sculptures at the Green Heron Gallery in Ogunquit, Maine. “The turnout today has been very big.”
In front of a large wigwam on the front lawn, Marcus Oliver Gay, of New England Bushcraft, gave children hands-on instruction on how to chop firewood for kindling and how to start a campfire from scratch. “We teach firecraft and the safe use of different tools,” said Gay, who is involved with holding each Spring the annual New England Bushcraft Show in Charlton, Massachusetts.
Charlie Baker, 15, exhibited a 31-year-old Burmese python, Irma, a regular favorite at Family Nature Day, to a fascinated crowd ,while his grandfather John Baker of Milton took a break.
While enjoying a cup of ice cream, John Baker said, “Family Nature Day is a great event. There is a good turnout. The crowds keep coming and coming.” Baker said the 12-foot Irma was one member of a menagerie he had at home, adding, “We also have at home a 28-yearold python named Fred. We had a milk snake, too, until it passed away.”
Volunteers had also sold tickets for the annual raffle. The prizes included a $7,000plus-value trip to Iceland; a kayak; and a $1,500 gift card to Beaverkill Valley Inn in Lew Beach, New York.
Brian Hovey, of Litchfield, brought his children, Ella, 5, and Ethan, 6. Ella said her favorite activity at Family Nature Day had been the slime-making workshop, while Ethan enjoyed candlemaking. Hovey’s friends Bob and Aida Deary, of West Hartford said they enjoyed the maple cotton candy from the vendor table of Litchfield’s Winter Wind Farms.
White Memorial Conservation Center is located at 80 Whitehall Road in Litchfield. The museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is 860-5670857.