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Make Your Own Mason Jar Terrarium
Kids, come down to Great Hollow to create your own mini-ecosystem in a jar and watch the water cycle in action! We’ll fill quart-sized mason jars with everything needed for your little kingdom, including soil, pebbles, real plants, and mini dinosaurs, dragons, unicorns, or fairy figurines to keep the plants company. These enclosed, self-sustaining ecosystems can last for years if properly taken care of. One terrarium is known to have survived for a record-breaking 50 years! Open to children ages…
Seminar: The Frogs of Connecticut
Frogs and toads are outstanding indicators of water quality and environmental change, and many species in Connecticut and beyond are showing clear signs of trouble. Come to Great Hollow on May 4th to hear a presentation by our naturalist, John Foley, on the 11 species of frogs and toads that call Connecticut home. We'll learn about the important roles that frogs and toads play in their ecosystems, fascinating facts about their life-cycles and behaviors, and how to tell all of…
Plein Air Art Day
Join accomplished artist and teacher, Sharon Nakazato, from Friends of the Great Swamp for a plein air art day at Great Hollow Nature Preserve! Great Hollow provides a diverse array of subjects for artists, including beautiful wetlands, a babbling brook, forested trails, and historic barns and homes. Artists of all mediums and abilities are invited (including photographers) for a morning of inspiration and art. No charge. *Attendees are responsible for bringing all of their own supplies/equipment.
Kids’ Nature Night: Owl Prowl!
This next event in our Kids' Nature Night series is all about owls! We’ll start our evening off by making s'mores over a campfire while talking about cool owl behaviors and adaptations, and then head inside to dissect owl "pellets" to see what little creatures some owls ate for their dinner! After that, we’ll go on a hike to try calling in some owls with call recordings (hopefully one will call back!) and then end our evening with a close-up…
Mother’s Day Bird Walk & Banding Demonstration
Join us at Great Hollow this Mother's Day, when local birding expert, Angela Dimmitt will lead a walk to look for colorful spring migrants that are currently undertaking their long and arduous journey from their tropical wintering grounds to their northern breeding grounds. Ms. Dimmitt will show us where to look and how to identify the more than 50 migratory bird species that can occur at Great Hollow this time of year. Great Hollow's Executive Director and ornithologist, Dr. Chad…
Painting & Photography Show
The Great Hollow Photographers Club is sponsoring a Juried Painting and Photography Show from 10am-4pm on May 19 and 20 at Great Hollow, and all are welcome to come down and enjoy the fantastic pieces of nature art that will be on display. There will also be an Artist Reception from 6:30 – 8:30 pm on Friday May 18. **The deadline for art submissions is April 15.** Artists are invited to submit up to four (4) digital images of 2-dimensional…
World Turtle Day®
Join us for our second annual celebration of World Turtle Day! Come see and touch live 200 pound African tortoises and other exotic species from all over the world, in addition to several turtles that call Connecticut home. There will also be presentations about turtle conservation and captive breeding of endangered species, and lots of fun turtle-themed activities and games for kids. A suggested donation of $5/person or $10/family for this event is greatly appreciated. *Rain date Sunday May 27th
Kids’ Nature Night: Beaver Fever!
This final event in our Kids' Nature Night series (until the fall) is all about beavers - the species that has altered the planet more than any other, aside from humans. We’ll start our evening with s'mores and a campfire chat about this remarkable animal, and then take a hike up our creek to an active beaver lodge and dam. Along the way, we’ll learn about the engineering prowess of beavers, what it means to be a “keystone species”, and…