Great Hollow

Winter in the Woods
2018-02-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Great Hollow and the Friends of the Great Swamp (FRoGS) are co-leading a guided winter hike through Great Hollow Nature Preserve and the neighboring Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area. Join us for a fun and educational hike to learn about local flora and fauna that can be observed in winter. The hike will be moderately difficult. Please wear appropriate foot gear, as parts may be slippery. We will meet at the Great Hollow Nature Preserve visitor’s parking area at 10am. Registration in advance is preferred. Please email John at jfoley@greathollow.org to sign up.

Kid's Nature Night - Worm Moon Gazing
2018-03-03 18:00 - 21:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
**Registration for this event is now full. Please keep an eye on our calendar for similar events in the near future.**
Parents, take the evening off while your kids have a fun-filled time with other kids at Great Hollow! Did you know that each full moon has a name? This one is called the “Worm Moon” and we’ll spend the evening learning why. We’ll start things off by cooking dinner over a campfire, and then go on a moon-lit hike, climb our observation tower to identify some basic constellations and get even better looks at the moon, learn about earthworms through a variety of games and activities, and get a visit from one of our resident animals that loves to eat worms! We’ll even imitate our earthworm friends by making and eating some “dirt” for dessert!
This is a drop-off program, open to children ages 5-12. We will be outside at least half of the evening, so please dress your child(ren) accordingly. Dinner options include hotdogs or veggie dogs with all the fixings, and juice. We’ll make our “dirt” dessert out of chocolate pudding, chocolate sandwich cookies, whipped topping, and gummy worms. Please feel free to send your child with an alternate dinner and/or dessert from home if you would prefer.
$20 per child for non-members, $15 per child for members. Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena at sena@greathollow.org with questions or to register.

Weaving & Wine
2018-03-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
**Registration for this event is now full. Please keep an eye on our calendar for similar events in the very near future.**
Adults, join us for a relaxing evening of good conversation and wine while you learn to weave bird feeders and shelters! There will be 10 different feeder and shelter projects to choose from, and as the techniques we’ll use are surprisingly simple to learn, no prior weaving experience is necessary.
$20 per person for non-members; $15 per person for members. Includes up to two glasses of wine, light refreshments, and weaving supplies. Please contact Sena at sena@greathollow.org with any questions or to register.

St. Paddy's Day Hike - A Search for Green!
2018-03-17 11:00 - 12:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Wear green and join our naturalist, John Foley, for a special St. Patrick’s Day, almost spring hike! We’ll explore the fields and forests of Great Hollow in search of green (tree buds and sprouting plants, of course), while learning some helpful tips on plant identification and keeping our eyes and ears open for any early spring migrant birds. We’ll meet in the visitor’s parking area by the main entrance. $5 per person for non-members; members free. Please email John at jfoley@greathollow.org to sign up.

Spring Eggstravaganza
2018-03-31 10:00 - 12:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Join us for a fun morning of learning about the many different animals that lay eggs. We’ll also learn about the special structures that our local species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates make to protect their eggs, and then go on a hunt for some of them on our preserve. We may even find a few eggs filled with special treats just for us! We’ll end the morning with visits from Great Hollow’s resident egg-laying animals.
$10/child for non-members; $5/child for members. Open to children ages 5-12 (children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult during the program). To register or find out more, please email our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org.

Woodcock Walk
2018-04-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Every April for millennia, an odd-looking migratory bird has returned to the Northeast from its far-away wintering grounds to engage in one of the more bizarre mating rituals in the Animal Kingdom. Perhaps you’re even familiar with the strange, high-pitched, nasally “pent” sound that can be heard coming from fields and young forests this time of year. These sounds are the mating calls of the American Woodcock, also known as the Timberdoodle. During the last few moments of daylight, male Woodcocks perform an unusual courtship display that the famous naturalist, Aldo Leopold called “the sky dance.” The males repeatedly spiral high up into the air and then return to the ground in a wild zig-zag, all in hopes of impressing and attracting one of the females watching them with a carefully judging eye. Join us on an evening walk to one of the local places where Woodcocks can often be seen engaging in their full aerial display. We will meet at the Great Hollow Nature Preserve parking area at 6pm and then take a short drive over to the Great Swamp Wildlife Management area off of Cornwall Hill Rd. in Patterson, NY. Please dress appropriately for the weather, wear sturdy footwear, and bring a flashlight, as we will be returning to our vehicles in the dark. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the parking area to where we hope to find Woodcocks displaying. A suggested donation of $5/person is greatly appreciated. No dogs, please. To sign up, please email John at jfoley@greathollow.org. *Please note that while we will do our best to find Woodcocks, there is no way to guarantee it.

Frog Frolic
2018-04-15 13:30 - 15:00 | Towner Hill Preserve, 35 CT-37, Sherman, CT, 06784, United States
**Unfortunately this event has been CANCELED due to unseasonably cold temperatures last night and today. It is too cold for the frogs to be active.**
Join Great Hollow Nature Preserve and the Naromi Land Trust for a guided hike to witness the spring migration and breeding of wood frogs. Every spring, wood frogs emerge from their hibernation underground and migrate as much as half a mile to their unique and ephemeral breeding habitats, known as vernal pools. We’ll hike up to the vernal pools at the top of the Towner Hill Preserve in Sherman to see wood frogs in action and listen to their chorus of mating calls. The hike is moderately difficult and includes a fairly short, but steep uphill walk. The hike will be led by Naromi Land Trust board member and Great Hollow’s naturalist, John Foley.
We will meet at the White Silo Winery parking lot (32 Route 37 East, Sherman, CT) and carpool just up the street to the Towner Hill Preserve’s trail head. Please register in advance by emailing John at jfoley@greathollow.org or the Naromi Land Trust at office@naromi.org. Space is very limited, and please, no dogs. Free for members and non-members.

Spring Break Adventures
2018-04-16 08:30 - 2018-04-20 15:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Looking for something fun, active, and educational for your child to do during the school break? Sign them up for Great Hollow’s Spring Break Adventures Program! Our popular program offers children ages 5 to 9 the opportunity to get outdoors and experience the natural world on our beautiful 825-acre preserve. We’ll explore Great Hollow’s streams, forests, and fields, learning all about these ecosystems and the special critters that call them home. Each full-day session includes science-based environmental education activities, games, hikes, live animal encounters, and time for self-directed nature play. See below for daily themes and topics.
Join us for one day, two days, or the entire week! Members: $45/day for one day or $40/day for multiple days. Non-Members: $50/day for one day or $45/day for multiple days. Drop-off is at 8:30am and pick-up is at 3:30pm. Please contact our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org or (203) 546-7789 with any questions or to register your child. Space is very limited.

Schedule
Monday, April 16: Solve it with STEM!
Calling all scientists! Spend the day completing increasingly complex STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) challenges related to the natural world. We’ll learn, then practice, the scientific method and engineering design process as we tackle challenges such as building a bird nest that can protect a falling egg; designing and building a stick tower that can hold a fist-sized rock on top; building a rock bridge across a creek; and designing a shelter to protect a UV-sensitive animal from the sun.
Tuesday, April 17: Ephemeral Art
Join us as we spend the day creating nature art masterpieces of our very own, ala Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Shilling and Clare Walker Leslie. We’ll start the session off by making blank books out of recycled materials and learning the basics of nature journaling. Then we’ll venture out onto the grounds to begin our land art projects. As these creations are ephemeral and can’t be taken home, several pictures will be taken of you with your work which will be emailed to your parents at the end of the week.
Wednesday, April 18: FBI Investigations—Fungi, Bacteria, and Invertebrates!
It’s a tough job breaking down all the dead things in the world, but something has to do it! Enter nature’s FBI—the fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates that sustain life on our planet by breaking down organic materials and turning them into soil. We’ll search Great Hollow’s trails for examples of the FBI in action, or evidence of the work they left behind. Along the way we’ll learn the basics of nutrient cycling, decomposition, and energy flow in the forest ecosystem.
Thursday, April 19: Call of the Wild
If you’ve ever wondered why male dogs pee to mark their territories, how bees tell each other where the flowers with the best nectar are, or what frogs are saying to each other when they sing at night, then this is the program for you! After learning about the four types of communication signals animals use every day in the wild to help them survive (visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical), we’ll test some of them out for ourselves by doing a variety of activities, such as marking territories with different scents to see if we can recognize our own; dancing out the directions to a tasty treat; and attempting our own chorus of frog calls.
Friday, April 20: Aquatic Adventures
Get your hands dirty and your feet wet as you explore Great Hollow’s streams looking for signs of life. Through hands-on activities and games, campers will learn about the water cycle, how to identify a variety of stream organisms, the importance of healthy stream ecosystems, the role beavers play in creating them, and things we can do to protect our local waterways.

Seminar: Black Bears in your Back Yard
2018-04-21 15:00 - 16:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Come to Great Hollow on April 21st to hear biologist Budd Veverka, Director of Land Management at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve in Westchester County, NY provide an in-depth and fascinating look at black bears, and discuss how we can peacefully co-exist with these large mammals. Budd will also talk about the research on black bears that is currently being conducted by the Mianus River Gorge along with regional collaborators, including Great Hollow. No need to register in advance.
Budd Veverka is a Certified Wildlife Biologist® and the Director of Land Management at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve. He has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Unity College in Maine and an M.S. in Biology from Eastern Kentucky University. Prior to working at Mianus, Budd worked on black bear research and a variety of other wildlife species for various government agencies and institutions in Pennsylvania, Maine, West Virginia, Nebraska, Georgia, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Green Drinks
2018-04-26 17:00 - 19:00 | Alpenhaus, 59 Bank Street, New Milford, CT, 06776, United States
Do you work in the environmental sector or are you simply interested in environmental issues? If so, join Great Hollow staff and our friends from the Weantinoge Land Trust, Naromi Land Trust, Brawley Consulting, and New Milford Forest and Farmland Preservation Committee for Green Drinks on Thursday, April 26th at the Alpenhaus bar and restaurant in New Milford. Green Drinks is a great way to spend a relaxing evening meeting and conversing with other environmental professionals and like-minded conservationists.
*Attendees responsible for the purchase of their own food and beverages

Make Your Own Mason Jar Terrarium
2018-04-28 14:30 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
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 5-12 (children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult throughout the program). $15/child for members and non-members. Includes all materials. Please register by emailing Sena at sena@greathollow.org.

Seminar: The Frogs of Connecticut
2018-05-04 18:30 - 19:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
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 these different species apart both visually and by the sounds of their mating calls that are so characteristic of spring and summer nights in our area. We’ll also discuss the diseases and other factors that are currently threatening frogs and toads around the world. A suggested donation of $5 per person is greatly appreciated for this event. We also appreciate advanced registration; to sign up, please email John at jfoley@greathollow.org.

Kids' Nature Night: Owl Prowl!
2018-05-12 18:00 - 20:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
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 look at a real Barred Owl – one of Great Hollow’s newest additions to our collection of animal ambassadors.
We will be outside most of the evening, so please dress your child(ren) warmly and with proper footwear for walking on our trails.
Members: $20 per child. Non-members: $25 per child. Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org to register. Space is limited to only 12 children and will fill up quickly.

Mother's Day Bird Walk & Banding Demonstration
2018-05-13 07:00 - 10:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
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 Seewagen will also be on hand to give guests a close-up demonstration of how researchers safely catch migrating songbirds to “tag” them and collect measurements and other basic data that are used to study these birds. Please park in the visitor’s parking area and then follow the sign pointing to the trails. We’ll meet in front of the trail map kiosk. Bring binoculars if you own them or have someone from whom you can borrow a pair. A suggested donation of $5/person for this event is greatly appreciated.

National Trails Day
2018-06-02 10:00 - 13:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Join us for our third annual celebration of National Trails Day and take a naturalist-guided tour through Great Hollow Nature Preserve and the neighboring Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area. Learn about the history of “the Hollow” and why it has become one of the most ecologically significant areas in both Fairfield County, CT and Putnam County, NY. We will enjoy a scenic vista overlooking northern New Fairfield, trek over a rocky ridgeline, make our way down into a hemlock ravine, break for a snack at the Tuckers Run waterfall, and finally return back to the Merritt House at Great Hollow. The 3.5 mile hike can be challenging in some areas and features both steep uphill and downhill terrain, so wear sturdy footwear. Bring a light snack/lunch and most importantly, plenty of water. We will meet in the visitor’s parking lot at Great Hollow and then carpool the short distance to the Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area trailhead off of Old Stage Coach Rd. Please register by emailing John Foley at jfoley@greathollow.org. Free for members and non-members. For an event flier and more info, please click here.

Painting & Photography Show
2018-06-15 18:30 - 2018-06-17 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
The Great Hollow Photographers Club is hosting a Juried Painting and Photography Show from 10am-4pm on June 16 and 17 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 be nearly 40 selected photographs and 40 selected paintings featured, by artists from all over Connecticut and New York. All works will be for sale, with 25% of all proceeds benefiting Great Hollow. There will also be an Artist Reception from 6:30 – 8:30 pm on Friday, June 15, which is open to the public.
The juror for paintings is Jamie Williams Grossman and the juror for photography is Christina Falise.
Jamie Williams Grossman is a Signature Member and former Chairman of New York Plein Air Painters, and current Leader of their Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of over 375 artists. Jamie paints mostly in oil and acrylic, but frequently uses other media such as watercolor, gouache, pastel, printmaking, and pen and ink and usually out in nature. “Standing in the midst of nature’s sights and sounds, and attempting to capture the experience in paint, is food for my soul” says Grossman. Her teachers in all media are among the most well-known artists of our time, including Marc Hanson, Kenn Backhaus, Alvaro Castagnet, Charles Reid, David Dunlop, David Taylor, Wende Caporale-Greene, Alan Reingold and Rae Smith. She has taught painting workshops, been featured in many magazines, and won prestigious recognition for her work. Her versatility has led artists, retailers and manufacturers to seek out her advice for technique and product testing. A sample of her work can be seen at HudsonValleyPainter.com.
Christina Falise is a noted photographer from New York City and now lives in New Milford. She earned her BA in photography from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, continuing with graduate studies at NYU/International Center of Photography. She has studied with Jerome Liebling, Sheron Rupp and Abraham Ravett. For the past 30 years Falise has been a working photographer and artist, custom darkroom printer, and teacher. She works in both film and digital formats, specializing in fine art photography. “With my camera, I want to share moments of time – images of nature, life and the places we live” says Falise. Her powerful photographs have been published in a variety of media including magazines, record album and CD cover art, and art journals. Her work has been exhibited widely, most recently in New York and Connecticut, and is also held in several private collections. A sample of her work can be seen at www.ChristinaFalisePhoto.com.”
Artists whose works will be featured include: Gretchen Hoffman Abene, Paola Bari, Gigi Barrett, Erin Bonner, Gene Cadore, Dod Chahroudi, Tim Clark, John Clery, John Foley, Terry Froehlich, Terryl Gabel, Jeff Ginsburg, Justin Goodhart, Kelly Goodhart, Wendy Hammond, David Harner, Kevin Heffman, Paul Kmiotek, Ray Kwiatkoski, Mary Jane Magoon, Basha Maryanska, Doug Mathewson, William McCann, Betty Ann Medeiros, Cynthia O’Connor, Doreen O’Connor, Dawn O’Creene, Eve Papa, Carol Paterno, Barbara Soares, Jim Stasiak, Lauren Svendsen, Chrissy Swain, and Margaret Unfired.
(“Dance of the Blue Heron” painting by Gigi Barrett)

Kids' Nature Night: Beaver Fever!
2018-06-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
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 how to identify tracks and signs that they leave behind. If we’re lucky, we may even get to see one swimming around! You’ll also be able to collect your own beaver-chewed stick to take home!
We will be outside most of the evening, so please dress your child(ren) accordingly. Children MUST bring shoes that they can walk through the water in (rain boots, sandals, old sneakers, etc.), as we will be walking up a shallow section of our creek to get to the beaver lodge.
Juice and fixin’s for s’mores will be provided.
Open to children ages 5 through 12.
Members: $20 per child. Non-members: $25 per child. Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org to register your child(ren). Space is limited to only 12 children and will fill up quickly.

Seminar: Cheetah Conservation in Namibia
2018-06-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
The cheetah is well-known to all for its incredible speed and beauty. Like many of the world’s species of “big cats”, it is under significant threat of extinction. With fewer than 7,500 remaining in the wild, some estimates predict that cheetahs may be extinct within only a few decades. Come to Great Hollow on June 24th to hear cheetah conservation advocate, Paola Bari’s impassioned talk about the work of the Cheetah Conservation Foundation. Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund is a global leader in the study and conservation of cheetahs. The vast majority of wild cheetahs live outside of protected areas, where they are losing habitat to an ever-growing human population. Saving this magnificent animal from extinction requires innovative conservation methods that address the welfare of both cheetah and human populations over large landscapes.
Free for members and non-members. No need to register. Please follow signs for the Lecture Room in the side entrance of the Merritt House.
About Paola Bari:
Italian-born Paola Bari is a local artist who draws inspiration from the “big cats”. With her ties to the artist community in the Hudson Valley, Bari co-founded a New York Chapter of the Cheetah Conservation Fund as a way for local artists and conservationists to join forces to help save endangered cheetahs and their habitats.

Full Moon Hike *CANCELED
2018-07-27 20:00 - 22:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
**Canceled due to inclement weather**
Enjoy a moonlit, guided hike up to Great Hollow’s waterfall with our naturalist, John Foley. We’ll look and listen for owls and other creatures of the night while taking in the beauty of a forest that’s bathed in moonlight. Please wear sturdy footwear and bring a flashlight or headlamp (please check and make sure the batteries work beforehand!). The hike is weather-dependent and reservations are appreciated. Appropriate for children ages 8 and up. Please, no dogs. Sign up by emailing John at jfoley@greathollow.org. We’ll meet at 8pm in the visitor’s parking area by Great Hollow’s main entrance.

World Turtle Day®
2018-07-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
(Please note Turtle Day will be held indoors at Great Hollow in the event of rain)

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.

Invasive Plant Walk & Talk
2018-08-11 09:00 - 11:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Non-native, invasive plants and animals are one of the leading threats to native biodiversity around the world. They can also negatively affect property values, agricultural productivity, fisheries, outdoor recreation, and ecosystem function, and are estimated to cost the U.S. $120 billion in economic damages and control each year. There are now more than 100 non-native species of plants that have become established and invasive in Connecticut! Can you identify them all? Come to Great Hollow on August 11th to learn how to identify many of these plants, hear about how and when they were introduced to our region, and find out what you can do to be a responsible property owner. Please email John Foley to register. A suggested donation of $5 per person for non-members is appreciated for this event.

School Break Adventure Program
2018-09-06 21:45 | CT
Need something fun and educational for your child to do during the winter school break? Get them off their phones and sign them up for Great Hollow’s winter day camp program! Our program offers children ages 5 to 9 the opportunity to forge lasting connections with the natural world on our 825-acre preserve in New Fairfield. Days will be spent outdoors (with plenty of breaks inside to warm up) exploring Great Hollow’s creeks, forests, meadows, and trails, learning about the critters that make this special place their home. Each full-day session includes science-based environmental education activities, games, hikes, animal encounters, and time for self-directed nature play. Join us for one day, two days, or the entire week!
Members: $45/day for one day or $40/day for multiple days. Non-Members: $50/day for one day or $45/day for multiple days. Please contact our Camp Director, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org or (203) 546-7789 with any questions or to register your child.
Schedule:
Tuesday, December 26: Biomimicry—Nature Got There First!
What do airplanes, Velcro®, and wind turbines all have in common? They are three of the many human inventions that were inspired by nature. Through hands-on activities we’ll learn about biomimicry—an innovative method of problem solving that looks to the natural world for solutions to human challenges—and use that knowledge to inspire inventions of our very own.
Wednesday, December 28: Wild Winter
Join us as we explore the many adaptations that animals have for surviving the winter months. Through games, hand-on activities, and hikes in the woods, we will discover how interesting nature in winter can be.
Thursday, December 29: Winter Survival Challenge!
Could you survive being lost in the wintertime woods? Join us for the day to see if you have what it takes to make your own fire and shelter, read a map, and travel off-trail. Through hands-on activities and cooperative challenges, we’ll practice the art of staying found while learning the necessary steps to take in actual survival situations.
Friday, December 29: Reasons for the Seasons
What causes winter and the other seasons? Where does snow come from and how is it formed? How can snow keep animals (including you!) warm? We’ll spend the day learning the answers to these questions and more through games, hands-on activities and hikes in the woods.

Guided Hike to Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area
2018-09-09 09:00 - 11:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Join Great Hollow’s naturalist, John Foley, for a guided hike to the Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Patterson, NY. Cranberry Mountain was initially a 464-acre hunting cooperative and game species habitat management demonstration area, owned and managed by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In 2011, federal Highland Conservation Act funding was used to purchase and protect an additional 600 acres of land, enlarging the area to over 1,000 acres. Natural and managed habitats at Cranberry Mountain today include mature forest, fields, shrublands, human-made impoundments, and emergent wetlands. An important species at Cranberry Mountain is the New England cottontail rabbit, which is listed in New York as a Species of Special Concern. Cranberry Mountain falls within a New England Cottontail Focus Area and plans are in place to remove large tracts of mature forest to create the shrubland and young forest habitat that this species requires. We will discuss this controversial plan and the importance of habitat management for the conservation of wildlife.
We will meet directly at the Cranberry Mountain WMA main parking area on Stagecoach Road in Patterson (click here for Google map and directions). Please register by emailing John at jfoley@greathollow.org. A suggested donation of $5 per person for non-members is appreciated for this event. Suitable for children ages 10 and up. No dogs, please.

Challenges and Progress in Tick-borne Disease Prevention
2018-09-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Come down to Great Hollow on September 16th to hear Dr. Rayda Krell, Assistant Professor at Western Connecticut State University, discuss current tick-borne disease prevention research and communication efforts in Fairfield County. She will highlight current trends in Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases, and how her work in the Tick-borne Disease Prevention Laboratory at WCSU explores a combination of prevention tactics that has never been tested before. Dr. Krell will also discuss the many challenges to preventing tick-borne diseases, including the importance of understanding human behavior.
The presentation will be held in our Lecture Room, in the rear entrance of the Merritt House. If you are not familiar with our campus, you can find a building directory here.

Wildlife and Landscape Photography of the Galapagos and Ecuadorian Andes
2018-09-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Join us on September 22nd for a presentation by Great Hollow Photographers Club members Justin and Kelly Goodhart who will show spectacular photographs of, and discuss their recent trip to, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuadorian Andes. See images of the unique wildlife and stunning vistas of this beautiful South American region while learning about the technical and artistic aspects of wildlife and landscape photography. Free for Great Hollow members and non-members.
The presentation will be held in our Lecture Room, in the rear entrance of the Merritt House. If you are not familiar with our campus, you can find a building directory here.

Kids' Nature Night: The Wonderful World of Bats!
2018-09-22 17:00 - 20:00 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Parents, take the night off while your kids have a fun-filled time at Great Hollow learning all about bats! We’ll start our evening off by cooking dinner and dessert over a campfire and then head inside to learn all about these fascinating but often misunderstood creatures of the night. We’ll make a replica bat house, complete with resident bats, learn about echolocation and other cool bat behaviors, and then as the sun dips down, go on a walk in search of some bats that make Great Hollow their home.
We will be outside about half of the evening, so please dress your child(ren) accordingly. Dinner will consist of hotdogs or veggie dogs with all the fixings, juice, and s’mores for dessert. Please feel free to send your child with an alternative dinner and/or dessert from home if you would prefer.
Open to children ages 5 to 10 years old
Members: $25 per child. Non-members: $30 per child. Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena at sena@greathollow.org with questions or to register your child(ren). Payment will be accepted by cash, check, or credit card upon drop-off.

Jazz Night on the Patio
2018-09-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Enjoy an intimate night at Great Hollow with live jazz performed by the BnB Jazz Trio, along with complimentary wine and cheese, and s’mores roasted over the fire. The BnB Jazz Trio is a modern working jazz group based out of the Hudson Valley that covers standards by many greats, such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk.
Tickets are a suggested donation of $25 per person to cover our costs. Any additional proceeds go towards furthering Great Hollow’s mission to protect land and wildlife, conduct conservation-driven scientific research, and provide outdoor educational and recreational opportunities for our local communities. Scroll down to purchase your tickets online. Please purchase tickets in advance of the event, as a very limited number will be available at the door the day of. Maximum attendance is only 50 people.
If you have any difficulties with the payment system or have other questions, please contact us at info@greathollow.org.
*Rain date is October 6th.
*Travel Advisory: Due to the road closure on Route 37 near the Sherman/New Fairfield border, guests coming to us from Sherman or other nearby towns to the north should take Route 37 south, turn right on Chapel Hill Road, and then left on Tower Hill Road which turns into Hardscrabble Road and ends at Route 37, just north of Great Hollow’s entrance. Turn right onto Route 37 when you reach the end of Hardscrabble Road and Great Hollow will be on your right. Please note that these are narrow dirt roads in some sections, so please drive carefully. As an alternative, you can take Route 39 south from Sherman into the center of New Fairfield and then head north on Route 37 to Great Hollow.

Kids' Wilderness Adventure Challenge
2018-10-05 08:30 - 15:30 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
*Enrollment for this program is now full. Please check our event calendar for other upcoming programs that might be of interest.

Spend your day off from school honing your outdoor adventure skills, and see if you have what it takes to survive in the wild! We’ll learn how to build fires (and possibly cook snacks over them!), travel off-trail, build shelters, learn the basics of map and compass use, and practice the art of staying found. By the end of the day, you’ll be well on your way to being a skilled outdoor adventurer!
Open to children ages 7 to 13.
Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org for more information or to sign up.
Non-members: $50. Members (individual level and up): $45. Payment will be accepted by cash or check upon drop-off, but you must register in advance.
Parents: this is a full day, drop-off program. Please provide a lunch, two snacks, plenty of water, and appropriate clothing and footwear for being outside most of the day.

Fall Foliage Hike
2018-10-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Come explore the northern portions of Great Hollow and visit the scenic overlook at the neighboring Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area. Our hike will begin at the trail head for Great Hollow’s purple trail off of Hardscrabble Road and traverse through second-growth forest and thickets of mountain laurel. We’ll then finish at an overlook that provides beautiful views of Great Hollow in fall foliage.
We’ll meet at Great Hollow’s visitor parking area and then carpool up to Hardscrabble Road. The hike will last about an hour and a half and will be moderately difficult in some sections. Leashed dogs are permitted. Please register by emailing John at jfoley@greathollow.org. A suggested donation of $5 per person for non-members is greatly appreciated.

Kids' Nature Night: Zombie Apocalypse!
2018-10-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Great Hollow Nature Preserve, 225 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, United States
Did you know that a zombie apocalypse of sorts is underway in the natural world? “Mind controlling” parasites are the culprit and a wide variety of plant and animal species become their unwilling victims every day! After cooking our dinner and s’mores over the campfire, we’ll spend the evening investigating the diverse ways parasites infiltrate their hosts and the methods some species have developed to fight back. We’ll also play a round or two of the super cool game, Humans vs. Zombies!
Open to children ages 5 to 10.
Please email our Education Coordinator, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org for more information or to sign up.
Parents: this is an evening drop-off program and we will be outside about half of the time, so please dress your child(ren) accordingly. Dinner consists of hotdogs or veggie dogs with all the fixings, juice, and s’mores for dessert. Please feel free to send your child with an alternate dinner and/or dessert from home if you would prefer.
Non-members: $25/child. Members (individual level and up): $20/child.
Payment will be accepted by cash or check at the time of drop-off, but you must sign up in advance.
