Great Hollow

Apple Cider Making & Pumpkin Painting
2017-10-28 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Fall is apple season, and apple season means apple cider! Come down to Great Hollow on Saturday, October 28th to try your hand at making cider with our hand-cranked apple press. You’ll grind the apples, press the mash, and collect a pint of your very own cider to take home with you. To make sure you’re staying warm, we’ll have some freshly made mulled cider on hand. We’ll also have a pumpkin painting station for kids, so there will be plenty to do for the whole family. $5 per person.

Slime Lab!
2017-11-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Are your kids crazy about slime? Bring them down to Great Hollow on Saturday, November 11 to ooze into a gooey hour of sliming around and learn all about the chemistry of slime! For this special event, Great Hollow is hosting instructors from Mad Science who will teach students about slime and its basic ingredients in a series of hands-on activities. This Slime Time workshop provides an entertaining lesson on polymers and their properties, and introduces elementary school-age kids to relatively complex chemistry concepts in tactile, visually-engaging experiments. Varied concoctions of slime will be stirred up in scientific style, and we will finish by testing the properties of slime in team-spirited fashion at the Slime Olympics! $15 per child; $10 per sibling. Most suitable for children ages 6 to 11. Please email us in advance to register.

Nature Photography for Beginners
2017-11-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Join three of Great Hollow’s favorite photographers for a fun workshop presentation, starting with the basics of photography (John Charles), and then the application of those basics to landscape photography (Linda Hubbard) and wildlife photography (John Foley). Bring your own camera (and manual!) and feel free to ask questions and request advice from anyone in the room. For all ages and levels of photo experience.

Map and Compass Basics for Kids
2017-11-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Bring your junior explorers down to Great Hollow on Sunday, November 12th to learn the basics of map and compass use. We’ll spend the first portion of the program learning how to work the compass and how to use it with a map. We’ll then put our skills to the test by following a treasure map and collecting clues to solve a riddle that will lead us to a prize. This is a drop-off program and space is limited. Suitable for children ages 7 to 12. Please email us in advance to register. $5 per child. Compasses provided or you may bring your own.

Handmade for the Holidays **Registration Full**
2017-12-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
**Note: registration is currently full**
Join us on Saturday, December 9th for our first annual Handmade for the Holidays event! Children will be provided with supplies and instruction to make nature-themed holiday gifts for their family and friends. There will be a variety of age-appropriate projects for children to choose from, and each child will leave the event with 2-3 wrapped gifts of their own creation. Hot chocolate and tea will be provided.
This is a drop-off program, open to children ages 5 to 12. Registration is $10 per child. Please contact our Education Coordinator, Sena at (203) 546-7789 or sena@greathollow.org with any questions or to register your child. Space is limited.

DEEP Presentation of the CT Bird Atlas Project
2017-12-12 18:30 - 19:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Come to Great Hollow on Tuesday, December 12th to hear a presentation about the exciting and long-awaited Connecticut Bird Atlas Project. The Connecticut Bird Atlas is being led by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the University of Connecticut, and aims to (1) better understand breeding bird distribution and abundance in the state, (2) document changes in bird species distributions since the last atlas that was conducted in the 1980’s, (3) understand the distribution of overwintering birds in the state, (4) identify important stopover habitats for migrants, and (5) establish predictive relationships about where species occur on the landscape. The results of this statewide, 5-year initiative will be publicly available on an interactive website and of myriad uses to government agencies, conservation organizations, environmental consultants, and other stakeholders throughout Connecticut who are involved in the conservation of our natural resources. Its success will depend on the volunteer support of the birding community, so if you are a birder and are interested in getting involved, please come to the presentation to hear about how you can help out. The presentation will be given by Dr. Min Huang of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Dr. Huang has been a wildlife biologist for the Department for the past 16 years and heads the agency’s Migratory Bird Program. He is also an adjunct research scientist at the University of Connecticut.

School Break Adventure Program
2017-12-26 08:30 - 2017-12-29 15:30 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Looking for 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. Drop-off is at 8:30am and pick-up is at 3:30pm. Please contact our Camp Director, Sena, at sena@greathollow.org or (203) 546-7789 with any questions or to register your child.

Schedule:
Tuesday, 12/26: 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, 12/28: 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, 12/29: 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, 12/29: 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.

Winter Hike
2018-01-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Come enjoy the beauty and serenity of Great Hollow in winter by taking a guided hike with naturalist, John Foley. We’ll explore scenic areas of the preserve, and if snow is still present, search for animal tracks. You’ll learn how to identify the tracks and interpret the animal’s behavior at the time they were left. Please dress warmly and wear proper footwear. We’ll meet in the visitor’s parking area by the main entrance. $5 per person for non-members; members free. Please email John Foley at jfoley@greathollow.org to sign up.

Winter Tree ID Workshop
2018-01-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Identifying trees by their leaves can be easy, but how do you tell one species from another during the 6 months that trees in Connecticut have no leaves? Come down to Great Hollow on Saturday, January 27th where naturalist, John Foley, will teach some basic skills for identifying trees during the winter by looking at subtle details in their bark and branch structure. There will also be a discussion of the many emerging diseases that trees in our region now face. We will be hiking some of Great Hollow’s trails, so please wear appropriate footwear and dress warmly. Meet in the visitor’s parking area by the main entrance. $5 per person for non-members; members free. Please sign up in advance by emailing John at jfoley@greathollow.org.

Make Your Own Bird Roosting Shelter
2018-02-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
Calling all kids who want to help their backyard birds stay warm this winter! Join us on Saturday, February 3rd to weave your very own bird roosting pockets and learn all about the winter adaptations of local birds. These mini-houses will provide your feathered friends with shelter from storms, snow, ice, and bitterly cold temperatures. Open to children ages 5 to 12 (children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult; older children may be dropped off). $10 per child and $5 per sibling; members free. Please email Sena at sena@greathollow.org to register.

Trail Camera Workshop
2018-02-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Cranberry Mountain WMA, Patterson, NY, 12563, United States
From wildlife research and hunting to basic security, motion-activated cameras have become increasingly common, inexpensive, and high quality in recent years. They are an especially valuable tool for surveying and studying the behavior of elusive and nocturnal wildlife species that are otherwise so difficult to observe. For homeowners, they are a fun way to find out what wildlife roams your property and see what pesky critter keeps knocking over your garbage cans! In our workshop at Great Hollow on Sunday February 11th, we’ll go over all there is to know about the many types of cameras on the market and how to use them. The workshop will be held in the Lecture Room in the Merritt House; follow signs to the office from the visitor’s parking area. Free for members and non-members.

Winter in the Woods
2018-02-24 10:00 - 12:00 | 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.
