Looking for ways to enjoy a Sunday afternoon at Greenwich Point while learning more about the ecology of Long Island Sound and other important environmental issues?
On the first Sunday of each month, the Bruce Museum Seaside Center in Old Greenwich,
hosts an afternoon program that features family oriented activities revolving around a special
presentation.
The Museum’s Fred Elser First Sunday Science Series programs take place from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Floren Family Environmental Center at Innis Arden Cottage, Greenwich Point Park, in Old Greenwich.
The monthly presentations, led by experts, focus on a wide range of topics, from the curious lives of horseshoe crabs, to the protection of migrating shorebirds, to living with coyotes in suburban backyards. These monthly programs at the Seaside Center are offered to free to the public, year-round.
No reservations or beach pass are needed. For complimentary Greenwich Point Park entry for the event, just let the front gate staff know you are attending the First Sunday Science program. (From May through October, both residents and non-residents need a beach pass to enter Greenwich Point Park for other activities.)
“The Bruce is a museum of both art and science, and the Seaside Center allows us to extend our educational mission from our main location in downtown Greenwich directly to the Sound,” said Seaside Center Manager Kate Dzikiewicz, a paleontologist who also serves as the Bruce Museum Science Curatorial Associate.
This spring, Fred Elser First Sunday Science Series programs at the Bruce Museum Seaside Center include:
Sunday, April 7, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Bee a Pollinator Hero: Make a Mason Bee House.
Aleksandra Moch of the Greenwich Conservation Commission will discuss how keeping native non-stinging mason bees can be an easy way to help the environment and give your kids an environmental project they can follow throughout the growing season. These hyper-efficient pollinators can do wonders for your fruit crops and gardens. This family-oriented workshop, sponsored by the Pollinator Pathway group, will provide valuable information about mason bees and how to attract and keep them in your garden. The Pollinator Pathway is a participatory art, design and ecology initiative that seeks to connect existing isolated green spaces and create a more hospitable urban environment for pollinators like bees. Tools and material will be provided to construct a housing unit and make it perfect for your outdoor installation.
Sunday, May 5, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Oysters in Greenwich.
Held at Greenwich Point Park. Learn how the Greenwich Shellfish Commission manages, protects, and preserves their shellfish beds for both recreational and commercial use. The Commission prepares a Town shellfish management plan and promotes the enhancement of shellfish production and harvest for both recreational and commercial purposes in Greenwich waters as well as the preservation and restoration of shellfish habitat and water quality in the GHA.
Sunday, June 2, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The Big Turtle Year.
Timothy Walsh, Museum Collections Manager and Assistant Director of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust, gives a presentation about The Big Turtle Year, a 2017 campaign to increase awareness regarding the status of U.S. turtle species and to emphasize their diversity, natural history, and conservation needs. While turtle species from areas such as Asia, South America, and Madagascar receive the majority of conservation attention, the plight of the 62 turtle species within the U.S. often goes unnoticed. The goal of The Big Turtle Year is to increase awareness regarding these native species and to emphasize their rich diversity, natural history, and conservation needs.
The Bruce Museum Seaside Center is located in the Floren Family Environmental Center at Innis Arden Cottage, Greenwich Point Park, in Old Greenwich, about 6 1/2 miles from the Bruce Museum. The Seaside Center will be open daily from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm from Sunday, June 23, through Labor Day, September 2, offering drop-in programs at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm, with hands-on activities such as fish feeding, shoreline seining, and arts and crafts. Beach and parking passes are required, except for First Sunday Science programs.
The Seaside Center is supported in part by the Bruce Contemporaries, a new council of Museum supporters composed of art and science enthusiasts between the ages of 25-45.
The facility features:
• Seashore dioramas of summer and winter birds, fish, and other local species, and an underwater oyster reef
• Four marine aquaria of local species open seasonally
• Live-animal marine touch tank open during First Sunday Science programs
• Environmental activities and video presentations
• Helpful naturalists and volunteers
Shucking oysters at the rawbar at the Experience the Sound event. Credit: Leslie Yager
Save the date: On June 23, the Bruce Museum Seaside Center opens for the summer season in conjunction with the Greenwich Shellfish Commission’s annual “Experience the Sound” event from 1:00 – 4:00 pm in Greenwich Point Park. Alert the front gate staff you are attending Experience the Sound for complimentary admission.
For more information about the Bruce Museum Seaside Center, including the First Sunday Science Series, custom educational programs and the 2019 summer internship program, contact Kate Dzikiewicz at [email protected] or 203-413-6747.