e-Nature Newsletter from Winding Trails - November 2016

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Hi Everyone, If you heard about the Supermoon in the news on October 16th, you might think you are caught in a Groundhog Day cycle during November and December. This will be due to the reoccurring news reports each of these three months that the moon is at its closest approach in its orbit around the Earth. Of the three months, November 14th at 8:52 a.m. EST will be the closest since January 26, 1948. The best time to view this event will be around moonrise at 6:03 p.m. on the 14th. This close Earth orbit will not occur again until November 25th, 2034 so let’s hope the sky will be clear! What’s so fun about this Supermoon event? We will observe the optical illusion of the moon appearing 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than what we consider a normal moon. Will it be physically larger and brighter? No, yet the wonder of the image will be fun to observe. To learn the science behind this event, watch this NASA video at www.space.com/34515-supermoon-guide.html and step outside to view the spectacle. Now that the weather is turning cold, the many animals within the natural world are getting ready for winter by growing thick coats to provide needed warmth and protection from the elements. People don’t have this skill and rely on clothing to replicate the process. Many of you, including myself, are in the process of switching our clothes in anticipation of this need. During this time, I sort out good used clothing that I no longer need to be donated to others. One organization that makes great use of my coats is the organization – One Warm Coat. Their Mission is “To provide anyone in need with a warm coat, free of charge.” This is an especially good place for children’s coats to get a new life since they are usually outgrown from the prior season. There are many convenient locations that are found at this link: http://www.onewarmcoat.org/donatecoats/. Just fill in your zip code and a list of drop off locations will appear. Think of all the space in your closet that will be available! I want to finish this opening article by sharing a wonderful experience from last November that I hope you, your family, and friends will participate in. Last year, I came across a flyer for The Gabel Basket Brigade at my local grocery store. This event turned into a fun Sunday afternoon that left me feeling very satisfied with life. A large contingent of individuals and families gathered at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to create baskets filled with all the fixins’ to help families in the central Connecticut area. The baskets contain everything a family needs to cook and prepare a Thanksgiving meal: a frozen turkey, potatoes, vegetables, bread, desserts, and even a roasting pan with instructions for how to cook the turkey. In just two hours, nearly 800 baskets were assembled and loaded into vans and trucks for delivery to local distribution sites. Their goal this year is to create 850 baskets on Sunday, November 20th between 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. To find out all the details, visit this site: www.gabelbasketbrigade.com/. I look forward to your support and hope to be working side by side with you that afternoon. Look forward to seeing you out and about!

Miss Judy

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SCROLL DOWN THROUGH THE NEWSLETTER TO FIND THESE SECTIONS: WINDING TRAILS NATURE EVENTS

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH

COMING NEXT MONTH

NIGHT SKY WATCHING

OTHER NATURE EVENTS IN CONNECTICUT

WINDING TRAILS NATURE EVENTS

Registration is required 3 days prior to event. If not enough people signup, the program is cancelled.

Date/Time Event

Saturday, November 12th Explore the Night Walks 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fee-based Program – The Bounty of Autumn

Open to the public and Winding Trails’ members Click on this link to register: https://www.windingtrails.org/register/?id=624

Friday – November 18th Zoo On The Go – A Trails Fund Event 7:00 p.m. Free program through Trails Fund donations

Open to Winding Trails’ members and their guests Click on this link to register: https://www.windingtrails.org/register/?id=618

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th ZOO ON THE GO – A TRAILS FUND PROGRAM

At Winding Trails, 50 Winding Trails Drive, Farmington, CT This is a free program provided by money donated to the Trails Fund. We are pleased to invite The Zoo in Forest Park from Springfield, MA to present an educational live animal program about the cool and cold weather animals that live in their zoo. Discover each animal's special adaptations, habitats, behavior, diets, and status in the wild. View each animal up close during the presentation and enjoy touching a few at the end before you leave! Registration is required by 3 days prior to the event.

Click on this link to register: https://www.windingtrails.org/register/?id=618

COMING NEXT MONTH SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3rd BABY BIRDS: AN ARTIST LOOKS INTO THE NEST

At White Memorial Conservation Center, 80 Whitehall Road, Litchfield Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and The White Memorial Conservation Center are bringing acclaimed Artist, Author, and Naturalist Julie Zickefoose to Litchfield, December 3, 2016 for an afternoon of musings and mechanics of how her phenomenal book, Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest, was conceived and created.

In 2002, Julie Zickefoose began to draw and paint wild nestlings day by day, bearing witness to their swift growth. Over the next 13 years, Julie would document the daily changes in 17 bird species from hatching to fledging. *Baby Birds *is the enchanting result, with more than 500 life studies that hop, crawl and flutter through its pages. In this talk, Julie shares her influences as well as her artistic process, a must-see for the aspiring natural history artist. Art and science blend in every Zickefoose pursuit, as the scientist’s relentless curiosity joins the artist’s quest for beauty. The work, wonder and fun of studying nestlings, including being foster mother to orphaned hummingbirds, chimney swifts and bluebirds, makes for an irresistible and highly inspirational presentation.

Details: Presentation at 3:00 P.M. in the Carriage House at White Memorial Foundation, 80 Whitehall Rd., Litchfield, CT. Reception and book signing to follow in the Nature Museum across the street. Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and White Memorial Conservation Center Members are FREE. All others $10.00. You must register for this program by visiting www.whitememorialcc.org or calling 860-567-0857.

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NIGHT SKY WATCHING

FULL MOON INFORMATION

The full moon for November is known as the Full Beaver Moon because the beavers are actively preparing for winter. They are cutting branches and sticking them in the bottom mud of their ponds before the ice forms. Once the pond is ice covered, they will leave their lodge, retrieve some sticks, and bring them back to their lodge to eat.

This month’s full moon will occur on Monday, November 14th at 8:52 a.m. EST in the Hartford area. It will also be the second of the SUPERMOON series occurring in 2016. For more information about this event, see this newsletter’s opening article.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS THIS MONTH INCLUDES:

Mercury Remains hidden in the glare of the sun

Venus Evening star low in the southwest at twilight at the beginning of the month. It will move higher in the sky and appear brighter by month’s end

Mars Evening star seen in the south-southwest all month

Jupiter Evening star found in the southeast before and during dawn in the constellation Virgo

Saturn Disappears into the sunset this month

CELESTIAL EVENTS November 1st to 3rd Looking southwest just after sunset, look for the planets Venus and Saturn near the moon

November 2nd Moon phase – waxing crescent

November 2nd to 6th Taurid Meteor Showers Peak: November 4th to 5th from midnight till dawn; most activity originating from constellation Taurus

November 4th to 6th Looking south-southwest after sunset, look for the planet Mars near the moon

November 7th Moon phase – first quarter

November 11th Moon phase – waxing gibbous

November 14th Moon phase – full moon at 8:52 a.m. EST Super Moon – November’s Super Moon was the second of a set of three Super Moons that occur in 2016.

November 15th to 20th Leonid meteor showers Peak: November 17th before dawn; most activity originating from the constellation Leo, the Lion

November 18th Moon phase – waning gibbous

November 21st Moon phase – last quarter

November 25th Moon phase – waning crescent

November 29th Moon phase – new moon

Sources: Old Farmer’s Almanac - Astronomy http://www.almanac.com/astronomy Sky Watch 2016 Sky & Telescope Publishing

Lunar Calendar 2016 Universe Publishing A Year of the Night Sky Calendar 2016 Ziga Media

Visit this website to obtain a star map. http://skymaps.com/downloads.html

· Visit this website to see information on sky events for this month. http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/

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AT WINDING TRAILS Join Miss Judy on the evening of Saturday, November 12th at Winding Trails for the Explore the Night Walk. The sun will be setting at 4:32 p.m. EST and the twilight will last till 5:02 p.m. EST. The waxing gibbous moon will rise at 3:41 p.m. EST. Since this is just two days prior to the Supermoon, we will be learning about this unique celestial event. If the sky conditions are clear, we will look at the evening planets and constellations occurring in the night sky.

AT WHITE MEMORIAL IN LITCHFIELD On Friday, November 18th at 8:00 p.m. in the A.B. Ceder Room, the members of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club and the Mattatuck Astronomical Society will be doing an indoor program. Weather permitting that night, there will be star gazing at the Observatory in Sawmill Field. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You are invited to bring your own telescope or binoculars.

Full details can be found on their website at http://www.whitememorialcc.org/whats-happening/calendar/ to check out their calendar for more information or call The Conservation Center for more details at 860-567-0857.

AT THE COPERNICAN OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM IN NEW BRITAIN The Copernican Observatory and Planetarium at the Central CT State University in New Britain has regularly scheduled programs listed in their calendar that is posted on their website. The planetarium and observatory offers free monthly programs that are open to the public.

Planetarium Shows and Events: On Saturdays, November 5th and 19th at 8 p.m., they will have their regularly scheduled free show in their planetarium.

For planetarium shows, seating is first come, first served. The planetarium is located in Copernicus Hall (Building 23 on the http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=4191 map). Convenient parking is in the Copernicus (South) garage (building 17).

Observatory Events: On Saturdays, November 5th and 19th, join them for a free observing session directly after the planetarium show (observing is weather permitting: they need a clear sky). The observatory is located on the roof of Copernicus Hall. Take the elevators to the 5th or 6th floor and follow the signs.

For additional information, visit this link: http://web.ccsu.edu/astronomy/

AT THE WESLEYAN VAN VLECK OBSERVATORY IN MIDDLETOWN The Wesleyan Van Vleck Observatory in Middletown offers Saturday night public observations. Check the site for updates based on weather conditions.

Monthly Saturday night observing (runs all year long) November 5th 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. NOTE TIME CHANGE

Organized and hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH), this is a great opportunity to view the sky through our beautiful 20" refractor. Re-furbished in recent years in honor of Walter Scott "Scotty" Houston who used this instrument many nights, we can now share this telescope with the public on regular occasions. For parking, please note that we are NOT permitted to park at the observatory building on observatory hill. Please use Lot V on Vine Street and walk up the hill to the observatory.

The session will be cancelled should the weather not permit observing, such as cloud cover, high wind, or threat of precipitation. Cancellation notices will be posted on their website by 6:00 p.m. the day of the observing event. For up-to-date details, please visit the http://www.asgh.org/observe.htm.

For parking, use Lot V on Vine Street and walk up the hill to the observatory. The campus map is available at this link: http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/images/CamMap_0824_WEB.pdf.

Kids’ Nights for Observing (Aimed at Elementary School Ages, Yet Open to Anyone) 1st & 3rd Friday of the Month at 8:00 p.m. (November 4th & 18th)

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Kid-friendly space-related activities, led by our graduate and undergraduate students, which include observing with our telescopes when it’s clear.

For parking, use Lot V on Vine Street and walk up the hill to the observatory. The campus map is available at this link: http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/images/CamMap_0824_WEB.pdf.

Space Night (Aimed at Adults & High School Students, Yet Open to Anyone) Wednesdays of the Month at 8:00 p.m. (November 2nd, 9th, 16th, & 30th – no event on 23rd)

Each program begins with a half-hour interactive presentation by one of our astronomy majors or masters’ students, on some topic of space news or recent discoveries in astronomy, followed by observing through the telescopes if the sky is clear. The program occurs at the Van Vleck Observatory at 96 Foss Hill in Middletown, CT.

For parking, use Lot V on Vine Street and walk up the hill to the observatory. The campus map is available at this link: http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/images/CamMap_0824_WEB.pdf.

Wesleyan Astronomy Night Mailing List To get on their mailing list for a once a week email to find out what events are happening, scroll to the bottom of the page at this link, http://www.wesleyan.edu/astro/events/index.html, and enter your email address.

SPACE STATION OBSERVING NASA’s Spot the Station service gives you a list of upcoming sighting opportunities for thousands of locations worldwide, and will let you sign up to receive notices of opportunities in your email inbox or on your cell phone. The space station looks like a fast-moving plane in the sky and is bright enough that it can even be seen from the middle of a city! It can traverse the entire sky in 3 to 7 minutes. The notice gives the date, time, duration of visibility, and direction of travel. Enter in the town closest to your viewing location. Do note that there can be a series of dates during the year that it is not visible over Connecticut. The link for further information is http://spotthestation.nasa.gov.

To learn more about the space station, its international crew, how they live and work in space, and some great views of Earth, please visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html.

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OTHER NATURE EVENTS IN CONNECTICUT

ANSONIA NATURE & RECREATION CENTER – Upcoming Events – Preregistration is Required!

· November 11th Veteran’s Day Creature Feature

· November 12th Full Beaver Moon Hike

· November 13th Pet Loss Grief Support Group

· November 13th Field Trip: Live Raptor Tour at A Place Called Hope

· November 18th Birds, Wildlife, and Farm Animals of Iceland

· November 19th Principles of Firecraft

Visit their website for more details and additional events at this link during the month of November!

http://ansonianaturecenter.org/programs-events/calendar-of-events/

CT DEEP Events in CT – Upcoming Events – Preregistration is Required!

Small Mammal

Observations and

Trapping with Brad

Robinson

11/5/2016 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Long Distance Guided

Hike

11/6/2016 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Hibernation and

Migration

11/6/2016 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

The Ecology and Life

History of Black Bears in

Connecticut

11/12/2016 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Let’s Go Geocaching!

11/13/2016 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Welcome the Winter at

the Frost Moon Night Hike

11/15/2016 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Habitat Fragmentation

and Breeding Birds in

Connecticut Forests

11/16/2016 6:30 to 7:30 pm James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Senior Walk

11/16/2016 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Senior Walk

11/17/2016 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

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Gardeners Roundtable

11/19/2016 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Survival 101 11/19/2016 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Skulls and Bones

11/19/2016 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

First 50 Giveaway

11/19/2016 starts at 9:00 am Dinosaur State Park Rocky Hill

The Birds of Iceland 11/19/2016 7:00 p.m. Kellogg Environmental Center Derby

A Sparkling Holiday 11/25/2016 - 12/17/2016

See Event Details Osborne Homestead Museum Derby

Nature Crafts: Wreath

Making

11/26/2016 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

Nature Crafts: Birdseed

Ornaments

11/27/2016 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon James L. Goodwin Conservation Center Hampton

CT Forest & Park Association – Upcoming Events

· November 3rd CFPA Fall Talk: Creating Habitat for the New England Cottontail and Other Wildlife At CFPA Headquarters, 16 Meriden Road, Middlefield

Link: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events/cfpa-fall-talk-creating-habitat-for-the-new-england-cottontail-and-other-wildlife

· November 6th CFPA Ramble: Dividend Pond Nature Hike At Dividend Pond Trails and Archaeological District, Rocky Hill Link: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events/cfpa-ramble-dividend-pond-nature-hike

· November 13th CFPA Ramble: Women of the Woods Full Moon Hike At Bluff Head, Guilford

Link: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events/cfpa-ramble-women-the-woods-full-moon-hike

· November 26th CFPA Ramble: Highland Park History Hike At Case Mountain Trails, 627 Spring Street, Manchester Link: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events/cfpa-ramble-highland-park-history-hike-1

· November 29th NET Poet in Residence Kick-Off Event At CFPA Headquarters, 16 Meriden Road, Middlefield

Link: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events/net-poet-residence-kick-event

Visit their website for more details and additional events at this link! http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CFPA-events

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CT River Watershed Council – Upcoming Events · No CT Events Posted At Time of Publication

Visit their website to check out their calendar at this link http://www.ctriver.org/news-events/.

CT State Museum of Natural History & Archaeology Center at UConn – Upcoming Events · November 3rd Teale Lecture: Our Rivers on Drugs Link: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html#river_drugs

· November 5th Special Series: Exploring Connecticut’s Towns – Canterbury!

Link: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html#canterbury

· November 12th From Poultry to Penguins! What Came After UCONN

Link: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html#poultry_penguins

· November 19th The Botany of Thanksgiving

Link: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html#botany_thanksgiving

Visit their website to check out for calendar updates at this link: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html

If you would like to be added to their mailing list to receive a printed copy of their programs, please email david.colberg@uconn.edu or call 860-486-4460.

Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut – Upcoming Events · November 20th All Things Turkey Location: Indian Rock Nature Center, 501 Wolcott Road, Bristol… 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Visit their website for more details at this link: http://elcct.org/calendar/list-of-events/

Farmington River Watershed Association – Upcoming Events

November 13th The Farmington River Quilt Project Viewing and Reception November 15th FRWA Annual Meeting & Forum, November 15, 5:30-7:30 pm

Visit their website to check out their calendar at this link http://frwa.org/programs-and-events/.

Friends of American Legion & Peoples State Forests (FALPS) – Upcoming Events Use this link for a map of the Forest Trails - http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/peoples.pdf

· November 5th FALPS Autumn Group Hike – Elliott Bronson Blue-Blaze Trail Location: Peoples State Forest Nature Museum… 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Link: check their Facebook page for details closer to event date

· November 12th FALPS Booth at the Morsel Munk Outfitters Location: 118 Main Street, Winsted… 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. Link: check their Facebook page for details closer to event date

· November 12th “Campfire Stories Under The Hunter’s Full Moon Location: Peoples State Forest – Matthies Grove Pavilion… 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Link: check their Facebook page for details closer to event date

· November 19th FALPS Autumn Group Hike – Walt Landgraff Blue-Blaze Trail Location: Park Road (Elliott Bronson Trailhead), Barkhamsted… 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Link: check their Facebook page for details closer to event date

· November 20th FALPS Partnership Pre-Thanksgiving 2nd Annual Holiday Hike and Pot Luck Location: Barkhamsted Lighthouse parking on East River Road, Barkhamsted… 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Link: check their Facebook page for details closer to event date

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Roaring Brook Nature Center – Upcoming Events · November 8th Houses & Homes for Fairies & Gnomes · November 13th Native Americans of Eastern Woodlands · November 20th Holiday Fair · November 25th to 27th Turkey Daze!

Visit their website to check out their calendar at this link for more information! http://www.roaringbrook.org/events/events.html

Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, CT – Upcoming Events Turkey Trot and Talk

11/5/2016 1:30pm

For additional information about a program, call their office at 860-424-3011. Visit their website to obtain their trail map: http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/wildlife/pdf_files/maps/maps_other/swtrail.pdf

Sharon Audubon Center in Sharon, CT – Upcoming Events · No Events Listed At Time Of Publication

Visit their website for more details at this link: http://sharon.audubon.org/events. Or call the Audubon Center for information at (860) 364-0520 For a copy of their trail maps, visit: http://sharon.audubon.org/trail-maps

White Memorial Conservation Center – Upcoming Events

November 5 Songbirds in Watercolor with Wildlife Artist and Naturalist Kathy Goff November 9 - November 15 Museum Children Free Week

November 12 Autumn Forest Medicine Walk & Meditation with Marlow Shami November 18 Star Party!

November 19 Autumn Tree Identification Walk with WMF Forest Superintendent Lukas Hyder November 24 - November 25 Thanksgiving – Museum Closed November 26 Walking the Cranberry Pond Trail with Gerri Griswold

Visit their website to check out their calendar and register at this link for more information! http://www.whitememorialcc.org/whats-happening/calendar/ Or call The Conservation Center for more details at 860-567-0857. For a copy of their trail maps, visit: http://www.whitememorialcc.org/plan-visit/trail-maps-2/

Look forward to seeing you out and about!

Miss Judy Judy Witzke, Park Naturalist Winding Trails, Inc. 50 Winding Trails Drive, Farmington, CT 06032 Office: (860) 677-8458 ext. 33 Fax: (860) 676-9407 E-mail: judy@windingtrails.org

Fostering a Love for the Outdoors/Creating a Sense of Community/Developing Leadership and Life Skills