Turtles, Birds, Wildlife At Connecticut's Oldest House!

This information was written and provided by the Henry Whitfield State Museum: 

SNAP, CACKLE, PLOP: TURTLES, BIRDS & OTHER WILDLIFE AT CONNECTICUT’S OLDEST HOUSE

A nature program at the Henry Whitfield State Museum Saturday, May 25, 2013   Guilford, Conn.

The imposing, medieval style stone edifice is a National Historic Landmark.  The landscaped grounds are the perfect back drop.  But it is the critters that inhabit the property that frequently steal the show at the Henry Whitfield State Museum.

On May 25, from 10 am to 4:30 pm, the museum will offer visitors the opportunity to explore the natural side of Connecticut’s oldest house during Snap, Cackle, Plop: Turtles, Birds & Other Wildlife at Connecticut’s Oldest House.  The program is included with regular museum admission. Reservations are not required.  (Note - The museum cannot guarantee that animals will appear on the grounds during the program).

Throughout the day there will displays, walks, and talks about the animals that reside at the museum with special emphasis on snapping turtles and red-tailed hawks.  The snapping turtles will not likely be out, the mothers lay their eggs in the visitor center courtyard in early June, but visitors will be able to see the nest of the resident red-tailed hawk couple and maybe even catch a glimpse of Dorothy and Henry.

Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, woodchucks, field mice and many varieties of birds are likely to be out and about.  Deer usually feed on site before and after the museum is open (dusk and dawn).

In the 17th century, the Native Americans and colonists lived among a diverse and abundant array of wildlife.  Some animals helped people survive in the form of food, tools and clothing, some were perceived as threats and some fostered huge economic growth.

Many of those species are still here today, some in smaller numbers and some in surprisingly larger numbers.  Visitors can explore a hands-on station and guess which species were here then and which may still be here now.    The Wildlife Division of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will host a display on coyotes and bears (coyotes do visit the museum but no sighting of bears yet, not even Yogi Bear).  Bird nest box construction tips will also be featured with a focus on bluebirds.  Sample boxes will be shown along with building instructions and the necessary tools. 

Craft activities will include making signs with twigs, animal coloring sheets and plaster casting of animal tracks.  Everyone can enter their suggestion for naming the museum’s new white oak seedling, planted on Arbor Day as part of the Guilford Conservation Commission’s 375 Trees Project.  The suggested names will be posted for all to see and once the Guilford schools send in their entries in June, a name will be chosen and publicized.

Finally, at 4 pm, there will be a drawing for an iron oak leaf motif bird bath.  Raffle tickets for the bird bath are available in the museum gift shop, Wednesday to Sunday between 10 am and 4:30 pm right up until 3:45 pm at the program on May 25th.  The winner need not be present but must be able to pick up the bird bath at the museum (as arranged with the museum staff).  The bird bath cannot be delivered or shipped.

The Henry Whitfield House, built in 1639, is Connecticut’s oldest house, New England’s oldest stone house and a National Historic Landmark.  It is open May 1 to December 15, Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.  The last tickets are sold at 4:00 pm each day.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and college students, $5 for children ages 6 to 17 and free for those 5 and under.

The museum participates in the Blue Star Museum program between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year. School and group tours are available year round by appointment.  The museum is located at 248 Old Whitfield Street in Guilford (exit 58 off I-95).

 Parking is free.

For more information, call (203) 453-2457, e-mail whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov or log on to www.cultureandtourism.org.