Outdoors

Greenwich Boat Show Coming April 6, 7 with Free Admission, Free Sea Trials

Aquarion Applies to Get Water from Wilton for Darien and Nearby Towns; Conservationists Object

Author Doug Tallamy Speaks on Helping Pollinators Thrive, March 7 at Darien Library

Nominate a Student, Adult — Even Yourself — for an Aquarion CT Environmental Champion Award

About 50 People Learned More About the Darien Pollinator Pathway at Event

Darien YMCA Summer Camps Include Gymnastics Camps and Now Mini Camps

Darien Pollinator Pathway Event with Wine, Cheese, Classes on Native Seeds and Floral Design

Darien Organizations Get Together to Create a ‘Pollinator Pathway’ to Protect Animals that Spread Pollen

Take a Walk on Saturday Through Selleck’s and Dunlap Nature Preserve with Darien Land Trust Members

Join the Thanksgiving Weekend Waddle on Saturday Morning at the New Canaan Nature Center

Free Gardening Workshop Oct 16 at the Darien Community Association

Another New Canaan Cougar Seen — ‘Credible’ Report, Police Say

First Selectman: State Might Pay for Darien/New Canaan Bike Route Signs, Publicity

Third Sea Turtle Found Killed by Boat in Six Weeks: Maritime Aquarium Urges Caution

Maritime Aquarium Asks Boaters to Beware of Sea Turtles After Two Killed in Long Island Sound

By DARIENITE.COM | March 17, 2019

Business

By DARIENITE.COM | February 28, 2019

Gardening

By DARIENITE.COM | February 27, 2019

Outdoors

By DARIENITE.COM | February 23, 2019

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | January 31, 2019

Healthy Living

By DARIENITE.COM | January 16, 2019

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | January 4, 2019

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | November 30, 2018

Healthy Living

By DARIENITE.COM | November 23, 2018

Healthy Living

By DARIENITE.COM | November 21, 2018

Darien Community Association

By DARIENITE.COM | October 8, 2018

Animals

By MICHAEL DINAN | September 26, 2018

Beyond Darien

By David Gurliacci | September 16, 2018

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | August 29, 2018

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | August 26, 2018

This April, boaters will rendezvous at Cos Cob in Greenwich for the Greenwich Boat Show, which features a large, diverse selection of new boats and the only show offering both free sea trials and free admission. This year, the show takes place on April 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, along the Mianus River. — an announcement from the Greenwich Boat Show

With 23 dealers bringing more than 100 boats from over 50 manufacturers, boaters will have plenty of vessels to try on the open water of Long Island Sound. The dealers involved include Oyster Harbors Marine, Petzolds Marine Center, Portland Boat Works, Essex Marine Group, Twin Hull Boats, All Seasons Marine Works, Essex Boat Works, Bassett Yacht and Boat Sales, and Marine Max. Also at the show will be Catalano and Sons, A & S Boats, Gerard’s Marina, Total Marine, Ribcraft, Mountain Motors and Beacon Point Marine.

Aquarion Water Company is asking the state for permission to divert one million gallons of water a day from a well in the Cannondale section of Wilton and the Norwalk River to send it southwest to towns, including Darien, Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan and north to Ridgefield. Aquarion says the goal is to improve drought resiliency. Critics say Aquarion’s application to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lacks adequate detail on the possible impacts to water quality, wildlife habitats, as well as impacts to the river, area wetlands, and nearby private wells. — This article previously was published by GreenwichFreePress.com. Some Greenwich-specific information was removed in Darienite.com’s version.

Support pollinators to support the human existence. This will be the topic of discussion when nationally recognized author Doug Tallamy visits Darien for a special lecture, “A Guide to Restoring the Little Things that Run the World.”

— an announcement from the Darien Pollinator Pathway and Darien Library

Presenter Doug Tallamy will remind us of the many essential roles insects play, and describe the simple changes we can make in our landscapes and our attitudes to keep insects on the ground, in the air, and on our plants. This valuable population has been on a steady decline since 1974. The discussion topics will include ways in which we can make changes in our environment to help this population thrive. Tallamy will speak at the Darien Library on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m..

Aquarion awards story facebook dimensions photo

The Aquarion Water Company is again seeking to recognize volunteers whose efforts have protected or improved Connecticut’s natural resources – its air, water, soils, or plant and wildlife communities. — an announcement from Aquarion Water Company

For the ninth year, the company will select winners of its Aquarion Environmental Champion Awards in the following categories: Adult, Student, Small Business, Large Business, and Non-Profit Organization. Awards will include a $1,000 award for the Student (grades 9-12) winner and $2,500 contributions to environmental non-profit organizations selected by the other winners. Aquarion also believes that raising awareness of critical issues connected to our state’s environmental health is more important than ever. This is why the company has added a new award category – Communications. This category is open to both individuals and organizations who have used traditional or digital media to help protect, report, or create awareness about our natural resources by informing the public through their communication efforts.

Bee suit person Darien Pollinator Pathway event

The Darien Pollinator Pathway held its first event on Wednesday, Jan. 23, where over 50 people enjoyed an evening of wine and cheese while learning about the background of the Pathway. — an announcement, slightly adapted, from the Darien Pollinator Pathway organizers

They also learned about the need to help save our pollinator population which is in drastic decline because of pollution, climate change and loss of habitat. The evening was hosted by the Gardener’s Center and Florist, one of the collaborators in the Pathway. The Pollinator Pathway is seeking to restore the balance by encouraging people to landscape without using synthetic chemicals and to include native plants in their yards.

Darien YMCA summer camp darienite caption

The Darien YMCA is offering a variety of day camp options to give kids an adventurous, active and healthy summer. Registration begins in early February. Parents can choose from one of the Y’s four camp programs which include a pre-school, school-age, gymnastics, or special needs program. — an announcement from Darien YMCA

New this year is a selection of Mini camps. These mini camps are designed to provide child care during the first few days at the beginning of the summer and the last few days at the end of the summer.

Monarch butterfly Darien pollinator path

Mark your calendars! The Darien Pollinator Pathway will be hosting a wine and cheese evening at the Gardener’s Center and Florist on Jan, 23. The event is free and open to everyone. It will feature two classes by the Gardener’s Center: a native seed planting class presented by Kris Barker, and a class in floral design using native flowers presented by Kate O’Keefe. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first class starts at 6.30 p.m. There will also be a raffle, with prizes including a magnificent bottle of wine donated by Sipstirs and a landscaping consultation with Kate O’Keefe.

A collaboration of Darien residents and groups in town have joined a movement in other places to create a “Pollinator Pathway” through town to protect and encourage bees and other pollinators from the many threats they face. “It is well-documented that our pollinator population faces many threats,” says a news release from the group. Those threats include climate change and the use of pesticides as well as loss and fragmentation of natural habitat from development, particularly in the Northeast. The collaborators include Darien residents from various groups in town, starting with the Darien Nature Center, the Garden Club of Darien, the Gardener’s Center and Florist and Darien Library. The entire town is considered to be in Darien’s pathway, which allows it to “link” easily with the pathways starting up in Norwalk, Stamford and New Canaan as well as Weston, Wilton and Ridgefield.

Darien Land Trust invites you to join them on the trails at the Selleck’s and Dunlap Nature Preserve. Walk off those Thanksgiving calories and breathe some fresh air! Come walk on Saturday, Nov 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteer guides will be on site. The preserve entrance is located at the end of Parklands Drive. See also, this other walk in the woods on Saturday:

Join the Thanksgiving Weekend Waddle on Saturday Morning at the New Canaan Nature Center

Directions to Dunlap/Selleck’s Woods

Head towards Norwalk on the Post Road, turn right at Trader Joes/Rory’s onto Old Kings Highway North.

Thanksgiving Weekend Waddle in New Canaan Nature Center 2018

Grab the entire family (and any lingering holiday visitors too!) and head on down to the New Canaan Nature Center to join the NCNC naturalists for a healthy, invigorating trail trek to work off that holiday meal. As an extra Thanksgiving bonus, after our hike, you’ll also get to enjoy a FREE behind the scenes tour of our animal care facilities and Birds of Prey Exhibit — our way of saying “thank you” to the community. See also — another walk in the woods:

Take a Walk on Saturday Through Selleck’s and Dunlap Nature Preserve with Darien Land Trust Members

If You’re Going … Naturalist-led Trail Treks depart the Sugar Shack at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24.

Learn how to put your garden “to bed” by dividing plants, lightly pruning various shrubs, and updating winter pots at the Darien Community Association Greenhouse Group’s annual Free Fall Gardening Workshop next Tuesday, Oct. 16. Novice gardeners will be given tips; experienced gardeners are welcome to just help out. This event is free to all. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association

The workshop takes place Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the formal garden of the DCA Meadowlands, located at 274 Middlesex Road.

A New Canaan woman on Monday saw a mountain lion while walking her dog in the northern part of the town, and New Canaan Police are classifying her report as a credible cougar sighting, the third in 2018. Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, called for residents in the area of Briscoe and North Wilton Roads to check surveillance videos for images of the animal. — This article originally was published by NewCanaanite.com. “We have had enough sightings that we believe are credible and people just need to always be alert,” Halm said. “We do live in the woods.

Darien and New Canaan officials, along with some cycling enthusiasts, have been discussing ways of promoting bicycle routes built for two towns, so that cyclists in one town might ride to the other, visiting Waveny Park, for example, or Weed Beach. First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said last week that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has a grant program that could fund a project to put up bike route signs and even pay for publicity and promotional materials to encourage people to bike from one town to the other. “I received last week notice that Connecticut’s DEEP has a recreational trails grant, and our proposed bike path would be eligible for grant-funding dollars to help fund signs and roadway markings and PR [public relations] materials,” Stevenson said Monday, Sept. 10, at the Board of Selectmen meeting. “If we should choose to apply for that, they look very favorably on multi-jurisdictional projects, as this one would be,” she said.

Loggerhead turtle by Ukanda on Flickr via Wik Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loggerhead_sea_turtle.jpg

With a third sea turtle killed by a boat in six weeks in Long Island Sound, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk again is urging boaters to slow down and be aware of these endangered animals. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

A dead loggerhead sea turtle was found on Wednesday, Aug. 29 on Long Beach in Stratford with apparent propeller slashes in its shell. This death follows similar fatal boat strikes of loggerheads discovered off Norwalk’s Sheffield Island on Aug. 9 and in Stratford on July 15.

« August 2022 »

With two sea turtles killed in Long Island Sound by propellers this summer, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is asking boaters to slow down and be aware of these endangered animals. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

A dead juvenile sea turtle – believed to be a loggerhead – was found Aug. 9 near Norwalk’s Sheffield Island by staff of the Norwalk Seaport Association. The turtle had three obvious propeller gouges up its approximately 20-inch-long shell. On July 15, a loggerhead was found in Stratford, dead from a boat strike.