Outdoors

Beach Permits Available, Weed Beach Open Already; Park & Rec Summer Programs

Get to Know Long Island Sound: Maritime Aquarium’s ‘Marine Life Encounter’ Cruises Start in May

Leashed Dog Bit by Coyote at Waveny Park: Police Suggest Keeping Dogs Away from Pond Area

New Solar Panels at Town Hall, Public Works Garage, Police HQ Celebrated on Earth Day

Volunteers Needed to Tag Horseshoe Crabs: Register for Maritime Aquarium How-to Classes

Clean Up Day for Six Historic Darien Cemeteries MOVED TO SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Pollen Season: Treatment Options and Advice

Two Days of Earth Day-Related Presentations and Programs at Grace Farms, April 26 to 27

You Can Now Get Beach Permits, Register for April Vacation Camp and a Safe Boating Class

Gorham’s Pond Tide Gates to Open April 1 to 7

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

Events Calendar

By DARIENITE.COM | May 3, 2019

Maritime Aquarium

By DARIENITE.COM | May 3, 2019

Animals

By MICHAEL DINAN | May 3, 2019

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | April 23, 2019

Animals

By DARIENITE.COM | April 19, 2019

Charity Events and Opportunities

By DARIENITE.COM | April 18, 2019

Healthy Living

By DARIENITE.COM | April 9, 2019

Community Organizations

By DARIENITE.COM | April 9, 2019

Outdoors

By DARIENITE.COM | April 6, 2019

Government & Politics

By DARIENITE.COM | March 19, 2019

Outdoors

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

Weed Beach Darien Parks & Recreation Department

You can buy a town beach permit online or at Town Hall, and use last year’s permit until May 31 (Weed Beach is open with security guards; Pear Tree Point Beach gets security guards soon). And here are some of the spring and summer programs Darien Parks and Recreation Department offers, including a boat safety class where you can earn a Connecticut Safe Boating Certificate. — an announcement from Darien Parks and Recreation Department
Beach Permits Now on Sale
The Darien Parks and Recreation Department is currently selling 2019 park permits and boat launch stickers. These permit stickers allow entrance into Weed and Pear Tree Point Beaches and are available to Darien residents and taxpayers. Stickers may be purchased online or at the Darien Town Hall, Room 110.

Avalon Bunge Marine Life Encounter Cruises

Get a deeper new appreciation for Long Island Sound when you meet some of its resident fish, crabs and other creatures, brought up wriggling and wet right out of the water right before your eyes, during a Marine Life Encounter Cruise offered by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

These fun and memorable outings will be offered on most Saturdays and Sundays in May and June, with departures at 1:15 p.m. (There is no cruise on May 11.) Beginning June 25, 2019 they’ll run daily Tuesdays through Sundays through the summer. The 2.5-hour cruises give participants close-up, often hands-on introductions to a variety of fish, crabs, mollusks and other animals brought up onto the Aquarium’s research vessel. “Any boat ride is fun, but the Aquarium’s cruises offer the exciting bonus of giving participants an amazing window into what’s below the waves,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. The Marine Life Encounter Cruises bring up animals from different levels of the Sound’s depths.

Warning lime green coyote at waveny 2019

Visitors to Waveny Park, just over the border from Darien in New Canaan, should be be especially vigilant in the area of the pond New Canaan Police are warning, after a coyote bit a leashed dog there last week. Visitors with dogs should avoid the area of Waveny Pond entirely for now, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control Section. — This article originally was published by NewCanaanite.com. Halm said police had two calls Wednesday, about coyote sightings in the part of Waveny that includes the pond at the foot of the sledding hill, and that a witness to the biting incident on Thursday, April 25 reported it to authorities. The coyotes likely have established a den near the pond, Halm said, and are protecting the territory.

Solar panels now on the roofs of three town buildings are expected to save Darien taxpayers roughly $40,000 in reduced electricity bills in the first year and generate as much power as 120 tons of coal. Those were some of the statistics officials gave out at the ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted Monday afternoon — on Earth Day — at Darien Town Hall, and in statements made in connection to the event. Darien is “a leader, in terms of environmental sustainability,” First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said at the event. “I think we’re a role model for small and large towns alike.” Craig Flaherty, chairman of the town’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability, said that it’s taken about two years “from idea to implementation” to get the panels installed and ready to generate electricity — something that hasn’t happened just yet.

Tagging Horseshoe Crabs Maritime Aquarium 2019

A beach mating ritual that is millions of years old is about to occur again on Connecticut’s shorelines, and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk needs help documenting it. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

Volunteers are needed this spring to help the Aquarium tag horseshoe crabs when the unique creatures come out of Long Island Sound to spawn in the sand. This mass event is a bonanza time to gather data for an ongoing horseshoe-crab census — so much so that help is needed from “citizen scientists.”

“These tagging trainings reach capacity every spring, which thrills and amuses us,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “Horseshoe crabs are hardly cute and cuddly. But a lot of people find it fun to go mucking around the beach in the middle of the night with us — all on the crabs’ behalf.

Originally scheduled for this Saturday, April 20, the second annual Darien Cemetery Clean-Up-Day, hosted by the Masonic Club of Darien has been postponed to June 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All volunteers are to meet at Ivanhoe Lodge No. 107, 354 Post Road in Darien, at 10 a.m. for instructions and information on the eight cemetery locations around town to be cleaned before being divided into teams.

— an announcement from the Masonic Club of Darien and the Darien Monuments and Ceremonies Commission. Among the cemeteries getting a spring cleaning, including Slawson Graveyard which is the resting place of town founder Thaddeus Bell. Please dress appropriately and bring rakes, gloves and any other tools you have which could be used for blowing leaves or cutting tree limbs. Darien Masons from Ivanhoe Lodge No.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_nose#/media/File:Topinard_nasal_index.png

Connecticut’s wet winter will unleash a flood of pollen this spring season. Sniffles, sneezes and sore throats may be triggered by allergies, but how can you tell if it’s a cold, sinus infection or the flu instead? Physicians at American Family Care (AFC), expect to see scores of suffering patients seeking relief from sinus symptoms.

— an announcement from American Family Care (illustrations added by Darienite.com)
“Nasal allergy symptoms and common cold symptoms are essentially identical,” explains Dr. Ifthikar Ali, medical director for several AFC Connecticut locations. “Variables we examine are exposure to an allergen, like pollen or a pet, the duration of symptoms — months versus 1 to 2 weeks, and if there is improvement while taking allergy medications.”
Spring allergies will cause itchy water eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, wheezing, coughing and even hives. The symptoms of a cold are often characterized by runny nose, sore throat and cough. A distinguishing factor might be that in some upper respiratory infections commonly known as colds, the patient will also have a fever, malaise (feel bad) and muscle aches. Acute sinusitis is characterized by a stuffy or runny nose accompanied by pain in the forehead and/or over the cheeks.

In celebration of Earth Day (Monday, April 21), Grace Farms Foundation has a two-day lineup the following Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, of programs, activities and expert-led discussions about the importance of restoring local native habitats. — an announcement from Grace Farms Foundation and the Nature Conservancy

The annual weekend of events, conducted in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, also includes a lecture and community day. The two-day program provides an opportunity for people across generations to reconnect with nature and learn about practical ways to restore biodiversity to their own backyards or communities. “There are simple ways that we can all reconnect with and Restore Wild in our own backyards — like planting native and pollinator friendly species — by doing this we help the natural world and our communities thrive,” said Mark Fowler, Nature Initiative Director at Grace Farms Foundation. See also:

Darien Pollinator Pathway website
Darien Pollinator Pathway 2019 on Darienite.com
Join Masons in Cleaning Up Six Historic Darien Cemeteries on Saturday, April 20 (April 9)

“Through our 80-acre landscape and program partnership with the Nature Conservancy, we hope to mobilize people to be part of the solution and take action to restore a healthy balance between people and nature,” Fowler said.

Be prepared for Spring and Summer: Beach permits, boat-launch stickers and registration for April Vacation Camp and a safe boating class are all now available from the Darien Parks & Recreation Department. — an announcement from the Darien Parks & Recreation Department
Beach Permits, Boat Launch Stickers
The Parks and Rec Department is now selling 2019 park permits and boat launch stickers. These permit stickers allow entrance into Weed and Pear Tree Point Beaches and are available to Darien residents and taxpayers. Stickers may be purchased online or at the Darien Town Hall, Room 110. 2018 permits are valid through Friday, May 31, 2019.

Gorhams Pond Tide Gates will be open for flushing and cleaning, from Monday, April 1 to Monday, April 8, 2019. Tide gates cannot be operated following extensive rain events or a series of very high tides because of the large volume of water flowing over the dam. The opening or closing of gates may be delayed dependent on weather. Tide gates opening has been scheduled two weeks before Easter (April 21). — an announcement from the Darien Department of Public Works

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.

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