🌿🌿New Afterschool Alert!!! 🌿🌿We are so excited to announce our new afterschool program, the Garden Club, led by nature center educator and plant love Victoria Heyne! Club members will learn all about what it takes to grow a successful garden, including seed sprouting, soil science, composting, garden design, garden ecology, and pollinators! Registration is open now! Spring Session: April 23-May 28, 2025 Grades: 3-5 Wednesdays: 4:00-5:00pm #darienct #darienafterschoolprograms #gardenclub #dariennaturecenter

Happy Spring Equinox (also known as the Vernal Equinox). The Spring Equinox marks the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This equinox is the day when daylight hours are equal to the amount of nighttime hours! Today is a day where we can spend time outdoors celebrating nature becoming bright and green again, start to plant seeds/plan our gardens, spring clean (or even just let fresh air into our homes!), dig for worms, search for spring flowers, and read books about Spring! From here on out, the days will keeping getting longer and warmer! 🌷🌼🌿🌱 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #springequinox #ctnature

Searching for signs of spring in places high and low! 🌷🌱🌷 #darienct #springishere #dariennaturecenter #springinconnecticut

Taking our time on these early spring days, soaking up the warm sun, and searching for signs of spring! ☀️🌷🌱 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #signsofspring

Did you know our Program Director Molly writes monthly essays that talk about the environment, animals, and nature? You can find them on our website at any time or follow the link in bio! Go check them out! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #localnature #naturenotes

Happy International Women’s Day from us here at the Nature Center. We are so incredibly proud to be run by an all female staff. Taking a moment of gratitude for our amazing teachers & administrators and the fantastic work they do educating our students and running our organization. 💚 “Today we are celebrating the strength, determination, and resilience of women everywhere” - Michelle Obama #darienct #dariennaturecenter #internationalwomensday2025 #natureeducation

In memory of our beloved chameleon Karma 💚. He was named after "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club (or maybe even "Karma" by Taylor Swift), he was a loved animal here at the Nature Center and we will miss him 💚. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #chameleon #karmachameleon

Adventures are more exciting with our friends next to us 🤍 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #friendship #natureschool

We’ve gotten our first taste of Spring weather this week and we just know there are some beautiful days ahead here at Cherry Lawn! 🌤️🌸🍃#darienct #dariennaturecenter #springisnear #spring

Dr. Katie is back for another Nature & Wellness event! Join us for an inspiring evening with Dr. Katie and health & wellness coach Natalie Gould as they discuss the benefits of cooking with medicinal herbs. Joining Dr. Katie and Natalie is Chef Lisa of Soiree CT, as she shares a doctor approved tasting menu with medicinal herbs like parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Registration is required, follow the link in bio to register today! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #wellness #darienevents

Is it safe to say we think our vacation camps rock? Groundhogs Camp has been all about Geology and Earth this week! Our campers have been busy learning about rocks, fossils, dinosaurs, and Earth! 🌎🦕🦖🪨 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #earthscience #naturalhistory

❄️Do you wanna build a snowman??❄️ We’ve just been taking our time and enjoying all this snowfall while we can! ❄️☃️⛄️❄️ #dariennaturecenter #darienct #natureschool

💕Happy Valentine’s Day!💕 Our students (and visitors!) have been writing our animals Valentine’s to show how much they love them. Swipe to find some of our animals as Valentine’s Day cards! ❤️❣️💞 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #valentinesday

Have you heard about the Great Backyard Bird Count? This year the Bird Count will be taking place from February 14-17, and the best part is you can participate from your own backyard! The Backyard Bird Count is a great way to connect with birds, to nature, and with each other. Spend time (only 15 minutes) in your favorite place watching birds, identify them, count them, and submit your counts to help scientists better understand and protect the birds around us! Use websites/apps like eBird and Merlin to help your count. Link in bio for more information. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #backyardbirdcount2025 #birding #birdsofct

We know a little something about staying warm and cozy during winter! Our students have been learning about hibernation and staying warm in winter. ❄️🔥🐻 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #hibernation #natureschool

Our Friday afternoon Nature’s Playroom class had a very important job last week, moving our brand new sensory garden signs into our outdoor shed! It’s still too cold for the signs to be put up outside but once the weather starts getting warmer and Spring starts to poke its head out, keep an eye on the garden for the new signs! #dariennaturecenter #darienct #sensorygarden #outdoorschool

From our Babes in Nature classes and Knee High classes to our Nature Time for 2’s and Nature’s Playroom classes, we’ve been learning about animal tracks! Our classes have been able to find deer, bird, rabbit, dog, and squirrel tracks all over Cherry Lawn Park. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #animaltracks #localwildlife

Snow problem, we can handle the cold! Our first big snow of the year has us all making snow angels and running up and down our sledding hill!❄️❄️ #darienct #dariennaturecenter #snowdays #ctwinter

🌸Blooms & Bubbles is back for a Winter Edition!🌸 Celebrate Winter with Blooms & Bubbles, a fun flower arranging event here at the Nature Center! With beautiful blooms to arrange, delectable charcuterie, and delicious sparkling wine, grab your friends and enjoy a lovely evening! Space is limited, please register via the link in bio under Events. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #darienevents #flowerarranging

With the recent Summer Camp 2025 announcement, it only felt right to take a trip down memory lane and look back on Summer Camp 2024. We cannot wait to see what Summer 2025 has in store for our campers! Visit the link in bio for more information about Summer Camp 2025! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #summercamp #ctsummers #naturecamp

🌱Attention nature lovers! We are excited to announce another fantastic summer of camp here at the Darien Nature Center! We have made some changes that we know you will love, more sessions, expanded age groups, new curriculums and activities, and early bird discounts!🌱 Some key notes: Summer camp 2025 will run from June 23 - August 8 for a total of seven weeks. Registration with the early bird discount will begin on February 3 for current families and members. 🌻More information regarding Summer Camp 2025 can be found on our website via the link in bio.🌻

The cold never bothered us anyway! Well maybe a little bit? We’ve had some crazy winds and low temperatures the last couple of weeks which has brought our classes inside a bit more often. Limiting our time outside in cold weather is the best way to ensure that everyone stays nice and warm throughout the day. But it certainly doesn’t stop us from bringing the fun inside! ❄️❄️ #darienct #dariennaturecenter #thecoldneverbotheredus #newengland

🦞Upcoming Event Alert🦞 🐟Darien Nature Center and Darien Library welcome Bill Lucey, the Long Island Soundkeeper. Bill will talk about our beautiful local waterway and discuss the urgent need to remove “ghost pots” from the Long Island Sound and restore the Sound’s floor to its natural state.🐟 🦞Unfortunately, Long Island Sound is still home to tens of thousands of “ghost” pots - abandoned lobster pots that are disrupting the ecosystem as they degrade. These old lobster traps are left over from the ultimate collapse of the Long Island Sound Lobster fishery, the area in the sound where the lobsters were caught commercially or recreationally. Sadly, abandoned lobster traps can release harmful chemicals into the water as they decay, and on top of everything, can unintentionally catch fish, crabs, and other inhabitants who become trapped in these pots as they scavenge for food. Find out what’s being done and what needs to be done to restore this crucial habitat.🦞 ✨Registration can be found via the Darien Library’s Events page or the link in Bio!✨

✨Animal Spotlight✨ Our Ferrets! We have two ferrets here at the Nature Center, Frankie and Biagio. A lot of the time visitors don’t even know that we have a pair of ferrets because they live downstairs where our preschool classes are happening. Frankie and Biagio love to run around downstairs when classes have set up their tunnel obstacle course, and especially love when someone offers them a stinky boot to climb into. If you ever get a chance to visit with our ferrets the easiest way to tell them apart is by their noses! Frankie has an all pink nose while Biagio has a pink and black nose. To become a sponsor for our ferrets (or another animal here at the Nature Center, follow the link in bio!) #darienct #dariennaturecenter #ferretnation #ferrets

We’re back in action here at the Nature Center! It’s only been a few short days back at school and we can already tell Winter has everyone excited. Our students have started learning about ice, snow (we finally got some!), staying warm, hibernation, and tracks. We can’t wait to see what Winter has in store for us! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #winter #outdoorschool

❄️How to dress for success in winter! ❄️ While some days it might feel like we are on the brink of Spring, Winter has arrived. Due to the nature of our programs, we are outside every day, rain or shine, and hopefully soon snow! Take time to make sure your child’s school bag has the following extra clothes suitable for layering/winter, mittens, hats, snowsuits/pants, and snow boots. While we love to stomp in puddles and play in the rain, rain boots don’t provide the best insulation for tiny feet in Winter. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #dressforwinter #natureschool

Happy New Year from all of us here at the Darien Nature Center! We hope your year is filled with adventure and curiosity! Fun Fact: 2025 is the year of the snake in the Chinese New Year (January 29)! The next time you pop into the Nature Center make sure to visit Otto and Sunny and tell them Happy New Year! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #yearofthesnake

Happy Winter Solstice and first day of Winter! Today is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year! After today the days will start to get longer and the nights shorter. The Solstice is a great way to spend time with loved ones, take a walk in nature, light candles, have a fire, stargaze, partake in solstice crafts, and listen to music. #wintersolstice #darienct #dariennaturecenter #startofwinter

Snowbirds or Rainbirds? While we might not have had any snow for our snowbirds camp this year, we definitely had lots of fun learning about cold & snow, tracks & traces, hibernation & burrows, and what animals eat in winter! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #snowbirds #ctnaturecenter

Do you remember the fun of turning over a big stone to see what’s underneath? How about the excitement of seeing a hawk flying overhead? At the Darien Nature Center, we are working to protect nature and to make nature a part of all of our lives. As we approach year-end, allow us to reflect on the journey we have taken and what lies ahead. Thanks to your support, our students now benefit from a dedicated Preschool Director, an Animal Care Director, and several new teachers. We have rebuilt our backyard pergola and installed new habitats for our reptiles (made possible by our amazing community who came together last year to help us when our old reptile unit stopped working) and our owls (made possible by the generosity of the @thedarienfoundation). We have built a new garden and acquired state-of-the-art educational equipment and supplies for our indoor and outdoor classrooms! Thanks to donors like you, we have expanded our program offerings, elevated the care of our beloved animals, and maintained our building and grounds. We are open to the public six days a week, free of charge. Come see us! Link in bio to donate to our 2024 Annual Appeal. #darienct #dariennaturecenter #annualappeal #connecticutnaturecenters #townofdarien

That’s a wrap on Fall 2024! The last couple of weeks our students have been busy as ever exploring the park and learning all about the seasonal changes that are coming! Recently we’ve spent some time making “Gifts for Nature”, small gifts to give to the animals in our own backyards. Of course the biggest gift to nature we can all give is taking care of what is around us, and taking the time to just be in nature. We cannot wait to see what our Winter/Spring semester has in store! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #natureschool #giftsfornature

Weather Weather Weather! It seems hard to believe that we have experienced almost every form of weather in recent weeks! From stunning sunny days, to windy Wednesdays, to random drops of snow, and puddle making rain, our students have had nothing but a fantastic time experiencing every type of weather imaginable! ☔❄🌞 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #weather #natureeducation

It’s time for an Animal Spotlight! Or should we say spotlights? The Nature Center is home to three different species of turtles that can be found here in Connecticut! Speedy, Rocky, and Bubbles all live together in a beautiful enclosure made possible by @thedarienfoundation. Their enclosure was created to resemble the environments they would be found in, in the wild of Connecticut! Speedy: Our Resident Eastern Painted Turtle Rocky: Our resident Eastern Box Turtle Bubbles: Our resident Spotted Turtle 🐢To become a sponsor for the turtles (or any of our animals!) click the link in bio to become one today!🐢 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #animalsponsorships #ctturtles #turtles

Whether it’s an animal we can find in our own backyards or an animal that lives on a different continent. Everyday brings a new opportunity to learn about different animals and habitats during our classes! As we approach year-end, allow us to reflect on the journey we have taken and what lies ahead. Thanks to your support, our students now benefit from a dedicated Preschool Director, an Animal Care Director, and several new teachers. We have rebuilt our backyard pergola and installed new habitats for our reptiles and our owls (no, they are not cohabitating). We have built a new garden and acquired state-of-the-art educational equipment and supplies for our indoor and outdoor classrooms. This Giving Tuesday consider donating to our 2024 Annual Appeal or becoming a sponsor for one of our amazing animals that consider the Nature Center home. Head to the link in bio or IG stories to donate today! We are incredibly grateful for your continued support. 💚 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #annualappeal #natureschool #natureeducation #givingtuesday

In the season of being thankful, we have a lot to be thankful for here at the Nature Center. But one of the things we are most thankful for is our phenomenal teachers who spend everyday rain or shine outside teaching children all the ways to to love and respect nature.🌲🌾🌳 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #outdoorschool #teachersrock

Last week we hosted a movie night here at the Nature Center. We screened “Legend Has It” , a film by Teton Gravity Research, its 28th annual snow, skiing, snowboarding film featuring top snowboarders and skiers. ❄A special thank you to the @dariensportshop, @barrettbookstore_, and @mohawkmtn for providing us with incredible raffle items. Thank you to everyone who brought items to donate to @blackboardersct, an amazing non-profit that gives black and brown youth access to the slopes, promoting diversity and inclusion in winter sports, snowboarding in particular!❄ And a thank you to our board members Brain Murphy and Bart deBie for making this wonderful event happen with the help of AV company Big Wave Events. 🏂⛷#darienct #dariennaturecenter #darienevents #blackboarders #dariencommunity

Recently the @communityfunddarien volunteers came to the Nature Center to help us clear our trails, clear the stream, move wood chips, and add stumps into our classrooms. We are so grateful that this group of teenagers chose to spend part of their weekend helping us make our outside classrooms and trails even better! They also got to spend some time with our wonderful animals! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #communityfundofdarien #volunteerwork #naturevolunteers

Yesterday our staff took part in a professional development day! For the first part of our day we spent time with @teachingbeyondthesquare, learning about using loose parts and found materials to help children engage in play without a specific set of instructions (a special thank you to Jen Carvajel for making the trip to us!) Seymour even got to join in the fun! 🐇 After lunch, the Nature Center staff ended the day with a trip to the Great Island here in Darien. Overall, a 10/10 day of staff enrichment and bonding in nature! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #teachingbeyondthesquare #foundmaterials #nature #naturehike

The past couple of weeks our nature’s playroom, critters, and our living planet classes have invited their caregivers on nature walks around Cherry Lawn Park. This started in the spring as a way for our classes to show their parents and caregivers what they have learned while out on the trails! Our students have the best time showing their caregivers around the park! 🌲🍂

🌲Upcoming Events at the Nature Center!🌲 We have lots of exciting events happening throughout the month of November. For more information regarding the events follow the links in stories! More events to be announced, stay tuned! 11/14 Movie Night at the Nature Center “ Legend Has It” Doors open at 6pm, movie starts at 7pm. (Children under 18 must be accompanied). Ticket link in Bio. 11/16 Preschool Open House 10:30-11:30am. Link in Bio. 11/20 Family Hike & S’mores 3:30-4:30pm. Link in Bio. 11/22 Animal Meet and Greet 2:30-3:00pm. Link in Bio. 11/23 Holiday Market 9:00-3:00pm

Our after school classes are in full swing here at the Nature Center! Animal Encounters and Caregivers have been keeping our animals happy and healthy. Nature Art (a newer after school program) has been working on building fairy houses out of materials found around Cherry Lawn Park. Outdoor Explorers have been learning about the joy of birdwatching! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #natureschool #fallinct🍂🍁

🎃Happy Halloween!!!!🎃 From pumpkin rolling, to pumpkin decorating, to creating beautiful pumpkin creations, we have explored many different ways to use a pumpkin this October! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #pumpkins #natureschool #october

Here at the DNC sustainability is a word we're hearing more and more these days! So what does sustainability actually mean? When the quality of life is improved for all - economically, socially and environmentally - now and for future generations. For children, it's often a hard concept to grasp and to most, it feels overwhelming. Sustainability is introduced to our students through a variety of small acts; visiting our gardens to see how we can grow our own food, using our Enviroscape to demonstrate how pollution and everyday activities affect our water systems, using reusable water balloons, learning about local wildlife, and having our students make an environmental pledge! That's why we follow 'The Big Ideas of Sustainability' - so we can help children understand sustainability in smaller, bite-sized pieces! 🌎 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #sustainability #localwildlife #ctnature #natureschool

This week we hosted a trio of early dismissal programs! From hiking, to meeting our animals, and hearing an amazing talk from Ginny Apple on the Fearsome Four of Connecticut (Coyote, skunk, Raccoon, and Opossum), there were so many adventures to be had! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #natureschool #fearsomefour #hikingadventures

🔥Fireside 2024 was a roaring success!🔥 We are so thankful to our sponsors, community partners, board members, and our Nature Center Staff. We were lucky enough to have two fantastic musical performers this year, @henryjoneslive and @mrjustinjohnston . We hope you all had a great time and we hope to see you at the Nature Center soon! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #fall #fireside2024 #fundraiser

🍁This week at the Nature Center!🍁 We have so many programs this week and coming up, for more information on these programs visit the links in stories! 🌲10/22 Early Dismissal After School Program: Hike and Campfire 2:00-3:30pm Grades K-5🌲 🦝10/24 Early Dismissal After School Program: Family Program with Animals, S’mores, & Wildlife Presentation by Ginny Apple. Ages 3+🦝 🎃10/26 Pumpkin Decorating 10:00am-11:00am🎃 🎃10/28 & 10/29 Pumpkin Decorating 3:30pm-4:40pm🎃 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #darienctevents #pumpkins #natureexploration

🔥Fireside is only three days away!!!!!🔥 To preview our silent auction click the link in bio and scroll all the way down to the bottom to view! #darienct #naturecenter #dariennaturecenter #darienctevents

The Nature Center recently renovated the front walkway into the building, appropriately named the David Sinclair Memorial Walkway. David Sinclair was a Darien resident who served on the Nature Center Board for many years and was one of the most enthusiastic champions for the Nature Center and the environment. His legacy can be found in everything the Nature Center is today. The walkway not only increased visitor safety and rejuvenated the entrance to our amazing building, but is surrounded on both sides by native plants. Groundskeeper Victoria and Nature Educator Lindsey both worked to ensure that the walkway will look beautiful at all times of the year. Here you can find native plants such as coneflowers, Inkberry Holly, Creeping Phlox, and Dwarf Fountain Grass. 🌼A special thank you to @thegardenerscenter and @reynoldsfarms for providing us with our beautiful native plants!🌼 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #nativeplants #gardens

🍁Leave the Leaves!🍁 🍂Victoria is here to tell you why you want to leave some of your leaves on the ground this fall!🍂 Not only do leaves provide a form of entertainment to children (and adults!) but fallen leaves benefit wildlife and the environment! So what are the benefits to keeping your fallen leaves? Leaves can be used as a natural mulch and fertilizer for your gardens, it provides natural habitats for local wildlife, food for mammals and invertebrates, as well as a place for moth and butterfly caterpillars to wait out the harsh winters. 🍁🍂🍁 #leavetheleaves #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #leaves🍁 #leafpiles

Raffle tickets can only be purchased in person at the Nature Center! Stop by and enter the next time you visit our animals or drop your child off! 🔥Fireside is only 10 days away! We can't wait to see you there! To purchase tickets or become a sponsor visit the link in bio!🔥 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #firesidednc #darien

We’ve been taking the time to stop and smell the flowers, learn about pollinators and their important jobs, and watering our brand new sensory garden! 🌸🐝 #darienct #pollinatorpathway #pollination #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter

🔥Have you bought your tickets to Fireside 2024 yet?🔥 Fireside will feature; an incredible silent auction, local musician Henry Jones for the first hour, DJ and former Broadway actor Justin Johnston to keep us dancing the whole night, food from the Cripsy Melty food truck, roaring fires to keep us nice and toasty, gorgeous grazing tables, and of course delicious drinks! Join us by clicking the link in bio to buy tickets or become a sponsor! #darienct #darienevents #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #newengland #fireside2024

We’re starting off October with an animal spotlight. Meet Pixie, our one year old African pygmy hedgehog! 🦔 Pixie is one of our nocturnal animals here at the Nature Center and it’s not often that many visitors see her outside of her little house. Pixie loves to eat worms, take really long naps, and run on her wheel at night! 🦔🌲🌱 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenters #hedgehogs #animalambassador

Let’s do the Time Warp (Fireside’s Version). Taking a look back on Fireside's of years past! Get your tickets via the link in bio and join us at Fireside 2024 with musical guests @henryjoneslive & @mrjustinjohnston 🔥🔥🔥

This past Friday we held our members' s'mores event and we are so thankful for everyone who joined us! Membership is a great way to help support the Darien Nature Center and join a community of people who love the outdoors and the animals who live in it! 🍂🔥🍄 #darienct #natureschool #dariennaturecenter #welcomingfall

Fall is in full swing here at the Nature Center! Our students have been busy learning about soil & rocks, seeds, birds, fruit & vegetables, and trees. How lucky are we to explore such a beautiful park?! 🐛🐿️🦉🐢 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #natureeducation

Our grounds keeper and plant enthusiast Victoria is here to tell you why fall is a great time to put your plants in the ground. Through the first week of October, the Nature Center is collaborating with @myhomepark selling native plant kits for your garden! By purchasing one of these kits, 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Nature Center. Native plants are not only a beautiful addition to your garden, but they also support our local pollinators! 🐝🦋🌱#dariennaturecenter #localpollinators #pollinatorgarden #nativeplants #darienct

What an incredible week we’ve had back at the Nature Center! Thank you to all our families, new & old, for giving your children the experience to learn about nature and all of its beautiful wonders. And to our amazing staff for creating such wonderful and welcoming environments as we start the new school year! 🌲Here’s to an adventure filled Fall Semester!🌲 🐢🍂🍄🐍 #dariennaturecenter #darienct #backtoschool #naturecenter #outdoorschool

What exactly is Fireside? Fireside is not only a night filled with dancing, bonfires, and delicious food, but the Nature Center’s main fundraiser for the year. By attending Fireside, you are directly supporting the Nature Center’s mission in inspiring passion and respect for nature. Fireside provides funds for underserved community programming, free community programs such as our Saturday programs, feeding our 23 species of animals, visits to the vet, building maintenance, and more. As always a special thank you to our Fireside 2024 sponsors! Get your tickets or become a sponsor today via the link in bio! #dariennaturecenter #darienct #darien #darienfundraisers #nonprofit

Something very exciting is happening in our animal room!! This wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the @thedarienfoundation. We are grateful for their support and their continued interest in our mission. Join us on September 16th at 1:30pm for the ribbon cutting ceremony in our animal room 🦉 #darienct #thedarienfoundation #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #owls

Schools back in session here at the Nature Center! Parent Orientation was a big hit as we heard all about the updates in and around our building, upcoming events like Fireside and Chalk the Walk, and heard all about our preschool’s nature based curriculums! A special thank you to our parent liaisons for welcoming our families new and old! And of course to our amazing teaching staff! 🐢🌲#darienct #dariennaturecenter #natureschool #backtoschool #darien #naturecenter

We've missed you! To celebrate all the new changes around the Nature Center join us on Saturday September 7th for Chalk the Walk! We hope to see you there! #darienct #communityevents #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #chalkthewalk

Wishing we could hold onto these final moments of summer a little bit longer! With perfect weather and adventures learning about the different habitats of Cherry Lawn Park, Chipmunks camp was a hit! A special thank you to @spooncircus for taking the time to visit the Nature Center. Spoon Circus is a nonprofit traveling circus whose goal is to spark joy and empowerment to communities all over the world. Our kids had an incredible time engaging in the magic of the circus arts! #darien #dariennaturecenter #socialcircus #darienct #endofsummer

Fireside is the Nature Center's primary fundraising event of the year. By attending Fireside you are directly supporting the Darien Nature Center and its mission of inspiring passion and respect for nature. 🌲 Fireside contributes to numerous programs that help inspire all ages to engage in nature education, environmental action, and environmental stewardship. If you would like to buy tickets to Fireside 2024 follow the link in bio! 🌿A special thank you to our current Fireside 2024 sponsors; Moffly Media, Vermont Good Wood, the Van de Graff family, the Polselli family, and the Katz family. If you would like to be a sponsor of Fireside 2024 follow the link in bio. 🌿 #darienct #dariennaturecenter #natureeducation #connecticutnature #dariencommunityevents

🌲A message from our Preschool Director Ursula🌲 As we near the start of the school year, there are a few reminders about upcoming back to school events. Tuesday September 3rd at 6:00pm is Parent Orientation. Wednesday September 4th is the first day of Preschool! We are so excited to welcome our families back to school. As always feel free to reach out with questions, big or small! #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #backtoschool #darien #natureeducation

We’re going back in time this Monday to 2002! Last year our grounds manager Victoria was given a grant to fund the construction of a Sensory Garden. Since receiving that grant, Victoria has begun to establish new sustainable efforts around the Nature Center including brand new rain barrels! Back in 2002 when the Nature Center moved across Cherry Lawn park, rain barrels were installed to help collect water to help water our gardens and indoor plants. These new rain barrels will serve as a water source for our new sensory garden! Looking back on our organization's history reminds us of how important our mission is to the town of Darien. #darienct #naturecenter #rainbarrels #sustainability #sensorygarden #dariennaturecenter

🌲 “At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair should be messy, and your eyes sparkling.” - Shanti 🌲 We still have availability in our preschool programs! We’ve expanded our programming into the afternoons. Our unique outdoor preschool classrooms, nature-based curriculum, and fascinating animal ambassadors are designed to bring a sense of wonder and joy to our preschoolers. Our mission is to ignite a life-long love of the natural world and the desire to protect our magnificent planet. Availability: Two Day Nature Time for Two’s Now offering Wednesday afternoon Nature Time for Two’s Afternoon Natures Playroom (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday). #naturebasedlearning #darienct #dariennaturecenter #naturecenter #getoutdoors

🔥It is once again that time of year! Join us for Fireside 2024 on October 19, for bonfires, dancing, and drinks!🔥 Fireside is our yearly fundraising event that helps make an impact not only within the walls of the Nature Center but into the Darien Community. With your support, we can further our outreach and efforts to educate and inspire our local community to protect our environment and Mother Earth! To purchase tickets, head on over to our link in bio! This is certainly an event you do not want to miss! #darienct #communityevent #environmentaleducation #06820 #naturecenter #darienevents #fairfieldcountyct

😢 As all good things must, our 2024 summer camp is coming to an end. 👋 But before we part, our co-directors, teachers, senior and junior counselors and CITs wanted to wish you a farewell. Some of our summer staff were away when we shot this, but please know that they share these sentiments. 🩷 We had THE BEST summer campers this year and will miss them dearly! Thank you to all the families who chose us to be a part of your children’s summer! ☀️ Till we meet again, have a great rest of the summer! ☺️ And remember, we are open year-round, except in August, so please come and visit us! We also have after-school programs throughout the school year for age 5 through 5th grade, so you don’t have to wait until next summer to experience the Darien Nature Center! 🌳See you soon!🌳

🌿 Today is not only the last day for our summer campers, but it’s also the last day for many of our counselors who are returning to their studies in the fall. We had the best group of counselors this summer - they are fun, kind, responsible, hard-working, and… did we already say fun??? 🌿 The Darien Nature Center is so grateful for their dedication to making our summer camp enjoyable and safe for our campers, and we hope they return next year! 🌿 Until then, best wishes, counselors! We will miss you!!! 🥲🥲

Building closure advisory - we need to perform necessary repairs and maintenance to our building, so we will be closed beginning August 3, 2024. We will miss you 😢 Chipmunk friends see you soon!

It’s the last week of summer camp, which means it’s also the last week of our specials. 😢 🪵 During today’s specials session, our campers made campsites using all natural materials. They learned that using materials from nature helps the planet by decomposing into soil, and that materials made by humans, like plastic, last a very long time.   🌎 Our young nature conservationists are eager to make choices that help the planet, and we are here to guide them on this journey! 🌍 How neat are these campsite creations?! 😍

**A Message from Molly Robertson, Program Director** 🌱Why is our preschool program unique and special? 🌱Why is nature-based education so important? 🌱What does preschool at the Darien Nature Center look like? Have a look (and listen) and find out! We have a few spots left in our AM and PM classes! To register, give us a call at 203-655-7459

Our Senior Counselors have been wonderful this summer. Rain or shine, our counselors have played and worked with our campers so very well. Thank you so much! 💕

One of the great things about our summer camp is the large amount of time campers get to enjoy the great outdoors - surrounded by trees 🌳 🌳, birds 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛and nature 🐢. Every young nature lover’s dream come true!

Animal sponsorships help us to care for our animals and are a great way to experience a one-on-one encounter with one of our animals. Sign up today!

Starting planning for Fall 2024. Nature’s Playroom afternoon sessions and Lunch Bunch extends the Darien Nature Center fun this Fall.

Camp is all about making friends and having fun 🤩 Here’s a look! 👀

Exciting news! Chipmunk Camp registration opens July 15, 2024! Mark your calendar!🗓️

Eat lots of hotdogs 🌭 Have fun with your family and friends and please note that the Darien Nature Center will be closed on July 4, 2024 🇺🇸

One of the highlights of summer camp at the Darien Nature Center are unique animal encounters! Not only is it exciting to see the animals up close 👀, but they learn a lot about them too! Cool camp vibes 🏕️

Calling STEM enthusiasts and bug lovers of all ages! Join Yale entomologist Raymond Simpson for an interactive presentation exploring moths and other nocturnal insects! - Ray will share his stunning world class collection of preserved moths and insects. - We will also check out the biodiversity of nighttime insects in our own Cherry Lawn Park as we attract these nocturnal critters with a UVB light and moth sheet.

On Friday, Ms. Molly told us (this anonymous Darien Nature Center content creator 🙋🏻‍♀️) that something really neat was happening out on the soccer field of Cherry Lawn Park! Here is what we observed. Cool, huh? (Much cooler in real life than what the iPhone can capture 😉)

Our “Our Living Planet” summer campers (age 4-6) experienced 30-minute STEM-based programs (“specials”) this Tuesday-Friday. These specials are an interactive way for young minds to learn about science and nature, something that is at the ❤️ of our mission. Tuesday - Learning about 🦉 unique adaptations that make them great hunters with props like a real owl wing and talon, photos of owls camouflaging, and a visit with our own screech owl, Blinken. Our junior scientists dissected owl pellets to discover what was the owl’s last meal.  Wednesday - All about the ☀️ with Ms. Julie, starting with a yoga sun salutation and acting out the animal parts for the Indigenous American story “How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun”. They made sun prints with special sun-sensitive paper, learned a sun cheer, and visited with our sun-loving chameleon, Karma. Thursday - After reading “How to Catch a Star”, our campers created their own night skies. This process-oriented art project allowed them to explore color mixing and experiment with water and salt! We were all amazed at how beautiful they turned out! 🌟 Friday - Learned about rocket ships. After reading “On The Moon”, they watched with excitement and glee as Ms. Ursula launched a toy 🚀 hundreds of feet into the air! Then the children made and launched their own paper/straw rockets. Ask your little ones about some of these specials and see what they took away from these experiences!

☀️ Did you know that we are open to the public this summer, until August 2nd??? Come visit us! 👋 (🕰️ Swipe all the way to the end to see our summer hours)

💦Water play on a hot summer day at the Darien Nature Center💦 Most of our campers love water play to let loose, form connections with fellow campers, and cooooool down. 😅😅😅 We’ve got sprinklers, a splash pad, and water tables for all to enjoy! 😎HAPPY SUMMER😎

🩷GRATITUDE POST🩷 Have you seen 👀 the amazing changes behind our building?! All of us at the Darien Nature Center L💚VE our new patio and walkway by our classrooms, just in time for summer camp! 😎 We want to give a HUGE, GINORMOUS thank-you to Fox Hill Builders for getting this project done quickly between the end of preschool and the start of summer camp! 😮 They knew how important it was for us, and boy, did they deliver! Thank you!!! We also want to thank Ray Van Tent & Equipment for providing our summer campers shade with this tent! The perfect size for multiple camp groups to get some shade at the same time without feeling cramped and crowded. 🥳 Thank you! Also, a big shout out to the Buildings & Grounds committee on our board for all the work they do behind the scenes! And, as always, thank you to our community for supporting us and making projects like this possible! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

☀️Summer Camp Week 1 Day 2 in the books! ☀️ Our campers had some fun answers for us! 🎤

🌟Happy Friday!🌟 Enjoy this video of a pesky little chipmunk who likes to eat from our bird feeder. 🐿️

☀️ Summer camp starts on Monday, and we are excited! Looking forward to having a fun summer with you! ☀️

Animal enrichment is a high priority for us at the Darien Nature Center, and it’s always exciting when we find a new activity for our animals to do! 🐰 😍 Isn’t Seymour just the cutest?!?!?! 😍 #dariennaturecenter #animalenrichment #trynewthings #naturecenterlife #rabbitenrichment #rabbitsofinstagram #darienct

As all good things must, our 2023-24 school year has come to an end. 😢 🌿We’ve loved seeing your children grow, use their imaginations, explore, ask questions, and learn about the world around them! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of their early years and show them how precious and vital nature is in our lives. 🌿 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓Congratulations, to our friends moving onto kindergarten! Come visit us or join us for an after-school program! 🍁See you in the fall, to our friends returning next year!

(Pictured: A Bug Hotel 🐜 from Nature Art after-school program) Our first-ever Nature Art after-school program concluded last week, and it was AMAZING! We had the best crew of craft-loving elementary school students participate and share in our love of nature and art. 🌿🎨 It was so much fun that we hope to offer it again in the very near future! *To get the scoop on all our programs and events, subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of our website*

Enjoying the silvery day at the Darien Nature Center.

End of year fun times at the Darien Nature Center.

🌱 June 5th is 🌍WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY🌍 and we asked some Darien Nature Center staff members to share things they do to positively impact our environment. We encourage you to take some of these actions and make them your own if you feel moved to do so. Every little bit helps! 🌱 We at the Darien Nature Center strive to inspire our community to preserve and protect our world because we can’t do it without YOU! So today, and every day, please join us in the quest to love and cherish our natural world. #worldenvironmentday

Field trip month at the Darien Nature Center is winding down, and boy, did we have a fun time with our Darien Public Schools kindergarteners and 2nd graders! 🥳🥳 While ponding on today’s fieldtrip, one of our kindergarteners got a teeny tiny baby 🐢 in his net! Swipe to see… 1. Ms. Julie helps the baby turtle out of our very-excited student’s net. 2. Ms. Julie holds up for all to see. She holds the baby turtle gently because its shell is still soft and must be handled with care. 3. Every student and parent chaperone gets a chance to touch the turtle’s shell gently. 4. Ms. Julie places the turtle into our bin for students to observe. She will return him to the pond after the field trip. #natureeducation #elementaryschoolfieldtrip #darienpublicschools #darienkids #darienct #pondingfun #dariennaturecenter #learningisfunwithus

Eagle Scout Project - Tables We're delighted to have Eagle Scout built tables in each of our outdoor classrooms. Thank you, Eagle Scouts!

Having a great time ponding at Cherry Lawn park.

Super excited for 2024 Summer Camp at the Darien Nature Center! 🏕️