Fall greetings, Friends of Northwest Park! A Message from Terry Langevin, President, Friends of Northwest Park Just a quick note to let everyone know that Northwest Park (and Nature Preserve) has undergone major staffing changes since the Fall of 2016. The Friends, on the other hand, continue to support the Park and our Board of Trustees is stable and continues to run the September Country Fair, Fall/Winter Concert Series, Winter maple sugaring, March Pancake Breakfast, and tents at the May Shad Derby on the Green. The joint staff/trustee team has developed wonderful programs available to all. As always, news updates are on our website at Northwestpark.org. Our latest project is the expansion of the Maple Sugar House. Please consider donations or volunteering to help. Last Fall we welcomed Marilyn Smith as our new Park Manager, and the Town has hired a new Animal Care Specialist and part-time Environmental Educator. The Environmental Educator position is new and will help support our wonderful programs for all school children in Windsor, conduct eco-tourism park tours for all and help out with special events. It has been an exciting year! The future looks very bright. We also honored the past. The Animal Care Specialist and Park Manager positions came with sadness as Brad Nicholson and Ford Parker retired, one to Tennessee and the other to Pennsylvania. So we said good-bye and best wishes to Brad and Ford with gratitude for all those years of dedication to Northwest Park. During Brad s 16-year tenure, the animal program was shifted from unwanted animal adoption to a Heritage Breed Program where historically raised animals are available for viewing and education. An increase in the nutritional program and reduction of $6000 in vet bills the first year marked a new direction for the Park. Relationships were formed with the CT State Dept. of Agriculture, CT Cooperative Extension, CT Farm Bureau, Sturbridge Village, Plymouth Plantation, Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield and others to develop the program into what you see today. The volunteer feeder program expanded from weekends only to every night plus weekends along with a formal training program with manual. And finally, to support all these efforts, Brad established a licensing program and signed up for every inspection the USDA or CT Dept. of Agriculture had, getting inspectors and vets in there to keep a paperwork base on procedures and health issues which were addressed immediately. Kudos to you Brad for a job well done! During Ford s 12-year tenure, the educational exhibit area developed to museum quality, a habitat for wildlife established, and partnerships formed with the public, civic groups and corporations/businesses expanded to such organizations as the National Audubon, Beekeepers Association of CT and the American Kestrel Society. Thousands of volunteer hours have been booked, all for the Park. All the trails posted educational signs and a geothermal heating/cooling system was installed in the Nature Center. We recognize that our great photographer (see our website for his pictures of the Park) and educator was a wonderful gift for the Park! May the future of Northwest Park hold many more gems in keeping this a wonderful place for all that Nature has to offer. 1
Volunteer Opportunities at Northwest Park Northwest Park wouldn t be all that it is today without the help of our many wonderful volunteers. If you love your park and would like to get more involved, take a look at these choice help wanted ads. To learn more, call us at 860-285-1886 or stop by the Nature Center to pick up an application. Park Ambassadors greet visitors to the Nature Center, answer questions about the park and facilities, make sales in the gift shop, and help people learn about all the park has to offer. Animal Feeders feed and water the farm animals in the barn and pastures, sweep the barn, open or close the barn doors as scheduled on evenings or weekends. Must have the ability to work outside in all kinds of weather to reliably provide routine care to large and small livestock. Special Event Assistants help with logistics at public events to ensure things run smoothly and everyone has a good time. You may collect admissions, hand out information, sell food, or play a creative role, depending on the event. Let us know your interests, and we ll look for a good match! Stacey Ferolano, Animal Care Specialist Animal Barn Updates in 2017 A big THANK YOU goes out to volunteers from Voya Financial, who replaced the outdoor fence around the barn s animal pens on the north and east side. This was a big project - completed over five full days of hard work. Way to go! Our summer Youth Conservation Corps workers rebuilt the fence around the west side pens. We greatly enjoyed housing two heritage breed piglets at the Park from May October. They were on loan from a local farm. Thank you! A new flock of heritage breed chickens were hatched and raised in the Nature Center. They now live in the barn and recently started laying eggs. We installed new nesting boxes and a roosting ladder in the chicken pen this year. In October, the Park received three young heritage breed turkeys: a male and female Royal Palm, and a female Beltsville White. Six heritage breed ducks were raised in the Nature Center this spring and now live in the barn. The Park purchased two heritage breed Silver Fox rabbits. A naming contest concluded with Storm for the male, and Luna for the female. The rabbit hutch was relocated in the barn to a better space for viewing and exercising the rabbits. On the advice of our veterinarian, the Park now requests that visitors do not feed treats to the livestock. 2
Expansion of the NWP Sugar House HELP support Northwest Park s latest project: EXPANSION of the Northwest Park SUGAR HOUSE. We are currently under construction given a grant by the Department of Agriculture but need to raise $30,000 in matching funds as a condition of the grant. Please see, to the right, a picture of our progress on the sugar house and view our web site for a summary of the project. How can you help? Send a supporting donation through the web site: northwestpark.org OR mail a check to Friends of NWP, PO Box 773, Windsor 06095 When ordering through AMAZON use (totally free to you) smile.amazon.com and choose Northwest Park as donation recipient. All purchases trigger donation. Mail/e-mail a letter to someone you know who you think could help support the sugar house (see letter available online at www.northwestpark.org). Facebook/Twitter, spread the word what is going on at the Park either directing people to our website or GO FUND ME site. https://www.gofundme.com/maple-sugar-house-project Contact your favorite business or company to see if they will help us by donating. Volunteer your time by calling 860-285-1886 and offer your skills. Northwest Park and Nature Preserve thrives because of volunteer and donor support. The Friends of Northwest Park, Inc. are all volunteers and are really excited in getting all of our membership energized for this latest project that will continue to keep Northwest Park and Nature Preserve the GEM that it is! Thank you. This is a 501C3 organization, and all donations qualify as tax deductions. We are $6,300 closer towards achieving our $30,000 goal for completion of the Sugar House. Your donations, and those of you friends and businesses, are crucial to reaching that goal. $30,000 3
Message from Marilyn Smith, Park Manager With the arrival of Fall I can now say I ve experienced all four seasons at Northwest Park, and what a rich year it s been! I was initially drawn to my position as Park Manager by the wealth of natural resources on our 473 acres. Spectacular grasslands complement diverse forest and wetland ecosystems to create a living showcase of native species and landscapes. I was further attracted by the ardent support of the Park by area residents. I was eager to meet the people who helped make this place what it is today! Over this past year, I ve been fascinated to discover the different ways that people engage with Northwest Park. Indeed, the Park offers so many attractions for diverse ages and interests that there s literally something for everyone. Local families make frequent visits to check in on their favorite live animals in the Nature Center and Animal Barn, while hundreds of adults know us primarily for the excellent Coffeehouse Concerts presented by the Friends. Seniors and toddlers alike enjoy exploring historic tobacco farming equipment in the Agricultural Museum. For many of our neighbors, Northwest Park fits into their daily routine as a perfect location for walking or jogging the trails after work. They ve undoubtedly discovered that working out in a nature preserve not only improves physical health but brings mental and emotional benefits as well. For others, Northwest Park is a cherished setting for connecting with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors at a special celebration in one of our rental picnic shelters. In the past year alone, we estimate nearly 14,000 guests attended private events at the Park, so it s clearly part of Windsor s social fabric. Some folks cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world at Northwest Park by attending a class or workshop. Did you know that every student in grades K-5 at Windsor Public Schools explores key science concepts in the real world through annual field trips to Northwest Park? More than 600 children get a full week immersive experience during Nature Camps each summer. Adults have many learning opportunities at environmentally themed public programs. The Friends of Northwest Park have sponsored guest speakers with expertise in Fireflies, Mushrooms, and Wildflowers, among other topics. Even during the winter months, more than 1,000 people turned out for Maple Syrup demonstrations conducted by the Friends volunteers in the Sugarhouse. There are so many reasons why people love Northwest Park; many of them unique to an individual s interests and experience. Your relationship with the Park may be entirely different from your neighbors, yet equally valid. I m gratified to work with our volunteers and Friends to offer so many opportunities for the community to enjoy this special place. Wish List Jen Filer, our Environmental Educator, is in need of the following items for upcoming events. Please look around your home and let us know if you can help her out: Towels - wash clothes and regular size Plain white sheets Tennis balls Baby food jars You can drop your items off at the Nature Center during regular hours. 4
December/January Upcoming Events December 2: Today at Northwest Park from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Natural Holiday Wreath Making Workshop. Make wreaths from provided natural materials during this hands-on workshop. Participants will make and decorate a 22-inch frame. $25.00 (Windsor residents), $30.00 (non-residents). Ages 12 and above. Registration is required. December 7: Tonight at Northwest Park from 7:00PM to 9:00PM enjoy wine and cheese and other refreshments while you unwind after work for our Natural Holiday Wreath Making Workshop. Participants 21 and above will make and decorate a 22-inch frame wreath from provided natural materials during this hands-on workshop. Registration is required. $40.00 (Windsor residents), $45.00 (non-residents). January 1: Start the New Year with a guided Full Moon Hike from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM through the trails of Northwest Park! Learn why Native Americans called this the Wolf Moon. We won t hear any wolves but we may hear owls and other creatures of the night. If weather permits, bring your own snowshoes or borrow ours. Fees for this program are $10 person (Windsor resident) $15 per person (non-residents). MUST preregister, space limited. January 31: This month there are two full moons! Typically occurring in February, this moon is known by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. If snow conditions permit, bring your own snow shoes or borrow ours and join us for a guided Full Moon Snowshoe Hike from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM through Northwest Park s forest and fields. Find out why this full moon will also be a BLACK moon. Fees for this program are $10 person (Windsor resident) $15 per person (non-residents). MUST preregister, space limited. December 2 Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem ($20) January 6 Banish Misfortune ($17) January 20 Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line ($20) February 3 Don White ($17) February 17 Hot Club of New England with special guest, Matt DeChamplain ($17) March 3 Stacy Phillips and His Bluegrass Characters ($18) March 17 to be announced April 7 Porch Party Mamas ($18) May 5 Gil Gutierrez Trio ($20) Purchase tickets at: www.northwestpark.org 5
Meet the Staff 6
The Friends of Northwest Park are seeking a Volunteer Coordinator for the 2018 Country Fair Contact individuals and organizations to staff events 2017 volunteer referral lists are available Detail oriented, Microsoft knowledge helpful Please contact Roger-- rfnolte@comcast.net for more information. JUST A REMINDER: HAVE YOU PAIID YOUR FRIENDS OF NORTHWEST PARK MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2017? IF NOT: Do so now by either mailing your check to: Friends of Northwest Park P.O. Box 773 Windsor, CT 0695 -or- Online at northwestpark.org Friends - membership Your updated dues go to provide all the wonderful programs that are a part of making Northwest Park a premium spot for a fun and educational experience for all. Your support is a much needed and a valued asset. 7
8