Earth month is every month!
Join us for tasting and hiking on the trails.
Enjoy discoveries on our 152 acre preserve.
Earth month is every month!
Upcoming Programs
Self-Guided Earth Day Activity for Girl Scouts
April 5th - June 7th on the Orange Trail
Girl Scouts can earn their Earth Day patch for exploring the flora and fauna at the Woodcock Nature Center! This is a letter boxing scavenger hunt set up on our trails from April to June! Click "Learn More" to find the printable guide. Girl Scouts will find hidden stamps and learn fun facts along the way to a secret stash of Earth Day patches!
This event was created by Lily Zezula, a 9th grader at Ridgefield High School and Senior Girl Scout in Ridgefield Troop 50177.
Birding at Bennett's Pond State Park with Tommy McCarthy
Saturday, May 3 from 6 - 8 am
Join Tommy McCarthy and a member of the Ridgefield Conservation Commission for this early morning birdwatching hike at Bennett's Pond State Park! Bennett's Pond is one of the best spots for birdwatching in Ridgefield, and it shouldn't be too much of a challenge to log somewhere around 50 different species on a good morning in early May! The hike will take us through forest, meadow, and wetland habitats, which should offer opportunities to see a wide range of bird species from warblers to wood ducks. Bringing binoculars is recommended. This program is geared more towards adults, although kids are still welcome.
This program is in partnership with the Ridgefield Conservation Commission.
Registration is free. Registration is required.
Frothy Forage
Saturday, May 3
Timed tickets between 12pm - 6 pm
Bring the whole family for a one-of-a-kind hiking and tasting experience! At secret locations along the Woodcock trails we'll delight your senses with all new craft brews and sweet sips for all ages plus animal encounters, treats and treasure hunts, live music and food for purchase. Even furry family members will enjoy some goodies along the trek!
Registration is $27-$57. Registration required for ages 3+.
Springtime at Sunset (Grade 3 - 6)
Friday, May 9 from 7 - 9 pm
Come and experience Woodcock Nature Center at dusk in this special drop-off program for 3-6th graders! We'll start by meeting a couple of our resident animals in the nature center, and then educators will lead students on an evening hike! While out on the trails we will look for and learn about some of the beautiful wild animals that become more active in the evening. We'll listen and look for frogs by our vernal pools and boardwalk, search for salamanders underneath logs and on the forest floor and keep our eyes and ears open in search of any other nighttime animals we often hear at our preserve!
Registration is $45. Program is for Grade 3 - 6.
Nature Crafting with Ms. Jen
Wednesdays from 7 - 9 pm
In this new adult program, participants will learn about various nature related topics or themes and then create a beautiful craft to bring home! Register for one or both dates.
May 14 - Nature's Shadow Box
Registration is $42 per class. Registration is required.
Moth Madness
Friday, May 16 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm (Grade 3 - 6)
Thursday, June 5 from 8:30 - 10:30 pm (Grade 7 - 10)
In this special evening program, we will uncover the wonderful world of moths! These primarily nocturnal insects are seldom seen and underappreciated for their strikingly beautiful patterns and interesting range of adaptations and behaviors. Educators will lead students in visiting light traps and baited trees which will attract different moth species, and we will learn together about what we end up seeing and identifying! There are over 1,000 species of moth that live in New England and we are always excited to discover more of them!
Registration is $45. Two program offerings - Grade 3 - 6 and Grade 7 - 10.
All About Amphibians!!
Saturday, May 24 from 9:30 - 11:30 am (Grade K-2)
Join us for this special drop-off program for grades K-2 which will focus on Connecticut's amazing Amphibians! Educators will lead students on a hike, along which we will look for and learn about amphibians that live in local forests. We'll listen and look for frogs by our vernal pools and search for salamanders underneath logs on the forest floor. To end the program we will head inside the nature center to meet two amphibian ambassador animals!
Registration is $45. Program is for Grade K - 2.
Create your own Terrarium
Friday, May 30 from 6 - 8 pm (Grade 3 - 6)
In this program for students in grades 3 - 6, we will create our own closed terrariums inside glass mason jars! These terrariums will be modeled after our native forest floors - they will come out as cool living decorations that will remind you of nature and change over time! A closed system terrarium shouldn't need any watering or maintenance once created either - everything that it needs will be contained in the jar and recycled.
Registration is $45. Program is for Grade 3 - 6.