HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Staff at The White Memorial Foundation and Conservation Center!

Photo credit ~ Jill Nelson

White Memorial Conservation Center

Announces Annual Year-End Appeal

by Gerri Griswold

“Acts of creation are ordinarily

 reserved for gods and poets,

but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how.”

― Aldo Leopold

       Had it not been for Alain and May White, Litchfield County would look very different. Our lives would be very different. The Whites were land conservation pioneers during a time when saving open space was incomprehensible. They purchased properties that would become Kent Falls, People's State Forest, Campbell's Falls, Mohawk Mountain, among others and gifted them to the State of Connecticut. They saved this land for us. They preserved 4,000 acres of open space in Litchfield/Bantam/Morris and created The White Memorial Foundation. This included 60% of the land around Bantam Lake, Connecticut's largest natural lake. They did this for us.

      The Whites engaged children near and far by establishing campgrounds on the lake and by hosting tea parties and staging play productions in the backyard of their summer home, Whitehall (now the Nature Museum). They believed deeply that time spent in Nature is good for our bodies and souls. They ensured that this “medicine” would be available to us in perpetuity.

      The work we endeavor at White Memorial marches in step with the White's vision: Research, Conservation, Recreation, and Education. We care deeply about upholding the legacy our founders created and hope that our hikes, summer camps, virtual junkets around the world, musical evenings, live animal presentations, campgrounds, research of our property, and the myriad programs we develop with you in mind, thrill, inspire, and fill you with the wonders of Nature.

       Your tax-deductible donation, no matter how small, to our Annual Year End Appeal supports our devotion to continue serving your interests. You can also donate securely online by stopping by our Facebook and Instagram pages, or by visiting our website: https://whitememorialcc.org/product/donation/ Be sure to indicate that your donation is for the Annual Appeal.

       Carrie, Jamie, Erin, Kelly, Ronnie, and I deeply thank you for your consideration and steadfast support and wish you happy holidays. 

Nature Museum Hours

Closed Monday

Tuesday through Saturday

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

New Sunday hours beginning January 1!

11:A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Museum Children Free Week

December 21 - 27, 2022

Courtesy of Tara and Arthur Diedrick.

 Free admission to children ages twelve and under

when accompanied by an adult.

CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 26, 2022

Museum and Offices Closed

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dark of Winter Yoga

with Judith Erhmann-Shapiro

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.

ZOOM

$10.00 per class payable by Venmo, Square,

cash, or check. $1.00 of each class will be donated to White Memorial!

Call or text Judith at 860-309-9489 or email:

judith.erhmanshapiro@gmail.com

Wednesdays, November 9, 2022 through March 8, 2023

This class will run for 17 weeks, from the change of the clock in November to the change of the clock in March, specifically November 9 to March 8. There are a few spaces in the studio for in-person students who are vaccinated (please contact Judith directly if interested). There is no previous yoga experience required. The purpose of the class is self-care during the winter season; increasing self-awareness, emotional balance, physical strength, flexibility, and muscular endurance. The class will integrate mindfulness, breath technique, yoga postures, kinesthetic awareness, and alignment in an hour of relaxing, quiet, guided movement.

Judith Ehrman-Shapiro, PhD, BC-DMT, NCC, RYT is a psychotherapist, dance-movement therapist, nationally certified counselor, and registered yoga teacher. Her private practice, the Evolving Center, is in Winsted. She is a proud member of White Memorial Conservation Center, where she has been sharing her love of yoga for over 6 years!

One Day Fun Day at White Memorial!

SOLD OUT!: Grades 1-3:

Tuesday, December 27 

Grades 4-6:

Wednesday, December 28 

One-Day Fun Day at White Memorial 

9:30am-3:30pm 

Meet at the A. B. Ceder Room.

Members: $40.00 Non-Members: $70.00

Pre-registration is required. Call 860-567-0857

or register online:

Grades 4 - 6: Register Here!



Nature can be so much fun in the winter! So, grab your coat, boots, and hat, and let’s spend one of your vacation days learning about the natural world around you. Get outside, play games, make crafts, meet live animals! A morning and afternoon snack/drink will warm us up between adventures. Please bring a lunch and wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Parents/Guardians are welcome to stay, but it is not necessary.

A New Year's Eve Morning Hike to Little Pond

with Gerri Griswold

Saturday, December 31, 2022

7:00 a.m.

Meet in the A. B. Ceder Room.

Please pre-register by calling 860-567-0857 or register here:

New Years Eve Hike Registration

FREE...Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center's programming expenses.



Let’s ring in 2023 together on an early morning hike to our beloved Boardwalk! Wear your finest party hat! We’ll supply the sparklers and a glass of cheer at the end of our walk!

New Year Holiday!

January 1 & 2, 2023

Museum and Offices Closed

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1. Bobcat Tracks ~ Lake Trail

2. River Otter Tracks ~ Lake Trail

3. Green-winged Teal ~ North Shore Road

4. Ring-necked Duck ~ Bantam Lake

5. Bufflehead ~ Bantam Lake

6. American Wigeon ~ Bantam Lake

7. Ruddy Duck ~ Bantam Lake

8. Redhead ~ Bantam Lake

1. 9. American Black Duck ~ Bantam Lake

10. Winter Wren ~ Interpretive Trail

"Bobcat" 

Photo credit: Leo Kulinski, Jr. www.leokulinskijr.com

WHITE MEMORIAL FLEECES NOW AVAILABLE!

These full zip fleece jackets will be the perfect way to stay warm on the trails! You can place your order today, and your fleece will be either shipped to you directly, or can be picked up at the White Memorial Conservation Center Museum. You will receive an email when your order is ready for pick up at White Memorial. Thank you for your support of all our hard work at the Conservation Center, we couldn’t do it all without you!

NO RETURNS, these are custom orders.

Order Your Fleeces Here!

START OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A RESOLUTION!

Visit to our Beautiful Gift Shop!

Treat yourself to....

Maple Syrup, White Memorial Tee Shirts, Caps,

Sweat Shirts, Stickers, Water Bottles, Nature Jewelry, Fossils,

Miniature Watercolor Paintings, Books for Adults and Children,

Kid's Toys, Plush Animals, Hand-turned Wooden Bowls,

One-of-a-Kind Art Work,

Can't decide? A Gift Card in any denomination is the prefect solution!

Shop in person or online here!

NEW ONLINE STORE!

Crimson Pie Recipe

Back by popular demand...the recipe for this wonderful confection

 served at the Annual Cranberry Pond Walk.

For the filling:

1/2 of an Orange with the skin, coarsely ground (you can chop it up in the food processor)

4 Cups frozen Blueberries

12 oz. Cranberries

1 1/2 Cup sugar

3 Tbl Cornstarch

2 Tbl Butter

*****

1. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together.

2. Put the orange, blueberries, cranberries and sugar-cornstarch mixture in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a boil

3. Boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.

4. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400.

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For the Crust:

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbl Sour Cream

2 Tbl ice Water

1 tsp Sugar

3/4 tsp Salt

2 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup chilled Butter

1/2 Cup chilled Shortening

*****

1. Mix together the sour cream, water, sugar and salt.

2. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour until little pea-sized balls form.

3. Add the liquid to the flour and mix well.

4. Divide into two. Roll out one half and line a 9″ pie pan.

5. Pour cooled fruit into prepared pie pan. Cut the butter into little dabs and put on top.

6. Roll out top crust and put over the fruit. Cut vents and, if you wish, apply decorative cut-outs. Sprinkle with sugar.

7. Bake in a 400 oven for 40-50 minutes, until the fruit begins to bubble out of the vents.

WINTER 2023 NEWSLETTER!

CLICK HERE!

Sanctuary Winter 2023

MY WHITE MEMORIAL

PHOTO CHALLENGE!

Our Sanctuary is alive with the sights, sounds, and scents of the seasons.

Why not share photos of your explorations around White Memorial? 

Photos will be published each week in the Habitattler.

Please send all photos to Gerri Griswold: gerri@whitememorialcc.org

Happy Photographing!

The Tail End



Christmas Winter Wonderland ~ How Animals Survive the Winter

Winter casts a very special, magical spell. It’s a time for traditions and customs: snowmen come to life, Santas wander through brightly-lit Christmas markets, much to the delight of the children. But indigenous animal life pays no heed to this human idyll. For them, winter is a time of austerity. Squirrels, boars and lynx all have their own strategy for surviving the winter. But despite an amazing ability to adapt, the fight for survival is hard – and can often only be won with the help of human beings. The film takes us on a journey through wintry Germany - underscored by a childlike enthusiasm for the cold season. Snow-covered fairy-tale landscapes, unusual wildlife stories and touching tales about animals create a special heart-warming winter atmosphere that not even adults can escape: Contemplative, amusing and fascinating all at the same time, the film lyrically illustrates the charm of an enchanting Christmas Winter Wonderland.

January 1 / 2

New Year Holiday

Offices and Museum Closed

January 4, 11, 18, 25

Dark of Winter Yoga with Judith Erhmann-Shapiro

January 5

Nature's Nursery

January 7

The Pandemic Pantry: Crazy About Coconut! with Gerri Griswold

January 12 - 18

Museum Children Free Week

January 14

Exploring the Lake and Butternut Brook Trails with Gerri Griswold

January 14

Expedition to Ellsmere Island with David Gibbbon

January 15

Sunday Guided Museum Tour with Tom Saunders

The 41st Annual Family Nature Day

Saturday, September 23, 2023!