September Astronomy
Join our knowledgeable team of volunteer astronomers on Astronomy Hill for views of constellations, star clusters, planets, and more! Gaze through the telescopes, hear stories about the stars, watch a...
Join our knowledgeable team of volunteer astronomers on Astronomy Hill for views of constellations, star clusters, planets, and more! Gaze through the telescopes, hear stories about the stars, watch a...
Enjoy a woodland walk as you search for mushrooms with Joe and Kathy Brandt and other amateur mycologists from the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association. Learn how to identify the mushrooms that...
Spend a lovely evening with friends and neighbors as you enjoy our summer gardens and pastures while dining on delicious freshly harvested foods from the farm, all creatively prepared by celebrated chef, Anna Llanos.
Love animals? Come learn the ins and outs of animal care. Focused on our resident reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, this hands-on program will have Jr. Staff helping with feedings, cleanings,...
Interested in becoming a member, or just want to learn more about what we have to offer? Come enjoy the stunning landscape, the fascinating history, the diverse habitats, the varied...
Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Come enjoy the stunning landscape, the fascinating history, the diverse habitats, the varied wildlife, the multitude of educational opportunities, and...
Dress for the outdoors and join farmers Mike and Rachel as they complete daily farm chores. Get a first hand look at everything it takes to keep our chickens, sheep,...
6 weeks: Mondays September 23 - October 28 (no program on 10/14) An after school program (WITH BUS SERVICE FROM RES!) filled with a variety of hands-on activities around the...
Catch the Fall migration by joining expert birder and environmentalist Joe Bear on a leisurely 2-hour walk through our diverse habitats. We will search in open fields, woodlands, and wetlands...
6 weeks: Wednesday, September 25 - October 30 Did you know New Pond Farm has more than farm animals? Join the Animal Care Club and learn how to care for...
Bring lawn chairs and blankets and join us for a low-tech night of stargazing. With cups of farm fresh hot cocoa in hand, we will turn our gaze skyward in...
Join us for nature stories and related activities as we explore the seasons. Activities may include live animal encounters, nature crafts, walks on the property, and more. Our time will...
Tuesdays: October 8, 15, & 22 (With Bus Service from JRMS) Hone your outdoor skills as we explore NPF’s 70+ acres of wilderness. This program is: $45 per member, $60...
10 weeks: October 9 - December 18 (no class 11/27 & 11/28) A weekly caregiver and child program for our youngest members. Each week we will gather outdoors and spend...
10 weeks: October 10 - December 19 (no class 11/27 & 11/28) A weekly caregiver and child program for our youngest members. Each week we will gather outdoors and spend...
101 Marchant Rd West, Redding, CT 06896
Phone: (203) 938-2117
Email: info@newpondfarm.org
Learning Center Hours: 9 AM-5 PM
Dairy Annex Hours: 7 AM – 7 PM
© 2025 New Pond Farm Education Center, All Rights Reserved. Website by Social Graces Communications.
An Avian Success Story: In the early 1900s European Starlings and English Sparrows were introduced into the northeast. For decades, these aggressive cavity nesters out-competed the more docile bluebirds for nest sites, so their populations were in serious decline. Environmental groups and individuals came to the rescue. Wooden nesting boxes were installed throughout the area and thankfully the Bluebirds proved to be quite adaptable, successfully raising their families in these new homes.
As you walk through our lower pastures and wildflower meadow, you may be fortunate enough to see bluebirds sitting on our nesting boxes. The males have brilliant blue plumage on their wings and back, a rusty colored breast and sides, and white undersides. The wings and back of the females are a more subtle grayish blue.
Once you learn the warbling vocalizations of these members of the thrush family, you will hear them frequently throughout your walk.
In addition to the many insects that make up their summer diet, our bluebirds feast on the berries of native shrubs throughout the fall and winter. We have planted stands of native winterberries (Ilex verticillate) and flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) to add to our native staghorn sumacs (Rhus typina), and elderberries (Sambucus nigra).
Another bird that DEEP considers a species of special concern is the Purple Martin. Once commonly seen flying over open agricultural lands across the State, these aerial acrobats have been in decline for decades due to lack of open fields and pastures, lack of suitable nesting sites, and competition from aggressive non-native European starlings and house sparrows
For several decades, conservation efforts have been in place across the State to bring back the Purple Martins, and efforts are paying off! Arrangements of specially-sized, artificial hollow gourds have been hung from tall poles in appropriate habitats. Groups like the CT Audubon Society have well established banding programs, and DEEP reports that the Martin populations are on the rise.
New Pond Farm’s pastures seem like a perfect habitat, so during the nesting season, we too have positioned an arrangement of hanging gourds near the white fenceline along the pasture. If you venture over here during the early morning hours in the spring, you may hear the loop of pre-recorded twittering calls that we play in an attempt to attract any migrants. So far, we have just attracted a few scouting birds. Hopefully the spring of 2024 may be our lucky year
Back in the 1980s, a pair of kestrels nested reliably in a box positioned in the large sugar maple along our Farm Road. These exquisite, robin-sized, falcons were an absolute joy to behold as they would soar, hover, and plunge over the pastures and lawns searching for insects, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
For many years we have been without a nesting pair, and for the past several decades DEEP has listed American Kestrels as a species of special concern.
Working with Art Gingert, who is well known in the State for his decades of d devotion to reestablishing nesting pairs of kestrels, we have installed a kestrel box on the eastern side of our pasture. No takers yet, but the box will be back up early in the spring of 2024, and we are hopeful.