About Us

Seaside Center

Fred Elser First Sunday Science at the Seaside Center

Year-round. Open on the first Sunday of each month.

Free. Family activities throughout the afternoon and talks by experts in the field.  No pass required. Complimentary admission for First Sunday programs May - October by alerting front gate staff that you are coming for the First Sunday Sceince event. For more information, contact Seaside Center Manager Cynthia Ehlinger at cynthiae@brucemuseum.org or 203-413-6756 (Mon.- Fri.).

 

Sunday, May 6, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Horseshoe Crabs.

Hear about the history and biology of horseshoe crabs, their importance to the ecosystem, and the role they have in modern science and medicine. Family activities on the horseshoe crab all afternoon. Held at the Innis Arden Cottage/ Seaside Center, Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich. The free event is open to all ages and no reservations or beach passes are needed. Please alert front entry staff that you are attending the First Sunday Science event.  For information, contact Cynthia Ehlinger at cynthiae@brucemuseum.org or 203-413-6756.

Sunday, June 3, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Lighthouses at Night.

 At 2:00 pm, photographer and author David Zapatka discusses his images of Northeastern lighthouses and stars. Family activities on lighthouses and stars all afternoon. Held at the Innis Arden Cottage/ Seaside Center, Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich. The free event is open to all ages and no reservations or beach passes are needed. Please alert front entry staff that you are attending the First Sunday Science event.  For information, contact Cynthia Ehlinger at cynthiae@brucemuseum.org or 203-413-6756.

Sunday, July 1, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Everything Except Honey: The Diversity of Wild Bees

Talk by Nick Dorian at 2:00 pm. There are over 4000 species of bees native to the United States, and over 400 species that can be found in New England. Within these numbers exists a staggering diversity—of form, of color, and of biology. In this talk, you will learn about the diversity of wild bees in New England. We’ll start with an introduction to native bees and pollination and go through several vignettes of common native bees. Then we’ll shift to wild bee conservation and what you can do to help bees in your own backyard, including a demo of how to build a native bee home.

 Nick Dorian is a first-year PhD student at Tufts University in Medford, MA. He studies native cellophane bees and how climate change affects their populations. Further, Nick’s passion for science communication and outreach leads him to share what he knows about pollinators and gardening to anyone willing to listen. When he’s not following bees, Nick photographs birds, writes poetry, and tries to bake the perfect English muffin.

Sunday, August 5, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Blue Crabs. 

At 2:00 pm, Tim Visel, former lobsterman who now is the Coordinator at New Haven's Sound School, discusses the status of Blue Crabs in the Sound and along the East Coast as well as new discoveries in understanding their larval stages. Explore the crabs of LI Sound all afternoon.

Sunday, September 2, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. TBD.

---

Summer Season 2018: Sunday, June 24 – Monday, September 3, 2018

Tuesday - Sunday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

The Seaside Center educates visitors about the ecology of Long Island Sound and features:

• Live-animal marine touch tank open year-round
• Four marine aquaria of local species open seasonally 
• Seashore dioramas of summer and winter birds, fish, and other local species, and an underwater oyster reef
• Environmental activities and video presentations
• Helpful naturalists
   

The Seaside Center is generously supported in part by Osprey Private Client.
 

Read More >