Henry L. Ferguson Museum

17th Annual Thanksgiving Trail Clearing & Beach Clean Up
2022-11-25 14:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
The Henry L. Ferguson Museum
Presents the
17th Annual Thanksgiving Trail Clearing & Beach Clean Up
(Plus “Oyster After-Party”)
Friday, November 25, 2022
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Museum Trail Clearing 2013, Photo courtesy of Jane Ahrens
WHERE:
Meet at the Museum before proceeding to the Nature Trails and Beach Clearing. As many of the trails are in great shape, we will be expanding assignments to include invasive control and additional beach clean-up.
TOOLS:
Please bring tools you are capable of handling effectively and SAFELY.
NO CHAINSAWS.
CLEANING:
We will provide heavy duty garbage bags for beach and path cleaning.
DRESS:
We suggest you wear long pants, long sleeved shirts, socks and gloves to battle thorns and poison ivy.
“OYSTERS AFTER” PARTY
(approximately 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
All participants are invited immediately thereafter to a post-clearing party AT THE MUSEUM to enjoy drinks and oysters. Thanks to Fishers Island Oyster Farm, Summer Shuckers, Bottlerocket, and Fishers Island Lemonade for their generous sponsorship of this festive Island tradition.
Oysters on deck, H.L.F. Museum, Thanksgiving weekend, November 26, 2021.
During the reception, please check out and enjoy the current annual exhibit “Year Round, A Celebration of Community” on display, curated by Pierce Rafferty and generously sponsored by Altus Partners and Chubb.
For further information please contact:
Scott Reid
646.431.8536
bsr1265@gmail.com
or
Pierce Rafferty
631.788.7239
fimuseum@fishersisland.net
The Land Trust’s trail system is maintained throughout the year by the museum and volunteer opportunities are also always available.
To learn more about how the Annual Trail Clearing began, please read:
“Trail Clearing: A Labor of Love”

Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition Meeting
2022-12-07 12:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition will hold our fall meeting in December!
As the next phase in the community-led effort to Save Our Seagrass, we will discuss the educational methods and messaging to be included in our Landscaping Campaign. We will workshop rewards, incentives, and branding for our upcoming outreach efforts to affect public change in fertilizer use.

Members of the Fishers Island community are invited and encouraged to attend our meeting to learn about our goals and to provide feedback about our plans. It is important to us that we act in the community’s interest with community support. Please join us to help make our goals of a happy, healthy ecosystem a reality!
When: December 7, 2022, 12:00-2:00pm
Where: Zoom – please email Hannah fishersislandseagrass@gmail.com for the invite.
Who: All members of the public are welcome! The coalition participates in the meeting, and public members can comment at the end.
After the coalition’s victory in unanimously passing the FISM Outreach and Education Plan in August, we have been working tirelessly to implement our goals. For more information, please visit the Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition website, where new content is uploaded regularly.
fiseagrass.org

10th Annual Holiday Open House
2022-12-21 17:00 - 19:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Please join us for the
10th Annual
Holiday Open House
at
The H.L. Ferguson Museum
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022
5:00 – 7:00 pm
All welcome!!
(refreshments will be provided)
Holiday Greetings Artwork by Nora Neus

Exterior view of The Henry L. Ferguson Museum, March 6, 2006. Photo by Pierce Rafferty.

Exterior view of The Henry L. Ferguson Museum, December 15, 2020. Photo by Pierce Rafferty.

Illustrated Talk "A Most Pivotal Decade: Fishers Island In The 1940s"
2023-02-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
US Navy conducting top secret experiments with anti-submarine detection devices (ASDIC) from a barge off Club Beach during World War II. Photo courtesy of Jim Carpenter.
Sunday, February 26th, Museum Director Pierce Rafferty will host a virtual rebroadcast of “A Most Pivotal Decade: Fishers Island In The 1940s,” first presented and recorded at the FI Movie Theater in August 2021
In this illustrated talk, Pierce reveals much that has been forgotten or was never widely known about the 1940s on Fishers Island.
Time: Sunday, February 26, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: Zoom
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Civic Association Billboard, Fishers Island Ferry Dock, New London, Conn.
c.1948 Photograph by Al Gordon. Courtesy of the Gordon Family

Can you imagine a time when Fishers Island had billboards on the mainland promoting tourism to the island?
A wrenching bankruptcy of the east end’s Fishers Island Corporation in 1940 combined with disruptions caused by World War II to create a cascading series of events that threatened Fishers Island’s economic stability from one end of the island to the other. This talk chronicles those crises and reveals how they were confronted and addressed during the 1940s, a norm-shattering decade that helped shape the Fishers Island we know today.

FISM Winter Meeting: Seagrass-safe Boating
2023-03-03 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition will convene its winter meeting in March to discuss strategy and messaging to educate NY and CT boaters about seagrass-safe boating. This will include lively discussions on the elements to include in the outreach and how to engage people with the mission.
WHEN: Friday, March 3, 2023, 12:00-1:30 pm
WHERE: Zoom – email fishersislandseagrass@gmail.com for the invite information
WHO: All members of the community are welcome! Non-coalition members will be observers and have the opportunity to comment at the end of the meeting.
The FISM Coalition’s community-led effort to Save Our Seagrass encompasses a goal to reduce the physical damage caused by recreational boaters around the island. Since boating damage rarely occurs in the same location and frequently creates bare patches in eelgrass beds, the cumulative damage to our Fishers Island eelgrass is extensive.

To learn more about how boating can damage eelgrass; please visit the FISM website:
fiseagrass.org/seagrass-safe-boating

Also, an exciting new Eelgrass Collaborative Network is forming, and the FISM Coalition will be part of that group. So come to the meeting to learn how this new group will help us achieve our goals!

Photo by Sally Wakeman

Journeys: Ospreys, Technology, and an Author
2023-03-19 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
An illustrated talk by ornithologist Rob Bierregaard that brings to light several decades of research on the ecology and migratory patterns of Ospreys, work that has been greatly aided by evolving technology. This virtual talk also reveals Rob’s own journey to becoming a first-time children’s book author.
Time: Sunday, March 19, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: VIRTUAL via Zoom
Rob Bierregaard
Between 2000 and 2017 Rob Bierregaard and his colleagues placed GPS satellite transmitters on 47 adult and 61 juvenile Ospreys from South Carolina to the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada. Most of these were birds tagged in southern New England, including two from Fisher’s Island, nine from the Westport River in southeastern MA, and four Rhode Island Ospreys from Conanicut Island.
During the 18 years Rob and his team studied Osprey migration, the technology went through three major upgrades. With each advance in the technology, new questions about Osprey migration and ecology could be answered. Rob will describe how each of the technological innovations—a sort of journey of its own—helped us understand more and more of the mysteries of the journeys Ospreys make as they navigate from their nesting territories to South American wintering waters often more than 4,000 miles from their nests, how, on a more local scale, as they travel around their home territories in search of fish during the breeding season, and finally, as young Ospreys work their way into the breeding population.
In 2013 someone suggested that Rob write a kids’ book about his favorite Osprey. Five years later, Belle’s Journey, a middle-school chapter book, was published by Charlesbridge.

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Turtles of Fishers Island and the Surrounding Region
2023-04-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Back by popular demand! VIRTUAL ONLY illustrated talk by Kim Hargrave, education director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic, Conn.
Time: Sunday, April 23, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: Virtual (Zoom)
Incredible creatures, turtles have survived eons with remarkably little change. Kim’s talk takes a close look at the lives and habitats of turtles who live on land and in the waters of Fishers Island and surrounding region. Learn more about the threats they are facing due to habitat loss, climate change and the pet trade and what we can do to help.
An adult program suitable for children aged 10 and older.
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Snapping turtle. Courtesy of Justine Kibbe

Eastern painted turtles at Duck Pond. Courtesy of Steve Zettler

Eastern painted turtles. Courtesy of Connor Jones

2023 Annual Exhibitions Opening Reception
2023-06-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
This year’s Annual Exhibition, The Sketchbooks of Charlie Ferguson, complemented by two special exhibitions, showcases Charlie’s spontaneous drawings and watercolors, as well as daily notes and natural history observations, spanning a period from the mid-1970s to mid-2010s.
The other two exhibits are Early Photographs of Fishers Island and Early Paintings of Fishers Island. Framed prints of the featured iconic photographs will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting the Museum’s Art Fund.
Join us this Saturday, June 24th, 5 to 7 PM for our opening party.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Refreshments will be served on the deck, weather permitting, or inside, if need be.

Untitled oil painting of Race Rock Light, c.1885. Attributed to Rev. Josiah M. Bartlett. Courtesy of Bailey Reid

South Beach, c.1895. Photograph by James S. Casey

The Museum would like to thank the co-sponsors of this year’s exhibition:
Altus Partners, Inc., a risk management and insurance brokerage firm founded by Charlie Wilmerding in 1997, and the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Your continuing support is much appreciated by all.
Later this year an expanded version of the Annual Exhibition and the two special exhibitions can be viewed virtually on this website.
Regular Museum hours will begin on June 27th.
Tuesday through Friday: 10 AM to 12:30 PM; 2 PM to 4 PM. Saturday: 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Sunday: 11 AM to 12 noon. Closed Mondays.
We are all excited to welcome the island back to the Museum and look forward to presenting a full slate of summer programming.

Best Built Nest
2023-07-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Birds are not the only living creatures that build nests. What other animals build nests that can withstand all types of weather and protect their young? Meet native nest builders and try your hand at nest building!
WHEN: Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).
Woodchuck gathering leaves for nest. Photo By Cephas, CC

Brickyard Woods Nature Walk
2023-07-06 10:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Join HLFM board member Terry McNamara for a Nature Walk through Brickyard woods of the Brickyard Sanctuary Trail.
When: Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Location: Meet at the Museum
The Museum guided nature walks, led by board member Terry McNamara, are Thursdays in July and August.

Pollinator Pathway and Controlling Invasive Plants on Fishers Island
2023-07-06 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Illustrated talk by Pollinator Pathway organizer and Nix the Knotweed founder Suzanne Thompson and natural & organic landscaper Petie Reed offering timely gardening advice on how to attract pollinators and combat Knotweed and other invasive plants crowding out our natural ecosystems.
Time: Thursday, July 6, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In person only at the Museum, 2nd Floor
Suzanne Thompson grew up gardening on a Kansas farm where amber waves of grain were the closest she got to the sea. She has been on the East Coast since 1981 and settled in Old Lyme, CT, in 2002. After hosting an outdoorsy radio talk show and writing gardening columns for 14 years, in 2020, she launched Nix the Knotweed, a social media campaign to promote chemical-free controls of Knotweed and other invasive plants. She is co-leader of Old Lyme’s Pollinator Pathway initiative. Suzanne has BS degrees in Urban Horticulture and Journalism and after working for a decade in the pesticide industry she now works in environmental and conservation fields.
Founder of Perennial Harmony in 2002, Petie Reed has been honing the organic carbohydrate deprivation method to control invasive Knotweed for over a decade. She is a CT NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional.
The original Pollinator Pathway initiative was started by Sarah Bergmann over a decade ago in Seattle, Washington as participatory art, design and ecology social sculpture. In 2017, four women organized Pollinator Pathway in Wilton, CT to establish pollinator-friend habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators along a series of continuous corridors. Conservation groups and communities were encouraged to join in and today over 300 Pathways have been established in 11 states. In 2021, Pollinator Pathway became a 501c3 nonprofit organization, see pollinator-pathway.org for tips, tools and How to “Bee” Part of the Pollinator Pathway.

Nix the Knotweed is a grassroots campaign using social media to share advice and compare results in following organic carbohydrate deprivation practices to combat invasive Knotweed. Organizers are seeking collaborators and grant funding to expand this citizen-scientist effort. For more information, please visit facebook.com/NixtheKnotweed and youtube.com/@nixtheknotweed9869

Japanese Knotweed. Photo courtesy of USFWS

Japanese Knotweed. Photo courtesy of USFWS

HLFM at IPP Craft Fair
2023-07-08 09:00 - 12:00 | Village Green, Fishers Island
Visit our table on the Village Green during the IPP Craft Fair
Saturday, July 8, 2023
9 am – 12 noon
We have new items this year!

The Wreck of the Steamer Atlantic
2023-07-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
An Illustrated talk—both in-person and virtual by Museum Director Pierce Rafferty that chronicles the dramatic story of Fishers Island’s most deadly and consequential shipwreck, the wreck of the Steamer Atlantic in November 1846. This tragic wreck caught the attention of the nation, and was commemorated by mournful ballads, popular poems, and two Currier lithographs. The fate of the ship’s legendary bell, and the erection of a lighthouse on nearby North Dumpling, are just two of the side stories also covered in this fascinating tale of woe.
Time: Sunday, July 9, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In person at the Museum, 2nd Floor, and virtual via zoom
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Awful Wreck of the Magnificent Steamer ATLANTIC on Fishers Island Lithograph by N. Currier 1846 Courtesy of George F. Bass

Drawing copied from daguerreotype showing wreck of the Steamer Atlantic, North Hill, Fishers Island, N.Y. Museum Collection. Donated by Harry & Susie Ferguson

Critter Camouflage
2023-07-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Animals are the masters of disguise! From stripes, to mimicry, learn the ways animals hide and why. Meet live animals, create camouflaged paper creatures and play camouflage games.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).
Eastern screech owl. Photo by Danielle Brigida/USFWS
Gray tree frog photo by DPNC Educator Jess Morris

Ceremonial Stonework: The Enduring Native American Presence on the Land
2023-07-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Documentary photographer Markham Starr will present an illustrated talk on the ceremonial stonework left behind by the indigenous population that occupied New England for 12,000 years.
Native Americans built nearly two dozen distinct types of structures in our area, ranging from cairns to stone serpent effigies, and these spiritual offerings remain standing in now long abandoned woods. While Native American stonework is widely recognized out west and to the south, New England’s stonework remains obscure, having blended back into the woods. This presentation, drawn from the book by the same name, comes from photographs of over 50,000 objects and ceremonial sites in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Time: Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
Reception to follow.
Some in-person talks end up being over subscribed, sign up in advance recommended for people attending in person. Call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat.

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Markham Starr is a documentary photographer living in Connecticut. His goal has been to preserve something of the working cultures of New England, now rapidly disappearing. He has largely focused on commercial fishermen, but has also documented such things as the last family dairy farms in his home town, the closing of the last sardine cannery in America, traditional agricultural fairs throughout New England, and historic barns. The photographs he takes and interviews are turned into books for distribution. His work has been featured in magazines such as LensWork, The Sun, Vermont Magazine, Rhode Island Monthly, Edible Rhody, and Yankee Magazine, and the photographs from his major projects have been selected for inclusion in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress.

Serpent Effigy by Markham Starr

Cairn by Markham Starr

Enclosure by Markham Starr

Animal Detective
2023-07-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Become an animal detective! Learn how to read the clues animals leave behind. Tracks, scat, feathers and fur are just a few of the signs we’ll discover as we figure out what our animal neighbors have been up to. You will also create an animal track to bring home.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).

Hungry Point Raccoon tracks photo by Justine Kibbe

Treasure Pond Trail Guided Nature Walk
2023-07-20 10:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Join HLFM board member Terry McNamara for a Nature Walk through Brickyard woods of the Treasure Pond Trail.
When: Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Location: Meet at the Museum
The Museum guided nature walks, led by board member Terry McNamara, are Thursdays in July and August.

Modern Houses of Fishers Island and Beyond
2023-07-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
This illustrated talk by Jacob Albert of Albert, Righter & Tittmann Architects, Inc., Boston, Mass., traces modern movements in architecture from the International Style to Post-Modernism, as reflected on Fishers Island.
Time: Sunday, July 23, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
Reception to follow.
PLEASE NOTE: IN-PERSON IS FULLY BOOKED AT THIS TIME. NO RESERVATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE VIRTUAL TALK.

Join zoom webinar

Jacob D. Albert, AIA is an ART founding partner, Jacob has devoted his professional life to celebrating and reinterpreting the rich traditions of New England architecture. Jacob studied at Yale, where he received both his BA and March. He is a past board member of the national Society of Architectural Historians and served for ten years as secretary of the SAH New England Chapter. A resident of Cambridge, he spent eight years on the Cambridge Historical Commission. He is currently a trustee of Historic New England.

Postcard published by New London News Co., circa 1950. Museum Collection.

Exterior view of Hooverness, May 1, 2010. Courtesy of John S.W. Spofford.

Nocturnal Animals
2023-07-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Owls, opossums, skunks and bats are just a few of the animals that get up when we go to bed. Explore their nocturnal world, meet a live owl and discover just how incredible their night-time senses are through games.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).

Guided Nature Walk: South Beach
2023-07-27 10:30 - 22:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
The Museum guided nature walks are led by board member Terry McNamara Thursdays in July and August.
Meet at the museum 10:30 AM

South Beach Aerial Photograph by Todd McCormack

Rare Species and Natural Communities of Fishers Island
2023-07-30 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
In this richly illustrated talk, three scientists of the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) will present the results of a two-year inventory of the H.L. Ferguson Museum’s Land Trust properties. The scheduled NYNHP speakers are Matt Schlesinger, Chief Zoologist, Greg Edinger, Chief Ecologist, and Rich Ring, Chief Botanist.
Over the past two years, the NYNHP has worked closely with the Henry L. Ferguson Museum while conducting a two-year biodiversity survey of the Museum’s Land Trust properties. Building on the island’s legacy of natural history observations, NYNHP scientists have conducted focused surveys for rare plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, bats, and other species. They have also mapped the Land Trust’s ecosystems. This presentation will detail survey techniques, species discoveries, and natural community conclusions derived from the 2021 and 2022 field seasons. All who wish to learn more about the variety of diverse flora and fauna that surround us on Fishers Island will be fully engaged by this scientific survey summary.
Time: Sunday, July 30, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
NOTE: Some in-person talks end up being over subscribed, sign up in advance recommended for people attending in person. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat. Registration not required for virtual attendance.

Join zoom webinar

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Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
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+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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Fishers Island ecology sampling points: Green 352 points (2021); Blue 75 points (2022)

Matt Schlesinger, NYNHP Chief Zoologist

Rich Ring, NYNHP Chief Botanist

Greg Edinger, NYNHP Chief Ecologist

Beach Wolf Spider (Arctosa littoralis) found wonderfully camouflaged at Chocomount Cove in September of 2022 – possibly hunting tiger beetles found the same day.

A small population of Mitchell’s Sedge (Carex mitchelliana) was relocated west of Hungry Point

Stand of tall Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) trees along Equestrian Avenue in the summer of 2022.

To learn more about the first of this two year program, please read Nature Notes: A New Rare Plant Survey for Fishers Island.

Sounds of Nature
2023-08-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
These sounds are music to our ears! Meet some of our animal friends who love to make noises while learning about how and why animals communicate.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).

America in Transition: The Gilded Age Years
2023-08-06 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
This illustrated talk by Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County will cast light on an underappreciated but incredibly lively period in America that bridged the late 19th to the early 20th century.
The expansion of industry and transportation – and the lack of an income tax – gave rise to a new wealthy class of people with names like Vanderbilt, Morgan, Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller. Massive fortunes were made very quickly and spent on lavish lifestyles. More than opulent mansions, top hat-wearing robber barons and mustachioed presidents, the gilded age was a transformative time that ushered in modern America. Learn everything you need to know about this important period of American history.
Time: Sunday, August 6, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
NOTE: Some in-person talks end up being over subscribed, sign up in advance recommended for people attending in person. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat. Registration not required for virtual attendance.

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Webinar ID: 831 6719 6596
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Trudy Coxe has been CEO & Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County since December 1998. A non-profit organization that has been responsible for the preservation, restoration and revitalization of some of Newport’s most significant buildings and landscapes. Trudy oversees 11 historic houses in Newport, many of them built during the gilded age. The houses have been the stage sets for Julian Fellowes’ TV series “The Gilded Age.”

Owl Prowl
2023-08-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Come dissect an owl pellet and meet a resident owl. Learn about the life cycles and amazing adaptations of these remarkable birds.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).

Guided Nature Walk: Brickyard Pond Trail and Clay Pit Trail
2023-08-10 10:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
The Museum guided nature walks are led by board member Terry McNamara Thursdays in July and August.
Meet at the museum 10:30 AM

Brickyard Pond Trail

Clay Pit Trail

The Great White Shark - Close to Shore
2023-08-13 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
An Illustrated talk by Executive Director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, Jon Dodd, detailing the latest white shark research in RI (and adjacent waters). Learn about the techniques used by his team, the latest technology to investigate these apex predators, and what’s going on in our area. They’ve caught, tagged, released and tracked a number of white sharks while also detecting a larger than expected number of white sharks on ASI’s acoustic array. An interactive presentation that should leave you excited about this important work, and the Great White.
Time: Sunday, August 13, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
NOTE: Some in-person talks end up being over subscribed, sign up in advance recommended for people attending in person. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat. Registration not required for virtual attendance.

Join zoom webinar

Or One tap mobile :
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Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
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Jon Dodd is an experienced marine biologist who has worked at the NMFS Apex Predator Investigation Lab in Narragansett, RI, caught and released more than 1,000 sharks, and has tagged the majority of those sharks for a wide variety of research projects.
The ASI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in South Kingstown, RI.

FIND 2023
2023-08-14 09:00
FISHERS ISLAND NATURE DISCOVERY
2023 – The 4th Year of FIND
A Week (5 DAYS) of Learning Programs for Young Island Naturalists Ages 5 to 10.
FIND offers a week of learning programs for young Island naturalists on a variety of environmental topics relating to the natural history and stewardship of our Island. Using the Ferguson Museum as a base, the programs provide an indoor/outdoor learning experience that introduces our children to the Island’s natural resources and some of the challenges faced in maintaining its fragile ecology. Led by professional educators, the children discover the Island’s natural history through a combination of hands-on exploration, observation, and interpretation.
WHEN: The 2023 FIND program will run for one week from August 14 to August 18; Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.
WHO: 20 children max, all between the ages of 5 to 10. Depending on numbers, attendees will either be in one group, or split into two groups by age.
Each group will be led by educator/s from the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC), assisted at times by Museum staff and guest naturalists.
WHERE: Outdoor locations will vary based on the daily plan, but will include Fishers Island’s beaches, woods, and ponds. Indoor learning will take place at the Museum and will include art and science projects related to the daily subject matter.
COST: The cost per participant is $375 for the week. To promote group cohesion and learning, we encourage all participants to attend all five sessions.
REGISTRATION: Please call the Museum (631-788-7239) or e-mail fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a spot for your child/children. The registration and payment form will then be sent to you.
This is a wonderful opportunity for young children to develop a love of nature and ecology through participatory learning both at the Museum and in the field.
Registration FormFIND 2019

Nature Journaling
2023-08-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Learn about the world and engage your creativity with nature journaling! Kids of all ages can start their very own journal with activities such as plant pressing, nature observation, drawing, and more.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 16, 2023.
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) family program for ages five and up.
Suggested donation $10.

All Wednesday children’s programs are in person at the Museum.
Attendance is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Please phone: 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net
(note the name and date of the specific program and the name and age of the attendee/s).

GUIDED NATURE WALK: Penni's Path
2023-08-17 10:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
The Museum guided nature walks are led by board member Terry McNamara Thursdays in July and August.
Meet at the Museum 10:30 AM

Penni’s Path

Trespassing, Fences and Fire
2023-08-20 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Join us for an illustrated talk by award-winning artist, writer and naturalist James Prosek, who returns to the Museum to discuss his current project documenting Texas prairies.
James Prosek has gained a worldwide following for his deep connection with the natural world, which serves as the basis for his art and numerous popular books. He continues his inquiries about boundaries that humans impose on the landscape in his upcoming exhibition Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, TX which opens in mid-September. Prosek has spent the last two years visiting remnant prairies across Texas learning about the complexity of grassland ecosystems and working to show the beauty of these places through visual art. Those who love the grasslands at the Parade Ground and Middle Farms Flats will be on familiar territory with James’s words and images in this illustrated talk.
Time: Sunday, August 20, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via Zoom
Because some in-person talks end up being oversubscribed, signing up in advance is recommended. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat. Registration not required for virtual attendance.

Join Zoom webinar

Or One tap mobile :
+16469313860,,84837574721# US
+16465588656,,84837574721# US (New York)
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 305 224 1968 US
+1 309 205 3325 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 360 209 5623 US
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+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
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Webinar ID: 848 3757 4721
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdp91fmCVx

About James Prosek
Artist, writer, naturalist, and Yale University graduate James Prosek published his first book at age 19, Trout: An Illustrated History (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), which featured 70 of his watercolor paintings of the trout of North America. More than a dozen other books have followed, all centered on various aspects of the natural world.
Prosek’s artwork has been shown at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, The Yale Center for British Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, with solo exhibitions at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT, The Addison Gallery of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The New Britain Museum of American Art, The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, The North Carolina Museum of Art and the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, among others.
Prosek has written for The New York Times and National Geographic Magazine and won a Peabody Award in 2003 for his documentary about traveling through England in the footsteps of Izaak Walton, the 17-century author of “The Compleat Angler.” He first came to the H.L. Ferguson Museum in August 2011 to speak about his book, “Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s Most Amazing and Mysterious Fish.”

Fire and fences: The stories of the Texas prairie
Essay written by James Prosek for the Amon Carter Museum of American Art
August 08, 2023
“I can’t say I had ever looked at grass closely before—or at all. Where I grew up in Connecticut and still live, grass to me was just stuff that grew on highway medians or in hay meadows. . . After my first trip to Texas, my perspective shifted completely.”
Read full article

Liatris and other elements (Thomsen Prairie and points near Forestburg and Saint Jo, Texas), 2022
Watercolor, gouache, powdered mica, graphite, and colored pencil on paper

Prairie paintbrush and other elements (Clymer Meadow, Celeste, Texas), 2022
Watercolor, gouache, powdered mica, graphite, and colored pencil on paper

Butterfly weed and other elements (Easton, Connecticut), 2022
Watercolor, gouache, powdered mica, graphite, and colored pencil on paper

Invisible Boundaries No. 2 (Texas) 2023Silkscreen on panel
