Henry L. Ferguson Museum

Ceremonial Stonework: The Enduring Native American Presence on the Land
2023-07-16 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 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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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

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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

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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

Animal Communities
2023-08-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Humans aren’t the only animals who love their friends! Join us to learn about the many ways animals help each other and hear heartwarming stories of animal friendship.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 23, 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).

Counting Crows photo by Justine Kibbe

GUIDED NATURE WALK: Chocomount Trail
2023-08-24 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

Chocomount Trail

ELECTRICITY: The Past, Present & Possible Future of Power Generation and Distribution on Fishers Island
2023-08-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
This illustrated talk by Museum Director Pierce Rafferty surveys the past, examines the present, and looks to the future of this integral component of our island community.
Part 2 of a of three-part series documenting F.I.’s utilities. View Part 1 “WATER: The History of Fishers Island’s Supply, Use and Distribution Systems”

ABOVE PHOTO: Fishers Island’s Diesel-Powered Generating Plant, circa 1951. A new local generating plant went on line February 9, 1941 in the brick building on West Harbor powered by four diesel generating units. Photo courtesy of Mary Pankiewicz.
Time: Sunday, August 27, 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 :
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Fisher’s Island Electric Heat & Power Co. Bill, 1899.
Fishers Island’s Electric Power Plant and Ice House, circa 1917.

Water Wonders
2023-08-30 14:00 - 15:00
Take a close look at how water shapes and changes the earth, and how humans impact our water. Use the 3D Enviroscape model to see how water moves through the environment and become a drop of water in the water cycle game!
WHEN: Wednesday, August 30, 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).

Water drop impact on on water surface photo by Davide Restivo, CC

Hawks of Fishers Island and Our Local Area
2023-09-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
An Illustrated talk by Kim Hargrave, Education Director Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
Time: Sunday, September 10, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
Kim Hargrave
Hawks are one of the most noticeable and important predators in our ecosystem. Through pictures and meeting live birds, we will discuss the natural history of our local hawk species and their current conservation status in New York, Connecticut and on Fishers Island.

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), flying over 8th fairway, Fishers Island Club Photograph by Todd McCormack

Red Tail Hawk, Hay Harbor Golf Course. Photo courtesy of Photograph by Todd McCormack

Cooper’s Hawk in tree, the Peninsula, Darby’s Cove. Photo by Terry McNamara.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the “Quoddy” Tidal-Electric Power Project
2023-09-24 16:00 - 17:00
An Illustrated talk by Author Mark Borton, who will reveal the full story that is documented in his new book, Moondoggle: Franklin Roosevelt and the Fight for Tidal-Electric Power at Passamaquoddy Bay.
“Quoddy” was to be built off the coast of Maine and New Brunswick and would generate enough electricity to power much of New England. It was part of Roosevelt’s trust-busting “public power” initiatives such as the Boulder Dam and the Tennessee Valley Authority. FDR’s pioneering project was highly controversial and full of intrigue.
Time: Sunday, September 24, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via Zoom
Reception and book signing to follow.
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.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
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Plastic in the water, on the land and IN you!: Fighting pollution on Fishers Island and Beyond
2023-10-08 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Plastic pollution is a bad neighbor. As plastic breaks up into microplastics it disperses into the environment. Researchers are finding plastic particles almost everywhere they look, including inside the human body. What are the impacts of these plastics, and what can we do to stop them?
Michele Klimczak, Coastal Debris Coordinator for the Fishers Island Conservancy, will introduce and summarize the widespread impacts of plastic pollution on the Island, providing local context for Beyond Plastics policy director Megan J. Wolff, Ph.D. MPH, whose illustrated talk will address what we can each do to reduce consumption and exposure to plastics. As to wider political solutions, Dr. Wolff will discuss the exciting legislation pending in New York State that dramatically reduces plastic pollution.
Time: Sunday, October 8, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via Zoom
A joint Fishers Island Conservancy and HLF Museum Program.

Even in the off season, signing up in advance for people attending in person is recommended. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat. For those intending to watch virtually via Zoom, advance registration is not required. Please click the button below to join the webinar:
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Michele Klimczak, F.I. Conservancy’s Coastal Debris Coordinator, November 2020.
Photograph by Ian Lockey
Michele removes literally tons of trash from our beaches each year.
Many thanks to her and the Conservancy!
Marine Debris Clean-up

FISM Coalition Meeting in October
2023-10-12 11:00 - 12:30 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition will hold its summer meeting in October!
When: Thursday, 12 Oct, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Where: Hybrid meeting on Zoom and at the Henry L. Ferguson Museum – email our project coordinator to RSVP!
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 has had an active summer rolling out the first year of their Save Our Seagrass Movement! The S.O.S Movement, created by this community-led organization, encompasses four initiatives:

build community interest and understanding of eelgrass as a vital ecological resource
provide a path for homeowners to reduce their nitrogen footprint
encourage boaters of Fishers Island Sound to use the coastal waters of Fishers Island with care to sustain our healthy waters for generations
generate a sense of pride within Fishers Island residents and visitors about their eelgrass meadows through a citizen scientist network

As the Coalition looks to build off their successes from the 2023 outreach and engagement season in the summer meeting, they will review their actions from this year. They will also closely examine the progress from this year concerning the recently passed FISM Plan from August 2022. After this examination, they will discuss developing and building off the successes and lessons learned.
This meeting is an excellent opportunity for community members to become familiar with the Coalition’s work and to discover more about their plans for the future. Please join us either in person or online!
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Diné (Navajo) Apparel Design, Weaving, and Womanhood
2023-11-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Diné (Navajo) apparel design is constantly evolving. From wearing blankets and mantas through contemporary art, the crafted works demonstrate design resilience and creativity. They also demonstrate hózhó (balance, beauty, and harmony), a Diné concept shown through symmetrical geometric design, light and dark color, and the continuance of practice through matriarchal teaching.
Join us at the Museum on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 4pm for an illustrated talk with Lighthouse Works visiting curator Sháńdíín Brown, the first Henry Luce Curatorial Fellow for Native American Art at the RISD Museum.   Brown will share insights on her work and practice as a curator and discuss her current exhibition Diné Textiles: Nizhónígo Hadadít’eh, on view at the RISD Museum in the Angelo Donghia Costume and Textiles Gallery through September 29, 2024. This talk will be followed by a conversation with Lighthouse Works Program Director Dylan Gauthier and an audience Q&A.
Time: SATURDAY, November 11, 2023 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: at the Museum, 2nd Floor. IN PERSON ONLY.
Even in the off season, signing up in advance for people attending in person is recommended. Please call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat.
Following the talk, a community dinner will be held at Union Chapel, at 6pm. Please RSVP through Eventbrite to let us know you plan to attend.
Community Dinner RSVP Sháńdíín Brown is a curator, creative, and citizen of the Navajo Nation from Arizona. She is the first Henry Luce Curatorial Fellow for Native American Art at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum. She co-curated Being and Believing in the Natural World: Perspectives from the Ancient Mediterranean, Asia, and Indigenous North America (2022–2023) as well as Take Care (2022–2023). Brown’s newest exhibition, Diné Textiles: Nizhónígo Hadadít’eh (2023–2024), explores the intersections of Diné apparel design, weaving, and womanhood.   Brown’s research interests include Indigenous fashion, jewelry, art and feminism. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she earned her BA in Anthropology as well as Native American Studies and minored in Environmental Studies. Previously she has held positions at the Heard Museum, Hood Museum of Art, Penn Museum, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) and School for Advanced Research (SAR) Indian Arts Research Center (IARC). Her jewelry can be viewed on Instagram @T.Begay.Designs

18th Annual Thanksgiving Trail Clearing & Beach Clean Up
2023-11-24 14:30 - 16:30
The Henry L. Ferguson Museum
Presents the
18th Annual Thanksgiving Trail Clearing & Beach Clean Up
(Plus “Oyster After-Party”)
Friday, November 24, 2023
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.
Photo by Wendy O’Neil.
During the reception, please check out and enjoy the current annual exhibit “The Sketchbooks of Charlie Ferguson” 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”

The 11th Annual HLFM Holiday Party
2023-12-22 17:00 - 19:00
Join us for an evening of Holiday cheer, convivial conversations, and tasty light fare by Karla Heath. Adults and children of all ages are welcome! Visiting relatives and house guests are welcome! While in the Museum, make sure to visit (or revisit) the 2023 annual exhibit; The Sketchbooks of Charlie Ferguson, generously sponsored by Altus Partners and CHUBB.
We hope to see you on December 22, but if not, have a safe and healthy Holiday!
Holiday Greetings Artwork by Nora Neus.

Winter Wildlife on Fishers Island
2024-01-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Kim Hargrave
Virtual illustrated talk by Kim Hargrave, education director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic, Conn.
Time: Sunday, January 28, 2024 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: Virtual via Zoom
Wildlife has incredible strategies to survive the winter. From painted turtles spending the winter under the frozen pond to Harlequin ducks braving the waves along the shore, we’ll learn more about the amazing adaptations animals have to get through winter on Fishers Island.
Photo Credit: Harlequin ducks off Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge by Bob Weaver/USFWS volunteer
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Birds In Winter: Surviving The Most Challenging Season (Rebroadcast)
2024-02-04 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Sunday, February 4th, 2024 Museum Director Pierce Rafferty will host a virtual rebroadcast of “Birds In Winter: Surviving The Most Challenging Season,” first presented and recorded at the Museum in August 2022. This encore screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with Roger Pasquier.
Learn about the ecological and behavioral adaptations birds have evolved to survive winter, which affects not only the birds that remain in regions where it becomes cold, but also the migrants that go far to avoid the effects of cold, as well as the resident species with which they share habitat at their destinations. Winter, in fact, affects birds’ lives all through the year. In late summer, you can already see some birds begin storing food to retrieve months later and others forming the social groups in which they will remain until spring.
Winter also has distinctive conservation challenges. Many birds winter in latitudes and habitats occupied more densely by people, reducing the available natural habitat and exposing them to pollutants, invasive species, and hunting pressures they do not encounter the rest of the year. Finally, global warming is altering the nature of winter itself, shortening the season, changing or eliminating some vital winter habitats, shifting food sources, and throwing off the sense of timing that triggers birds to arrive at both their breeding and winter destinations at the optimal moment.
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
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Roger Pasquier has enjoyed visiting Fishers Island to see birds and friends since the 1970s. He is an associate in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. His career has been in ornithology and conservation at the American Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund-U.S., Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Audubon Society. He is the author of several books on birds and art history, including Birds in Winter: Surviving the Most Challenging Season (Princeton University Press, 2019). He spoke at the Museum in 2016 on his previous book, Painting Central Park.

Carolina Chickadee at feeder. Photo by Bruce M. Beehler

White-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Bruce M. Beehler

Snowy Owl. Photo by Bruce M. Beehler

FISM Coalition Winter Meeting
2024-02-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition will hold its winter meeting in February!
When: Friday, 16 Feb, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: Virtual via Zoom – email our project coordinator at FishersIslandSeagrass@gmail.com for the link!
Who: All members of the community are welcome!
The FISM Coalition has big plans for 2024 – we want to be part of the solution, creating innovative paths to facilitate our community’s journey towards a more sustainable and resilient future. The Save Our Seagrass Movement aims to:

build community interest and understanding of eelgrass
provide a path for the community to engage in seagrass-safe actions
foster pride towards our eelgrass meadows through a citizen scientist network. In 2023 we officially launched our movement, and we are just getting started

In October, the Coalition decided to focus on eelgrass mapping, in-water indications of eelgrass meadows for boaters, and improving community participation in our goals. During the February meeting we will discuss how to best implement these plans for the benefit of the community.
This meeting is an excellent opportunity for community members to discover the Coalition’s plans for 2024 and be part of the conversation that will determine our approach to our goals. Please contact our project coordinator, Hannah Vagts, at FishersIslandSeagrass@gmail.com to join us online!

Pictured left, FI Conservancy intern, Anna White, surveys the coast as part of training for Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Watch Survey Protocols. Pictured center and right, FISM project coordinator, Hannah Vagts, and our citizen scientists doing water quality monitoring.
To learn more about the FISM Coalition, please visit our website:
fiseagrass.org
