Henry L. Ferguson Museum

Diné (Navajo) Apparel Design, Weaving, and Womanhood
2023-11-11 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 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
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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

Tracking Snowy Owls South of the Tundra
2024-02-25 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Join us for a virtual talk with Rebecca McCabe who will share her journey from an undecided first-generation college student to a research biologist at the first refuge for birds of prey. Rebecca will highlight some of her doctoral research studying wintering snowy owls and give an update on what she and the rest of the team at Project SNOWstorm have been learning over the past decade.
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Rebecca received her B.S. in Environmental Biology at Millersville University (2013), and then earned her M.S. in Biology at East Stroudsburg University (2016) studying the nesting behavior of broad-winged hawks in Pennsylvania. In 2021, Rebecca received her Ph.D. from McGill University (Canada) where she studied snowy owls during the winter period. Rebecca joined the staff full time at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in May 2021, serving as one of the Sanctuary’s biologists. She continues researching broad-winged hawks and snowy owls and is involved in the Sanctuary’s long-term American kestrel project. She also assists with other various aspects of conservation science, including the trainee program, advising undergraduate and graduate students and science-education outreach.

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The History of Farming on Fishers Island (Re-broadcast)
2024-03-10 16:00 - 17:00
As farming has all but disappeared from Fishers Island it is easy to forget that since first English settlement in 1640s – our Island has primarily been a working stock farm and dairy with centuries of native Americans agricultural use before that – this talk brings farming back to the forefront.
An encore virtual screening.
HLFM Director Pierce Rafferty will host a virtual-only re-broadcast of his recorded illustrated talk ‘The History of Farming on Fishers Island,’ which was co-produced and co-directed by Marisela La Grave and funded by a generous grant from the Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation, Sunday, March 10th, at 4 PM. Please note that this talk was first presented virtually in August 2020.
Farming was our island’s dominant economic activity for more than two centuries following the first European settlement in the 1640s, displaced at the west end by resort development beginning in the 1870s and at the east end by the Olmsted Plan in the mid-1920s. There were dairy farms, gamekeeping farms, and poultry farms. Before tennis and golf, there were cows, sheep, and chickens!
Join Pierce virtually Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 4 PM, for a tour of this fascinating all-but-forgotten history that includes a visit to the Fishers Island Oyster Farm, the last surviving farm on Fishers Island.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
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Farmers haying on Middle Farms Flats, circa 1920 Photograph by Harold Baker. Museum Collection. This photograph captures one aspect of past farming activities on what is today the Matty Mathiessen Wildlife Sanctuary, Middle Farms.

Beatrice Cuming: Connecticut Precisionist
2024-04-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Join us for a virtual presentation by Tanya Pohrt, Ph.D., curator, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, Connecticut. Pohrt will discuss the dynamic art and vision of artist Beatrice Cuming (American, 1903-1974), in conjunction with an exhibition now on view at the Lyman Allyn.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Based in New London, Connecticut for much of her career, Beatrice Cuming celebrated industry and progress in her art, painting urban views and local maritime landscapes in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. On a special six-month WPA assignment in 1941, she documented Harbor Defenses on Long Island Sound, painting key military sites such as Fort H.G. Wright on Fishers Island. She subsequently painted scenes of industry in commissions for General Dynamics Electric Boat and Standard Oil.
Tanya Pohrt is curator of the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. She has curated a range of exhibitions at the Lyman Allyn, including Barkley L. Hendricks in New London, 2023, The Way Sisters: Miniaturists of the Early Republic (Exh. Cat., 2021), The Prismatic Palette: Frank Vincent DuMond and His Students, 2021, and Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London, a permanent collections gallery. She holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Delaware, specializing in American art, and was previously a Marcia Brady Tucker Fellow in American Paintings and Sculpture at the Yale University Art Gallery.
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Beatrice Cuming circa 1946

Beatrice Cuming, Impact of White, ca. 1951, oil on canvas. Painting of MV Mystic Isle.

Beatrice Cuming, Chubb, 1944, oil on canvas. Gift of General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, Lyman Allyn Art Museum

Beatrice Cuming, The Architecture of Light, 1960s. Oil on canvas. Florence Griswold Museum

Beatrice Cuming, Untitled (Gun, Coastal Defense), 1941. Oil on Canvas Collection of Bagley Reid. Thought to be gun emplacement at Fort H. G. Wright, Fishers Island, NY.

To learn more about the exhibition that runs through May 26th, please visit the Lyman Allyn Museum website:
Lyman Allen

Woodpeckers of the Region
2024-05-05 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Kim Hargrave, director of education for the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic, Conn., will present a “virtual only” illustrated talk on woodpeckers.
Kim Hargrave
Fishers Island is home to six woodpecker species, all occupying their own niche. Delve into their amazing world as we learn more about their incredible biology, the important role they play in the ecosystem and why they might be hammering on your house!
WHEN: Sunday, May 5, 2024
TIME: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
PLACE: Virtual presentation only
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Northern flicker, photo by Alex McKown

Downy woodpecker, photo by Courtney Celley, USFW

Red-bellied woodpecker

In Gardens We Trust: A Fishers Island Native Plant Chat
2024-05-25 11:00 - 13:00
Native plants are essential to repairing and sustaining our fragile ecosystem on Fishers Island. But what makes them unique, and how can we use them effectively? Join us at the Museum on May 25, 2024 for a first-of-its-kind event to find out!
WHEN: Saturday, May 25, 2024
TIME: 11 am – 12 pm (Talk), 12-1 pm (Reception)
PLACE: In person only at the Museum, 2nd Floor
By understanding the impact of our actions on land, we can make a significant difference. Non-native plants often require extra maintenance, like fertilizer and pesticides, which can harm our delicate ecosystem. Fishers Island’s sandy, porous soil does not retain these chemicals once applied; instead, they flow into our waters. Fertilizer runoff is a significant source of nitrogen pollution that damages marine habitats and creates algal blooms. The fertilizer and pesticides that do not run into the water damage soil quality and harm native insects. Planting native is an easy win for our entire ecosystem.
At this event, we will hear from experienced peers and professionals to discover more about Fishers Island’s native landscape, the role of invasive plants in the food chain, and how we can use native plants within our landscaping projects. Terry McNamara, Dr. Adam Mitchell, Diana Fiske, and Dianne Crary will each give a lightning talk about native plants and happily answer your questions.
After our speakers take you on a journey to learn about Fishers Island’s native plants, we will hold a reception that will host various Fishers Island contractors, lots of helpful handouts, and a live divided perennial demonstration.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Space is limited, so secure your spot today.
RegistrationThis event is sponsored by
Fishers Island Conservancy and the Henry L. Ferguson Museum

Climate and Changing Abundance of Songbirds on Fishers Island in Spring
2024-06-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
An illustrated talk presented by Skyler Kardell and William Schenck, who have been researching and documenting bird life on Fishers Island with logistical assistance by the HLFM.
Fishers Island has a long and distinguished history of contributions to the field of ornithology. With scattered records dating back to the 1910s and 1920s, naturalist Edwin Horning, curator of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum and teacher at the Fishers Island School, exponentially increased the number of recorded observations of bird life on Fishers Island by keeping detailed daily journals of bird sightings from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s. More than 20,000 lists of Horning’s bird sightings were uploaded in the mid-2010s to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online database eBird.
Working within the historical framework of this huge dataset, Kardell and Schenck examined changing climate and the relative trends in the community structures and overall biodiversity of Fishers Island. Join us as our two young ornithologists explore the birds of Fishers Island through the dual lenses of photography and science!
WHEN: Sunday, June 9, 2024
TIME: 4:00-5:00 pm
LOCATION: In-person at the Museum, 2nd floor and virtual via zoom
PLEASE NOTE: Advance registration for people attending in-person is recommended. Call 631-788-7239 or email fimuseum@fishersisland.net to reserve a seat.
Skyler Kardell is a junior at Connecticut College, where he studies Environmental Science and Architecture. As a native of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, he has a deep interest in island ecology. His previous research has examined both avian and mammalian populations on other coastal islands in New England, including Tuckernuck and Muskeget Islands. During the austral winter, he is a participant in ongoing collaborative research between National Science Foundation (NSF) and the City University of New York (CUNY) in the Southern Ocean around South Georgia. He is also involved with the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program and is a collaborator at the American Oystercatcher Working Group (AMOYWG).
William Schenck is a junior at Wesleyan University, and shares an extensive history with the island ecosystems of the Northeast. He was the birding guide for the Sheffield Island Conservancy of Norwalk, Connecticut for two years, leading weekly birding tours to the Norwalk Islands, the western neighbors of Fishers Island. His experience with gathering biological data in these ecosystems has been augmented by many years of Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Surveys, and a variety of banding projects since the age of thirteen. His interests in the ecology of New England extends to butterfly life and herpetofauna as well.
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Explore Birds on Fishers Island via eBird.org
Click below to view a sample list of bird observations on Fishers Island.
eBird.org

HLFM 2024 Annual Exhibitions
2024-06-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
“Stony Beach” drone photograph by Neil Knowles
2024 ANNUAL EXHIBITION
BIRD’S EYE VIEW:
Fishers Island from Above Join us for the opening reception
Saturday, June 29th, 5 to 7 p.m.
All are welcome!
SPECIAL EXHIBITION 2024
Selected Bird Etchings by Charlie Ferguson
1st Floor Natural History Gallery
“Mouse Trap” etching by Charles B. Ferguson
“Heronese” etching by Charles B. Ferguson
SPECIAL EXHIBITION 2024
Selected Fishers Island Aerial Photographs
printed on metal & available for purchase
2nd Floor Natural History Gallery
“Race Point Arrival,” June 23, 2019.
drone photograph by Arthur Anthony
2024 Annual exhibitions sponsored by ALTUS Partners

The Deep Impacts of Composting
2024-06-30 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Join us at the Museum for an in-person only illustrated talk by lifelong composter, Jayne Merner, from Earth Care Farm in Charlestown, RI
Have you ever wondered what the big fuss is about composting, or how compost actually impacts our ecosystem? Jayne Merner will paint a picture of the lasting effects compost has on our world. Come learn how compost can help with erosion and other coastal resiliency challenges.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: The Museum, 2nd floor
Co-hosted with Fishers Island Waste Management.

Backyard Birding Adventure
2024-07-10 14:00 - 15:00
Curious about the birds in your backyard? Learn how to use binoculars and identify some of our local birds. Then we’ll make a treat to bring home and feed our feathered friends.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
A 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 to 15 children 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).

Using Keystone Plants to Bring Pollinators to Your Yard
2024-07-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Last summer gardening professionals Suzanne Thompson and Petie Reid spoke at the Museum about controlling knotweed and other invasive plants. This summer they are back by popular demand to help us plan, plant and expand native gardens that support the birds, bees, and other pollinators that we all depend upon.
The Pollinator Pathway movement encourages us to grow a variety of native plants in our yards. Come learn about the keystone plants that are vital to restoring and retaining our natural ecosystems. Thompson and Reed will show you keystone families of native plants that grow well together and how you can create pleasing plantings that both you and your pollinators will enjoy.
WHEN: Thursday, July 11, 2024
TIME: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
PLACE: In person at the Museum, 2nd floor and virtual via zoom
Suzanne Thompson
Petie Reid
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Black-eyed Susans in a new restoration, Kimberly Emerson/USFWS

Blue Wood Aster – Symphyotrichum cordifolium, Drew Rollman/USFWS

Butterfly milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa, Scott Lamont/USFWS

Coreopsis, USFWS

Chasing Shadows
2024-07-14 16:00 - 17:00
Award winning science writer and author Ret Talbot will read from his book Chasing Shadows – Unraveling the Mysteries of the Great White Shark.
Chasing Shadows, co-written with shark biologist Greg Skomal, frames the return of the white shark to coastal New England waters as a conservation success story. Talbot will address the complex relationship between humans and sharks dating back thousands of years, today’s challenging public safety issues, and what may be on the horizon. He will be joined by scientific illustrator Karen Talbot, who created the illustrations and maps in the book; she will be happy to add an original illustration of a white shark on the title page of any books purchased at the event.
WHEN: Sunday, July 14, 2024
TIME: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
PLACE: At the Museum, 2nd floor and virtual via zoom
Reception and book signing to follow.
Karen Talbot
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Nature’s Recyclers
2024-07-17 14:00 - 15:00
What happens to nature’s trash? Learn about vultures, insects and other decomposers and the important role they play in our environment. Search through leaf litter to see if you can find one of nature’s recyclers.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 17, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
A 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 to 15 children 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).
Woodlice gathering on a tree in New England.

Mustelids
2024-07-21 16:00 - 17:00
Kim Hargrave
This illustrated talk by Kim Hargrave, Education Director of the DPNC, examines the fascinating world of Mustelidae, a diverse family of carnivorous mammals that include mink, otters, fisher cats, weasels and wolverines.
WHEN: Sunday, July 21, 2024
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: In person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
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American Mink (Neovison vison), South Beach Photograph by Todd McCormack

American Mink (Neovison vison) at South Beach with captured fish Photograph by Todd McCormack

Closeup of the face of an American Mink Photograph by Connor Jones

Sea otter, Lisa Hupp, USFWS

Owl Prowl
2024-07-24 14:00 - 15:00
Come dissect an owl pellet and meet a resident owl. Learn about the life cycles and amazing adaptations of these remarkable birds.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person, at the Museum
A 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).
PHOTO CREDIT: Great horned owl, Jake Bonello/USFWS

FISM 2nd Annual Fishers Island Eelgrass Boat Tour
2024-07-27 09:00 | Fishers Island Ferry District
Join the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition for its 2nd Annual Eelgrass Boat Tour with guest speaker Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut
WHEN: Saturday, July 27, 2024, @ 9 am
LOCATION: Fishers Island Ferry District
TICKETS: $60/per person
We will board at the Fishers Island Ferry Dock and cruise to some of our island’s best eelgrass locations. Dr. Vaudrey will discuss eelgrass around Fishers Island, its importance in the Long Island Sound ecosystem, and what threatens its survival. Learn to identify and distinguish these amazing plants from salt marsh grasses, widgeon grass, and seaweeds. The most up-to-date information about eelgrass restoration projects happening on Long Island Sound will also be provided. Attendees will take home a special FISM gift to commemorate this can’t-miss experience.
Seating is limited to 27 people, so reserve your spot today!
Register Today!

Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D.

Dr. Vaudrey’s research interests are in ecosystem dynamics in the coastal zone, specifically in the effect of land use on the coastal environment and how anthropogenic changes to the landscape may change our coastal ecosystems. She is specifically interested in the relationship between human activities and the expression of eutrophication in large systems (Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound) and small embayments of these larger systems. She also has an interest in seagrass systems as indicators of a desirable state of water quality and inputs to coastal systems. She has been involved with a variety of seagrass projects throughout New England, including assessing the genetic diversity of eelgrass, evaluating restoration projects, and developing a model to assist with the siting of restoration projects.
Vaudrey received a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Philosophy from Wellesley College, MA, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut. She is currently research faculty in the Department of Marines Sciences at UConn and has recently been the UConn lead for the establishment of a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Connecticut, which opened its door in July 2022.

Speaker Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut during the 2023 Fishers Island Eelgrass Boat Tour.

Eelgrass from Barleyfield Cove, one of the locations visited during the 2023 Fishers Island Eelgrass Boat Tour.

Dr. Vaudrey shows an attendee how to distinguish seagrass from seaweed.

For more information on the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition, please visit the FISM website:
fiseagrass.org

Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest
2024-07-28 16:00 - 17:00
Renowned ornithologist and author Alan Poole will present an illustrated talk based on his new book, Quetzals: Icons of the Cloud Forest, that celebrates one of the world’s most alluring group of birds and the forests that nurture them.
Native to the cloud forests of Mexico, and Central and South America, quetzals have played an essential role in the cultures of those lands, where their radiant, brightly colored feathers have been worshipped as sacred objects and coveted as luxury goods for millennia. Drawing on scientific and historical facts, Poole details the natural history and cultural significance of these legendary birds.
Alan F. Poole, an Associate of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is the former editor of Birds of North America and the author of Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor.
WHEN: Sunday, July 28, 2024
TIME: 4 p.m.
PLACE: Museum, 2nd Floor
Book signing and reception to follow.

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Save the Animals
2024-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Many animals are facing the threat of extinction, but you can help! Meet live animals and learn how you can help their species with some simple tips.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 31, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
A 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 to 15 children 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).

Short-eared owl, Karen Viste-Sparkman/USFWS

Peregrine falcon with prey on Napatree Point headlands, November 7, 2017. Photo credit: The Watch Hill Conservancy

Northern Harrier, Tom Koerner/USFWS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Northern Leopard Frog, USFWS

The House that History Flowed Through
2024-08-04 16:00 - 17:00
Museum Director Pierce Rafferty’s illustrated talk chronicles how the history of Fishers Island from the Colonial era to date can be traced through the evolution of a single island structure: the Mansion House.
WHEN: Sunday, August 4, 2024
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via Zoom
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The Fox Mansion House showing rear addition and adjacent farm buildings Circa 1880s
Museum Collection

Side-angle view of the Mansion House 1887
Museum Collection. Donated by Polly Edmonds

Side angle view of original residential section of Mansion House Hotel and its porches Circa 1895
Photograph by James S. Casey. Museum acquisition

Social event at the Mansion House Circa 1895
Museum Collection. Donated by Polly Edmonds

The Piazza at Music Room, Mansion House, Fishers Island, N.Y. Circa 1913
Published by Brown & Dawson, Stamford, Conn. Museum Collection. Donated by Harry and Susie Ferguson

Mansion House, Fishers Island, N.Y. Circa 1920
Printed color postcard
Published by J. Soloman, New London, Conn.
Museum Collection. Donated by Pierce Rafferty

Owners and handlers posing with their dogs at the Mansion House Hotel, Fishers Island, N.Y. Circa 1927. Museum Collection.

The audience watching a bench show at the Mansion House Hotel, Fishers Island, N.Y. Circa 1928. Museum Collection.

Interior view of the Drawing Room extension, Mansion House Hotel, Fishers Island, NY Circa 1938
Photograph by T.A. Conroy, Jr., Brookline, Mass.
Museum Collection. Donated by Harry and Susie Ferguson

Children’s Costume Dance, Mansion House Ballroom, Fishers Island, NY Circa 1938
Photograph by T.A. Conroy, Jr., Brookline, Mass
Museum Collection. Donated by Harry and Susie Ferguson

Young women on putting green at rear of Mansion House, Fishers Island, NY Circa 1939
Photograph by Peyser & Patzig, Inc., New York
Museum Collection. Donated by Harry and Susie Ferguson

The Old Mansion House, Fishers Island, N.Y. Circa 1939
Hand-colored printed postcard
Published by Eagle Post Card View Co., New York
Museum Collection. Donated by Pierce Rafferty

Wildflowers
2024-08-07 14:00 - 15:00
Flowers come in an incredible array of shapes, sizes and colors. Students will have a chance to dissect a flower and learn the roles pollination plays in plant reproduction. Create a beautiful craft!
WHEN: Wednesday, August 7, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
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 to 15 children 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).

Jellyfish Near Fishers Island and Beyond
2024-08-11 16:00 - 17:00
Dr. Mary Beth Decker, marine scientist and educator at Yale University, will introduce us to jellyfish biology and the ecological roles that jellyfish play in our coastal and open-ocean ecosystems.
WHEN: Sunday, August 11, 2024
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: In person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via zoom
As a research scientist, Mary Beth studies how oceanography and climate change affect marine predators, such as jellyfish and seabirds, and their prey in coastal and oceanic ecosystems.
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Lions Mane Jellyfish, photo by Mary Murphy

Lions Mane Jellyfish, photo by Connor Jones

Lions Mane Jellyfish, photo by Mary Murphy

FIND 2024
2024-08-12 09:00 - 2024-08-16 12:00
FISHERS ISLAND NATURE DISCOVERY
2024 – The 5th 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 educators, the children discover the Island’s natural history through a combination of hands-on exploration, observation, and interpretation.
WHEN: The 2024 FIND program will run for one week from August 12 to August 16; 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 $400 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 info@fergusonmuseum.org to reserve a spot for your child/children (and note the FIND program and the name and age of the attendee/s). 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.
2023 FIND

2019 FIND

Creepers and Leapers
2024-08-14 14:00 - 15:00
Live frogs, snakes and salamanders provide an up-close introduction to the interesting adaptations of our native amphibians and reptiles.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 14, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
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 to 15 children 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).

Plastic in the Water, Plastic on the Land, and Plastic in You!
2024-08-18 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Dr. Megan J. Wolff, policy director at Beyond Plastics, will speak about what efforts individuals can make to reduce their personal consumption and exposure to plastics with a focus on the threat of microplastics to your health.
Plastic pollution is a bad neighbor. Michele Klimczak of the Fishers Island Conservancy, along with other organizations and volunteers, works tirelessly to clean up beach litter, but there is always more washing ashore, and plenty more being manufactured and discarded every day. Plastic waste is on track to triple by 2060. 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?
WHEN: Sunday, August 18, 2024
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: At the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtually via Zoom.
Reception to follow.
Co-hosted with Fishers Island Conservancy.
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Animal Rehabilitation Stories
2024-08-21 14:00 - 15:00
Discover the interesting and important work wildlife rehabilitators do to help injured animals! We will talk about what it means to be a rehabilitator, what you can do at home to protect wildlife and meet some of the Nature Center’s non-releasable animal residents.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
TIME: 2 to 3 p.m.
LOCATION: In person at the Museum
A 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 to 15 children 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).
