Henry L. Ferguson Museum

FIND 2022
2022-07-18 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
FISHERS ISLAND NATURE DISCOVERY (FIND)
A Week (5 DAYS) of Learning Programs for Young Island Naturalists Ages 5 to 10.
FIND introduces children to environmental topics that pertain to the natural history and stewardship of our Island. Using the Ferguson Museum as a base, the program provides an indoor/outdoor learning experience. Led by professional educators, the children discover natural history through a combination of hands-on exploration, observation, and interpretation.
WHEN: This summer the FIND program will take place during the afternoon in July. The dates are July 18 to July 22; Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
WHO: 20 children max, all between the ages of 5 to 10. Attendees will be split into two groups, one older and one younger. Each group will be led by two educators from the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, assisted at times by guest naturalists.
WHERE: Location will vary based on the daily plan, but will include Fishers Island’s beaches, woods, and bodies of water. The programs will utilize the Ferguson Museum as a home base. Programs will split time indoors and outdoors and will include art and science projects related to the subject matter.
COST: The cost per participant is $350 for the week.
REGISTRATION: Please call the Museum (631-788-7239) or e-mail fimuseum@fishersisland.net to sign up your child/children.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY INDICATED YOUR INTEREST IN SIGNING UP YOUR CHILD OR CHILDREN, PLEASE RECONFIRM.
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 Form

FIND 2019

Forty Years of Oyster Farming on Fishers Island
2022-07-24 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Illustrated lecture by Steve Malinowski
Time: Sunday July 24, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
NOTICE: DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, THE “IN-PERSON” RESERVATIONS ARE FULLY SUBSCRIBED AT THIS TIME. IF YOU DID NOT PREVIOUSLY SIGN UP, YOU CAN STILL ATTEND THE ONLINE WEBINAR.
You’ve probably enjoyed the fruits of the Fishers Island Oyster Farm’s harvest at the Museum opening, at a restaurant, at a club, or in your own kitchen, but how much do you really know about the day-to-day workings of an oyster farm? From storms to rising water temps and run-off, to sudden global pandemics, oyster farming is a notoriously difficult industry that constantly keeps farmers on their toes and asks them to rise to new challenges—those that survive and thrive, do so by innovation and perseverance.
Join us this coming Sunday, July 24, for “Forty Years of Farming Oysters on Fishers Island,” an illustrated talk by Steve Malinowski discussing how they operate a thriving sustainable seafood farm as the work changes with the seasons and the unexpected is always around the corner.
FOR VIRTUAL ACCESS, NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
JOIN WEBINAR
Webinar ID: 837 2719 4111
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kccta2rImC
Steve and Sarah Malinowski have been operating the Fishers Island Oyster Farm since 1981. Within the New England oyster industry, they are reverentially referred to as “dinosaurs” because they’ve been around for so long! A number of young oyster farmers operating today got their start on Fishers Island. Steve and Sarah are respected leaders in the sustainable seafood movement and founding members of the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition. Their seed and market oysters also have the distinction of being Fishers Island’s only commercial export.

BENEFIT PREMIERE: The History of Race Rock Light
2022-07-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Fishers Island Theater
The H.L. Ferguson Museum
invites you to the premier of
“The History of Race Rock Light”
This 45-minute video directed by Marisela La Grave and Pierce Rafferty chronicles the remarkable story of how a lighthouse came to be erected in the 1870s on a dangerous submerged ledge amidst some of the most unpredictable and swiftest moving tides on the East Coast.
Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Fishers Island Theater
Immediately followed by a
Fishers Island Oysters & Champagne Reception
for in-person attendees

Please note, this presentation will not be virtual.
We hope that you are able to attend this event to benefit the New London Maritime Society’s restoration and preservation plan for Race Rock Light.
Admission to the premiere is free, but we will be “passing the hat” for the benefit of the New London Maritime Society’s restoration and preservation plan for Race Rock Light. Susan Tamulevich, the director of the New London Maritime Society (NLMS), owner of Race Rock Light, and the Preservation Project’s architect, Walter Sedovic of Walter Sedovic Architects, will speak about the restoration project. Click below to access the Race Rock Light restoration assessment which outlines the nearly $3M restoration project and details the projected work and why it is both important and necessary.
Race Rock Light Restoration Assessment

Any funds raised at the Theater benefit will go toward “Landing Integrity and Safety,” the first priority in the restoration assessment report. If writing a check, please make it payable to the New London Maritime Society with ‘Race Rock Preservation’ in the memo section. NLMS will also be accepting cash and, Wi-Fi-willing, credit card donations. NLMS is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible. If mailing a check, send to: New London Maritime Society, 150 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320.
The New London Maritime Society is dedicated to lighthouse preservation. In addition to Race Rock (1878), the Maritime Society also owns New London Harbor Lighthouse (1760, rebuilt 1801) and New London Ledge Light (1909)—all active aids to navigation. Together these are the three historic beacons leading from the ocean to New London harbor.
For those attending, the Champagne & Fishers Island Oyster reception will immediately follow in the FI Conservancy’s Demonstration Garden, or, in the case of rain, under the marquee awning of the Theater. Masks are optional but we do recommend social distancing.

Race Rock Light photo by Gail Cypherd

Aquatic Adaptations!
2022-07-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Learn about the amazing creatures that live in pond habitats and the adaptations that allow them to navigate their aquatic homes.
Meet several of DPNC’s resident pond animals, play a snapping turtle game and make a frog call craft.
When: Wednesday, July 27, 2022.
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).

Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau
2022-07-31 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Illustrated talk by Ben Shattuck
Time: Sunday, July 31, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-Person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
Book signing to follow.
NOTE: DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND “IN-PERSON” PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT FOR THIS PROGRAM BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
On an autumn morning in 1849, Henry David Thoreau stepped out his front door to walk the beaches of Cape Cod. Over a century and a half later, Ben Shattuck does the same. With little more than a loaf of bread, brick of cheese, and a notebook, Shattuck sets out to retrace Thoreau’s path through the Cape’s outer beaches, from the elbow to Provincetown’s fingertip.
ABOUT SIX WALKS
Named a Must Read Book of Spring 2022 by Town & Country Magazine and a Most Anticipated Book of the Year at The Rumpus. This is the first of six journeys taken by Shattuck, each one inspired by a walk once taken by Henry David Thoreau. After the Cape, Shattuck goes up Mount Katahdin and Mount Wachusett, down the coastline of his hometown, and then through the Allagash. Along the way, Shattuck encounters unexpected characters, landscapes, and stories, seeing for himself the restorative effects that walking can have on a dampened spirit. Over years of following Thoreau, Shattuck finds himself uncovering new insights about family, love, friendship, and fatherhood, and understanding more deeply the lessons walking can offer through life’s changing seasons.
Intimate, entertaining, and beautifully crafted, Six Walks is a resounding tribute to the ways walking in nature can inspire us all.

Date: Sunday, July 31, 2022.
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Museum, 2nd Floor.
For virtual access, no advance registration is required.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81777199197
Webinar ID: 817 7719 9197
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kccta2rImC
ABOUT BEN SHATTUCK
Ben Shattuck, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, is a recipient of a PEN America Story Prize and a 2019 Pushcart Prize. He was a Lighthouse Works fellow in 2013. Six Walks, his first book, is a Wall Street Journal Best Book of Spring, a New York Times Best Book of Summer, a Town & Country Magazine Must Read Book of Spring, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Week, a Rumpus Most Anticipated Book of the Year, and a recent New England Bestseller. He lives with his wife and daughter on the coast of Massachusetts, where he owns and runs a general store built in 1793.

Water Birds
2022-08-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Learn about the specialized beaks, feet and feathers of birds adapted to living in and around the water.
Inspect interesting bird artifacts and take part in a hands-on bird beak activity.
When: Wednesday, August 3, 2022.
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).
PHOTO CREDIT: Adult Green Heron, Oyster Pond by Justine Kibbe

The Napatree Point Conservation Area: Past, Present & Future
2022-08-07 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Illustrated talk by Peter V. August and Grant G. Simmons III, The Watch Hill Conservancy
Time: Sunday, August 7, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-Person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND “IN-PERSON” PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT FOR THIS PROGRAM BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
The transformation of Napatree Point post-Hurricane of ’38 from barren sand to one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in southern New England is a dramatic story of ecosystem resilience. Care of Napatree Point took a fortunate turn in the 1990s when two unlikely partners, Chaplin B. Barnes and Grant G. Simmons III, recognized its unique ecological value and importance as a public resource and helped establish the Napatree Point Conservation Area.
Stewardship of the 86-acre preserve is an ever-changing challenge. The barrier spit is heavily used in the summertime by beach goers and boaters anchored off its northern (bayside) shore. Keeping Napatree from “being loved to death” is no small challenge, as is protecting its many rare and endangered habitats and species. The future of the Conservation Area is presenting brand new stewardship challenges on Napatree – climate change induced nuisance tides, sea level rise, dune migration in heavy storms, and others. We will review the scientific monitoring we are doing at present to guide our future stewardship and management programs. Our mission is to keep Napatree the pristine barrier spit that it is and ensure that the public has safe and reliable access to this special place.
FOR VIRTUAL ACCESS, NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Join webinar
Webinar ID: 842 7385 6103
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kccta2rImC

Napatree Point Conservation Area signs, October 24, 2018. Photo credit: The Watch Hill Conservancy

Looking west over Napatree Point Conservation Area toward Fishers Island. Photo credit: The Watch Hill Conservancy

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

Peter August. Photo credit: Noelle Wolcin
Dr. Peter August is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island. He has chaired the Napatree Science Advisors for 12 years and is President of The Watch Hill Conservancy.
Grant Simmons. Photo credit: The Watch Hill Conservancy
Mr. Grant Simmons has been instrumental in the establishment of Napatree as a public resource where data-driven science directs stewardship and management activities. Mr. Simmons has coordinated weekly water-quality monitoring off the bayside and ocean-side shores of Napatree for the past 15 years. He is Vice President of The Watch Hill Conservancy.

All About Owls
2022-08-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Meet a live owl as you learn more about their unique adaptations and nocturnal habits.
Listen to owl calls to see which ones are living close to you.
When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
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).

Seagrass and Society - Underwater Plants as a Critical Resource
2022-08-14 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
A Virtual and In-Person Illustrated talk by Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D. on Seagrass, the ribbon-like plant found rooted underwater along Fishers Island’s coasts that is a vital and vibrant resource for both marine animals and humans.
These underwater meadows formed of seagrass are found where water quality is good, and the water around Fishers Island hosts some of the best seagrass meadows in Long Island Sound and Fishers Island Sound. These meadows are nursery grounds and a source of food for many marine animals, reduce the energy of waves reaching the coastline, and store carbon, alleviating the impact of climate change. Join us as we explore seagrass through the ages and chart a path forward to expanding acres of meadows and learn about the advantages this brings to the blue (ocean-based) economy of the Sounds.
Time: Sunday, August 14, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND “IN-PERSON” PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT FOR THIS PROGRAM BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
FOR VIRTUAL ACCESS, NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Join Webinar
Webinar ID: 881 9089 2878
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIs7fpRhe

Dr. Vaudrey’s research interests are in the area of 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 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 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 opens its’ door in July 2022.

Awesome Amphibians
2022-08-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Meet native frogs and salamanders and discover the amazing adaptations that these amphibians have.
Learn about these creatures’ unique life cycles and why their future is so uncertain in New England.
When: Wednesday, August 17, 2022.
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: The History of Fishers Island’s Supply, Use and Distribution Systems
2022-08-21 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
This illustrated talk by HLFM Director Pierce Rafferty will examine our island’s water sources and chronicle the evolution of our critical water system infrastructure beginning in the 1890s to today.
Date: Sunday, August 21, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, WE RECOMMEND RESERVING YOUR SEAT BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
For virtual access, no advance registration is required.
Join Webinar
Webinar ID: 838 4614 0422
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIs7fpRhe
This is the first in a series of three that will survey the past, examine the present, and look to the future of utilities on Fishers Island. Electric and communications services will be the subject of two future talks.

Crustaceans: On Land and Sea
2022-08-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
New England’s coastline is home to countless species of crustaceans, but these armored creatures are not confined to the ocean. Many live in our forests and freshwater habitats!
Come learn about the hidden world of crustaceans and their awesome adaptations for life on land and at sea.
When: Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
Time: 2 to 3 p.m.
HLFM Family Program provided by Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) 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: An invasive Green Crab in a defensive posture near water’s edge, Munnatawket Beach by Mary P. Murphy

Birds In Winter: Surviving The Most Challenging Season
2022-08-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Join us for a virtual and in-person illustrated talk by Roger Pasquier and learn why we should think about birds in winter during August. Here on Fishers Island and throughout the Northern Hemisphere many birds are already preparing for the most challenging season of the year.
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Museum, 2nd floor
The talk will be in person and virtual. A book signing and reception will be held after the talk at the Museum.
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
FOR VIRTUAL ACCESS, NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Join Webinar

Webinar ID: 838 4614 0422
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIs7fpRhe
Photo by Ellen Warner
Roger Pasquier will discuss 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.
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

Construction Zone: Beavers at Work
2022-08-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
Beavers are always secretly at work somewhere nearby building their own habitat and building habitat for many other animals in the process.
Come learn about nature’s amazing engineers, meet animals that share their habitat and build your own beaver dam to test!
When: Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
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).
PHOTO CREDIT: North American Beaver by TomKoerner, USFWS

Gulf Stream Perspectives
2022-09-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Henry L. Ferguson Museum, 1109 Equestrian Ave, Fishers Island, NY, 06390, United States
An illustrated talk by W. Frank Bohlen, physical oceanographer and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut.
As a major western boundary current the Gulf Stream has for centuries been of interest to navigators, oceanographers and artists. Today, the Stream figures prominently in discussions of climate change and the potential for modified trajectories to alter the amount of heat moving from the tropics to the Arctic or the subsequent subsurface return flows to the south. In combination or alone, these changes might significantly affect global climate. Examination of the history of exploration from the 1850s to present provides a basis for an understanding of Stream structure and dynamics and the factors governing all aspects of its place in human history. This history is rich in personalities from Ben Franklin, to Matthew Fontaine Maury and Henry Stommel as well as notable ships and advances in technology. Perspectives also extend well beyond the scientific to include a variety of art, literature and poetry. This combination of subjects gives life to a remarkable natural phenomenon.
Time: Sunday, September 11, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: at the Museum, 2nd Floor
The talk will be in person and virtual.
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
FOR VIRTUAL ACCESS, NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Join webinar
Or One tap mobile :
US: +16465588656,,83671625716# or +16469313860,,83671625716#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 719 359 4580
Webinar ID: 836 7162 5716
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdpjgxouBo

W. Frank Bohlen
Frank Bohlen is a physical oceanographer and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut. His research interests include the dynamics governing coastal sediment transport and long-term observations of currents and associated weather conditions. He started and continues to be involved with the Long Island Sound Observatory. Past Commodore of the Off Soundings Club, he’s an experienced offshore racer/cruiser having participated in 20 Newport Bermuda Races and five transatlantic sails, two racing and three cruising. On the majority of these passages Frank served as navigator. Since 1998 he has been a member of the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee preparing regular Gulf Stream tutorials and analyses of conditions that are posted on the Race homepage during the months before the Race, and briefing participants on expected Stream characteristics as part of the pre-Race Skipper’s Meeting. He regularly participates in Safety at Sea Seminars discussing weather and ocean currents and the associated effects on passage making.

“The Gulf Stream” 1899 oil painting by Winslow Homer. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes
2022-10-08 16:00 - 17:00
Hurricanes menace North America from June through November every year, each as powerful as 10,000 nuclear bombs. These megastorms will likely become more intense as the planet continues to warm, yet we too often treat them as local disasters and TV spectacles, unaware of how far-ranging their impact can be. In this illustrated talk, best-selling historian Eric Jay Dolin contends we must look to our nation’s past if we hope to comprehend the consequences of the hurricanes of the future.
From the moment European colonists laid violent claim to this land, hurricanes have had a profound and visceral impact on American history. Dolin presents the five-hundred-year story of American hurricanes, from the nameless storms that threatened Columbus’ New World voyages, to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the escalation of hurricane season as a result of global warming. Populating his narrative with unlikely heroes such as Benito Viñes, the nineteenth- century Jesuit priest whose revelatory methods for predicting hurricanes saved countless lives, and journalist Dan Rather, whose coverage of a 1961 hurricane would change broadcasting history, Dolin uncovers the often surprising ways we respond to natural crises.
Time: Saturday, October 8, 2022 @ 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Place: at the Museum, 2nd Floor
The talk will be in person and virtual.
DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT BY CALLING (631) 788-7239 OR EMAILING THE MUSEUM.
For virtual access, no advance registration is required.
Join webinar
Or One tap mobile :
US: +16465588656,,86291720380# or +16469313860,,86291720380#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Webinar ID: 862 9172 0380
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdCq1Io0X
Watch the book trailer:

Hawk Bird Watch with Maggie Jones
2022-10-15 08:30 - 10:00
H.L. Ferguson Museum invites you to a
HAWK WATCH
with birder and naturalist Maggie Jones
Saturday, October 15th, 2022
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: Museum Parking Lot
We will carpool from the museum to the Airport, where Maggie will lead our guided walk around 8:45 am.
Please dress for the weather and don’t forget your binoculars! Length of walk is one hour to one hour and half. Participant numbers are limited so please RSVP by emailing Pierce Rafferty at fimuseum@fishersisland.net, or by calling the Museum: (631) 788-7239. Your RSVP will be confirmed by Pierce. Please remember to social distance and masks are suggested.

A Penni Sharp Nature Walk is sponsored each year in loving memory of Penelope “Penni” Sharp, birder, botanist & HLFM president from 2003 until 2014.
In 2020 a group of 15 masked and distanced bird watchers got a perfect day for migrating hawks and songbirds (and a few Monarch butterflies and dragonflies) – Northwest winds following a front. Photograph by Pierce Rafferty
Though the osprey is the most often sighted hawk on our list,
we will look for resident and migratory raptors including:
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Merlin
American Kestrel
In addition to hawks, we will keep an eye out for migratory songbirds and all aspects of nature on this morning exploration, including late-blooming wildflowers, butterflies, mushrooms, and early fall foliage and fruits.
For more information on recent sightings at Race Point or if you are curious about bird observations anywhere on the island, please visit the eBird.org platform.
ebird.org

A successful hunt Photograph by Todd McCormack

Osprey winging-it Photograph by Mary P Murphy

Juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying over Fishers Island, January 20, 2021 Photgraph by John Spofford

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

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Photograph by Dickie Riegel

Red-tailed Hawk on the Hay Harbor Club Golf Course Photograph by Todd McCormack

Red-tailed Hawk in pine tree Photograph by Justine Kibbe

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Photograph by Justine Kibbe

17th Annual Thanksgiving Trail Clearing & Beach Clean Up
2022-11-25 14:30 - 16:30 | 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
Please click button to join the webinar:
Join WebinarOr One tap mobile :
US: +16694449171,,89846834734# or +16699009128,,89846834734#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 360 209 5623 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 507 473 4847 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 689 278 1000 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 305 224 1968 or +1 309 205 3325
Webinar ID: 898 4683 4734
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc8JIcbqC9

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.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Join webinar

Or One tap mobile :
US: +16699009128,,87118737713# or +16694449171,,87118737713#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 360 209 5623 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 507 473 4847 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 689 278 1000 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 305 224 1968 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 871 1873 7713
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdr2kDfbol

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.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Join Webinar
Or One tap mobile:
US: +16465588656,,82156930678# or +16469313860,,82156930678#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 305 224 1968 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 360 209 5623 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 507 473 4847 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 689 278 1000 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 821 5693 0678
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdnPuJOScz

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
