Bird Sunday Soars at The Children's Museum

As our feathered friends begin their migration back to New England, they are the focus of Bird Sunday, the latest Family Science Sunday offering at The Children’s Museum on Sunday, March 20 from 11:00am-4:00pm. Among the activities and demonstrations for Bird Sunday are:

• Raptor rehabilitator Tom Ricardi and his live birds of prey - including an eagle! (Seating for his programs is limited, first come first serve);
• The Connecticut Parrot Society will be on hand with a cohort of colorful squawkers;
• Build feeders to take home (including seeds) that will attract birds to your yard, or make a nest box to help the state Department of Environmental Protection provide nesting sites for the eastern bluebird;
• Dissect owl pellets to see what was on the menu for Aya, TCM's own barred owl;
• Meet award winning teen duck stamp painter Matt Messina, learn about bird banding and find out where and how to look for birds in Connecticut.

PLUS: Bird Sunday will feature a special pre-opening event! Jay Kaplan of the Roaring Brook Nature Center will lead a free bird walk (weather permitting) from 9:30-11:00 at West Hartford's Reservoir #6. Those interested should meet at the reservoir parking lot on route 44. With Mother Nature’s cooperation, walkers hope to spot some ducks and possibly some early migrants.

Bird Sunday activities are fun for the whole family, free with general admission and will run from 11:00 AM to closing time at 4:00 PM. The Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford.

Family Science Sundays at The Children’s Museum are sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group. FSS days include special guest presenters, science demonstrations, hands-on experiments, creative take-home materials, fun activities and an on-line component. The series is supported by a $50,000 grant awarded to The Children’s Museum by The Hartford as part of its Bicentennial celebration. Each program draws from the Museum’s rich expertise in the sciences and education.

In addition to public admissions, each monthly program targets a school, youth group, or community organization in a high-need community for free admission. Participants in the youth development programs of Our Piece of the Pie in Hartford will join us for Bird Sunday along with birding enthusiasts from Prosser Library in Bloomfield and the Mark Twain Library in Hartford.

The Children’s Museum offers over 100 live animals, hands-on science exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for younger children and families. With more than 200,000 visitors annually, it is one of Connecticut’s top museum attractions. The Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.