To protect nesting birds, the Coastal Center gates will be locked for the 4th of July weekend. But all our other sanctuaries are open as usual.

Visit our sanctuaries over the 4th of July weekend and look for Baltimore Orioles. They are widespread nesting birds in Connecticut. Photo by Aaron Bourque

In the sanctuaries …

June 30, 2022 — As you’re making plans to visit Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries over the 4th of July weekend, keep in mind that the parking lot gates at the Milford Point Coastal Center will be locked.

We do this every year to protect the birds on the beach and sandbar.

Beaches tend to be gathering places for crowds of people who want to set off or watch fireworks on Independence Day weekend.

The beach at Milford Point also happens to be home to about two dozen baby birds this summer.

Those elements — crowds, fireworks, baby birds — don’t mix, to the detriment of the baby birds.

So the gates will be locked at 4 p.m. today, June 30, and will open again at sunrise on July 5.

You can still get your recommended daily allowance of nature at our other sanctuaries. All are open dawn to dusk every day.

Our most popular sanctuaries include:
Larsen Sanctuary, Fairfield
Bafflin Sanctuary, Pomfret
Deer Pond Farm, Sherman
Smith-Richardson, Westport
Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, Old Lyme
Trail Wood, Hampton
Birdcraft, Fairfield

You can find information about visiting those and others on our Sanctuaries home page.