Tuesday Winter Series
CAS Members’ Book Club Discussion
H is for Hawk
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. — via ZOOM only
Register with your email address using the member portal on the ctaudubon.org website.
(We recommend reading the book in advance.)
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald is a beautifully written memoir intertwining themes of grief, nature, and self-discovery. After the sudden death of father, Macdonald, a writer and experienced falconer, takes on the challenging task of training a goshawk named Mabel. Through this raw and poetic exploration of her bond with Mabel, Macdonald reveals the complexities of taming both a wild creature and her own grief, offering profound insights into loss, resilience, and the natural world. Led by Melissa Gallaher-Smith, CAS director of development, and Deb Eccleston, CAS director of membership. For questions or assistance with the member portal, contact Deb at deccleston@ctaudubon.org. Free.
Pomfret Green Team Film
Saving the Dark
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
A beautiful and informative documentary by filmaker Sriram Murali, Saving the Dark explores the need to preserve night skies and combat light pollution. This film is a prequel to the upcoming lectures at the Center on light pollution and its impacts on communities, green spaces, and wildlife. Registration requested but not required. Free popcorn. Free admission.
Lights Out Connecticut Lecture
Humans and the Night Sky — Our Lost Heritage
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Light pollution robs us of the opportunity to fully experience the night sky. With this loss, we have come to suffer from insomnia, stress, and increased cancer rates. Explore the human connection to the cosmos, focusing on mythologies and human health and well being. Lecture by Craig Repasz, chair and co-founder of Lights Out Connecticut. Registration requested but not required. Free admission.
Pomfret Green Team Film
Common Ground
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Common Ground presents an urgent message about the poisonous practices within American food systems. At the forefront of the plight are the farmers and families who have lived through tragedy and illness because of government policies favoring Big Ag and big profits. Regenerative farmers are returning to pre-colonial practices pioneered by Indigenous and Black farmers to restore soil, keep Americans alive, and leave a legacy for generations to come. Registration requested but not required. Free popcorn. Free admission.
Lights Out Connecticut Lecture
Light Pollution and Its Impacts on Our Green Spaces
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
We are experiencing an exponential increase in light pollution in Connecticut, impacting birds, insects, bats, amphibians, pollinators, and plants as well as human beings. Additional staggering costs are wasted energy and an increase in our carbon footprint. Light pollution works against our efforts to create healthy habitats. Lecture by Craig Repasz, chair and co-founder of Lights Out Connecticut. Registration requested but not required. Free admission.
Pomfret Green Team Film
Breaking Boundaries — The Science of Our Planet
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
In Breaking Boundaries, David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth’s biodiversity collapse and how a crisis can still be averted. The film explains the most important scientific discovery of our time — that humanity has pushed Earth beyond the boundaries that have kept it stable since the dawn of civilization. The stability of our planet and the future of humanity depend on not exceeding planetary thresholds. There are solutions we must implement now to protect Earth’s life support systems. Discussion to follow, led by environmental scientist Ken Wolslegel. Free popcorn. Registration requested but not required. Free admission.
CAS Members’ Book Club Discussion
Returning North with the Spring
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. — via ZOOM only
Register with your email address using the member portal on the ctaudubon.org website.
(We recommend reading the book in advance.)
In 1947, Pulitzer Prize-winning naturalist, writer, and photographer Edwin Way Teale followed the seasonal changes of spring for 1,700 miles from Florida to Maine. In Returning North with the Spring by John Harris, the author retraces Edwin’s path, revealing a vastly different, but also protected, natural world. You may want to visit Connecticut Audubon Society’s Trail Wood, The Edwin Way Teale Memorial Sanctuary in Hampton. Led by Melissa Gallaher-Smith, CAS director of development, and Deb Eccleston, CAS director of membership. For questions or assistance with the member portal, contact Deb at deccleston@ctaudubon.org. Free.
Lights Out Connecticut Lecture
The Wonders and Perils of Bird Migration
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Explore the awe-inspiring phenomenon of bird migration. Discover the incredible diversity of species that grace our skies during spring migration. Gain insight into the behaviors, routes, and challenges faced by migratory birds and why safe stopover sites are crucial to their survival. Learn the advantages of night migration. Lecture by Craig Repasz, chair and co-founder of Lights Out Connecticut and an accomplished birder. Registration requested but not required. Free admission.
Lights Out Connecticut Lecture
The Effects of Light Pollution on Birds, Wildlife, and Humans
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Our state is located along the Atlantic Flyway, so many birds use our shoreline and green spaces to rest and refuel during their trip north. Artificial light emitted by houses, buildings, streetlights, bridges, and other structure can confuse and disorient birds, causing them to land near buildings, crash into windows, or circle around for hours until they drop from exhaustion. Light pollution also impacts other wildlife and the well-being of humans. Learn what can be done to mitigate the damage. Lecture by Craig Repasz, chair and co-founder of Lights Out Connecticut and an accomplished birder. Registration requested but not required. Free admission.
