Tucked away in the quiet northeast corner of Westport is one of the town’s gems. Part 62-acre nature preserve, part school, part wild animal care center, part research station, and still so much more, Earthplace is treasured for its conservation efforts, educational initiatives, and animal encounters.
Many might plan family activities around visiting the center’s American bald eagle pair—Chatty and Cerena—and watching them enjoy their morning meal in their newly refurbished enclosure, generously sponsored by Saugatuck Financial. Others pencil in the date that Earthplace’s camp registration opens so their children get the chance to make meaningful summer memories. But the adventure doesn’t stop there.
Veronica Swain, Director of Nature Education & Conservation, and her team implement a variety of programs throughout the year that appeal to all ages and are open to the public. Some of her favorites include:
- Craft and Sip Series: Run every other month for the 21+ crowd, each class is different. Past examples include creating mosaic stepping stones, natural fabric dyeing, and designing botanical stationery. Pre-registration is required. BYOB and snacks!
- Mindfulness Series: These monthly classes, generally held outdoors, bring in community teachers and are designed to immerse attendees in nature while finding peace and rejuvenation. Think yoga and sound baths! Pre-registration is required.
- Naturalist hikes: Experts guide attendees throughout the property’s many trails on a specific theme. You might learn about foraging or how to spot some of the region’s iconic butterflies. Pre-registration is required.
- Canoe paddles: Have you always wanted to take a jaunt down the Saugatuck River but never had the equipment to do so? Sign up for one of Earthplace’s canoe paddles and the staff will take care of all the heavy lifting for you. Naturalists will guide groups of up to five four-person canoes in search of osprey, egrets, and turtles. Open to ages 3 and up. Pre-registration is required.
- Pick Your Own Bouquet: Held several times throughout the summer season, visitors are invited to select blooms like dahlias, sweet pea, zinnia, snapdragon and more from the Earthplace garden and design a tabletop bouquet. Pre-registration is required.
Earthplace also hosts several annual events designed to bring the community together while promoting its initiatives. Some well-loved ones include:
- Toast to the Trees: Held annually on Arbor Day weekend (April 24), this event features a craft beer tasting trail complete with live music, arts and crafts, and special animal visitors. This is one of the center’s biggest fundraisers, and one of its most fun events of the year.
- Cocktails & Clams: Kicking off the summer season off-site at Copps Island Oysters in Norwalk, this 200-person party on the water specifically raises money and awareness for Harbor Watch, the water quality testing arm of Earthplace.
- Moth Ball: If dressing up like a moth while watching moths flutter about in the early summer evening light sounds like your idea of a good time, this is a must-attend event. Family-friendly (and just a little nerdy), the Moth Ball allows attendees to take nighttime nature walks and even participate in expert-led lightsheeting (think lots of moths in front of a backlit white sheet hung up on a clothesline).
- Woodside Bash: This adults-only kickstart to fall is one of the center’s biggest fundraisers, and one of its most fun events of the year. It features food, signature cocktails, and live entertainment all on-site at Earthplace. The 2026 bash is planned for October 17.
- Murder Mystery Campfire: A newer event for Earthplace, this one brings back summer camp vibes for an adults-only group. The second annual campfire is planned for October 10.
A common thread among all these programs is that while they’re designed to be fun, they all have a thread of environmental education woven in, Veronica says. “You’re not going to get away from these without learning some kind of new knowledge. But we try to be sneaky about it.”
At the end of the day, Earthplace’s programs align with its mission, which, in part, aims to bring people together through conservation. “We want to encourage locals and people from farther away to learn more and be more comfortable with their environment,” Veronica says. “Once you're comfortable with it, and you've learned more about it, you're more likely to protect it.”
Earthplace is located at 10 Woodside Lane. To learn more, visit earthplace.org or call 203-557-4400.