August 20, 2017

This year’s Artists Day at Valley Falls Farm will be held on Sunday, August 20th. The public is invited to stroll through the fields between 1:00 and 3:30 pm, and enjoy the art of the plein air artists painting on the grounds. Other paintings by the artists will be on display in the red barn and will be available for sale. Tours of the historic buildings will be given on the hour, sparked with tales of the intriguing history of the “gentleman farmers” that once owned Valley Falls Farm. Live musicians will play on the porch of the farmhouse during the afternoon, funded by the Vernon Arts Commission. The herb and flower gardens in the old cold frames, planted and tended by the Vernon Garden Club, add to the experience.

Mark your calendar – August 20th – for a quintessential summer afternoon experience at Valley Falls Farm!

Please park at Valley Falls Parking Lot….you can follow our signs up the trail to the Barn, or a shuttle will provide a ride.

CT Open House Day, Saturday, June 10, 2017

Join us for CT Open House Day at Valley Falls Farm. Free tours of Valley Falls Farm and a free nature program for families in Valley Falls Park will be offered as part of the local celebration of Connecticut Open House Day. The Friends will host free historical tours of the Farm between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

A Family Bird Walk will be given in Valley Falls Park by wildlife biologist, Jane Seymour of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The program will begin at 9:00 am and will end at 10:00 am. Meet in the gazebo. Come learn about birds and go for a walk!

This 13th annual Connecticut Open House Day is sponsored by the CT Department of Culture and Tourism. The one-day statewide event is designed to showcase Connecticut’s diverse world of history, art, and tourism.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING!

Sunday, September 25 at 1:00 p.m.

At the Red Barn, Valley Falls Park, 345 Valley Falls Rd, Vernon.

The “Bear” Facts at Valley Falls
A presentation on “Black Bears in Connecticut”

by Paul Colburn, Master Wildlife Conservationist

Would you like to get the “bear” facts about the black bears that were roaming the Valley Falls hillsides this spring? Join us for our annual meeting and presentation by Paul Colburn, Master Wildlife Conservationist (MWC), on “Black Bears in Connecticut.” Mr. Coburn will talk about the natural history of black bears in the state, and their habitat, diet, behavior, and reproduction. He will also talk about current research efforts and how to coexist with our black bear population. A display table with various bear artifacts will be available. The talk is intended for ages 12 and up.

Paul Colburn is a certified Master Wildlife Conservationist and a graduate of an interesting program at the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection called the Master Wildlife Conservationist Program. The program trains participants in the fields of wildlife management, natural history and interpretation.

During July and August, Summer tours of Valley Falls Farm will be held on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The Farm buildings and grounds will be open for tours and leisurely walks. Please join us!

Please join us for our Annual Meeting on September 25, 2016 at 1:00 in the Red Barn.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING!

Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m.

At the red barn, Valley Falls Park, 345 Valley Falls Rd, Vernon.

ARCHAEOLOGY  AT  VALLEY  FALLS:

Survey Work for the National Register of Historic Places at Valley Falls, Sharp’s Trout Hatchery and Old Flax Oil Mill

by Bruce Clouette, Senior Historian, Public Archaelogy Survey Team, Inc.

Bruce Clouette, PhD, has been active in the fields of local history and historic preservation since 1975, with a special interest in industrial archaeology. He will give a presentation on the work of the Public Archaelogy Survey Team in listing the Sharp Trout Hatchery on the National Register of Historic Places. He will also talk about the work done on the old flax oil mill site in the park.

Dr. Clouette has been active in the fields of local history and historic preservation since 1975, with a special interest in industrial archaeology.  He is Senior Historian at Public Archaeology Survey Team, Inc., a research and educational organization located in Storrs, where he lives with his family.

Alan Valli, beekeeper at Valley Falls Farm, will give a brief report on the year’s production of honey.  He will also have some Valley Falls Farm honey for sale at the meeting.

A short business meeting will precede the speakers.  Refreshments will be served.

Open House Tours of Valley Falls Farm will be given every Wednesday afternoon during July and August from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Join us!

ARTISTS DAY 2015 at Valley Falls Farm will be held Sunday, August 23rd. The public is invited to watch Connecticut plein air artists paint between 1:oo and 4:00 pm. You can also take a leisurely stroll through the fields and tour the historic buildings. Artists will have displays of other works for sale in the red barn.

Park in the parking lot at Valley Falls Park. If you cannot walk up the hill to the red barn, we will have a shuttle available. The location is 345 Valley Falls Road.

If you would like to participate as an artist, please contact Friends president Ginny Gingras at 860.875.9865.

Saturday, May 16th & Sunday, May 17th, 2015

Spring is bursting out all over in the Park! The birds are singing, the wildflowers are blooming, and the streams are flowing over rock and pebble. The Friends of Valley Falls will be sponsoring a weekend series of guided walks in the park. Each walk will be a leisurely ramble, two hours or less. Meet at the gazebo in the Park, 350 Valley Falls Road, Vernon. Call Ginny Gingras (860-875-9865), or visit www.friendsofvalleyfalls.org for more info about Valley Falls. Come, enjoy Vernon’s park “gem”!

“Birds in the Park”, a birdwalk led by Denise Anamani. Saturday – May 16 at 7:30 am.

“Wildflowers of Valley Falls” – a wildflower walk led by Ginny Gingras. Saturday, May 16 at 1:00 pm.

“Rock & Railroads” – a geology and RR history walk led by Don Sierakowski. Sunday, May 17, 11:00 am.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING!

Meeting Location Change – Please Note Below

Sunday, October 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Tolland Agriculture Center, 24 Hyde Ave (Route 30), across from Northeast School, Rockville

Speaker:  Jane Seymour – Wildlife Biologist, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

VALLEY FALLS AFTER DARK: The Nocturnal Creatures We Seldom See

* Did you ever wonder what makes those strange noises often heard in the woods at night? Come learn about the creatures that roam the forest at night. Hear the strange sounds they make!

* Learn why we no longer see some of the wildlife that once lived in our fields and woodlands, and why other critters are now seen more frequently.

A short business meeting will precede the talk.

Directions: I-84 to Exit 66; head south on Bolton Road for one mile, then right on Valley Falls Road. Park at the Red Barn or in the parking lot at Valley Falls Park, just past the barn on the left.