A member of The Children's Museum family
HOME CONTACT US VISITOR INFO PROGRAMS EVENTS CONCERTS
SCHOOL SERVICES


Roaring Brook Nature Center offers a wide variety of programs that can take place either at the center or at your school.  The Center itself has a small interpretive building and 5 miles of hiking trails on about 100 acres of a state owned wildlife preserve.

Programs can be tailored to fit your curriculum, including urban-suburban partnership programs.

Our programs are aligned with the Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework.

Click here for a complete listing of Roaring Brook School Services Programs


"When You Come to Roaring Brook ..."

Program Times

  • 9:30 (or 9:45) AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM
  • Tues & Wed, October through April
  • Tues - Thu, May & June

All programs at Roaring Brook Nature Center are 1 - 1 1/4 hours except as listed.   Schedule times may vary slightly for 2 hour programs. 

Program Fees

  • 1 hour programs - $5.00 per student, $50 minimum charge
  • 2 hour programs - $7.00 per student, $70 minimum charge
  • All Day Ecology Class - $8.00 per student, $160 minimum charge
  • Teachers/Drivers admitted free. One adult chaperone per 10 students addmitted free. Additional chaperones pay the student rate.
Reservations
Reservations for all Roaring Brook Nature Center programs may be made by calling the Center at (860) 693-0263 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Tuesday through Friday.  Reservations should be made as early as possible in the year (especially for fall & spring visits).
Picnic Facilities
Limited facilities are available to groups but must be reserved.
Gift Shop
A small gift shop is available to groups with items appropriately priced for students.  Reservations are requested for group use.   Teachers may request pre-packaged gift bags in advance.
Cancellations

A minimum of 2 week notice is required for cancellation, otherwise the school will be billed the minimum program fee.  There is no charge for groups canceling due to inclement weather. Every effort is made to reschedule.

Special Needs

Please notify the Nature Center of any special needs of your group. Our building is wheelchair accessible; restrooms and trails are not.

Programs at Roaring Brook Nature Center utilize the wide variety of habitats in the refuge, so participants must come dressed to go outdoors. Classes will go out in the rain, except in the event of thunderstorms.

 
"When Roaring Brook Comes to You ..."

You may arrange for a Nature Center staff member to come to your school.   In-school programs are adapted for specific grade levels and may be tailored to fit your curriculum and teaching needs.  Most programs will include the presentation of at least one live animal. 

Assembly Programs

These are programs for large groups of students (30 or more).  The fee for each assembly program is $250 plus mileage.  Discounts may be given if more than one program is scheduled in a school on a given day.

Assembly programs can also be done as classroom programs.


Classroom Programs

These one hour programs are for groups of 30 students or less and include hands-on and small group activities.  Program cost: $150 plus mileage for each program within a 25 mile radius of the Nature Center; $165 plus mileage for programs outside the 25 mile radius.  Discounts are available if more than one program is scheduled in a school on a given day.


Naturalist In-Residence

A Nature Center naturalist will visit your school for an entire day providing programs that may include slide presentations, mounted and live animals, and hands-on activities. You can choose from the program topics listed for assembly and classroom presentations. A combination of several program types, with a maximum of four, may be held during the course of a day. We also assist teachers with curriculum development, enrichment programming, and in planning/taking a field trip to a natural area close to your school. Reserve early to ensure availability. The cost for this program is $500 plus mileage.

For all school programs, call the Nature Center at (860)-693-0263 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Tuesday through Friday. Because dates fill up quickly, reservations should be made as early as possible in the school year.  Reservations may not be made by email.