Duck Day

LRWC’s annual open house, Duck Day, is a family oriented event which includes an array of educational, entertaining, and memorable events. Duck Day is an opportunity for visitors to learn about our research, conservation and education pograms.

Throughout the day, LRWC’s rearing barn and several aviaries are open to attendees interested in learning about the waterfowl collection and breeding program.  Participants can visit numerous booths and exhibits provided by wildlife and conservation organizations, artists, carvers and photographers. Special event programs have included birds of prey demonstrations, exhibitions of canine retriever skills, puppet shows, and a rubber duck race fundraiser for outdoor-oriented prizes.

Duck Day is supported through generous donations from our membership, which allow us to offer the event free to the public. With an average annual attendance of over five hundred visitors, the day is quickly becoming an annual ‘must do’ in Litchfield for those interested in wildlife, the outdoors, and of course, having a great time!

Interested in supporting or participating in Duck Day?  Please contact us for more information. We look forward to hearing from you!

DUCK DAY 2011

LRWC) hosted its sixth annual Duck Day on June 5th, an event that hosted over 1,000 attendees.  Duck Day has become an annual tradition that provides our friends in the community, along with new visitors, the opportunity to experience LRWC and learn about our programs and projects.  The focus of Duck Day is always to promote environmental awareness, and this year we increased the number of educational exhibits and opportunities.  Pond dipping was our newest attraction, where kids of all ages could discover the diversity of bugs, crustaceans, amphibians and other life forms that inhabit our local ponds.   Attendees were allowed to explore the covered bird enclosures, take a stroll to our special sea duck enclosure, and tour the rearing barn to view the growing ducklings from the spring breeding season.  The rearing barn is home to the recently constructed LRWC Learning Center, which displayed incubators with hatching chicks, our dermestid beetle colony, and the waterfowl artwork and photography from the Wamogo and Litchfield High School students (scroll down for the winning pictures).  

     Special events included an amazing demonstration of the flight and hunting skills of birds of prey by falconer Jennifer Pena from Flight of the Raptor.  Returning guest presenter Erin O’Connell of Audubon Sharon also provided close-up interactions with birds of prey.  Not to be outdone by the birds, herpetologist Brian Kleinman displayed a host of reptiles and amphibians.  For the younger kids, there were ducklings, goslings and even rabbits, along with the mystifying skills of magician Jerry Hornak

     We would like to thank our dedicated volunteers for their indispensable assistance which produced a highly successful Duck Day, and our presenters and exhibitors for their time and effort in making the event fun and educational for all.

Laughs and smiles!	The hayride to the parking lot is always a treat.
Jennifer Pena gets assistance from a young volunteer to demonstrate the hunting abilities of a Harris' hawk.	Looks like fun!
Herpetologist Brian Kleinman wows the audience with  reptiles and amphibians.	Erin O'Connel of Audubon Sharon displays birds of prey.
Guests tour the aviaries.	Kids checkout the ducklings and goslings.

More kids - more ducklings.	Magician Jerry Hornak makes 'em laugh!
Kids of all ages enjoyed learning about pond life.	Volunteer Alex Hubbel contemplates a duckling.
The rubber duck race is underway.	Kids investigate the skins and skulls of the CT Department of Energyand Environmental Protection's Master Wildlife Conservationist booth.

 

Congratulations to the winners of the student art contest at the 6th Annual Duck Day!

Students from Wamogo High School and Litchfield High School visited LRWC in late May to tackle the challenge of wildlife art and photography.  The resulting masterpieces were displayed in the LRWC classroom on Duck Day, where visitors voted on their favorites.  The results?  Check it out below!

First Place - Art : Black Swan by Brooks Bittel, grade 11
Second Place - Art: Greater Scaup by Dani DeLisle, grade 10
Third Place - Art: Coscoroba Swan by Colleen McPhee, grade 9
First Place - Photography: Wood Duck by Hayley Gravel, grade 11
Tie Second Place - Photography: Trumpeter Swan Pair by Andrea Wright
Tie Second Place - Photography: Coscoroba Trio by Serena Marecki, grade 9
Third Place - Photography: Trumpeter Swan by Jessie Clayton, grade 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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