Keep your heart close to nature, Break away for a while, Climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir

Celebrate the beginning of summer and join us as we launch the Grace Farms Backyard Explorer program.

Grace Farms Nature and Wildlife Ambassador, Mark Fowler, has designed an adventurous, hands-on, experiential program for kids and adults to connect with and feel the wonder of the natural world. This program’s goal is to draws attention to the incredible diversity of native wildlife and wilderness around the Grace Farms 80-acre preserve and to inspire kids and their families to get outdoors, to find their wild side, and to take time to sense the awe-inspiring messages that nature has to offer. It also will encourage kids and families to continue exploring in their own backyards.

The Backyard Explorer Launch will include nature based arts and crafts in the Plaza, wildlife painting with Betsey Fowler, and a guided outdoor scavenger hunt where participants will discover the native wildlife that exists regionally and in their own backyards.

With 10 habitats, more than 40 species of birds, and an expansive space to explore, Grace Farms naturally promotes an education of Connecticut’s thriving outdoor scene, all while facilitating a connection to nature and environmental stewardship for today’s young Backyard Explorers.