Friends of Sherwood Island Annual Meeting
2025-06-08 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Nature Center
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 8th at 4 pm at the Nature Center. Meet and vote for the 2025-2026 Board and Officers.
Guest Speaker: Jo-Marie Kasinak, M.S, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University
“Project Limulus: 27 years of horseshoe crab research, education, and conservation”
By training Jo-Marie Kasinak is an aquatic ecologist working in both freshwater and marine habitats. Currently she is collaborating on a restoration project in Stratford CT, the goal of which is to restore the intertidal habitat and coastal upland at the site. Reef balls and oyster castles have been added to the intertidal zone and salt marsh grasses have been planted. In the upland, hundreds of trees, shrub, and pollinator habitats have been planted as well. Kasinak is also the Director of Project Limulus, a long term and large scale study of the horseshoe crab population in Long Island Sound. Each year Project Limulus hosts dozens of talks and beach walks where they educate hundreds of children and adults about horseshoe crabs and the Long Island Sound ecosystem. For the past few years Kasinak has been collaborating with researchers from Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and Cardiff University (Wales), to explore Ocean Identity and how ocean spaces impact people. This marine social science project is using the education and outreach program of Project Limulus as a test bed for the survey designed to mean Ocean Identity. For more information on Project Limulus visit www.projectlimulus.org, for more information on Ocean Identity visit www.oceanidentity.org.
To be Held at the Nature Center at Sherwood Island State Park, Westport, CT
Directly off I-95 Exit 18 Sherwood Island Connector)
Free Admission Refreshments
Bring your binoculars for birding from the porch at 3 pm. Use our spotting scope to check in on our resident Osprey. See if you can spot a Bald Eagle. Observe the Purple Martins caring for young in the colony nest boxes right in front of the Nature Center.

Meet and Greet with Smoky Bear!
2025-06-27 12:00 - 14:00 | Nature Center
Meet and Greet with Smokey Bear
Come visit Sherwood Island Nature Center to meet Smokey Bear and some of his wildland firefighters to learn about forest fire prevention in CT

Watch the Turtles Have Their Lunch - Daily from 2pm to 3pm
2025-06-30 14:00 - 2025-09-01 15:00 | Nature Center
Do you love turtles? Come to the Nature Center everyday from 2pm to 3pm to watch the turtles have their lunch and learn about the different species of turtles that live in CT, specifically at Sherwood Island, and what to do when you find one.

Bird Identification on Wednesdays from 10 am - 12pm
2025-07-02 10:00 - 2025-09-03 12:00
Sherwood Island is a very popular bird watching location because of the various species we see in the park. Birds come and go all the time, so you may see someone new every time! Come join us and idenify birds using sight and sound!
Location: Location will change each week. Please ask the ticket pooth attendant when you enter the park or any park staff as to where to meet your bird watching guide.
Supplies: We have a limited supply of binoculars and bird identification guides to share and we encourage our guests to bring their own if they have them.

Purple Martin Banding - July 11 at 9:30
2025-07-11 09:30 - 2025-07-15 11:00 | Nature Center

Donors to Shorefest 2025
2025-09-05 08:00 - 17:00 | Main Pavilion
Thank you to all the organizations that have already donated to Shorefest’s silent auction!
Double L Market
Rizzuto’s Oyster Bar
Gilberties
Trader Joe’s
The Liquor Center
Millie’s Hair Salon
Norwalk Pizza and Pasta
Bowlero- AMF bowling lanes and arcade
The Device Shop
Riko’s
Sweet Ashley’s
Village Bagels
Don Carmelo’s Mexican Grill
Longshore Sailing School
Tutti’s
Westport Farmers Market
Dippin Chicken
Wave Hill Breads
Westport Playhouse
The Spotted Horse Tavern
The Fresh Market
99 Bottles
Posh Paws – Fairfield
Fisherman’s World
Westport Fire Department
Romanacci
Westport Police Department
Austin – Rolfe Salon
Nomade Restaurant
Captain Blake
Wakeman’s Town Farm
Miggs Burroughs
The Liquor Center
Caraluzzi’s
Tengda Asian Restaurant
Norm Bloom Oysters
Bungalow – Home Decor Store
The Device Shope
Fred Astaire Dance Studio
HAIR – Fairfield
Gruel Britannia Restaurant
Little Barn Restaurant
Beltone Hearing Aid Center
Women’s Club of Westport
SUPPORT THE FRIENDS, SUPPORT THE PARK
Hi – Thanks for your interest in our event. Since we need to provide enough time before the event for our caterer to order all the fabulous lobsters, our ticket sales have now closed. We look forward to seeing you next year (or anytime over the next year at the park).
Thanks!
Please RSVP by Sunday, August 31 for $125 Adult Dinner and $15 for Child (12 or under) OR September 1 to September 3 for $150 Adult and $15 Child

Mark your calendar for Friday, September 5th, 6-9 pm for our annual fundraiser, Shorefest.
This vibrant event brings together over a hundred active supporters and their families and friends who gather at the park for a delightful seafood fest along Long Island Sound. Live music, dinners by Westfair Fish & Chips, appetizers, desserts and beverages – and our fun Silent Auction.

Shorefest - Ticket sales have now closed
2025-09-05 18:00 - 21:00 | Main Pavilion
SUPPORT THE FRIENDS, SUPPORT THE PARK
Hi – Thanks for your interest in our event. Since we need to provide enough time before the event for our caterer to order all the fabulous lobsters, our ticket sales have now closed. We look forward to seeing you next year (or anytime over the next year at the park).
Thanks!
Please RSVP by Sunday, August 31 for $125 Adult Dinner and $15 for Child (12 or under) OR September 1 to September 3 for $150 Adult and $15 Child

Mark your calendar for Friday, September 5th, 6-9 pm for our annual fundraiser, Shorefest.
This vibrant event brings together over a hundred active supporters and their families and friends who gather at the park for a delightful seafood fest along Long Island Sound. Live music, dinners by Westfair Fish & Chips, appetizers, desserts and beverages – and our fun Silent Auction.
Why Your Support Matters:

Preserving Our Natural Gem: Your contribution directly impacts our ability to protect this scarce coastal sanctuary space in Fairfield County, and expand, protect, and care for the park’s wildlife habitat, as well as restore trees lost to storms.
Educational Outreach: It also supports our Nature Center programs, exhibits, and summer interns, providing hands-on environmental education to hundreds of children and adults among the over 350,000 visitors to this Gateway waterfront State Park each year.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Shorefest - Ticket sales have now closed.
2025-09-05 18:00 - 21:00
Ticket sales have now closed for our Annual fundraiser – Shorefest – Friday, September 5th, 6-9 pm
This vibrant event brings together over a hundred active supporters and their families and friends who gather at the park for a delightful seafood fest along Long Island Sound. Live music, dinners by Westfair Fish & Chips, appetizers, desserts and beverages – and our fun Silent Auction.
Why Your Support Matters:

Preserving Our Natural Gem: Your contribution directly impacts our ability to protect this scarce coastal sanctuary space in Fairfield County, and expand, protect, and care for the park’s wildlife habitat, as well as restore trees lost to storms.
Educational Outreach: It also supports our Nature Center programs, exhibits, and summer interns, providing hands-on environmental education to hundreds of children and adults among the over 350,000 visitors to this Gateway waterfront State Park each year.

Thanks for your interest in our event. Since we need to provide enough time before the event for our caterer to order all the fabulous lobsters, our ticket sales have now closed. We look forward to seeing you next year (or anytime over the next year at the park).
Thanks!
Please RSVP by Sunday, August 31 for $125 Adult Dinner and $15 for Child (12 or under) OR September 1 to September 3 for $150 Adult and $15 Child

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with us on Sunday, December 21 at 10 am
2025-12-21 10:00 - 11:30 | Main Pavilion
Celebrate the Winter Solstice with us on Sunday, December 21 at 10 am.
We’ll teach you Winter Seed Sowing in milk jugs, starting with a beach stroll to collect seeds. Come to the Main Pavilion promptly at 10 am. Bring a rinsed, empty plastic milk jug, as pictured below. We’ll have tools to cut, label, and make drainage holes. We’ll provide potting soil. You’ll get to take home several kinds of native wildflowers to grow outside in a protected spot. Refreshments and a surprise visitor will add to the fun.

Love Yourself - Get Outdoors
2026-02-14 11:00 - 12:00 | Main Pavilion
February 14 – Love Yourself – Get Outdoors
Linda Gottlieb, FIT Trainer, “helping people over 50 embrace exercise for healthy aging, disease management, and for pre and post surgical and cancer recovery” will lead us this morning.

Practice green exercise. Experience ‘Forest bathing.” Learn to use the “nature pyramid” to guide your exercise.

Free. All are welcome.

Meet 11 am at Main Pavilion, west side.

Sponsored by the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park.

Friends’ Garden Team Summer Internship at Sherwood Island
2026-05-01 - 2026-08-31 | Nature Center
Tuesdays 8-11 am and Fridays 2:30-5:30 pm, May-August, 2026
We’re looking for two garden interns to assist the Friends’ Garden Team in all aspects of planning, planting and maintaining the East Beach dunes & gardens. Interns report to the Friends’ Garden Team Captain, Michele Sorensen, a UConn Advanced Master Gardener, and work as part of a team with other UConn Master Gardeners and local volunteers. A stipend is available for qualified students ages 17-22.
We meet at the Nature Center or in the East beach dunes or parking areas. Weeks worked depend upon your availability. We are flexible. As a volunteer at a CT State Park, you would follow all CT DEEP guidance, and must sign a waiver on your first day. Rolling applications, aim for a mid-May submission. If interested, please contact michelemsorensen@gmail.com by email or text/phone
to 203-247-1390.

Activities and responsibilities typically include

Learning Opportunities & Benefits
– Enjoy summer at this shorefront 235 acre state park, visited or home to more than 300
species of birds, state-listed Diamondback Terrapin, Bobcats, Red Fox, Coyote, Deer.
– Take part in our dune restoration project, begun in 2017.
– Learn to identify and care for native plants we’ve added along parking lot paths and in picnic
areas along the beach.
– Help us establish allees leading to the beach from the East Beach parking area.
– Care for berry, herb and vegetable plants in our Three Sisters Garden. Find out how they
benefit wildlife.
– Identify pollinator host shrubs and perennials in our Pollinator Garden.
– Learn to identify and control invasive plant species. Find out how they outcompete natives.
– Identify & report butterflies & other pollinator insects using iNaturalist.
– Observe and identify birds by sight and call & mammals by sight and signs.
– Mini-lesson topics include pruning, plant pathogens & soil amendments.
– Assist with programming, such as garden demonstrations and tours.
– Help us create interpretive signage in English and Spanish.
– Try out a variety of hand tools, and learn how to care for them. We can provide tools.
We Appreciate
– On-time attendance, a strong work ethic & reliability
– Enthusiasm for learning
– Previous experience with gardening or landscape work is helpful, but not required.

Connecticut Trails Day - June 6 and 7
2026-06-06 - 2026-06-07 | Nature Center
It’s time for Connecticut Trails Day and here is what is happening at Sherwood Island State Park
Saturday, June 6 at 2pm: Beach to Beach walk with Louis Peitig
Sunday, June 7 at 2pm: historical walk with Louis Peitig
More information to follow!

Come to our Annual Meeting - Sunday, June 28 at 4pm at the Nature Center
2026-06-28 16:00 - 17:30 | Nature Center
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 28th at 4 pm at the Nature Center. Please join us while we review the year and vote on the 2026-2027 Board and Officers. After the business portion of the meeting, please stay for a chance to meet other Friends of Sherwood Island State Park and talk about what you would like to see at the park. Refreshments will be served. Open to All!
2026 Officers and Directors Slate:

OFFICERS:
President – Jamie Van Acker
Co Vice Presidents – Erica Caldwell and Magnus Larsson
Treasurer – Cathy Walsh
Secretary – Josh Berkowsky
DIRECTORS:
Josh Berkowsky
Jim Beschle
Luise Bianco
Erica Caldwell
Al Gratrix
Maddie Gray
Liz-Ann Koos
Magnus Larsson
Emma Seltzer *
Jamie Van Acker
Cathy Walsh
* *New board members

Purple Martin Banding - July 8 at 10:00am
2026-07-08 10:00 - 11:30
On Wednesday, July 8 at 10am, DEEP staff and volunteers will be banding the baby Purple Martins at the Nature Center.

The Earthplace Birds of Prey are coming to the Nature Center on Sunday 7/12 and Sunday 8/9
2026-07-12 - 2026-08-09

Beardsley Zoo is coming to the Sherwood Island Nature Center on 7/21 and 8/4
2026-07-21 - 2026-08-04

Thank You to the Garden Team for all their work!!!
2026-07-30 - 2026-11-29 | Nature Center
The Friends’ Garden Team has started its 9th year working in the East Beach dunes, gardens, picnic areas and parking lot.

This April the team planted 3,600 beach grass stems in two rows fronting the Sound to reinforce the dunes for possible storms this season. In April 2025, they planted 110 feet of new dunes, completing the restoration of the East Beach from the point to the East Beach Bath House.

Each year the team fertilize and water the newly planted grasses, paying careful attention to rainfall deficits.
They continue to weed, water, mulch and repair/replace fencing on over 100 trees and shrubs planted in the East Beach area. They maintain the Three Sisters and Pollinator Gardens, adding plants, fertilizing, weeding and watering.
And this year they hope to have two student garden interns to help their team of 12 local volunteers and Master Gardeners.

June 2026 - President's message
2026-07-31 - 2026-10-30
Greetings from Sherwood Island,
A lot has gone on at the oldest State park in the past year.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has embarked on a major paving
project throughout the park’s parking facilities and roadways. DEEP has also closed access to the Pavilion
for the remainder of the year due to unsafe conditions caused by deterioration of the roof and ceiling.
Engineers are currently looking for a solution, but it won’t be in time for this year’s Shorefest fundraiser.
A new mowing protocol is in effect around the park aimed at discouraging the Canada Geese from
nesting and residing here.
Michele Sorensen, the Friends’ Garden team Captain, and her team of local and Master Gardener intern
volunteers are caring for about 150 native trees and shrubs throughout the East Beach picnic and parking
areas. The Teams’ work helps support pollinators and wildlife at the park and on their seasonal
migrations. The team also maintains the Three Sisters Garden and the Pollinator Garden outside the
Nature Center. This summer, the garden team includes our first Garden Team Intern, Gabrielle Hebert.
In April, the Garden Team, along with Volunteers from Sacred Heart University Physician’s Assistant
Program planted 3,600 more dune grass plants. This brings the total to over 24,000 plants, re-establishing
the dunes across East Beach with the hopes of increasing shoreline resilience to storm damage and
providing nesting areas for shore birds like the Piping Plover and Killdeer.
The Tree Committee has worked with Park staff to plant nine White Spruce trees this Spring to re-start
the Owl Habitat project. The project was paused due to the long summer droughts over the past few
years, but Caitlin Munson, our Park Supervisor, has committed to having staff irrigate the new plantings
throughout the Summer to ensure their survival.
The Purple Martin Colony has returned this Spring and is under the careful monitoring of Tina Green
and David Anastasia. As in years past, there will be a bird banding activity in July by the Purple Martin
Society, the date to be determined by the Martin’s schedule.
We can’t do this without your Membership dollars and financial support. We hope you will join us at our
annual Meeting and take this opportunity to renew your FOSI membership.
Best,
Jamie Van Acker
