Touch a Shark!

I really like the Norwalk Aquarium, and this sounds like a great event.

Visitor response was so positive to “Touch A Shark” in February that the special exhibit will return for an encore April 16-24 to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The special exhibit’s return corresponds to most area schools’ spring break week.

As similarly offered in February, “Touch A Shark” will feature live nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a comparatively docile species that tolerates having their backs gently touched by human fingers.

“We had a great response to ‘Touch A Shark’ during the winter school break,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Visitors were surprised at the feel of the sharks’ tough skin. And, importantly to us, they also learned that sharks aren’t the violent bloodthirsty beasts that they’re portrayed as in the media.”

Aquarium volunteers will be on-hand to make sure the shark-human interactions are safe for both parties.

Interpretative graphics will provide details about nurse sharks and how they hunt and eat their prey, and also about how sharks sense their world.

Plus, be sure to bring your camera to “Touch A Shark” for a shark dive-cage photo opportunity! A real diving cage, used for safe approaches to large sharks, will be positioned next to the Aquarium’s cast model of a 16-foot great white shark caught in the eastern end of Long Island Sound in the 1970s. Step inside the cage and pose to look like you’re having a real underwater encounter with the largest species of predatory shark – a species you don’t want to touch.

“Touch A Shark” will be free with Maritime Aquarium general admission: $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children 2-12.

For more details, go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700. Click here to read more.

Filming The Big C...

On Summer St last Mon/Tues and maybe the previous weekend, too. The view from my dermatologist's office!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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CHICKENS!!!!! at Audubon Greenwich, Sunday

I hate to cut and paste from a press release, but my pukey toddler will only be sleeping for a bit longer, and this event is too good to miss. You should really, really go, especially if you are a documentary lover like me. Melina Brown, who I interviewed a couple of years ago for a Stamford Times article, will be speaking! She is both kind and hilarious and totally worth meeting.

Press release:
Sunday, March 27
"Poultry for All" Event
With the film, 'Mad City Chickens'
2:00-4:30 pm, Audubon Greenwich

Raising chickens at home is getting more popular easier every year. Come be inspired to have your own coop and learn the basics of how to get started when Melina Brown, founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup, and Derek Sasaki and Traci Torres, local experts and owners of Norwalk-based My Pet Chicken LLC, visit Audubon Greenwich to discuss the how-to of raising your own chickens and show some of the many unique breeds available. This event will include a presentation about what is involved with raising chickens in your backyard, a screening of the acclaimed film, 'Mad City Chickens', and ample time for Q&A.

Keep reading for more info about the film and how to RSVP.

Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

Suitable for all ages. Tickets still available but RSVPs are greatly appreciated. $12/adult. Youth admitted free. National Audubon Society & Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup members enjoy discounted admission ($8/adult). Audubon memberships will be available on the day of the event. To RSVP, contact Jeff Cordulack at jcordulack@audubon.org or leave a message at (203) 869-5272 x239. Click here to read more.