Celebrate National Park Week Locally

WILTON — Saturday, April 16, marks the beginning of National Park Week, the nation’s annual celebration of its magnificent natural landscapes and diverse cultural heritage. Every spring, National Park Week encourages visitors to enjoy outdoor recreation and better appreciate the country’s beauty and history at one of the most beautiful times of the year.

This spring, Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut’s only national park and the only national park in the country dedicated to American painting, joins in the celebration of national parks by offering a wide variety of programs and activities for adults, families, and children.

*Woods and Wetlands Walk: On Saturday, April 16, from 10 am until noon, embark on a Woods and Wetlands Walk with Natural Resource Manager Greg Waters.

Mr Waters will point out the emerging signs of spring among Weir Farm’s wondrous woods and wetlands. Participation in the three-mile hike is free, but registration is requested. To register or for more information, call 203-544-9829, extension 11. Participants should arrive prepared with sturdy walking shoes and bottle of water.

*Junior Ranger Day: On Saturday, April 23, from 10 am to 4 pm, Weir Farm will celebrate Junior Ranger Day by encouraging children to explore the site, engage in a variety of activities, and earn a Junior Ranger Badge and Patch.

Two activities will be available, the Junior Ranger Letterboxing Booklet and the Junior Ranger Pond Pack.

The Junior Ranger Letterboxing Booklet directs children to use guided clues to navigate the landscape and locate stamps in hidden locations. Five containers, or letterboxes, have been hidden at various locations at the farm.

For those looking for a nature walk, the Junior Ranger Pond Pack is a backpack containing art and nature-oriented activities to complete on a hike around Weir Pond. There is no fee to participate in the Junior Ranger Program.

*Take Part in Art: From 10 am to 4 pm, Thursdays through Sundays, from May to October, be creative, be inspired, and Take Part in Art as artists have at Weir Farm National Historic Site for more than 125 years.

Visitors will be encouraged to discover their inner artist while sketching en plein air with graphite pencils, colored pencils, or chalk pastels provided by Weir Farm National Historic Site free of charge. All ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate.

Weir Farm National Historic Site was home to three generations of American artists. Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism, acquired the farm in 1882. After Weir, the artistic legacy was continued by his daughter, painter Dorothy Weir Young and her husband, sculptor Mahonri Young, followed by New England painters Sperry and Doris Andrews.

Today, the 60-acre farm, which includes the Weir House, Weir and Young Studios, barns, gardens, and Weir Pond, is one of the nation’s finest remaining landscapes of American art. For more information visit www.nps.gov/wefa or call 203-834-1896.