For the Outdoorsy to the Contemplative, Weekend Events Abound in Rye

Anyone looking for a way to enjoy his or her weekend will have plenty to choose from, as the Rye Nature Center, the Edith G. Read Sanctuary, the Wainwright House and Marshlands Conservancy are offering events for people who either have a serious sweet tooth or a serious interest in nature and contemplative meditation.

Rye Nature Center

At the Rye Nature Center, the sap runneth over as the center prepares to delight visitors in the art of making maple syrup.

The Nature Center has 47 acres of forest, fields, a pond, a 14-station self-guided nature trail and a nature playground. It also has a natural wildlife garden, a butterfly hut, and lots of maple trees.

Naturalist Adam McHeffey, director of special projects, and his associates will be on hand Saturday to demonstrate how maple syrup is made by actually tapping the sap the old fashioned way.

They will show interested observers how maple trees produce the sap that is converted into maple syrup during the sugaring process in the center’s own sugar shed.

Observers will view the process from tap to taste, learning how big bubbling kettles of thin sap boil down to the essence of what becomes thick fragrant maple syrup.

That maple syrup will be put to good use next Saturday during the Nature Center’s annual fundraising pancake breakfast.

And if you are lucky, as this observer was during a preview this week, you may be greeted by a deer in the parking lot shortly after you drive across a small bridge over Blind Brook that has a sign that says: “Drive Slowly, Animal Crossing.”

It is as though you are entering another world.

During my late afternoon solo walk though, the air was filled with the singsong of a bird chorus led by a dominant owl seemingly residing somewhere in the silhouette of the skeletal remains of what once must have been a magnificent home.

In front of a two-story red shingle building filled with classrooms, there was another sign that stated: “50 Years of Nature at Your Doorstep.”

Actually it is a lot more than that.

The Rye Nature Center opened in 1959 and it offers numerous classes in everything from birding to pond ecology. It has its own Friends of the Rye Nature Center—a non-profit that supports the park—as well as its own beekeeper and nature camp. Its forest sprouts lots of towering trees, including a sprinkling of maple trees as well. The center also offers several volunteer opportunities for those who are interested.

For more information on the Rye Nature Center: 914-967-5150; www.ryenaturecenter.org.

Edith Read Sanctuary

The center’s maple sugar event is one of several of unusual interest in and around Rye during the next few days, from the outdoorsy to the contemplative.

On Saturday, for example, Anthony Cogswell will present a talk on  “Animal Behavior and Survival” at 1 p.m. at Rye’s Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary. The Cogswell talk will focus on animal survival and physical adaptation. Participants will have the chance to observe the animals and record observations of animal behavior during the workshop.

For More Information: Phone: 914-867-8720; www.westchestergov.com/parks.

Wainwright House

On a more contemplative note, Rye’s Wainwright House will hold an “Introduction to Contemplative Meditation” from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Maureen Adamson, whose teaching is rooted in Christian mysticism, will be the featured presenter. The program participants will learn about different types of Christian meditation, including Christian Zen, Christian Meditation and Centering Prayer.

The Psalms, along with the New Testament, Sufi poetry and secular literature will be used as meditative texts during Saturday’s program. Rev. Craig Higgins will the special guest speaker.

For more information: Wainwright House, 260 Stuyvesant Ave.; phone: 967-6080; www.wainwright.org. 

Marshlands Conservancy

And for those who want to get outdoor exercise for a worthy cause, the Marshlands Conservancy offers a volunteer work project Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. to clear the debris from Shady Lane, the historic driveway off Route 1 leading up to the Conservancy, a diverse habitat on 160 acres along Long Island Sound. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, but clean-up tools will be provided.

For more information: 914-835-4466; www.westchestergov.com/parks.

Have a great weekend!