by Danniela Ciatto
Trailside Nature Museum has been very busy this past year! There have been so many exciting things happening, and I’d love to share some highlights with you all.
As always, we had a very successful year welcoming school groups for our Native American program. We hosted 56 school groups, totaling 1,008 children. This is a wonderful program that schools truly love — they are already booking with me for fall 2026!
Maple sugaring season is always a favorite at Trailside. This year, we tapped 22 trees and collected 160 gallons of sap, which produced 29 bottles of delicious maple syrup. We hosted three Sugar House Chat days, during which we showed the public how we run the evaporator and turn sap into syrup. Our Family Tapping Experience was also a lot of fun. It was super cold, but that didn’t stop families from coming out to learn about the process — and, of course, taste the maple syrup! Our Sugaring Off Party was a huge hit, with 300 people in attendance and lots of pancakes made and eaten.
This year also marked the 100th Anniversary of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. We had 414 people sign up to walk 100 miles in the reservation. One of our hikers, Suk Yean, logged an incredible 701.27 miles, and together we raised $9,756.24. The event day itself was a great success, featuring music, vendors, a birds-of-prey presentation, and more. We also hosted a wonderful annual Firefly Festival, with 307 people in attendance. This year, we welcomed Professor Andrew Moiseff, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs, who gave an engaging talk on fireflies. Children enjoyed arts and crafts, games, and collecting and releasing fireflies.
Lastly, our annual Spooktacular Oktoberfest was a big hit, with over 800 people coming out to enjoy the Halloween festivities. We were lucky to have perfect fall weather, along with lots of activities, including a haunted sugar house, spooky storytelling, trick-or-treating, food, music, and more. New this year, we added a photo booth, costume contest, and live animal presentations.
It has truly been an eventful year at Trailside Nature Museum. If you weren’t able to join us for any of these events, be sure to visit us in 2026 for even more environmental education, events, and fun!
View our full Winter 2026 Newsetter (PDF)