Volunteers Needed for Plant-Based Diets Study

DERBY – The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby, is looking for adult volunteers to take part in a study looking at how a vegan diet, with or without eggs, affects diet quality and heart health.

Study participants will eat a plant-based diet for approximately five months, including eggs for six weeks. 

The study team plans to enroll 35 adults in this study, including men who are 25 to 75 years old, and women up to 75 years of age who have gone through menopause, but are not on hormone replacement therapy. Those who qualify must be non-smokers, and have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes based on certain criteria for this study.

Benefits for those who participate in this study include free study-related dietary counseling from a dietitian, free health testing, free eggs, grocery store gift cards to purchase vegan foods, and a total of $600 for completing the study.

For more information and to be considered for this study, please call Rocky at 203-732-1265 extension 300.

This study is funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, the science and nutrition education division of the American Egg Board that sponsors health-related scientific research that is primarily focused on eggs.

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

Get Active by Gardening

DERBY -  The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital will host a free talk about getting active through gardening on Tues., March 20 at 6 p.m. at the hospital, 130 Division Street, Derby.

 

Experienced horticulturalist Francine Vallillo will present “Constant Color in the Garden,” providing tips for planning and planting a perennial flower garden that will bloom from spring to fall.

 

The talk will include a list of perennials with the color, time of bloom, growth habits, unique foliage, and uses for each species, design elements for short to tall flowers and balancing the space, and a complete list of the plants suitable to take with you when purchasing plants.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gardening is a moderate-intensity level activity, which the CDC recommends two and a half hours of each week to help prevent chronic health conditions.

 

This program is part of a series of free, educational forums hosted by the Community Health Resource Center in an effort to help improve the health of the community.

 

To register or for more information, call Kerry or Deborah at 203-732-7399.

 

The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital is a traditional library that provides an array of medical and health information, including a large collection of easy to read health and lifestyle related materials. The Center is open to the public to educate themselves on ways to enhance

their well-being, prevent illness and play an active role in decisions about their health.

Ansonia Nature Center Announces Spring Programs

 

NATURE EXPLORERS – Wednesdays, May 3 and 10,  10 am – 11:30am

Join Wendy for our preschool/toddler program. This 4-week session is for children ages 2–5 years old with an adult. These outdoor classes will be fun exploring and learning through play. We will learn about nature and science through activities such as hiking, exploring, singing, games, reading, and making crafts. Every class is outside!!!! TUITION: $40 per 4-week session.  Please call to register 203 736-1053

 

 

ADVENTURES IN EDIBLE PLANT FORAGING – Sat. May 6, 10 am

Karen Monger is the author of the 3 Foragers blog, which she runs with her husband, Robert, and their daughter, Gillian. Come join their family in discovering edible plants and harvesting them together in the park. Their mission is to impart their knowledge of wild edible plants to others. After the walk, try a wild food “sampler” made by the staff of the Nature Center.
FEE: $5.  Please call to register 203 736-1053

 

 

CARTOONING THE NATURAL WORLD – Sun. May 7 & 21, 10 am

Ranger Amie Ziner, our artist in residence, will teach four classes in cartooning nature! We will use on site materials, stuffed specimens, and live animal observation to complete four cartoons with a plant and animal in each one. Improve your drawing accuracy and realism for fun, for story illustration, and for expressing yourself using pictures—a picture is worth a thousand words! For ages 10 to adult. Limited space. FEE: $5 per class.  Please call to register 203 736-1053

 

 

SUNDAY GUIDED HIKE: History Hike – Sun. May 7, 1 pm

Hike to the Nature Center’s historic sites with Ranger Dan. Discover old roads, stone walls, and even some secret treasures he’s found during his exploring. Enjoy the day off with your family on this Sunday hike. FREE. Please call to register 203 736-1053

 

 

EARLY MORNING BIRDING – Sat. May 13, 9 am

Join Ranger Jessica for our early morning birding. Find the birds living in or moving through our parklands to nest farther north. This is a prime time for birders to come and spot some of our magnificent migratory birds. Bring your own binoculars or use ours. Dress for walking outdoors. We will start with a quick introduction to birds. FREE.  Please call to register 203 736-1053

 

NATURE EXPLORERS – Wednesday, May 10, 10 am – 11:30am

Join Wendy for our preschool/toddler program. This 4-week session is for children ages 2–5 years old with an adult. These outdoor classes will be fun exploring and learning through play. We will learn about nature and science through activities such as hiking, exploring, singing, games, reading, and making crafts. Every class is outside!!!! TUITION: $40 per 4-week session

Please call to register 203 736-1053

Spring Fair in the Valley May 7

Ansonia Nature Center to hold autumn craft workshop

ANSONIA - The next Back to Basics program scheduled for 2 p.m Oct. 5 at the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center will feature "Bittersweet Decorations."

Participants are asked to bring a pair of clippers as well as gardening gloves for this hands-on, wreath-making workshop led by Ranger Dawn.

When participants are collecting the beautiful, orange-berried vines, they will actually be helping the park by removing this invasive plant species.

Call 203-736-1053 to register for this free program.
The nature center is at 10 Deerfield Road.

This post is taken from a press release from the nature center.

Calling all gardeners: Derby library has a program for you

DERBY - The Derby Public Library will host "All Season Color in the Garden" at 6:30 p.m. April 16.

           Presenter Colleen Plimpton was trained at the New York Botanical Gardens and has appeared on several television and radio programs, including Good Morning America.

         She writes a prize-winning newspaper column for Hearst Media Group as well as for publications such as GreenPrints and Connecticut Gardener.

        Her presentation will include easy, colorful plants which bloom from March until November.  
       Along with handouts, Plimpton will bring her recipe for her never-failed homemade deer repellent.    

       Participants will be invited to visit her Bethel garden on its Open Afternoons.

       

      Registration is requested. This is one of the many programs scheduled April 16, Snapshot Day, during National Library Week at the Derby Public Library. 

      For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St.. call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org. 

Learn about modified food at Ansonia Nature Center

ANSONIA - Genetically-modified foods will be the topic of a talk by Rebecca Silady at 7 p.m. April 6 at the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center.

Silady, who teaches botany at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, will speak about the problems and dangers associated with genetically-modified foods.

"Genetically modified organisms" (GMOs) are plants or animals created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology. Why in the United States are genetically-modified foods not labeled when in 62 countries around the world they are either labeled or outright banned?

Find out the health risks associated with GMOs and the serious impact they are having on the environment. While it is estimated they are now found in 80 percent of processed food in America, they do not enhance nutrition or offer any other consumer benefit.
  
Silady is highly qualified to discuss this topic. After completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University and post-doctoral studies at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, she worked on developing drought tolerant corn at Monsanto.

Call 203-736-1053 to register for this free program.

The nature center is at 10 Deerfield Road.


This information is taken from a press release from the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center.