Outdoor Education
Photography and Art Exhibit
Members and friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary have shared their love of wildlife and nature through their photography and artwork. This annual show is curated by Scott Williamson. These local works of art are on display in the Visitor Center of Edith Read through Jan. 25.
Cost: Free
Winter-Themed Nature Programs
Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary has three programs in upcoming weeks to highlight nature in winter. On Jan. 11, 1-2:30 p.m., visitors will learn to identify trees in winter through their buds and bark at the Winter Tree ID session. On Jan. 12, 2-3:30 p.m., The Winter Ant program teaches attendees to identify winter ants and learn what strategies keep them active through winter months. At the Animals in Hibernation program on Jan. 18, 1-2:30 p.m., visitors can learn about the many forms of hibernation animals may use. All programs meet at the Visitors Center at the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cost: Free
Winter Walk
The Rye Nature Center invites visitors to dress for cold weather and walk through the local forest, exploring wildlife in winter. The Winter Walk will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 1-2 p.m. Hot chocolate will be served. It is recommended for ages five and up.
Cost: $15/family
Celebrate the Arts
Ms. Bird’s Children’s Lit
In partnership with the Rye Free Reading Room, the Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy is hosting Sunday morning children’s literature programs. Ms. Doris Bird, a member of the Bird family, served as the Children’s librarian at the Rye Free Reading Room for over 40 years. This program brings her love of children’s literature to Rye families every week, on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Rye Free Reading Room. The program runs until Feb. 15, excluding Jan. 18.
Cost: Free
Fonrose Singers — Winter Season
The Fonrose Singers is a Wainwright House choir that meets weekly on Thursday evenings. The new session begins on Jan. 9, 7-8:30 p.m., and runs every Thursday until March 20. The 12-week session includes professional coaching and piano accompaniment. This is a community-based choir for all levels, and no prior experience is necessary.
Cost: $300/members, $350/nonmembers
Unseen Photographs of Rock & Roll Legends
The Rye Arts Center is proud to unveil the Unseen Photographs of Rock & Roll Legends exhibition featuring works from The Lost Negatives Project, an extraordinary collection of Michael Friedman’s rediscovered works. These include candid images of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Band, and other legendary artists during their prime from 1968 to 1973. Friedman, a music manager and producer who worked alongside rock’s greatest names in the 1960s and ‘70s, carried a Pentax camera as a quiet observer of a burgeoning cultural revolution. The exhibition will run from Jan. 15 – Feb. 15 with a public reception on Jan. 23, from 6:30-8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Community Events
Youth Mental Health First Aid Course for Adults
On Jan. 14 from 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Rye Presbyterian Church, Rye Youth Council is offering a training course for adults. This certification course includes two hours of online pre-work and an instructor-led six-hour in-person class. It will help participants recognize and respond to a young person who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or disorder, and will teach them how to approach the youth and connect them to appropriate care.
Cost: $50
So You Have a Cell Phone
Rye Youth Council invites parents/guardians and kids in grades 5-7 to join an interactive and informative evening to learn how cell phones affect our brain chemistry. This event will be held on Jan. 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Rye Free Reading Room. Facilitator Lisa Weinman, M.Ed., will discuss the safe and responsible use of cell phones and social media, and will offer family contracts and other suggestions to help parents set their kids up for success and safety.
Cost: $20/family
Read in Rye: Dr. Sunita Sah
Dr. Sunita Sah highlights how hidden forces stifle objections, even when setting limits is the answer. Her new book, “DEFY: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes,” helps readers navigate the path to what she calls “True No,” including transforming defiance into a tool for change and value-aligned living. Dr. Sah is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American. Dr. Sah will discuss “DEFY” at the Rye Free Reading Room on Jan. 16, 7-8:30 p.m. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
Cost: Free
Heard In Rye: Nutrition
On Jan. 23, at 7 p.m., Heard in Rye is hosting a Nutrition panel discussion at the Rye Free Reading Room. Ann McNeel, PhD, Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHN), Rebecca Appleman, Registered Dietician (RD), and Mara LoConte, RD, Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN) will delve into the food-related challenges that modern parents face. The panel will focus on the various ways food companies aim to influence you and your children and what you can do about it. They will cover core nutritional principles to help children grow and thrive, and positive and effective language to help them build a lifelong healthy relationship with food.
Cost: Free
Student Pride Mural
The pRYEde community group is getting ready to embark on its fourth mural project. Students can sign up now to participate. The project begins the week of Jan. 21 and will run through mid-March. The mural will be unveiled in June to celebrate Pride Month. This year’s mural will be painted in partnership with Rye Arts Center. Students will paint in their studio space. Visit www.pryede.org for more information and to sign up.
Cost: Free
