The Fairfield Nature Center
& Larsen Sanctuary
Fairfield Nature Center
Hours & Admission
- Monday - Saturday 10am - 3pm
- Closed Sunday
- Trails open dawn to dusk, year round
On This Page
Property Overview
The Fairfield Nature Center is a hub of environmental education activities and events throughout the year. The Center has live education animals, exhibit areas, and a Nature Store with a wide variety of birding and nature-related merchandise. The Center’s grounds feature a pollinator garden, live birds of prey compound and adjoins the 155-acre Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary offers visitors seven miles of walking trails featuring streams, ponds, forest, and fields with diverse plant and animal communities, and also includes the mile-long Edna Strube Chiboucas Special Use Trail.
At a Glance
- 155 Acres
- 195 Bird Species
- 7 Miles of Trails
- Aviary with birds of prey exhibits
- Hawk Watch Platform
Trails & Terrain
Seven miles of trails and boardwalks, including the mile-long Chiboucas Special Use Trail. It’s designed for wheelchair use, and was the first project undertaken by the Wheels in the Woods Foundation.
Habitat
Mixed hardwood forest with shrub habitat, ponds and wetlands.
About Our Center
The Fairfield Nature Center buildings include bathrooms, a Nature Store, a birds of prey compound at the rear of the parking lot, for close-up views of hawks, owls, falcons, etc. As of fall 2024, the compound includes an American Kestrel, a Barred Owl, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, and American Barn Owl.
Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary
The Sanctuary offers visitors seven miles of walking trails featuring streams, ponds, forest, and fields with diverse plant and animal communities, and also includes the mile-long Edna Strube Chiboucas Special Use Trail. The Larsen Sanctuary has been birded intensively for several decades. Birders have observed almost 200 species there, including Connecticut rarities such as Prothonotary Warbler and Least Bittern; occasional winter visitors such as Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin; forest nesters such as Scarlet Tanager and Red-eyed Vireo; and about two dozen warblers, mostly during migration.
Fairfield Trail Rules
Walkers and birders welcome
on designated trails only
Trails open dawn to dusk
For the protection of our wildlife,
the following are prohibited:
- Dogs, horses, bicycles
- Motorized vehicles or Drones
- Hunting, Trapping, or Fishing
- Collecting of any kind
- Littering, Camping, or Fires
844-WAXWING (844-929-9464)
Wildlife
Birds
The Larsen Sanctuary has been birded intensively for several decades. Birders have observed almost 200 species there, including Connecticut rarities such as Prothonotary Warbler and Least Bittern; occasional winter visitors such as Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin; forest nesters such as Scarlet Tanager and Red-eyed Vireo; and about two dozen warblers, mostly during migration.
Larsen Sanctuary eBird hotspot. See four typical lists from four seasons, taken from eBird.
Other Wildlife
The Larsen Sanctuary is one of three Connecticut Audubon preserves that harbor known populations of the rare New England cottontail rabbit (the Croft Preserve in Goshen and the New York portion of Deer Pond Farm are the others). The New England cottontail is a habitat specialist, unlike the more common eastern cottontail, and requires areas of thick shrubs and tangles. The two species of rabbit are almost identical looking. If you encounter a rabbit at Larsen in shrubby areas far from the Center buildings, there’s a good chance you will have seen the New England cottontail.
Activities at Fairfield
