The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center at UConn presents “Exploring Connecticut’s Towns”, a series that will look at natural and cultural history from a local perspective. The next town to be explored is the MIddletown, CT on Saturday, August 25, 10 am to 11:30 pm.

The natural and cultural history of Connecticut, in each of its 169 towns, has a unique story to tell. From the indigenous peoples arriving after the glaciers receded and the European explorers and settlers establishing colonies in the “New World,” to the innovators of the industrial revolution leading to the present day, Connecticut is steeped in history. Join us as we explore Connecticut’s towns and learn about the people and places that have shaped and continue to shape the Constitution State.

Located along the Connecticut River, Middletown was initially incorporated under its Native American name Mattabeseck in 1650, before receiving its present name in 1653. Originally a busy sailing port and then industrial center, today Middletown is residential city with a thriving downtown area filled with unique restaurants and shops.

Program participants will first tour the exhibit “A Vanished Port: Middletown & the Caribbean, 1750-1824” at the Middlesex County Historical Society. It is a portrait of early Middletown, which was an important New England port during the heyday of the West Indies trade. The exhibit depicts the luxurious life of merchants and sea captains as evidenced by the Society’s furniture and decorative arts collections, but also shows that Middletown’s prosperity rested on the suffering of enslaved workers in the sugar monoculture of the English Caribbean.

Following the tour of the exhibit, the group will walk along Main Street to the South Green and other points of interest where guide Deborah Shapiro, the executive director of the Historical Society, will talk about other aspects of Middletown’s history including its participation in the Civil War and emergence as a manufacturing center in the industrial revolution. Middletown was also active in the Abolitionist Movement and the home of Benjamin Douglas, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, will be pointed out.

The program fee is $15. Advance registration is required. This program is for adults and children ages 8 and above. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For further information visit http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860.486.4460.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History at UConn will hold a mushroom gathering and identification activity in eastern, CT on Saturday, September 8, 10 am to 11:30 am. Connie Borodenko, from the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, will lead the program.

Discover the startling, colorful, sometimes delicious, and sometimes deadly, world of mushrooms and fungi with mycologist Connie Borodenko. Mushrooms are fungi usually found growing on soil or decaying matter. The mushroom is the fruiting body of mycelium, which is usually hidden underground or throughout the host that it is growing on. Participants will seek out edible mushrooms such as the sweet Chanterelles, spicy trumpets, slippery honeys and, Hen of the Woods. Identifying dangerous and nonedible mushrooms such as the deadly Destroying Angel and Death Cap will also be explored.

Bring a basket and paper bags for gathering these denizens of the shadows during the first part of the program. Then learn about the fascinating world of fungi, collection techniques, and important safety considerations as we discuss the findings with our mushroom expert. This hike may be challenging for some and will include hilly areas.

The program fee is $20 and advance registration is required. This program is for adults and children ages 8 and above. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For registration information visit http:///http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860-486-4460.

Presented by the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, part of the UConn Office of Public Engagement.