School and Group Opportunities

During the spring and fall seasons, the beach and park areas of Rye Town Park provide many learning opportunities for schools and groups.  Rye Town Park has been certified as a Wildlife Habitat Area.  Permission needs to be arranged to insure safety and to avoid over-crowding.  During the summer, camp groups can also use the beach and park, for fees.  Individual nature lovers are always welcome.  Some of the most popular study activities involve the following:  

Use of Beach for Marine Life field trips – using equipment to collect marine life samples for study on the beach and tide pools at low tide.  See the Rye Beachtide Chart for planning your trip.

Use of pond for Aquatic Life & Long Island Sound Study – A variety of wild waterfowl can frequently be seen by the pond, and the pond’s vegetative plantings represent a wide range of fresh to salt water tolerant species. The pond was designed and funded to remove nutrients from the water and thus help improve the quality of Long Island Sound.  The pond is a popular subject for nature photographers throughout the year. 

Trees and shrubs for nature study – Many native and a few non-native species of trees and shrubs can be studied, as well as a variety of birds and mammals that can be seen in them.  The Friends of Rye Town Park have sponsored the planting of several gardens and flowerbeds throughout the park. 

Summer Camp groups – Campers can combine recreational and educational activities when they visit the park.  Groups needing to park buses need to make particular arrangements for this, as parking is very limited in the summer months.