What’s at the bottom of the Connecticut River?

COURTESY
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – At the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder Visitor Center salmon and sea lampreys swim by every summer. But there is more hidden beneath the Connecticut River. Historical artifacts, shipwrecks, and Native American petroglyphs (rock carvings) have been discovered in this amazing river.

Master diver Annette Spaulding, who has been diving in the Connecticut River for over 30 years, will give a presentation at the grand re-opening of the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center on Saturday, June 23. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spaulding will share stories and display artifacts she has found on her dives. Spaulding is a master diver and in fall 2015 she discovered Native American petroglyphs near the junction of the West and the Connecticut rivers.

In addition to Spaulding’s presentation, The Nature Museum’s environmental educator, Jay DeGregorio, will lead an interactive program at 10 a.m. The exhibits at the visitor center guide visitors of all ages through the ecology of the river and its habitats. You can walk below the water level and watch the water rush past.

In summer 2018 the visitor center, located at 17 Bridge St., is open on Fridays and Saturdays through Labor Day weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Most weeks, there will be a free nature program from 10 to 11 a.m. These programs include activities and take-home crafts and are led by a Nature Museum educator . For more details on each week’s programming, visit www.nature-museum.org.