Sylvester Manor / April: Summer Youth Program / Sculpture, Beethoven, Shakespeare … Trails Open

Summer Youth Program Registration is Open

Summer is coming quickly! Do your kids still need something to do? We welcome children ages 2-14 to experience the magic of Sylvester Manor: Meadowlarks, Little Sprouts, Young Farmers, Fig & Forest, Forest Theatre, Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills and STEM. Some weeks are already full with a wait list so make sure to sign up today so your child doesn’t miss out!

Beethoven Breaks

School vacation is a great time to be at Sylvester Manor! Our program threads the music of Beethoven through the week, noticing the inspiration from the natural world in a musical representation of seasons. Children will create artwork, hear stories, design puppets, make animal dens, plant seedlings and more, all while developing a connection from the forest and farm to the rest of the world.

April 14-18
10:00am-2:00pm
Ages 5-10 years old
Enroll for the week or by the day

Daily Rate:
$80 (Full-time/Year-Round Shelter Island Resident)
$160 (Non-Resident)

Weekly Rate:
$375 (Full-time/Year-Round Shelter Island Resident)
$750 (Non-Resident)

CSA Registration Almost Sold Out

We only have a few CSA shares left so don’t get caught without your farm fresh produce and meeting your fellow community members this season! The 21-week produce share includes flowers, a rotation of vegetables, berries and unlimited herbs. We also have a farmstand credit, which is a great option for those who don’t want to commit to the CSA but still want to enjoy fresh produce.

Farm UpdateSpring is definitely here and it’s very busy on the Farm. We have hired five apprentices for the season, and they will be joined by two on Island farmers as well as Arielle, our Farm Manager. We’re thrilled to share that 4 of our 8 Farm team members are returning.

The greenhouses are already full of plants, some of which were just seeded, along with tomatoes which are big enough to be pruned and trained. We’ve invested a lot of time on perennials this off-season, including maintaining and improving our raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We are preparing to plant a lot more strawberries and just received a new order of rhubarb. Our 300+ chickens are very happy and healthy, and in late March we picked up 14 piglets. The pigs will once again be raised in our oak-dominated woodlands while the chickens are rotated throughout our pastures.

We look forward to seeing you when the Farmstand opens Friday, May 9th!

Friday Night Dialogues: The Importance of CompostingWhat is the value of composting? Join our own Farm Manager as she speaks on the importance of composting and how to get involved in the Sylvester Manor composting initiative.

April 4
6:00pm
Nature Conservancy Building
Free to attend; preregistration is suggested
 

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor: Call for ArtistsSculpture @ Sylvester Manor, an outdoor exhibition of sculptures, installations and artistic expressions, will take place on our historic landscape for the second year, from June 14 to September 13. The exhibition will engage a diverse spectrum of artists local to the East End of Long Island. Artists are invited to interpret and reflect on Sylvester Manor’s history in their proposals. Selected artists can install an existing piece, create an on-site work from imported materials, or create an artwork realized from organic material gathered at Sylvester Manor, which will biodegrade back into the landscape.  

Exhibition curator and organizer Tom Cugliani brings his extensive expertise in the contemporary art world to the project, as well as a lifelong history with Shelter Island and Sylvester Manor. Local artists are invited to submit proposals by visual and/or written documentation by April 15, 2025. 

Save the Date: Farm to Table

Mark your calendars now and join us at the 12th Annual Farm to Table Benefit. Ticket sales to open soon.

For more information or to pre-reserve your table, please click here to email Alyse Clark, Development Manager.

June 28
6-10:30pm
Creekside at the Manor

Save the Date: Shakespeare at the Manor

Get ready for another magical weekend of Shakespeare this summer! We welcome back Allen O’Reilly and his talented group of actors as they entertain us with one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. Stay tuned for ticket information.

Much Ado About Nothing
July 26-27
Manor Grounds

Manor House Preservation Update

The permit process for the Manor House rehabilitation is ongoing. The New York State Historic Preservation Office has endorsed our Manor House rehabilitation plans. We received a Tidal Wetlands Letter of Non-Jurisdiction from the NYSDEC, and the Suffolk County Dept. of Health Services has approved the design of an I/A treatment upgrade for the sanitary system. We submitted a building permit application to the Town of Shelter Island in 2024, which prompted a Special Permit application to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Town Board Site Plan Review.

Please join us at the ZBA hearing on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 PM at Town Hall. We expect the Site Plan Review to take place this summer, and we will keep you posted on our progress as the permit process unfolds. We hope to have all permits later this year. Once received, we can start working with contractors on the bidding process, and then construction can commence!

Trails Are Now Open

The trails and grounds are open again for your enjoyment, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Pick up a map highlighting our four walking trails (Creekside, Woodlands, Old Growth Forest and Farm). Paper maps are available at the kiosk at the front entrance to the Manor and also at the Welcome kiosk located by the parking area near the bathrooms. You can always download a digital version by clicking the button below.

Due to storm damage, the Land Bridge is temporarily closed. Please adhere to the posted trail closures.

Leashed dogs are welcome, but please pick up after your dog and dispose of the waste properly. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. The public restrooms are open to the public.

Download the “Sylvester Manor Walking Tour“ from the App Store for a self-guided tour of the grounds. Use the app and learn more about our historic property at your own pace.