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February 2025
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Summer Youth Program Registration Opens February 3

We have a variety of exciting programs available for children aged 2-14 years old this summer. These include the Traditional Youth Program, Fig & Forest Culinary, Forest Theatre, STEM, and O.W.L.S. (Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills). And new this year is Meadowlarks, a unique program tailored to children ages 2-3 ½ years old, where they will experience the natural world through story, song and dance.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give your child the best summer ever at Sylvester Manor! Registration opens on February 3 at 9am.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
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February School Break Program

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.

February 17-21
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) 

SCHOOL BREAK REGISTRATION
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Black History Month

This year for Black History Month, the History and Heritage Department will be posting weekly social media posts presenting the story of Crank & Flora, an African American couple who lived in freedom on Shelter Island. Every Wednesday, starting February 5, we will trace their lives from slavery to freedom, telling their story of courage and resilience, and their lasting legacy in our community.

In addition, Donnamarie Barnes, our Director of History & Heritage, and Dr. Jennifer L. Morgan, NYU Professor of History and MacArthur Fellow, will give a lecture at the North Fork Arts Center. They will discuss their collaborative work to uncover the hidden narratives of African American families on Long Island in a talk called, “The Daughters of Judah: A Multigenerational Story of Slavery and Freedom on the East End.” 

Saturday, February 22
3:00-5:00pm
Sapan Greenport Theatre/North Fork Arts Center
Tickets: $15/person

Image: Crank at the Crossroads – original painting by Michael  A. Butler

TICKETS/EVENT INFORMATION
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CSA Registration Ongoing

We invite you to be part of the CSA community. Registration is open for the 2025 CSA. As a CSA member, you receive 21 weeks of fresh produce, berries, flowers and herbs. The program is available to everyone, but we only have a limited number of shares so make sure to sign up today!

CSA REGISTRATION

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Farm Apprentices Wanted

We are seeking five individuals to join our 2025 Farm Team: Equipment/Special Projects Apprentice, Flower Farmer Apprentice, CSA/Food Access Apprentice, Livestock Apprentice, and Farm Apprentice.

Our farm operation consists of 7+ acres of vegetables, small fruit and cut flowers. The produce from our farm feeds over 100 CSA families, stocks our farmstand, and is donated to local food pantries. If you or someone you know is interested in working with us, please click on the button below for more information. 

FARM APPRENTICE DETAILS
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Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor: Call for Artists

Following the resounding success of the inaugural exhibition in 2024, we are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor exhibition. Funded by a generous $25,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), this year’s outdoor exhibition will continue to elevate the dialogue around art, history, and landscape within a multicultural community. The exhibition will run from June 14 to September 13, 2025. 

We invite artists to submit proposals that engage with the theme of landscape and history, interpreted through the lens of visual art. Submissions for proposals are open to artists from the East End of Long Island. Artists should send visual and/or written documentation to tcugliani@sylvestermanor.org by March 15, 2025

ARTIST SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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Manor House Preservation Update

Valentine’s Day reminds us to cherish our loved ones in February (and all year). This Chinese ginger jar honors romantic love through its decoration with the character for “double happiness,” which came to symbolize wedded bliss. Such jars were initially used to store a variety of herbs and spices, particularly ginger. However, they also served as purely decorative art pieces in homes. Due to their symbolic significance, Chinese ginger jars became a popular wedding gift during the Qing dynasty, especially between 1850 and 1910. We aren’t sure of the provenance of this ginger jar, used as a decorative item in one of the Manor House guest bedrooms, but as February’s cold takes hold, we appreciate its upbeat message. 

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Trails Closed

From November through February the walking trails will be closed for hunting. We are working in partnership with the Town of Shelter Island’s Hunting Program to control the deer population. 

Please adhere to the posted TRAILS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC signs at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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Preserve, Cultivate and Share Historic Sylvester Manor
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Post Office Box 2029 | 80 North Ferry Road | Shelter Island, NY 11964 | 631.749.0626
Copyright © Sylvester Manor 2025. All Rights Reserved.

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  Ocean Bluff + Springy Banks Houses / 2024 AIA Peconic Awards

AAQ / Resource: Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects

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AAQ / Resource

Araiys Design Landscape Architects

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AAQ / Resource: Riverhead Bay Motors

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