Join The Nature Museum and diver Annette Spaulding, who has been diving in the Connecticut River for over 30 years, for the grand re-opening of the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center on Saturday, June 23! From 10 AM to 4 PM, Annette will be sharing stories and showing artifacts she has found on her dives. Meet with Annette and ask her about her life as a diver: What’s it like to find a shipwreck underwater? How did she get trained as a search-and-rescue diver? Which artifact intrigues her the most? Which animals has she seen swimming near the fish ladder?

In addition to Annette’s sharing of her knowledge and artifacts, The Nature Museum’s environmental educator, Jay DeGregorio, will be leading an interactive program at 10 AM for free! The public is invited to stop by for Jay’s program, meet with Annette and ask about her diving adventures, and then take their time perusing the Visitor Center exhibits, which guide visitors of all ages through the ecology of this amazing river and its habitats. Learn about the fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds who live here. Walk below the water level and watch the water rush past- you may see a sea lamprey suctioned onto the window. Discover the history of the fish ladder, and be sure to meet the newest member of the fish ladder team: Bernie, a full-size, historic diving suit used in the 1970s by technicians at the fish ladder!