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On April 16, the day before the Sherwood Island State Park Nature Center was to open, the state abruptly lowered parking fees. Fees at the park were originally expected to double from 2009 prices as TheDailyWestport reported in an earlier story.
Park Supervisor James Beschle said the reductions were significantly large.
Season passes to any state park dropped from $100 for Connecticut residents to $67. That is still $17 over the price of a season pass last year. Daily parking passes for residents went from $20 to $9, with weekends and holidays costing $13. Late day passes are available for any day the park is open from 4 to 6 p.m and cost $6.
Non-residents can expect to pay a bit more for passes, ranging from $15 for a weekday pass to $112 for a season pass.
Norwalk residents, the Nomoto family, were among the first to take advantage of the new parking fees. They made arrangements with the Nature Center to host a birthday party for four-year-old daughter, Ena. Originally planned for outside the center, Park Naturalist Mike Rowinsky brought the party inside and out of the rain. Rowinsky helped entertain the children with activities and movies while his staff of interns and volunteers worked on getting the Nature Center up and running.
Ena's mother Emicko Nomoto said, Everybody who came to the party loved it. She praised Rowinsky for helping make the event possible. Her children were fans of the Nature Center last year season and wanted to return. Rowinsky said the center doesn't usually host parties. However he said as an educator he enjoys any opportunity to mix entertainment and education. Rowinsky teaches science at Greens Farms Academy.
If they show up with a bunch of kids we will do something, said Rowinsky.
The center is a joint venture between the Department of Environmental Protection and the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park. Visiting the center is included with admission to the park.
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