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The Mission of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center is to connect people with nature while promoting a sense of environmental stewardship through natural science educational programs.

Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, located in Oyster Bay, was established in 1923 as the first Audubon Songbird Sanctuary in the nation. Twelve acres were donated by W. Emlen and Christine Roosevelt in memory of their cousin, the late Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. The Sanctuary’s original purpose was to provide a protected environment for songbirds whose populations were declining due to habitat loss. Today, it is a vibrant resource offering a wide variety of activities, including environmental education, wildlife research, and conservation advocacy.

One of the largest providers of environmental education in the region, the Center reaches approximately 100,000 children and adults each year. The science-based educational programs are geared to promote a better understanding of the natural world and how the quality of life is affected by what happens in nature. An appreciation for the importance of conservation and stewardship is instilled in each program to ensure a healthy planet for all.
Educational and Research programs include:

• 26 different inquiry-based programs offered to school groups from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, including
  multiple visit programs, field trips, classroom visits with live animals, and Citizen Science programs;
• School vacation programs for pre-kindergarten through elementary age children that provides in-depth tactile learning of the natural world;
• Weekend programs for children and adults throughout the year to encourage families to become better stewards of the environment;
• Live animal programs for community, scout, and youth groups, and;
• Field research programs onsite and in conjunction with other local sanctuaries and preserves.

Our school programs are designed to help professional educators meet the National and New York State standards for science, math, and language arts. Sanctuary programs can be easily integrated with existing curriculum. In addition, programs for scouts are tailored to meet badge requirements, and can be conducted at the Sanctuary, as well as offsite on weekends and after school.

Bird research and habitat restoration are also important parts of our mission. The Center is involved with a number of projects that protect birds and their essential habitats. These include songbird banding at Hoffman Center Wildlife Preserve in Muttontown, New York, and a comprehensive, multi-year dragonfly census in Nassau County to catalog this overlooked group of insects.

The Sanctuary features 19 non-releasable birds of prey, which include hawks, owls, falcons, and a vulture, as well as several species of reptiles and amphibians. While wildlife rehabilitation is no longer conducted onsite, the Sanctuary uses injured animals as ambassadors to connect people with nature. Visitors can view the birds of prey outdoors in a menagerie of aviaries, while take step inside the Center to become acquainted with reptiles and amphibians from throughout the world.

Many visitors to the Sanctuary also visit Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, the former home of Theodore Roosevelt. Located only a mile away, Sagamore Hill is open Wednesday – Sunday: 9:00 am – 4:00pm. To learn more about Sagamore Hill, please visit their website.

Directions:
Via Long Island Expressway: Take exit 41 North, Route 106. Proceed on Route 106 North to the Village of Oyster Bay. Make a right onto East Main Street. Proceed 1.5 miles up East Main Street (eventually becomes Cove Road at Oyster Bay High School). You will see signs for the TR Sanctuary parking lot on the right.

Via Route 25A (Northern Blvd.): Take State Route 25A (Northern Blvd.) to Cove Road. Go about 2 miles north on Cove Road. You will see a green and white Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary on the left. Proceed pass the sign 50 yards to the parking lot on the left.

Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center is open:
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday: noon- 5:00 pm

For more information and to receive an update on upcoming programs, please contact:

Aaron Virgin, Director
Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center
134 Cove Road
Oyster Bay, New York 11771
phone: (516) 922-3200 or by email