Sarah and Bernard Bouissou
The Woodcock Nature Center knows how to say thank you to its top volunteers.
The center will honor Sarah and Bernard Bouissou of Bernard’s Restaurant & Sarah’s Wine Bar for their support of the center’s mission of raising healthy children for a healthy environment during its upcoming annual fund-raising event.
The gala, called Evening Under the Stars, is set for Saturday, May 30, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the center’s open air pavilion, 56 Deer Run Road, Wilton.
“Being a small not-for-profit that does not receive any government, state, or town support, is not affiliated with a larger entity, and was not created with an endowment, this event would not have been possible without the generosity of local business owners such as Sarah and Bernard, who graciously donated all of the catering for the first four years of the event, and still support us today,” said Henryk Teraszkiewicz, director of the nature center, in a prepared statement.
Additionally, being an environmental education center and nature preserve, the center appreciates the support of local farms and the use of their gardens as part of the business model, Teraszkiewicz said.
Sarah said enthusiasm comes easily because of her passion for the environment.
The Ridgefield ambiance is something her own business has added to. The restaurant and wine bar at 20 West Lane has been rated as the No. 1 French restaurant in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine.
Sarah called Woodcock “a gem we have here in town.”
“When I first started,” she said, “my kids were a lot younger and going to the camps they offered. I think it’s a great place. So we’ve continued a lot though the enthusiasm and hard work of Henryk.”
The gala is the sixth annual in a series for the center. Teraszkiewicz said the pavilion will be transformed for a sophisticated candlelit celebration of the natural world, featuring local catering.
The caterers include wines by Cellar XV, gourmet hors d’oeuvres by Bernard’s & Sarah’s Wine Bar, cheeses by No. 109 Cheese & Wine, and sweets by Heavenly Bites.
Music will be provided by the local folk and bluegrass band Angry O’Haras.
There will also be live and silent auctions, including time at vacation homes in the Hamptons, the Adirondacks, and Washington, D.C., and an art apartment over the High Line in New York City.
Packaged Woodcock Experiences will also be offered, the director said. These include twilight canoe trips, private nature photography lessons with Daryl Hawk, private yoga lessons with Ellen Bonheim of Firefly Family Yoga, a wine tasting party, and more.
New this year, he said, the Open Hearth Experience was created by the guests of honor to allow the winner and his or her guests to learn about and taste gourmet foods prepared over the open fire by Bouissou.
The experience will be heightened by gourmet melted cheeses from Monica and Todd Brown of No. 109 Cheese & Wine, he said, including their raclette.
The cost to attend the event is $60 per person. Tickets are available online at woodcocknaturecenter.org
All proceeds will benefit the nature center’s environmental education initiative.
The Woodcock Nature Center is a 149-acre preserve on the border of Wilton and Ridgefield.
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