Old Lyme — The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center is offering Saturday morning field trips to natural areas along the lower Connecticut River starting May 6.

Estuary Explorations will be led by Paul Spitzer, ecologist and a protégé of internationally recognized naturalist and painter Roger Tory Peterson. Each exploration will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the possibility of extending the field trip into the afternoon, depending on the participants’ interest.

The fee for each field trip is $30 per person ($25 per student) and registration is required. To register, visit www.ctaudubon.org/explorations.

Estuary Explorations will give participants a chance to learn about the Lower Connecticut River Estuary’s ecosystems and wildlife as the year progresses from the peak bird migratory season of May, through high summer and into the late fall.

Spitzer has designed the programs to follow in the footsteps of Peterson, who spent his adult life painting in his studio in Old Lyme and examining the flora and fauna of the Connecticut River Estuary and the world. Spitzer will showcase some of Peterson’s favorite natural sites and share his extensive knowledge of the ecology of the region. Spitzer plans to lead these explorations at a “Thoreauvian saunter,” moving slowly to appreciate many of the birds, plants and insects that Peterson once enjoyed.

Participants will meet at the I-95 Park and Ride (exit 70), then spend three hours of ecological exploration followed by a brown bag lunch and guided discussion in the field. Spitzer also is willing to offer optional afternoon sessions.

After the four Saturdays in May, the field trips will occur monthly through November.