No Child Left Inside®                                 April 2012 

A Newsletter from the Connecticut Department                                                                     Volume 10    

of Energy and Environmental Protection

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In This Issue

 

No Child Left Inside 2012  

Featured Events 

Featured Activity 


Quick Links

 

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Long Island Sound Bottom Water Temperatures Return to Normal

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Great Park Pursuit Spring Sprint Registration is Open!   

  

Hundreds of Connecticut families have accepted the challenge - will you be among the adventurous competitors to join the game this year? Decipher clues, visit beautiful State Parks and Forests, participate in fun activities, win prizes - it's all part of the 2012 Great Park Pursuit Spring Sprint!

 

Think you have what it takes to come together as a team, travel to new sites across the state, enjoy the great outdoors, meet other families and have a good time over a four-week period? Then join the Great Park Pursuit Spring Sprint!  Registration closes Monday, April 16th. 
GreatParkPursuitOutdoorRecreationChallengeApril School Vacation Programs - Dinosaur and Hammonasset Beach State Parks

Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill will sponsor a series of  programs for families during April school vacation weeks (April 10 - April 20).

The programs include:
  • View a Film
  • Make a Craft  
  • Meet the Park's Animals
  • Tracks Talks
  • Mining for Gems and Fossils:  The very popular mining area will reopen on Tuesday, April 10th (weather permitting).  There is a materials fee to participate. 
On Thursday, April 12th at 1:00 pm there will be a Massachusetts Birds of Prey program featuring live hawks, owls and an eagle.  Seating is limited to 100.  Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the show.

On Thursday, April 19th at 11:00 am and 12:30 pm there will be a Live Reptiles and Amphibians Show presented by Rainforest Reptiles.  Seating is limited to 100 for each of the 45 minute shows.  Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the show.

On Friday, April 13th and Friday, April 20th from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm the park's geologist will be on hand to identify rock, mineral or fossil specimens from your collections.

in Madison will also sponsor a series of programs for families during April school vacation week (April 17 - April 20). 

The programs include:
  • Native American Games
  • Native American Crafts
  • Native American Stories
  • Live Turtle and Snake Programs
  • Turtle and Snake Crafts
Please visit the Events Calendar for exact dates and times.

FeaturedEventsFeatured Events

  

Event: Celebrate Earth Day    

Date: Saturday, April 14, 2012
Time: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm 

Location: Smart Living Center, Orange  

Brief Description: Celebrate Earth Day 2012 at the Smart Living Center by learning about the various ways that you can take care of our planet.  Celebrations include: workshops, magic show, energy jeopardy, energy bingo, face painting, creative projects, and an energy efficient lighting sale.  For more information please contact the Smart Living Center at (203) 799-0460.

 

Event: Earth Day Bird Walk      

Date: Sunday, April 22, 2012 

Time: 8:00 am

Location: Belding Wildlife Management Area, Vernon

Brief Description: Celebrate Earth Day with an early morning Bird Walk at the Belding Wildlife Management Area.  Learn to identify birds by sight and sound.  For more information please contact Jane Seymour at (860) 306-5418 or jane.seymour@ct.gov 

 

Event: Family Ramble: Exploring Little Laurel Lime Park 

Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm 

Location: Little Laurel Lime Park, Seymour   
Brief Description: Hike through a unique ridge-top ecosystem dominated by chestnut, oak, and mountain laurel.  Follow a trail that winds along old mining roads leading to dramatic overlooks of the Housatonic River.  Observe evidence of primary succession where reindeer lichens, mosses, grasses, lowbush blueberry, and oaks all grow.  Investigate the marble caves and quarries where lime was once mined.  For more information please contact WalkCT Family Guides Peter and Barbara Rzasa at (203) 888-0358.   

           

View a Complete List of Events 

FeaturedActivityFeatured Activity - Fishing

 

What better way to spend quality time with family and friends than relaxing outside while fishing! 

 

Opening Day of the 2012 Trout Fishing Season is Saturday, April 21st and the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is busy stocking the state's rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with 400,000 trout in preparation.

   

Along with the beautiful scenery and wildlife you may encounter, many parks offer the best trout fishing in the state.  In fact, several water bodies found in our state parks have been designated Trout Parks and will be stocked on Opening Day.  Be sure to visit the DEEP website the week prior to Opening Day for the exact stocking schedule.

No Child Left Inside® is an initiative of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.