Newest Artist-In-Residence on the New England Trail performs free show Wednesday

The Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s latest New England Trail Artist-in-Residence, Ben Cosgrove, will perform and talk about his upcoming residency Wednesday night at the Wesleyan University science center. Ben composes and performs music inspired by New England landscapes, and will spend the next 12 months writing and performing music inspired by the New England Trail (NET). 

The New England Trail, from Long Island Sound
to Mount Monadnock. Plenty of parking!
(Click to embiggen.)

The New England Trail runs 215 miles from the Guilford shore to the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Border, ("from the Sound to the Summits"), and in 2009 became one of just eleven federally-designated national scenic trails. It's comprised primarily of the historic Mattabesett, Metacomet, and Monadnock Trail systems and passes through 42 communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Middletown.

The New England Trail Artist-in-Residence program is a project of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the National Park Service. The artists help to create and deepen people's connections to the land, particularly the shared resource of the New England Trail. Past artists include poet David K. Leff, and photographers Xiomaro and Barbara Bosworth.

Ben performs regularly all over the country, writes scores for films, plays, radio, and television, and has produced several well-received albums of original instrumental work. He says the strongest forces guiding his compositions are his deep interests in landscape, place, and ecology.   

Wednesday's event is co-sponsored by Wesleyan University’s Earth & Environmental Science Department. Further details here on CFPA's web site.

When: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm  

Where: Exley Science Ctr. Lobby (Lawn Ave. side) 265 Church St.  (Parking may be available at Lot D on Lawn Avenue.)   RSVP: RSVP recommended Price: FREE

Video: title track to Ben's album "Salt"

Fracking Film "GasLand II" - Free Screening Friday at CFPA

  Don't get scared on Friday the 13th -

 get educated!

  Gasland Part II Screening 
  & Fracking Discussion

  Friday, June 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

  CFPA Headquarters, Rockfall (Middlefield)

Join CFPA volunteers Scott Gray and Sonya Wulff as they host a screening of Gasland Part II and a discussion regarding fracking.

In the follow-up to his Oscar-nominated film Gasland, filmmaker Josh Fox uses his trademark dark humor to take a deeper, broader look at hydraulic fracturing, 
or fracking, the controversial method of extracting natural gas and oil, now occurring 
on a global level. 

Don't think fracking is a CT issue? A representative from Food & Water Watch 
will lead a discussion on how fracking impacts you, and the ways you can become 
more involved. 

Don't miss this fun and invigorating evening. All are welcome, and your questions are encouraged.

Space is limited, pre-registration is greatly appreciated. 

Click here to register. Or call us at 860-346-2372.

Connecticut Forest & Park Association

16 Meriden Road

Rockfall, Connecticut 06481

(860) 346-TREE

www.ctwoodlands.org

Advocacy  -  Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails  -  Education  -  Land & Forest Conservation  -  WalkCT

Are you a CFPA member? Please join to support CFPA 
at www.ctwoodlands.org/join-us.

CFPA hosts "Science Sunday" series at HQ on Route 66

Science Sunday Series: A Hidden World - Part 2 - Magnificent and Mysterious Ants

Where: 

CFPA Headquarters (16 Meriden Road, Rockfall, CT)

When: 

Sunday, January 19, 2014 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Who: 

Adults

Event Info: 

Join us for this exciting Science Sunday Series: A Hidden World! Each month we'll meet on the 3rd Sunday to learn about the secret world of insects found in Connecticut forests and parks. Be a lifelong learner with us as ecologist and Wesleyan University PhD student, Rob Clark, leads an indoor presentation followed by an outdoor scientific exploration in Highlawn Forest. This series is free and open to the public. Participants are welcome to attend all or individual classes.

Trails Day Preview/Kickoff on Friday Afternoon

"Trails Day" seems to be an increasingly inaccurate name for this event. For years now, it's actually been TWO days, Saturday AND Sunday. Now the Connecticut Forest & Park Association is getting a jump on things Friday afternoon. How long before it becomes "Trails Weekend"?
Regardless of how long it lasts, it is still all about trails. And the CFPA is celebrating by opening up 3 miles of new hiking trails behind their headquarters out on Route 66 (just over the town line in Middlefield). Anyone in the Middletown area who likes to take a woodland stroll should check out the new Highlawn Forest Trail. It's a conveniently close get-away-from-it-all. Friday afternoon may be a good time to start getting acquainted with it. See below; for more info about Trails Day, check the CFPA website, www.CTwoodlands.org

CT Trails Day Kickoff, Open House, and Highlawn Forest Trail Dedication 

Friday, June 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

CFPA Headquarters, Rockfall (Middlefield)

  

Join CFPA, the president of the American Hiking Society, the U.S. National Park Service, state legislators, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, The Connecticut Woodcarvers Association, and the sponsors of Connecticut's Trails Day weekend for an afternoon of celebration as we dedicate our new 3-mile trail system in the Highlawn Forest behind the CFPA headquarters. Take a walk and explore the 280-acre forest, find out about CFPA and its programs, learn about safe hiking, learn more about Connecticut Trails Day events in your area, and check out the latest outdoor gear.

Connecticut Forest & Park Assoc. Film

Connecticut Forest & Park Association and WesCFPA

& special thanks to the Appalachian Mountain Club

present the film Carbon Nation

Please join us on (February 26th, 3:00pm) for a local screening of 'carbon nation,' a climate change solutions movie. A discussion will be held afterwards for those interested in more information on the movie's topic. Refreshments & Light Food will be served.

at Wesleyan University DATE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26th WHEN: 3:00pm (Doors open 2:15) The film will run until 4:30, to be followed by a short break A brief moderated discussion of the film follows the break WHERE: DANIEL FAMILY COMMONS 3rd Floor, USDAN UNIVERSITY CENTER 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459 ADMISSION: FREE PLEASE RSVP TO:kmurphy@ctwoodlands.org OR 860.346.TREE

Saturday: Winter Trails Day At CFPA Headquarters

Saturday, January 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

CFPA Headquarters in Rockfall (Middlefield)

Burn off those extra holiday calories and join CFPA and REI for outdoor fun as we explore the winter landscape in the forest behind the CFPA office. The day's activities will include gear demos, snowshoeing clinics, guided hikes (on snowshoes supplied by REI if the snow cooperates), WalkCT Family Ramble activities, and more! Winter is a great time of year to get outside and visit the New England forests, if you are prepared. Snowshoes, x-country skis, insulated boots, and the right clothing layers will help to make the experience more enjoyable.

More Details

Click here to register.

Upcoming Events for Outdoors Enthusiasts

News from the CT Forest and Parks Association:

1st Annual CFPA Outdoor Gear Expo and Silent Auction Saturday, April 30 at 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Wesleyan University, Fayerweather Beckham Hall in Middletown A showcase of outdoor gear for hiking, camping, biking, fishing, rock climbing, running etc. Local outdoor stores will have product tables, and there will be gear clinics by experts--on everything from shoes and socks to bikes and GPS. CFPA programs will also have information tables, so you can learn how to 'Connect to Connecticut.' There will be a silent auction of great gear and other related gifts (art, photography, jewelry, books, etc.) donated by vendors and friends. Expo volunteers are needed. To be a part of this fun event, contact Jim Little at jlittle@ctwoodlands.org. The Kentucky Cycle--a three-part play at CCSU's Department of Theatre in Maloney Hall Complete Trilogy - Saturday, May 7 at 2:00 p.m. to Benefit CFPA Robert Schenkkan's The Kentucky Cycle is a trilogy of plays that charts the fate of three families as they struggle to survive over a two hundred year period in a poverty-stricken region of Kentucky. The play's real power lies in its ability to link the destruction of the land and its resources with the disintegration of hope and trust in the three families. All three pieces will only be performed together on one evening. The department is planning a benefit for which audiences can buy a ticket to see the trilogy in an afternoon/evening and have dinner in between the shows. (May 7 beginning at 2:00 p.m.) Money earned from the benefit will go to CFPA. Director Mendelsohn says, "Participating in an all-day theatre event, as audience, performer or crew member, will be a commitment that resonates with our intention to promote protection of natural resources." For tickets to the shows individually or for the benefit, please call (860) 832-1989 or go to the CCSU Theatre Department website at www.theatre.ccsu.edu. For more information about the CT Forest and Parks Association please visit: http://www.ctwoodlands.org

Walk CT to be featured in Westfield

A new state-wide program to promote walking for both recreation and transportation is getting off the ground this year in Connecticut, and Middletown is a pilot program. Walk CT is a program being developed by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, whose headquarters are in Middletown, on Washington Street. Jennifer Benner, who is working for CFPA to coordinate the Walk CT program, told me it consists of three primary elements:

1. A web-based guide to the walking routes in Connecticut. This web site is under construction now, the goal is to have in a single, easy-to-find location all of the paths and trails for walking (two example walking routes)
   
2. Family Rambles are family-friendly hikes on the last weekend of every month. One hike is to be offered in every county. Family Rambles are listed on the CFPA web site.
3. Walking as an integral part of a city. The goal of this program is to bring together all of the elements of the city, including municipal governance, schools, civic organizations, etc, to foster walking for pleasure and transportation. Middletown is the pilot city for this program!
   

Benner said that WalkCT organizers are holding meetings with city officials about fostering walking in our city. Besides the obvious benefits for health and the environment, Benner pointed to the commerce that can result from walking as a tourist attraction. With many Connecticut families staying close to home for vacation (staycation), she said that such events as garden walks and history walks could attract a lot of visitors to Middletown.

Tonight at the Westfield Residents Association quarterly meeting, Walk CT Director Leslie Lewis will give a presentation on all aspects of the program, focusing in particular on the efforts to promote walking in Middletown. Everybody is welcome to attend the WRA meetings.

WRA Quarterly Meeting
Monday, April 27,
3rd Congregational Church, Miner Street
7:00 PM (WRA business)
7:30 PM (Public Meeting)
Leslie Lewis, WalkCT Director