Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Press Releases

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03/27/2024

Women's History Month Show Celebrates Abolitionist

Living History Performance at DEEP’s Kellogg Environmental Center this Saturday

(HARTFORD) — Come honor Women’s History Month with a special living history performance of abolitionist Maria Weston Chapman at the Kellogg Environmental Center on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. in Derby. Award-winning writer and historical interpreter Laura Rocklyn will perform “Setting the World by the Ears” about the nineteenth century activist.

The year is 1855 and Maria Weston Chapman is preparing to return to her home in Weymouth, MA, after seven years of living in Europe. During those years abroad she has seen her children complete their education and marry, and she has found powerful new international allies for the cause that is so dear to her heart: Abolition. The preparations to return to her distant home prompt memories of her childhood in Weymouth, and of the turbulent early days of her involvement in the Abolition Movement in Boston. Maria revisits the triumphs and fears that came with her work with the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. She reflects on how her strength in the face of violence and her passion for the cause took her from Boston to New York and Philadelphia and, eventually, to the capitals of Europe, in pursuit of justice.

“Hosting this performance in our facility whose namesake, Francis O. Kellogg, was a pioneer whose early 20th century accomplishments continue to inspire, is fitting,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “She was a successful entrepreneur, dairy breeder, conservationist, suffragist, and a devoted community leader. It’s a perfect place to honor Women’s History Month in our state parks, where we showcase her story and positive impact all year long.”

Celebrate the last weekend of Women’s History Month by attending “Setting the World by the Ears,” written and performed by Laura Rocklyn at the Kellogg Environmental Center, found within Osbornedale State Park in Derby. This event is free. For further information or to register, please email DEEP.Kellogg@ct.gov or call the Kellogg Environmental Center at (203) 734-2513.

The Kellogg Environmental Center, a facility of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) State Parks & Public Outreach Division, is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue off Rte. 34 in Derby.

Established in 1913, the mission of the Connecticut State Park System is to provide natural resource based public recreational and educational opportunities through a system of state park and forest recreation areas, environmental centers, and nature centers which provide an understanding of, access to, and enjoyment of the state’s historic, cultural, and natural resources.

 

Laura R MW Chapman

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