Trillium
Education and Outreach Newsletter
October/November 2017

CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
State Parks & Public Outreach
"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
George Eliot
Trillium is Back!
Some of you might recognize the name of a newsletter that has had various renditions over the years, to others it is an entirely new publication. Trillium is a bimonthly electronic newsletter and it will be assembled by our small, but amazing staff of educators within the State Parks and Public Outreach Division. Each staff member will bring a unique aspect to the newsletter, so stay tuned.
Let me introduce the folks who you will be hearing from in future editions:
Kristen Bellantuono , No Child Left Inside® & Project Learning Tree Co-Coordinator
Beth Bernard , Program Director, James L. Goodwin Conservation Center
Meg Enkler , Environmental Curriculum Coordinator, Dinosaur State Park
Al Levere , Environmental Analyst, Historical Interpretation, Hartford
Susan Quincy , Projects WET, Food, Land & People & FE3 Coordinator, Kellogg
Susan D. Robinson , WILD Coordinator and Museum Curator, Osborne
We hope you will enjoy receiving the Trillium, but if you prefer not to receive it for whatever reason, please scroll to the bottom and you can unsubscribe.

Special Days
National Fossil Day
National Fossil Day is October 11 th . One way to celebrate is to learn more about Connecticut’s State Fossil – Eubrontes. Eubrontes means “true thunder” and is the name of a dinosaur track that is very abundant in the Connecticut Valley. These tracks date from the early Jurassic period, approximately 200 million years ago. They were left behind by a Theropod dinosaur similar to Dilophosaurus. Theropods are the group of bipedal carnivores that includes some of the smallest dinosaurs like Coelophysis and some of largest, like the late Cretaceous giant Tyrannosaurus Rex. 
The best place to see our state fossil is Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. The trackway at Dinosaur State Park is a registered National Natural Landmark. The Connecticut Valley has a long history of dinosaur track discoveries and is one of the best places in the world to see dinosaur tracks. Dinosaur State Park is open year round and features 600 tracks on display along with exhibits, a Discovery Room and bookshop. The park sits on 60 acres and has 2.5 miles of hiking trails, an outdoor picnic area, gardens, and track casting and mining areas (seasonal). Discovered by accident in 1966, the park provides activities for families on weekends and guided programs for school groups in grades 1 through the college level during the week. 
A new poster featuring the Park and other National Natural Landmarks was created by the National Park Service. Free copies of the poster are available by contacting Meg Enkler at (860) 529-5816 or Margaret.Enkler@ct.gov Supplies are limited to 1 poster per request. Teachers can also pick up copies of the poster at the park at 400 West Street in Rocky Hill. To learn more about Dinosaur State Park visit www.ct.gov/deep/DinosaurStatePark .

World Egg Day - October 13 CT Poultry & Egg Producers
"A Box without Hinges, A Key Or A Lid, Yet Golden Treasure Inside Is Hid"
National Pumpkin Day - October 26 Pumpkin Facts & Pick-Your-Own
Use Less Stuff Day - November 2 Teacher Workshop: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot
World Kindness Day - November 13 Random Acts of Kindness in the Classroom
Workshops
Autumn is the perfect time to get outside to explore! Young people ages 4-7 and their caregivers are invited. Registration: Jasper Sha or (860)455-953 4
Learn how climate change is being tracked and how your students can understand the concepts and science involved. FREE! Register here!
K-12 educators, help students identify the aspects of food systems and trade. Applications to school gardens, soil science and resource conservation. Register here!
Understand the concept of food choices by understanding your market layout, labels and history. Informative with lessons provided. FREE! Register here!
Registration required, space limited, $100/person FGF and CFPA members,
$120/person non-members Registration and payment must be received by 10/23/17.
Hands-on course for novice or amateur chainsaw users who wish to improve their skills and to operate their saw safely. Contact Jasper Sha (860) 455-9534
Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby
Explore the use of environmental footprints and ways to measure consumption and conservation through waste. Select Project WET, WILD, or Food Land and People Activity Guide based on your needs and curriculum level. Register here!
General Public Programs
James L. Goodwin Conservation Center, 23 Potter Rd., Hampton
Check out hidden treasures and use the iNaturalist app to identify flora and fauna.
Osborne Homestead Museum, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby
Visitors will explore the transformation of this modest 1800s farmhouse into an elegant twentieth century Colonial Revival style home.
Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby
Help monitor birds for the Project FeederWatch p rogram. November 2017 to March 2018, on Fridays and Saturdays. 
Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area, 341 Milford St. (Rt. 69), Burlington
Take a guided hike along the Tree Identification Trail at Sessions Woods.
Discover a unique approach to gardening that highlights secret places and the element of surprise.
James L. Goodwin Conservation Center, 23 Potter Rd., Hampton
Take a look into the life cycle, habitat, diet, and just what makes these pests so unique and adaptable.  
James L. Goodwin Conservation Center, 23 Potter Rd., Hampton
Take a unique journey to discover the lost art of the sit spot. Age 12 - Adult
Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area, 341 Milford St. (Rt. 69), Burlington
An introduction to crows and a newly released nonfiction book, An Inky Summer with authors Fred and Cheryl Lowman.
November 1, 2017 (Wed.) 7 p.m. CT's Indigenous Communities & their Natural World, Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby
Dr. Lucianne Lavin, PhD, Director of Research and Collections for the Institute for American Indian Studies will speak on CT's native communities regional history. All ages welcome.
Sessions Woods WMA, 341 Milford St., Rt. 69, Burlington
Join us for an informative program on wild turkeys!

James L. Goodwin Conservation Center , 23 Potter Rd., Hampton
regularly offers long distance guided hikes, a book club, senior walks and a monthly gardener's roundtable. It is located within the 2,000 acre Goodwin Forest and offers youth group camping .
500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby
adjacent to Osbornedale State Park , the museum offer a
special holiday celebration 2017 holiday theme, "Holiday at the Opera", Friday, November 24 - Sunday, December 17, Thursdays thru Sundays 10 AM - 4 PM. Teacher workshops and student field studies are offered at Kellogg.
Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area , 341 Milford St., Rt. 69, Burlington
office and exhibit area are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
(except holidays). The trails are open from sunrise to sunset.

For more information and additional programs visit ct.gov/deep/calendar
Scout Programs
Boy Scouts:
Webelos and Merit Badge Days
Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby
Webelos badges Into the Wild and Into the Woods

Explore winter animals, signs, behavior and identification using bird feeding stations and natural food sites on the estate. Learn how wildlife research is carried out by participating in a Citizen Science study with Cornell University. 
Learn about the ecosystem of a forest starting with the trees and building to the food webs that exist there. We will go into the many ways forestry products are used and the roles they play in helping maintain the health of the environment.  

Participation in one of the dates listed for the desired badge
will complete most of the requirements.

Boy Scout Merit Badges: Soil and Water Conservation, Environmental Science and Sustainability

Explore basic information regarding soil and water science while evaluating human impacts on these resources. 
Focus on various skills in the field of environmental science. This is issue based work relating to resilience, resources, and other issues that have emerged in ecology throughout the years. 
Scouts will examine their environmental footprint based on their current water use, food selection, energy use, and trash impact.  

After registering for any of the merit badges, scouts will receive prerequisite materials that they will need to complete before attending the program. This will ensure that all of the requirements for the desired badge are nearly completed by the end of the program. Please be dressed for the weather.

Each program will cost $5 per scout. Registration is required. To register, please call the Kellogg Environmental Center (203) 734-2513, then complete and return the form that will be provided to you.
Recommended Reading
Everybody Needs a Rock , a ges 4-8, unique rules for you to find just the right rock. Written by someone who values simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it - Byrd Baylor.
Fossil - through visual storytelling the artist creates imagery of the ancient past, awakened in the present, as a boy and his dog go on a hike - Bill Thomson.
Under New England - The Story of New England's Rocks and Fossils , ages 7-12, explores the geology of New England in a kid-friendly format rich with relevant examples. Included are poems and quotes relating to the regions landscape. Written and illustrated by Charles Ferguson Barker
Great Day Trips in the Connecticut Valley of the Dinosaurs , ideal for middle school explorer as a reference guide that helps them follow in the footsteps of the dinosaur and investigate the Connecticut Valley - Brendan Hanrahan.
Roadside Geology of Connecticut and Rhode Island , locates and explains the rocks and landforms visible from the states’ highways and at nearby parks, including Dinosaur and Kent Falls State Parks, and historic sites - James W. Skehan.
The Geologic History of CT's Bedrock , a synthesis of Connecticut’s geologic history - Margaret Coleman.
The Traprock Landscapes of New England , published in 2017 this fact-filled book and stunning photography is told through the eyes of an artist and the mind of a scientist. It traces the influence natural history on cultural development in the CT Valley - Peter M. LeTourneau and Robert Pagini.
New Haven’s Sentinels – The Art and Science of East Rock and West Rock , a perfect introduction to understanding the relationship of geology and art. Featuring over 60 painting and prints it will delight those who appreciate landscape painting, and anyone who has seen the grandeur of East and West Rock in New Haven - Jelle Zeilinga deBoer and John Wareham.
Window into the Jurassic World , a detailed account of the discovery and preservation of the trackways at Dinosaur State Park and their geological and ecological context during the Mesozoic Era, 200 million years ago - Nicholas G. McDonald.
Quick Links
T he Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at 860-418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.