Scheduling Field Trips

List of sites that offer field trips:

Dinosaur State Park

Available September – June, the park offers guided programs throughout the school year for grades 1 and up. Visits includes a presentation, guided tour of theactual dinosaur trackway, film, and an activity with the following themes: Fossil Discovery, Fun with Fossils, Layers Through Time, or The Speed of Dinosaurs.

Hammonasset Beach State Park

The Meigs Point Nature Center (MPNC) at Hammonasset Beach State Park is open year-round for class visits and is completely handicapped accessible for all student inclusion. Staff from the center are available to visit schools throughout the school year.

The classes and programs offered link with Connecticut state curriculum, enhancing and enriching science education through “hands on” experiences. Our programs and classes in outdoor and environmental education are easily adaptable and can be customized for your grade level and needs. The MPNC programs can also be adapted to support scout badge work and for lectures/programs for senior citizens and other civic groups. 

Kellogg Environmental Center & Osborne Homestead Museum

The Kellogg Environmental Center's inquiry-based field studies cover many topics and are appropriate for students in grades four through twelve. Youth and Scout groups may also enjoy these field studies or specific badge related topics. 

James L. Goodwin State Forest and Goodwin Conservation Center

Goodwin Conservation Education Center in James L. Goodwin State Forest offers outdoor, educational guided programs to groups of all ages!

Available year-round, our Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned programs allow groups to engage in scientific learning through hands-on experiences within the backdrop of a nearly 2,000-acre forest. Together, we will explore the great outdoors and discover the dynamics and interconnections among forest, watershed, pond, and wildlife.

Whether you are a school, homeschool, scout, special-education, transitional-education, or senior citizen group, our programs can be tailored to your needs. Additionally, we are welcoming to all abilities.

Fort Trumbull & Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park

Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold offer school/group guided tours on the abundant history of Connecticut and The Revolutionary War given by interpretive guides and docents. Contact these parks for more information!

Gillette Castle State Park

We welcome school groups and other organizations to visit our park. Schedule a tour of the castle and explore the historic grounds. For more information about scheduling your visit, visit the park website or call (860) 526-2336.

Family & Youth

Connecticut Traveling Environmental Educators (CTEEs)

The Connecticut Traveling Environmental Educators (CTEE) Program is designed to reach audiences that normally would not have exposure to State Parks educational staff. State Parks staff are dispatched to various locations to interact with the public in a positive, educational, and inquisitive way. Through interactive experiences, children and adults can learn more about the natural resources of Connecticut and our beautiful state parks. CTEE offers public programs many Saturdays throughout the year, so keep an eye on the CT State Parks Events page! 

No Child Left Inside®

Launched in 2006, No Child Left Inside® is a promise to introduce children to the wonder of nature – for their own health and well-being, for the future of environmental conservation, and for the preservation of the beauty, character and communities of the great State of Connecticut.

Families in the Parks Program

The Great Park Pursuit Family Adventure Program was the first program offered through No Child Left Inside®. The program actively engages diverse communities to ensure that opportunities are offered to all.  All Connecticut youth and their families can take advantage of the wide variety of FREE, fun, and educational outdoor recreational opportunities offered by this program, such as Boating, Camping, Family Days in the Park, Fishing, Hiking, Nature Centers, Historic Building and Museums, StoryWalk® Programs, a Wildlife Day and much more. We encourage families to enjoy time together; reconnect with the outdoors, nature and each other. All families are welcome.

Interested in what this program has to offer? Check out the following links for current offerings:

• Sky's the Limit Hiking Challenge
• CT State Parks Calendar of Events
• DEEP State Parks Facebook page
• DEEP State Parks Instagram page

Adults

Connecticut State Parks has ample opportunities for adults and individuals in the parks. Goodwin Conservation Center often has lectures and other series that cover more complex topics about the natural world and the rich history of the area. CTEE hosts a lecture series called 'Sustainability Sessions', frequent birding events, and other opportunities suited to adult individuals and groups. Check out the CT State Parks events page for more information!

Dinosaur State Park

Led by park staff, 30 to 45-minute programs are offered using a dynamic and interactive format, giving students and educators an opportunity to make observations and ask questions. Check out Dinosaur State Park's webpage under Activities>Field Trips for more information about virtual programs.

Gillette Castle State Park

Can't make it out to our park? Take a virtual tour of Gillette Castle! Navigate around William Gillette's castle and consider the intricate details and history of this state park.

Educator workshops are available for all to attend. Workshops are offered through the Kellogg Environmental Center or may be arranged to take place at schools, businesses, community centers or non-profit locations throughout Connecticut. Visit here to see agency workshops or view upcoming educator workshops.

Teachers: The Kellogg Environmental Center staff offers a variety of educator workshops on a wide selection of environmental topics.  These include award-winning, national environmental curricula: Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Project WET, Project FeederWatch, Aquatic WILD, and Food, Land and People.  Environmental education workshops and student activities are correlated to the state and national curriculum standards. A collection of our resources are demonstrated to illustrate the integration of classroom content to cross cutting themes and outcomes.  With a focus on the use of these materials to support classroom curriculum and the field experience, educators participate in activities which strengthen real world applications for their students.  Workshops are arranged by contacting any of the state coordinators listed below.

Project Learning Tree Coordinator, Sue Quincy - kristen.bellantuono@ct.gov

Project WILD Coordinator, Susan Robinson - susan.d.robinson@ct.gov

Project WET Coordinator, Sue Quincy - susan.quincy@ct.gov

Organizations, schools, and outreach professionals may arrange for a specific resource based, professional development workshop featuring the use and implementation of any of the following resources.  Up to date content and applications to Connecticut based issues and educational uses serve as the format to each resource material listed below.  A full day or shorter sessions are available for scheduling throughout the year by contacting the coordinators directly.  To obtain materials listed below, workshops must be arranged directly with the state coordinators.  

Interested in working at CT State Parks?

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) offers seasonal employment opportunities at various locations within Connecticut State Parks and Forests.

Park units recruit for positions that include maintenance workers, lifeguards, seasonal park rangers, interpretive guides, first aid attendants, resource assistants, seasonal maintainers, office assistants and seasonal Special Conservation Officers. 

Are you a student with a passion for wildlife, historical, or paleontological research?

CT State Parks may have opportunities for you to go out into State Parks and come away with a deeper understanding of natural, geologic, and historical sciences.

Interested parties should reach out to DEEP.dinosaur@ct.gov for more information on paleontological research opportunities, and DEEP.wildlife@ct.gov for wildlife related questions.

Approved research is allowed at Fort Trumbull State Park and Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. Contact these Parks for more information.

Fort Trumbull: (860) 444-7591 

Fort Griswold: (860) 449-6877

Check out these other interesting links for more information on wildlife and environmental conservation practices at DEEP:

• Wildlife Publications and Forms
• Meet the DEEP Wildlife Division
• Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area