Registration For DEP’s 2009 Great Park Pursuit Has Opened

HARTFORD — Governor M. Jodi Rell has announced the return of The Great Park Pursuit: Connecticut’s State Park Family Adventure for its fourth season as part of the No Child Left Inside initiative.

Registration began March 30 at NoChildLeftInside.org and runs through Saturday, April 25.

“The Great Park Pursuit provides families and children with an opportunity to visit Connecticut’s state parks and forests and have fun at the same time. I encourage all of you to sign up now for an escapade your family will never forget,” Governor Rell said. “What a great way to spend quality time together during these difficult fiscal times, not only for the seven week Great Park Pursuit, but throughout the whole summer. Without going far from your own home you can easily visit one of Connecticut’s 139 state parks or forests where you can enjoy a day filled with fishing, swimming or just plain relaxing at a no or low cost.”

The Great Park Pursuit: The Connecticut State Parks Family Adventure is a central element of Connecticut’s nationally recognized No Child Left Inside initiative. The game will take Connecticut families to seven different state parks and forests this spring. Connecticut’s state park system is also partnering with the National Park Service.

The Great Park Pursuit kicks off on Saturday, May 9, at Squantz Pond State Park, New Fairfield and concludes on Saturday, June 20, with a day of activities followed by a family campout. Some of the events in the contest will take place on specific Saturdays and will be guided by DEP staff. Other activities are self-guided and families can visit these locations any time during the seven-week contest period.

Clues to activities and locations of the contest will be available at the end of each week’s activity and on the No Child Left Inside website. At each location, teams will be asked to complete at least one activity that highlights the vast opportunities in Connecticut’s state parks and forests such as hiking, canoeing, fishing, and more.

Participants will be eligible for prizes of outdoor equipment, donated by local retailers. The contest is open to families, which must include one person 18 or over and one person under the age of 18. In the past Connecticut families consisted of grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles with nieces and nephews, and even Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

 “The No Child Left Inside initiative and The Great Park Pursuit have proven themselves to be a success as more and more people join in for a fun-filled, action-packed adventure in Connecticut’s state parks and forests,” said DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy. “With the guidance of knowledgeable DEP staff and volunteers, families will make memories together as they learn about the outdoors and participate in activities they never dared try before, all while being outside in the fresh air.

“There is, however, a serious side to it all,” the commissioner continued. “Today’s youngsters do not have enough opportunities to get outside and when they are outside, they don’t know what to do. We are here to help make that happen. Youngsters need to be encouraged to love the outdoors and our natural resources by participating in hands-on activities that later they can do on their own. Our goal is to nurture environmental stewards of the future and mold our youngster into adults who, in the future, are willing to speak up and fight for their environment.”

For more information contact DEP State Parks at 860-424-3200.