Partner Network Newsletter

Spring 2026

Quarterly updates, opportunities, and resources for those working to help Connecticut's vulnerable species and habitats.

Traprock Ridges provide habitat for various Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Connecticut. Photo from New Haven, April 2026.

Conservation Opportunity Areas Now Downloadable

Conservation Opportunity Areas are maps that use ecological, municipal, and social data to prioritize locations for conservation actions: protect, connect, restore, manage, partner, inform, and research and monitor. These priority areas were included in the Wildlife Action Plan as static maps, and are now available to download or browse as an interactive spatial layer through DEEP’s GIS Open Data website.

The maps were developed by Katy Bischoff as part of her PhD project at the University of Connecticut and have been made available through the hard work of Katy, Chad Rittenhouse (UConn), Stuart DeLand (CT DEEP), and Emily Wilson (UConn).

Presentation at Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

Brian Hess (CT DEEP), Kevin Burgio (Terwilliger Consulting), and Katy Bischoff (UConn) presented a brief summary of the Wildlife Action Plan, as well as demonstrations of Conservation Opportunity Areas. Slides and materials from the presentation are available on the Connecticut Land Conservation Council's website.

Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis saurita). Photo by P. Benjunas / CT DEEP Wildlife Division. Learn more about Ribbonsnakes in Connecticut.

Species Spotlight: Ribbonsnake

Though similar in appearance and a close relative of the more familiar Garter Snake, the Ribbonsnake has a more slender build and specializes in wetland habitats. The species is absent from most of Fairfield County and occurs in scattered populations elsewhere in Connecticut. The Ribbonsnake is included as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in CT's Wildlife Action Plan and is state listed as Special Concern. Land trusts, conservation groups, and municipalities have a major role in protecting wetland habitats that Ribbonsnakes depend on. Knowing where the species occurs is a critical first step to protecting populations.

For snake identification tips, visit Connecticut Herpetology.
Documented occurrences of Ribbonsnakes may be reported to CT DEEP’s Natural Diversity Data Base.
To learn more about protecting Ribbonsnakes and other reptiles and amphibians, Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut is a great publication to start with.

Partner Successes: Farmington Land Trust and Farmington Public Schools Teach Kids About Pollinators

Farmington Land Trust and Farmington Public Schools have partnered to bring every second grader in the school district to the Land Trust’s Environmental Education Center in Unionville for a day-long field trip focused on pollinators. The field trip is the culmination of an integrated unit incorporating math, reading, and writing. With a curriculum designed and facilitated by educators, students enjoy experiential learning that includes lessons in botany, entomology, art, a scavenger hunt and relay race in English and Spanish, and yoga on the land. In 2025, about 350 students attended the Pollinator Program. Learn more about the program on the Farmington Land Trust website.

Photo courtesy of Farmington Land Trust.

Implementation of Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan to conserve our wildlife resources depends on the work of many conservation partners. We love to hear stories about conservation work that benefits Connecticut’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need! If you have a story you would like featured in this newsletter and on our Partner Stories webpage, please send a brief description and a relevant photo or two to Brian Hess (Brian.Hess@ct.gov).

Milestones and Upcoming Events

CT Conservation Opportunity Areas are now available to explore or download as spatial data layers.
Celebrate Wild Turtle Week: June 8-12, 2026. Learn more about Wild Turtle Week from Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

CT DEEP Wildlife Division Surveys for Least Shrews

One location in coastal Connecticut may be home to the northeastern-most population of Least Shrews (Cryptotis parva). Though the species had been documented in at least two other locations in the state over 80 years ago, today it is known to occur only at this one site. Due to its scarcity, the Least Shrew is state endangered and a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Connecticut.

A Least Shrew passes through the housing unit for a motion-triggered camera. Photo by CT DEEP Wildlife Division. Learn more about Least Shrews in Connecticut.

In 2023, years since the previous documentation of a Least Shrew, the Wildlife Division set out to determine if the species was still present. Previously, live traps had been used to detect shrews during surveys that took place in 2005. However, advances in technology have allowed for a new survey technique that is less invasive and less labor-intensive. By installing short, temporary fences in shrew habitat, Least Shrews are "funneled" through small, enclosed structures that house motion-triggered cameras.

One section of a camera array deployed in coastal Connecticut. Photo by CT DEEP Wildlife Division.

The new method successfully documented Least Shrews during the first survey season. Surveys have continued each year since 2023 and are expanding to other coastal sites where there's a possibility for Least Shrews to occur. The primary goal is to determine the full distribution of the species in Connecticut. In addition to shrews, the cameras have also been detecting a variety of other mammals as well as birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. The detection of non-target Species of Greatest Conservation Need, such as the Diamondback Terrapin pictured below, is an added benefit from these surveys.

Camera traps provide an engaging and cost-effective approach to document wildlife. The technique used in the Wildlife Division's shrew surveys, known as the Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT), is described in this 2017 article from Wildlife Society Bulletin.

A Diamondback Terrapin passes through the housing unit for a motion-triggered camera. Photo by CT DEEP Wildlife Division. Learn more about Diamondback Terrapins in Connecticut.

Funding for Connecticut's Wildlife Action Plan and this newsletter is provided in part through the Federal State Wildlife Grants Program.

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