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June 2025
Wildlife Highlights is published by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division. Please share the newsletter with others to help spread awareness about Connecticut's wildlife!
DEEP staff are preparing to open a newly-acquired parcel of land in Killingly, CT. to the public later this year. This includes boundary marking.
640-Acre Wildlife Management Area Coming Soon!
DEEP has recently acquired 642.9 acres of important wildlife habitat and wetlands in Killingly, Connecticut, with the intent to establish a new wildlife management area (WMA). The property’s varied landscape, encompassing forests, wetlands, and four main waterbodies, supports a rich array of plant and animal species.
The new WMA is currently closed to the public while staff continue to mark the property boundary. A site designation review is also in the works that will recommend future management activities and public uses. This review will include a hunting safety and season framework evaluation.
The acquisition of this property was made possible through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program. Initiated in the 1930s through the Pittman-Robertson Act by hunters and conservationists, this program provides states with funding for wildlife and habitat management, research, land acquisition, and hunter education programs.
The new WMA will be open to the public in the coming months. Stay tuned for more details!
While more residents are switching to bear-resistant trash cans, unsecured dumpsters continue to be a source for human-bear conflicts. Photo courtesy of Jason Welch.
Bird Seed, Trash, and Bears: A Bad Combination
As Connecticut’s black bear population continues to gradually expand, so does the number of human-bear conflicts. The greatest number of conflicts is typically reported to the Wildlife Division in the month of June. While nearly two thirds of conflicts involve bird seed and unsecured trash, other types of conflicts, including home entries and depredation of livestock, are also on the rise. Why is this the case?
Black bears that consume human-associated foods (bird seed and trash) on a regular basis become habituated (comfortable near people) and eventually food-conditioned over time. Food-conditioned bears learn that houses, neighborhoods, and humans are places to find food and are often the ones that cause more property damage to houses and cars or injure pets and livestock, posing a greater risk to public safety.
Removing bird feeders and properly securing trash helps greatly reduce the number of “conditioning events” a bear experiences, reducing the chances of a bear becoming food-conditioned. Ideally, wild black bears should have a natural fear of people and should not be sniffing around your home in search of
food.
More on how to deter bears . . .
The eastern box turtle is one of many species included in the 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).
Coming Soon! A Draft of Connecticut's 2025 Wildlife Action Plan for Public Comment
If you care about Connecticut’s wildlife, fish, and native plants, the Wildlife Division would love to hear from you! We just completed a draft of Connecticut’s 2025 Wildlife Action Plan, which will help guide conservation in our state over the next decade. Connecticut residents are encouraged to submit their comments on the draft, which will be available in early June, along with a public feedback form.
All state fish and wildlife agencies create Wildlife Action Plans to identify Species of Greatest Conservation Need, the issues they face, and the actions that will protect them. Approval of these State Wildlife Action Plans by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service makes states and territories eligible for funding through the State Wildlife Grants Program and creates a national wildlife conservation blueprint. In Connecticut, this program supports crucial work that is not funded in other ways and helps conserve our natural resources for future generations to enjoy. Please take this opportunity to share your thoughts about protecting Connecticut’s incredible diversity of wildlife and the lands and waters we all call home!
Hen turkey. Photo by USFWS.
Join the Flock! Participate in the Wild Turkey Brood Survey
Connecticut residents are encouraged to be on the lookout for wild turkeys, especially hens and poults (young-of-the-year).
The Wildlife Division conducts its annual Wild Turkey Brood Survey to estimate the average number of turkey poults per hen statewide. This survey also allows biologists to assess annual fluctuations in the turkey population and calculate male-to-female ratios.
To participate, simply record all the hens, poults, toms, or jakes observed during your normal travel from June 1 through August 31.
The eastern ratsnake is the largest snake found in Connecticut.
Connecticut's Snakes: No Need to Fear
Despite being a relatively small state, Connecticut is home to an impressive 14 species of snakes. These reptiles make up an important part of the food chain by serving as both predator and prey. Snakes are incredibly beneficial -- they help keep mouse, rat, and other rodent populations in check. They are also consumed by larger mammals and birds of prey.
Only two of the 14 species found in Connecticut are venomous: the timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead. These venomous snakes, along with the other 12 species, are not aggressive and will only bite if threatened or handled. When left alone, a snake poses no threat to people.
Take some time to become more familiar with these often misunderstood reptiles and educate others about their importance on the landscape.
Observe a livestream of a big brown bat colony at White Memorial Conservation Center through the Bats Count! Bat Cam and help us count bats!
Bats Count! Livestream Cameras Offer an Up-Close View of Big Brown Bats
Two years ago, the Wildlife Division and The White Memorial Foundation and Conservation Center in Litchfield established a "Bat Cam" in a barn where female big brown bats give birth to and raise their young.
Bats Count! is a community science project that allows participants to observe bats throughout the day
and as they enter and exit the barn each evening. Last year, viewers of the Bats Count! Bat Cam were able to witness the live birth of a big brown bat pup!
If you are interested in participating in this long-term monitoring program, you can help staff collect data on the bats while viewing the livestream. Participating is easy and fun. Simply review the user guide and enter your data into the datasheet while enjoying an up-close view of these remarkable mammals.
More on Bats Count! . . .
Marvelwood School in Kent, CT, took first place in the 2025 Connecticut Envirothon Competition.
Connecticut Envirothon Holds its Annual Competition in Bristol
Last month, the Connecticut Envirothon held its annual competition at Indian Rock Nature Center in Bristol, Connecticut. Envirothon is a natural resource-based education program that was started in 1992 by the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Participating Envirothon teams consist of Connecticut high school students that are led by a teacher/advisor. During the school year, teams receive curriculum materials and are invited to a series of training workshops in the Envirothon Study Areas of soils, aquatics, wildlife, forestry, and a current environmental issue. These workshops are presented by foresters, soil scientists, aquatic ecologists, wildlife biologists, and many others, including Wildlife Division staff. In May, teams meet for an all-day field competition where they put their knowledge to the test.
This year, Marvelwood School in Kent, CT, took first place and will travel to Alberta, Canada, later this summer to compete in the national Envirothon competition.
More on the Connecticut Envirothon . . .
Upcoming Events:
The Wildlife Division will be participating in the following events in the near future:
- Saturday, June 21, 2025 - Meigs Point Nature Center Anniversary Event. Location: Hammonasset Beach State Park, 1288 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443.
- Saturday, June 28, 2025 - Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve: Paddling the Poquonnock. Location: Bluff Point State Park (55 Depot Rd, Groton, CT 06340).
- Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Bobolink and Wildlife Festival. Location: 144 Pickett Ln, Durham, CT 06422, Durham, CT Community Center. Time: 7:55 AM - 3:30 PM.
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 - Bat Appreciation Day. Location: 115 Newgate Road, East Granby, CT 06026. Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Who We Are
The Wildlife Division is part of the Bureau of Natural Resources within the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The Bureau is charged with managing the state’s natural resources (particularly fish, wildlife, and forests) through a program of research, management, public education, and regulation. The Wildlife Division is comprised of several programs that work together to conserve and manage Connecticut's wildlife.
Contact Us
Email: deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov
Phone: 860-424-3011
Wildlife Website: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/wildlife-in-connecticut
Office Directory: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/wildlife-division-office-directory
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are seeking a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint, or require some other accommodation, including equipment to facilitate virtual participation, please contact the DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at 860-418-5910 or by email at deep.accommodations@ct.gov. Any person needing an accommodation for hearing impairment may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event.
