The James L. Goodwin Conservation Center is an environmental education facility owned and operated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Currently there is a public/private partnership with the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.  Together we offer programs for the public, schools, and educators, and those who use and impact Connecticut's forests, including landowners, foresters, loggers and municipal land use commissioners.  

The James L. Goodwin Conservation Center is located in the James L. Goodwin State Forest., a beautiful 2,000-acre property with 3 ponds and 14 miles of well maintained trails for hiking, cross country skiing and horseback riding. Educational signs along portions of the Air Line Trail and the Blue/Yellow loop trail provide information on the history, ecology and management of the forest. In addition, visitors can either download here or pick up a hard copy of the Forest Discovery Trail guide. Eleven descriptive text passages in the guide correspond to numbered posts along this ¾-mile loop trail.

The spacious grounds include the 1.5-acre Richard D. Haley Native Plant Wildlife Gardens, where visitors can see and learn about dozens of native trees, shrubs and perennials that offer food and cover value for wildlife. There is also a small nature museum, the 130-acre Pine Acres Pond and a youth group campsite.

James L. Goodwin Conservation Center’s Master Naturalist Program

Contact Beth Rhines for information on the Goodwin Conservation Center’s Master Naturalist Program.

Goodwin Announcements and Invitations

Subscribe to the Goodwin Listserv to receive periodic announcements of and invitations to interpretive hikes, conservation education programs and other events at the Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center

To subscribe to the Listserv:

Compose an email to listserv@list.ct.gov from the email address you wish to have added.
1. Leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message type:  
   Subscribe DEEP_Goodwin   YourFirstName  YourLastName
   (Substitute your first and last name here.)
   Note: If you have an e-mail signature, header, and/or footer set up to be automatically included in emails, you will need to delete these before sending the subscribe request.
2. You will receive an e-mail confirmation request. Follow the directions to confirm your email address. 
3. You will then receive an e-mail that you have successfully subscribed to the listserv. 

To unsubscribe to the Listserv:

Compose an e-mail to listserv@list.ct.gov.
1. Leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message type:
   Signoff DEEP_Goodwin
2. Requests to unsubscribe must be sent from the same email account used when subscribing to the email list.
3. You will then receive an e-mail that you have successfully unsubscribed from the listserv.

If you experience difficulty in subscribing to the Goodwin Listserv, please e-mail Beth Rhines or phone at 860-455-9534.

Related Links

Friends of James L. Goodwin State Forest - Website   |  Brochure

Content Last Updated January 2016