CONNECTICUT, USA — Fishing has long been a pastime that can free your mind, and on Saturday, in Connecticut, the fishing is actually free.
According to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, on Saturday, May 11, no fishing license is required to take in the outdoors and enjoy fishing for the day.
The Fish With CARE (Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education) team will be at Gay City State Park in Hebron on Saturday to kick off the No Child Left Inside Families in the Parks Program 2024. DEEP announced on Wednesday that registration for the program is now open.
Celebrating its 19th year, the program welcomes children and their caregivers to participate in a series of fun activities, pop-up events, and adventures.
According to DEEP, the activities are designed to “introduce families to the outdoors, build the next generation of environmental stewards, and showcase Connecticut’s State Parks and Forests.”
Last year, the program collaborated with various DEEP departments and a wide range of partners and reached over 5,000 people through numerous events and community programming partnerships, according to the release.
“I’m so proud of the work DEEP does to offer a wide variety of family-friendly outdoor opportunities all over the state,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said, in the release. “The NCLI programs successfully get families and children involved in nature and playing outside across our parks, forests and on the water in partnership with so many community organizations and local events.”
At Connecticut's state parks and forests throughout the season, participants can enjoy a variety of free, fun, and educational outdoor recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, hiking, StoryWalks, and other programs and events.
The 2024 NCLI Families in the Parks Program is a “mix of guided, self-guided, and pop-up events, including seasonal festivals, treasure hunts, self-guided challenges, and more,” according to the release, which said that registration is not required.
Families with at least one adult 18 years or older and one child 17 years or younger who do pre-register, however, and attend 10 of the NCLI Families in the Parks Programs, will be eligible to win two free nights of camping in a state park or forest campground of choice next summer.
To be eligible for two free nights of camping, families must register by Aug. 5, attend at least 10 NCLI Families in the Parks Program offerings over the course of the 2024 season, check in at the registration table at each guided program/event, submit a completed activity card at the end of each event/program at the registration table, and provide the required documentation that families attended self-guided events or participated in self-guided activities.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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