The Rockfall Foundation

[Cancelled] Reservoir Loop Earth Week Hike
2020-04-25 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | 41.534419, -72.617770
March 30 Update: With social distancing guidelines being extended through April 30, we are cancelling this event.

Join The Rockfall Foundation for a 2.5 mile hike on the Reservoir Loop Trail in Middletown. Moderately difficult, rocky terrain at a brisk pace. Lovely views around multiple reservoirs.
Free. All are welcome. No dogs, please. Bring sturdy hiking shoes, water, and optional insect/tick repellent. Steady rain cancels.
Due to limited parking at the trailhead, we will meet at a carpool lot at 9 a.m. at the intersection of routes 9, Randolph Rd. (route 155), and Coe Ave. (41.534419, -72.617770), then carpool to the trailhead a mile away.
From the North: Take Route 9 South to exit 11. Turn right onto CT-155E/Randolph Rd. The dirt carpool lot is 450 feet on your right.
From the South: Take Route 9 North to exit 11. The dirt carpool lot is immediately on your left at the end of the ramp.

RSVP encouraged, but not required, to hike leader Amanda Kenyon amanda@rockfallfoundation.org
Weather updates will also be posted at facebook.com/rockfallfoundation
After the hike, participants are encouraged to visit the Middletown Earth Festival.

All participants on Rockfall Foundation hike outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the Liability Waiver before you choose to participate on an outing, please contact the hike leader.

All Things Green: Nature Connection
2020-05-14 16:00 - 16:30 | www.icrvradio.com
Lucy Meigs, of Everyone Outside, joins host Tony Marino to talk about fun ways to deepen your connection to the natural world and increase your resiliency and reduce stress during challenging times.
Listen live 4 to 4:30pm online at iCRV Radio, or stream the replay anytime afterwards at All Things Green.
Lucy Meigs is founder and director of Everyone Outside. She has been leading hikes and connecting people with nature for over 20 years.
Everyone Outside’s mission is to help people develop a deeper relationship with the natural world near where they live. They believe that fostering connection with nature and each other is valuable for mental and physical health and critical for environmental stewardship. They strive to make the benefits of nature connection accessible to all people by focusing on local adventures and making programs affordable through grants and financial aid. Everyone Outside was recipient of a grant from The Rockfall Foundation in 2010, which helped enable the launch of their programs for children.

All Things Green: Pandemic's Impact on Trash & Recycling
2020-06-11 16:00 - 16:30 | www.icrvradio.com
For this month’s episode of All Things Green on iCRV Radio, Rockfall’s Executive Director, Tony Marino, will be talking with Kim O’Rourke, Recycling Program Coordinator for the City of Middletown. We will hear about what the pandemic has done to trash and recycling trends, the recycling market, and what’s happening and what’s not.
Listen live 4 to 4:30pm online at iCRV Radio, or stream the replay anytime afterwards at All Things Green.

Yoga at the Mansion
2020-08-01 10:30 - 11:45, 2020-08-08 10:30 - 11:45, 2020-08-15 10:30 - 11:45, 2020-08-22 10:30 - 11:45 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
A Benefit for The Rockfall Foundation
Saturdays in August, Starr Mill Yoga will be offering yoga classes at Wadsworth Mansion’s rose garden. Enjoy the healthy benefits of breath, movement and being outdoors. Classes begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be held Saturdays from August 1 to 29. All levels welcome. Capacity is limited to allow 6 feet spacing. Pre-registration is required at www.starrmillyoga.com. $20 donation. Profits benefit The Rockfall Foundation, a Middletown-based non-profit organization supporting environmental education and conservation in the Lower Connecticut River Valley. After class, enjoy the mansion’s expansive grounds, walking trails, notable trees and exotic plants.
To register, go to starrmillyoga.com/schedule and find the date(s) you’d like to book. Classes will be held August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. A different instructor will be leading the class each week. If you’d like to book multiple dates or multiple attendees at once, contact info@starrmillyoga.com.
Bring your own yoga mat and/or blanket, face covering, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and water. The garden has both shaded and sunny areas. Face covering should be worn when arriving and departing, and any other times you may come within 6 feet of another person. Masks are not required during the yoga practice, as we will all be spaced 6 feet apart. Rain cancels. Contact 860.740.4939 for more information.

POSTPONED Yoga at the Mansion
2020-08-29 10:30 - 11:45 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
A Benefit for The Rockfall Foundation
8/29 IS POSTPONED TO 9/5 DUE TO WEATHER.
Saturdays in August, Starr Mill Yoga will be offering yoga classes at Wadsworth Mansion’s rose garden. Enjoy the healthy benefits of breath, movement and being outdoors. Classes begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be held Saturdays from August 1 to 29. All levels welcome. Capacity is limited to allow 6 feet spacing. Pre-registration is required at www.starrmillyoga.com. $20 donation. Profits benefit The Rockfall Foundation, a Middletown-based non-profit organization supporting environmental education and conservation in the Lower Connecticut River Valley. After class, enjoy the mansion’s expansive grounds, walking trails, notable trees and exotic plants.
To register, go to starrmillyoga.com/schedule and find the date(s) you’d like to book. Classes will be held August 1, 8, 15, 22 and Sept. 5th. A different instructor will be leading the class each week. If you’d like to book multiple dates or multiple attendees at once, contact info@starrmillyoga.com.
Bring your own yoga mat and/or blanket, face covering, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and water. The garden has both shaded and sunny areas. Face covering should be worn when arriving and departing, and any other times you may come within 6 feet of another person. Masks are not required during the yoga practice, as we will all be spaced 6 feet apart. Rain cancels. Contact 860.740.4939 for more information.

Yoga at the Mansion
2020-09-05 10:30 - 11:45 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
A Benefit for The Rockfall Foundation
8/29 IS POSTPONED TO 9/5 DUE TO WEATHER.
Starr Mill Yoga is offering yoga classes at Wadsworth Mansion’s rose garden. Enjoy the healthy benefits of breath, movement and being outdoors. Classes begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be held Saturdays from August 1 to September 5. All levels welcome. Capacity is limited to allow 6 feet spacing. Pre-registration is required at www.starrmillyoga.com. $20 donation. Profits benefit The Rockfall Foundation, a Middletown-based non-profit organization supporting environmental education and conservation in the Lower Connecticut River Valley. After class, enjoy the mansion’s expansive grounds, walking trails, notable trees and exotic plants.
To register, go to starrmillyoga.com/schedule and find the date(s) you’d like to book. Classes will be held August 1, 8, 15, 22 and Sept. 5th. A different instructor will be leading the class each week. If you’d like to book multiple dates or multiple attendees at once, contact info@starrmillyoga.com.
Bring your own yoga mat and/or blanket, face covering, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and water. The garden has both shaded and sunny areas. Face covering should be worn when arriving and departing, and any other times you may come within 6 feet of another person. Masks are not required during the yoga practice, as we will all be spaced 6 feet apart. Rain cancels. Contact 860.740.4939 for more information.

Grant Information Session
2020-09-10 16:00 - 17:30 | CT
This virtual information session will cover guidelines for the 2021 Environmental Grants, the application form, technical considerations, and allow time for Q&A. Repeat applicants will learn what has changed since last year. All interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend. To receive the Zoom link, RSVP required to amanda@rockfallfoundation.org.

Awards and Grants Celebration
2020-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 | CT
The 2020 Awards and Grants Celebration is an on-line event honoring recipients of the 2020 Environmental Champion Awards and highlighting achievements of 2020 Annual Environmental Grant recipients. All are welcome join this entertaining virtual event.
East Haddam Land Trust and Margaret Minerwill receive Tom ODell Distinguished Service Awards, honoring long-term accomplishments in environmental conservation and preservation. Certificates of Appreciation will be presented to ARTFARM, Chantal Foster with Middlesex Land Trust, and Nathan Botting.

Featured video clips during the event to include:
Circus for a Fragile Planet by ARTFARM
Interview with Chantal Foster
Trail work by Nathan Botting
History of East Haddam Land Trust
Climate Change – AdaptCT
Farm to Table Camp – Valley Shore YMCA

We will also be raising a toast to all the award recipients and grantees. BYOB!
Participants will be in view-only mode for this celebration. Cozy up with a bowl of popcorn or your favorite snack and enjoy the show!

RSVP is required to gain access to the on-line link. Please RSVP by 3pm on the day of the event to ensure you receive the link in time. Additional information:
Environmental Champion Awards Program
2020 Awardees
Annual Environmental Grants Program
2020 Grant Recipients

Rockfall Forest Invasive Plants Work Party
2020-10-10 10:00 - 12:00, 2020-11-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-05-08 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-05-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-05-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Rockfall Forest via Wadsworth Falls Parking Lot, Waterfall parking, 25 Cherry Hill Rd., Middletown, CT, 06457
A team of volunteers has committed to restoring the health of Rockfall Forest, adjacent to Wadsworth Falls State Park, by removing invasive plants that are overgrowing. More volunteers are needed to help clear invasives so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. Bring clippers and gloves if you have them; a limited supply will be available. Tick repellant suggested. Meet at 9:45 in the Big Falls parking lot, 25 Cherry Hill Rd. in Rockfall. Safety protocol for COVID-19 will be enforced. To ensure compliance, volunteers are required to pre-register. Please fill out this registration and waiver form here before arriving. Heavy rain cancels. Thank you for your help! What is Rockfall Forest?
The trails in Rockfall Forest provide an important entry point to Wadsworth Falls State Park, connecting the orange Main Trail from Cherry Hill Road into the Park, and offering the yellow Laurel Grove Brook Trail. The history of these two properties link Colonel Wadsworth’s Legacy and The Rockfall Foundation. From potato farm to wild forest to outdoor classroom, Rockfall Forest has a story to tell.
Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth founded Rockfall Corporation (now The Rockfall Foundation) in 1935 “to establish, maintain, and care for parks and forest or wild land for the use and enjoyment of the public”. One of the Colonel’s land holdings was a large plot in Middlefield and Rockfall. He entrusted the land to Rockfall Corporation, with a small section known as “The Captain’s Field” retained for use by his son, Seymour Wadsworth. In 1941, after Colonel Wadsworth’s death, the largest portion of the land, 267 acres known as the “Great Falls Region” was donated by Rockfall Corporation to the Connecticut State Park and Forest commission. The State still maintains this land, the present day Wadsworth Falls State Park. Adjacent Captain’s Field, in the meantime, was leased out by Seymour and used for potato farming in the 1940s and 1950s. After Seymour’s passing, Captain’s Field was transferred to Rockfall Corporation for preservation. To this day, The Rockfall Foundation continues to protect these remaining 16 acres of land, which has reverted to forest since farming was abandoned. No longer a field, The Rockfall Foundation adopted the name Rockfall Forest in 2020.
Please join our efforts to clear invasive plants in Rockfall Forest so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. These efforts will also help clear space to use the forest as an outdoor classroom.

Meet Your Greens: Backyard Bugs with Brian Stewart
2020-10-15 17:30 - 19:00 | Wadsworth Mansion, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
Meet Your Greens is back! For one very special session, we will be meeting outdoors on Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 at Wadsworth Mansion. Our guest speaker is Brian Stewart. He will be introducing us to the tremendous diversity of insects you can find in your own backyard. With beautiful photographs taken on his own quarter acre in Middletown, come explore the intriguing world of insects. He has catalogued 430+ insect species so far, with over a hundred more that have not yet been identified. Walk away with an understanding of your role as a steward for these creatures whose “right” it is to be there.
We will meet on the back patio at the mansion under an open-sided tent. Appropriately spaced chairs will be provided for the presentation. Plan to arrive around 5:30, with the speaker beginning at 5:45. Bring your own food and drink. Free to participate. Safety protocol for COVID-19 will be adhered to. Pre-registration is required. Please fill out this registration form before arriving.
Brian Stewart is a professor of physics and a member of the College of the Environment at Wesleyan University. After working with entomologist Michael Oliver at the Middletown Bioblitz in 2007, he started his own photographic insect collection. He began documenting the insects on his own property with the intention of expanding his territory thereafter; that’s still the plan, but after more than a decade, he doesn’t find himself close to moving on yet.
Pictured: Asiatic Lady Beetle For those of you not familiar with Meet Your Greens: Middletown Green Drinks, this monthly event (on temporary hiatus due to the pandemic) provides networking opportunities for anyone who is interested in making connections and exchanging news about emerging environmental issues to help keep Lower Connecticut River Valley communities green. An official location of Green Drinks International, this informal monthly gathering of people drawn from the community, nonprofit groups and the business world offers time to brainstorm ideas and plant seeds for collaboration. All are welcome and there is no admission fee, unless otherwise noted. For more information, please visit our website.

Rockfall Forest Invasive Plants Work Party
2020-10-18 13:00 - 15:00, 2020-11-15 13:00 - 15:00, 2021-04-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Rockfall Forest via Wadsworth Falls Parking Lot, Waterfall parking, 25 Cherry Hill Rd., Middletown, CT, 06457
A team of volunteers has committed to restoring the health of Rockfall Forest, adjacent to Wadsworth Falls State Park, by removing invasive plants that are overgrowing. More volunteers are needed to help clear invasives so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. Bring clippers and gloves if you have them; a limited supply will be available. Tick repellant suggested. Meet at 12:45 in the Big Falls parking lot, 25 Cherry Hill Rd. in Rockfall. Safety protocol for COVID-19 will be enforced. To ensure compliance, volunteers are required to pre-register. Please fill out this registration and waiver form here before arriving. Heavy rain cancels. Thank you for your help! What is Rockfall Forest?
The trails in Rockfall Forest provide an important entry point to Wadsworth Falls State Park, connecting the orange Main Trail from Cherry Hill Road into the Park, and offering the yellow Laurel Grove Brook Trail. The history of these two properties link Colonel Wadsworth’s Legacy and The Rockfall Foundation. From potato farm to wild forest to outdoor classroom, Rockfall Forest has a story to tell.
Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth founded Rockfall Corporation (now The Rockfall Foundation) in 1935 “to establish, maintain, and care for parks and forest or wild land for the use and enjoyment of the public”. One of the Colonel’s land holdings was a large plot in Middlefield and Rockfall. He entrusted the land to Rockfall Corporation, with a small section known as “The Captain’s Field” retained for use by his son, Seymour Wadsworth. In 1941, after Colonel Wadsworth’s death, the largest portion of the land, 267 acres known as the “Great Falls Region” was donated by Rockfall Corporation to the Connecticut State Park and Forest commission. The State still maintains this land, the present day Wadsworth Falls State Park. Adjacent Captain’s Field, in the meantime, was leased out by Seymour and used for potato farming in the 1940s and 1950s. After Seymour’s passing, Captain’s Field was transferred to Rockfall Corporation for preservation. To this day, The Rockfall Foundation continues to protect these remaining 16 acres of land, which has reverted to forest since farming was abandoned. No longer a field, The Rockfall Foundation adopted the name Rockfall Forest in 2020.
Please join our efforts to clear invasive plants in Rockfall Forest so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. These efforts will also help clear space to use the forest as an outdoor classroom.

Trail Clean-Up
2020-10-24 08:30 - 10:30 | Wadsworth Falls State Park, 721 Wadsworth St., Middletown, CT, 06457
Pitch-in and help clean up the park and trails! In partnership with Cinder + Salt, we’ll supply all the gear you need including trash grabbers, buckets & gloves. This event is kid friendly. All participants who register by Oct 19th will receive a free volunteer t-shirt. Please click the website link below for further details and to register for your free t-shirt.

WASTED Part 5: Advocacy Workshop
2021-04-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
What are you disappointed about in terms of waste issues where you live? What do you wish your town, city, or Connecticut was doing differently to address the waste crisis?
Join us on Thursday, April 22 for Part 5 of our 7-part series WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change, where we will start to address the solutions to these questions. We have a great group of panelists who are ready to have a roundtable discussion on advocacy, current legislative issues, and how you can impact the work being done to solve the waste issues in our state.
Panelists:
Lou Rosado Burch – CT Program Director, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment
Marilynn Cruz-Aponte – Assistant Director of Public Works, City of East Hartford
Kevin Budris – Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change
Hosted by The Rockfall Foundation, the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, RiverCOG, and the City of Middletown Recycling & Public Works, WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change is a 7-part series of conversations about the waste crisis in Connecticut, environmental justice, and how we all play a part in the future of sustainability.
Complete list of sessions and panelists:
March 18: Environmental Justice of Waste
– Sharon Lewis, Executive Director, CT Coalition for Environmental Justice
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
– Alex Rodriguez, Climate Advocate, Save the Sound
March 25: What Happens to Your Trash?
– Sherill Baldwin, CT DEEP Source Reduction & Recycling
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
April 8: Where Are We Heading?
– Katie Dykes, Commissioner, CT DEEP
– Ben Florsheim, Mayor, City of Middletown
– Lisa Noreiga, Environmental Intern, Sustainable CT
April 15: Let’s Get Going – Waste Audits
– Michelle Eckman, Education Consultant, Michelle Eckman Consulting
April 22: Advocacy Workshop
– Lou Rosado Burch, CT Program Director, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment
– Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, Assistant Director of Public Works, City of East Hartford
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
April 29: Clothing Repair Workshop
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
– Virginia Walton, Recycling Coordinator, City of Mansfield
May 6: Composting Workshop
– Dawn Pettenelli, Associate Cooperative Extension Educator, UConn Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering
– Domingo Medina, Founder & Master Composter, Peels & Wheels Composting

CANCELLED: Rockfall Forest Invasive Plants Work Party
2021-04-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Rockfall Forest via Wadsworth Falls Parking Lot, Waterfall parking, 25 Cherry Hill Rd., Middletown, CT, 06457
Due to the forecast, this event has been CANCELLED.
Please register for another one of our upcoming dates.
A team of volunteers has committed to restoring the health of Rockfall Forest, adjacent to Wadsworth Falls State Park, by removing invasive plants that are overgrowing. More volunteers are needed to help clear invasives so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. Bring clippers and gloves if you have them; a limited supply will be available. Tick repellant suggested. Meet at 9:45 in the Big Falls parking lot, 25 Cherry Hill Rd. in Rockfall. Safety protocol for COVID-19 will be enforced. To ensure compliance, volunteers are required to pre-register. Please fill out this registration and waiver form here before arriving. Heavy rain cancels. Thank you for your help! What is Rockfall Forest?
The trails in Rockfall Forest provide an important entry point to Wadsworth Falls State Park, connecting the orange Main Trail from Cherry Hill Road into the Park, and offering the yellow Laurel Grove Brook Trail. The history of these two properties link Colonel Wadsworth’s Legacy and The Rockfall Foundation. From potato farm to wild forest to outdoor classroom, Rockfall Forest has a story to tell.
Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth founded Rockfall Corporation (now The Rockfall Foundation) in 1935 “to establish, maintain, and care for parks and forest or wild land for the use and enjoyment of the public”. One of the Colonel’s land holdings was a large plot in Middlefield and Rockfall. He entrusted the land to Rockfall Corporation, with a small section known as “The Captain’s Field” retained for use by his son, Seymour Wadsworth. In 1941, after Colonel Wadsworth’s death, the largest portion of the land, 267 acres known as the “Great Falls Region” was donated by Rockfall Corporation to the Connecticut State Park and Forest commission. The State still maintains this land, the present day Wadsworth Falls State Park. Adjacent Captain’s Field, in the meantime, was leased out by Seymour and used for potato farming in the 1940s and 1950s. After Seymour’s passing, Captain’s Field was transferred to Rockfall Corporation for preservation. To this day, The Rockfall Foundation continues to protect these remaining 16 acres of land, which has reverted to forest since farming was abandoned. No longer a field, The Rockfall Foundation adopted the name Rockfall Forest in 2020.
Please join our efforts to clear invasive plants in Rockfall Forest so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. These efforts will also help clear space to use the forest as an outdoor classroom.

WASTED Part 6: Repair Workshop
2021-04-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
Did you know that 30% of carbon emissions are the result of consumption? Between manufacturing, transport, and waste, consumerism has a huge impact on the environment. An easy way to reduce your individual consumption, and save some money, is to learn how to repair household items rather than throwing them away for a replacement. Some communities host “repair cafes,” where participants can learn how to fix these items and get help from people with repair experience.
Join us on Thursday, April 29 for Part 6 of our 7-part series WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change, where we will learn how to repair basic household items (lamps, clothing, etc.) and about the history of repair cafes and how to get one started in your community.
Panelists:
Janice Ehle/Meyer – Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
Virginia Walton – Recycling Coordinator, City of Mansfield
Judy Prill – Retired Environmental Analyst, CT DEEP WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change
Hosted by The Rockfall Foundation, the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, RiverCOG, and the City of Middletown Recycling & Public Works, WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change is a 7-part series of conversations about the waste crisis in Connecticut, environmental justice, and how we all play a part in the future of sustainability.
Complete list of sessions and panelists:
March 18: Environmental Justice of Waste
– Sharon Lewis, Executive Director, CT Coalition for Environmental Justice
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
– Alex Rodriguez, Climate Advocate, Save the Sound
March 25: What Happens to Your Trash?
– Sherill Baldwin, CT DEEP Source Reduction & Recycling
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
April 8: Where Are We Heading?
– Katie Dykes, Commissioner, CT DEEP
– Ben Florsheim, Mayor, City of Middletown
– Lisa Noreiga, Environmental Intern, Sustainable CT
April 15: Let’s Get Going – Waste Audits
– Michelle Eckman, Education Consultant, Michelle Eckman Consulting
April 22: Advocacy Workshop
– Lou Rosado Burch, CT Program Director, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment
– Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, Assistant Director of Public Works, City of East Hartford
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
April 29: Repair Workshop
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
– Virginia Walton, Recycling Coordinator, City of Mansfield
May 6: Composting Workshop
– Dawn Pettenelli, Associate Cooperative Extension Educator, UConn Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering
– Domingo Medina, Founder & Master Composter, Peels & Wheels Composting

Screen Free Week Invasive Plants Work Party at the Rockfall Forest
2021-05-01 | Rockfall Forest via Wadsworth Falls Parking Lot, Waterfall parking, 25 Cherry Hill Rd., Middletown, CT, 06457
10am-12pm
Join the team volunteers that has committed to restoring the health of Rockfall Forest, adjacent to Wadsworth Falls State Park, by removing invasive plants that are overgrowing. More volunteers are needed to help clear invasives so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. Bring clippers and gloves if you have them; a limited supply will be available. Tick repellant suggested. Meeting time is 9:45am at Big Falls parking lot, 25 Cherry Hill Road in Rockfall. Safety protocol for COVID-19 will be enforced. To ensure compliance, volunteers are required to pre-register. Please fill out this registration and waiver form here before arriving. Heavy rain cancels. Thank you for your help! What is Rockfall Forest?
The trails in Rockfall Forest provide an important entry point to Wadsworth Falls State Park, connecting the orange Main Trail from Cherry Hill Road into the Park, and offering the yellow Laurel Grove Brook Trail. The history of these two properties link Colonel Wadsworth’s Legacy and The Rockfall Foundation. From potato farm to wild forest to outdoor classroom, Rockfall Forest has a story to tell.
Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth founded Rockfall Corporation (now The Rockfall Foundation) in 1935 “to establish, maintain, and care for parks and forest or wild land for the use and enjoyment of the public”. One of the Colonel’s land holdings was a large plot in Middlefield and Rockfall. He entrusted the land to Rockfall Corporation, with a small section known as “The Captain’s Field” retained for use by his son, Seymour Wadsworth. In 1941, after Colonel Wadsworth’s death, the largest portion of the land, 267 acres known as the “Great Falls Region” was donated by Rockfall Corporation to the Connecticut State Park and Forest commission. The State still maintains this land, the present day Wadsworth Falls State Park. Adjacent Captain’s Field, in the meantime, was leased out by Seymour and used for potato farming in the 1940s and 1950s. After Seymour’s passing, Captain’s Field was transferred to Rockfall Corporation for preservation. To this day, The Rockfall Foundation continues to protect these remaining 16 acres of land, which has reverted to forest since farming was abandoned. No longer a field, The Rockfall Foundation adopted the name Rockfall Forest in 2020.
Please join our efforts to clear invasive plants in Rockfall Forest so that native trees, and with them the native fauna, can thrive. These efforts will also help clear space to use the forest as an outdoor classroom.

WASTED Part 7: Composting Workshop
2021-05-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
Have you ever thought about starting your own compost bin? Do you already have one? Composting is an accessible way for individuals to reduce their waste output and carbon emissions, and you can get started right away!
Join us on Thursday, May 6 for the final session of our 7-part series WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change, where we will learn about the importance of composting on a large scale and how it can empower our communities, how to start composting at the backyard level, and about the importance of every individual to making a difference.
Panelists:
Domingo Medina – Founder & Master Composter, Peels and Wheels Composting
Dawn Pettenelli – Associate Cooperative Extension Educator, UConn Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change
Hosted by The Rockfall Foundation, the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, RiverCOG, and the City of Middletown Recycling & Public Works, WASTED: Small Efforts for Big Change is a 7-part series of conversations about the waste crisis in Connecticut, environmental justice, and how we all play a part in the future of sustainability.
Complete list of sessions and panelists:
March 18: Environmental Justice of Waste
– Sharon Lewis, Executive Director, CT Coalition for Environmental Justice
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
– Alex Rodriguez, Climate Advocate, Save the Sound
March 25: What Happens to Your Trash?
– Sherill Baldwin, CT DEEP Source Reduction & Recycling
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
April 8: Where Are We Heading?
– Katie Dykes, Commissioner, CT DEEP
– Ben Florsheim, Mayor, City of Middletown
– Lisa Noreiga, Environmental Intern, Sustainable CT
April 15: Let’s Get Going – Waste Audits
– Michelle Eckman, Education Consultant, Michelle Eckman Consulting
April 22: Advocacy Workshop
– Lou Rosado Burch, CT Program Director, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment
– Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, Assistant Director of Public Works, City of East Hartford
– Kevin Budris, Attorney, Zero Waste Project, Conservation Law Foundation
April 29: Repair Workshop
– Janice Ehlemeyer, Community Resource Planner, RiverCOG
– Virginia Walton, Recycling Coordinator, City of Mansfield
May 6: Composting Workshop
– Dawn Pettenelli, Associate Cooperative Extension Educator, UConn Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering
– Domingo Medina, Founder & Master Composter, Peels & Wheels Composting

Yoga at the Mansion: Fitness Yoga with Natalie
2021-06-05 10:30 - 11:30 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
Saturdays in August, Starr Mill Yoga will be offering yoga classes at Wadsworth Mansion’s rose garden. Enjoy the healthy benefits of breath, movement, and being outdoors. Meet Starr Mill Yoga’s instructors and experience a wide range of practices.
Classes begin at 10:30 AM and will be held Saturdays from June 5 to July 24. All levels welcome. Capacity is limited to allow 6 feet spacing. Pre-registration is required at www.starrmillyoga.com.
$20 donations. Profits benefit The Rockfall Foundation.
After class, enjoy the mansion’s expansive grounds, walking trails, notable trees, and exotic plants. Take a trip to Rockfall Forest, adjacent to Wadsworth State Park, to see the grounds maintained by The Rockfall Foundation. Rockfall Forest contains the yellow-blazed Laurel Brook Grove Trail.
Click below to register: Classes will be held June 5, 12, 19, 26 and July 3, 10, 17, 24. If you’d like to book multiple dates or multiple attendees at once, contact info@starrmillyoga.com or call 860-740-4939.
A different instructor will be leading the class each week:
Schedule:
June 5: Natalie – Fitness Yoga
June 12: Jamie – Gentle Flow
June 19: Sasha – Vinyasa
June 26: Alyson – Energy Medicine Yoga
July 3: Nicole – Yang & Yin
July 10: Loli – Kundalini
July 17: Nick – Movement & Meditation
July 24: Juliana – Vinyasa
Bring your own yoga mat and/or blanket, face covering, sunscreen, and water. The garden has both shaded and sunny areas. Face covering should be worn when arriving and departing, and at any other times you may come within 6 feet of another person. Masks are not required during the yoga practice, as we will all be spaced 6 feet apart.
Rain cancels. Contact 860-740-4939.

Yoga at the Mansion: Gentle Flow with Jamie
2021-06-12 10:30 - 11:30 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457

Meet Your Greens with Rosemary Ostfeld
2021-06-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Cinder + Salt, 520 Main St., Middletown, CT, 06457, United States
Meet Your Greens is back!
With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, we are excited to see you again in person and resume our Meet Your Greens program! This will be the first of four Meet Your Greens (MYG) events in 2021. Join us on Thursday, June 17 at 5:30 at Cinder + Salt with speaker Rosemary Ostfeld. “Food For You and The Planet” is a talk about the connection between our food choices and the environment. Rosemary will give us bite-sized actions to take to eat sustainably and support our local farming community.
Rosemary is the founder of Healthy PlanEat, an online platform where people can order food directly from local farmers that use sustainable growing practices and local food artisans. Rosemary also teaches at Wesleyan University in the College of the Environment and Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship. We will meet on Cinder + Salt’s back patio under an open-sided tent. Plan to arrive around 5:30, with the speaker beginning at 5:45. Bring your own food & drink. Free to participate.
Face masks are required if you are not fully vaccinated.
If you are fully vaccinated, face masks are optional throughout the program.
Click below to register! Meet Your Greens: Middletown Green Drinks provides networking opportunities for anyone who is interested in making connections and exchanging news about emerging environmental issues to help keep the Lower Connecticut River Valley communities green and growing.
An official location of Green Drinks International, this informal gathering of people drawn from the community, nonprofit groups and the business world offers time to brainstorm ideas and plant seeds for collaboration.
All four upcoming sessions of Meet Your Greens will take place on the third Thursday of the month from 5:30-7:30.

Yoga at the Mansion: Vinyasa with Sasha
2021-06-19 10:30 - 11:30 | Wadsworth Mansion Rose Garden, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT, 06457
