Rocky Neck Community Event

The public is invited to share experiences, ideas and questions related to Rocky Neck State Park at a special program set for Oct. 16 at the New London Community Recreation Center.

Registration is open now for “Park Talk: A Rocky Neck Community Planning Event,” held by The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut and local partners. The program, scheduled from noon-1:30 p.m., is free and open to all ages with activities, refreshments and interactive stations. 

Park Talk is part of a project at Rocky Neck State Park to restore an at-risk marsh and enhance the overall visitor experience. TNC in CT secured a federal grant to restore the Bride Brook estuary and coastal marsh at the state park and is managing the project in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), which oversees Rocky Neck. The work is being performed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ducks Unlimited, Save the Sound and Restore America’s Estuaries. 

An information session on the salt marsh restoration project will also be featured at Park Talk. Input from the public is crucial to park plans. Organizers of the Oct. 16 event hope to hear from those who have visited Rocky Neck for any of its amenities and natural resources, from the beach to the campground to the walking trails, and whether they go frequently or have just gone once.

This is the first of many meetings to come and will be the only in-person program of 2025. A virtual version of the event is set for Nov. 5—check nature.org/rockyneck for future dates.

“Our community meeting events are a crucial aspect of our project work,” says Eli Terris, restoration planning project manager for TNC in CT. “This is a primary opportunity to co-design our park improvements, by providing forums for public engagement and participation. In these events, we'll bring together residents from all walks of life and from all across Connecticut to reimagine, learn, share, discuss, brainstorm and have fun!”

Ideas and opinions shared in these meetings will be integrated into project designs, so the project team encourages as many residents, municipal officials and community leaders as possible to attend. Attendees are invited to come and go anytime during the program as their schedules allow.

“The more perspectives we'll have to enhance Rocky Neck State Park, the better for all of us,” Terris added.

Rocky Neck is one of the state’s most popular parks, and while it may primarily be known for its beach, it also holds 82 acres of salt marsh. The marsh has long faced challenges and is in desperate need for intervention. It is a critical component of the ecosystem as it hosts unique biodiversity and provides protective benefits to coastal and inland communities. 

Improving marsh conditions and restoring connections between Bride Brook and Long Island  Sound will allow for large-scale, climate-resilient marsh restoration, strengthen the ecosystem and support fish passage. This work will benefit local communities as well. A restored marsh will act as a natural shield for the coastline, buffer effects of climate change, manage floodwaters, store “blue carbon,” and reduce ambient air and water temperatures. At Park Talk, participants will be encouraged to provide suggestions for alterations to existing infrastructure which would improve public access, and enhancements to increase recreational and educational opportunities.  

Alterations to existing infrastructure could also improve public access to and from the beach, while enhancing recreational and educational opportunities.

Questions can be sent to rockyneckproject@tnc.org.