Media Contact:
Meaghan Strange, Communications Coordinator
mstrange@ctwoodlands.org / (860) 398-4539
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2025
CFPA’s Master Woodland Manager Program Marks Five Years with Record Enrollment
ROCKFALL, CONNECTICUT—The Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s (CFPA) Master Woodland Manager (MWM) program is returning for its fifth year this fall with a record-breaking 75 students joining the 2025-2026 cohort. Beginning in September, the year-long program will combine hands-on field and virtual learning led by Connecticut’s top forestry and wildlife professionals.
With its recently graduated class, the program has trained more than 169 woodland managers since its launch in 2021. Collectively, these graduates and the incoming class manage over 75,000 acres of forest land across 112 Connecticut municipalities, 2 Rhode Island municipalities, and 1 New York municipality—expanding the reach and impact of science-based forest stewardship across the state and region.
“This milestone speaks to the growing number of land stewards who want to be part of the solution for forest health, climate resilience, and biodiversity in Connecticut,” said Beth Merow, Education Director at CFPA.
Developed by CFPA in partnership with Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), Audubon Connecticut, UConn Extension, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station with funding from the U.S. Forest Service, the MWM program equips woodland owners and managers with the knowledge and skills to support woodland wildlife, help the local economy, reduce the effects of climate change, and preserve the legacy of Connecticut’s woodlands for future generations.
Participants include private woodland owners—from those managing a single acre to those caring for hundreds—alongside municipal land stewards, nonprofit staff and volunteers, educators who bring what they’ve learned into classrooms and schoolyards, and those managing land for hunting clubs, game refuges, and other community spaces.
Each year, students participate in an interactive, flexible learning experience and join a growing statewide network of woodland advocates. Graduates give back to their communities through outreach. With public interest in forest health, climate resilience, and sustainable land management, CFPA is using this milestone year to invite new partners, future applicants, and funders to help secure the program’s future.
“Our MWM show what’s possible when conservation organizations come together to give significant time and attention in support of landowners,” said Laurie Giannotti, CFPA Board of Directors President.
For five years, the Master Woodland Manager program has empowered people to care for Connecticut’s forests with knowledge, dedication, and love for the land. Losing half of federal funding in 2026 means CFPA has to raise $86,000 a year to keep this incredible program going. It’s a heavy lift, but we owe it to our forests and the future to do everything we can to continue this critical work. If you’re interested in supporting this program, contact Linda Pierce, Development Director, at (203) 220-2136.
To kick off the anniversary year, CFPA will host a press conference and cohort launch at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Members of the media are invited to attend and meet incoming students, forestry experts, and partnership leaders.
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About the Connecticut Forest & Park Association:
Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA), founded in 1895, is a nonprofit organization serving Connecticut to protect forests, parks, walking trails, and open spaces for future generations. CFPA maintains the 825-mile Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System, advocates for laws that protect natural resources, conserves land, and trains educators to utilize forests as a teaching tool. Visit www.ctwoodlands.org for more information.