Seasoned hikers of Steep Rock Association’s (SRA) trails likely remember unique closure signs posted in early spring years ago. Northern goshawks (NOGO), a threatened resident bird of prey in CT, had nested in our two largest preserves and these signs were for the mutual benefit of all users – NOGOs to minimize disturbance at nest sites and humans to keep their scalp for another day. NOGOs prefer large areas of intact mature forest and exhibit territorial aggression when an intruder is detected near a nest.

Unfortunately, new hikers will be unfamiliar with the described signs as NOGOs have not been seen in several years. Through UConn’s Conservation Training Partnership (CTP) program, SRA teamed up with Shepaug Valley High School student Grant Ketchum to investigate the current occupancy of NOGOs at historically occupied sites. How we accomplished this and what we found are detailed on a professional poster found on our Scientific Study page, which will be presented at this year’s Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources.

Learn more about the CTP Program and other community projects completed throughout the state.