On March 25, 2021, the Avon Land Trust, together with the Avon Free Public Library, sponsored a presentation on Bobcats in CT. Over 200 people registered for the event, across New England!

The bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut and the most common wild cat in North America. The presentation focused on the natural history of bobcats in Connecticut. Once considered a threat to agriculture and game species as well as a high value on its pelts the state had concerns that the bobcat population could be over harvested. So, in 1972 the bobcat was reclassified as a protected fur bearer in Connecticut with no hunting or trapping seasons. DEEP will be conducting a study of bobcats in the Farmington Valley in 2021

The presentation was given by CT DEEP Master Wildlife Conservationist Gail Cameron. Gail graduated from the College of Agriculture at UCONN and went on to work for more than 44 years at the Yale Medical School. She is Vice President and Environmental Stewardship Chair of the Sleeping Giant Park Association and volunteers on multiple projects with Connecticut Audubon. She is also president of the Hamden Land Trust.