The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced today that registration is open for the 2014 Great Park Pursuit – Connecticut State Parks Family Adventure at: www.NoChildLeftInside.org.

The Great Park Pursuit is a series of activities designed to introduce families to the outdoors, build the next generation of environmental stewards and showcase state parks and forests this spring.

The events will begin May 10 at Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth and will end with a day of activities and a family campout on June 21 at the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs. There will also be activities at a different state park on the five Saturdays in between. Families will learn the location of these activities by following clues at www.NoChildLeftInside.org

“The Great Park Pursuit began nine years ago as a key component of our nationally recognized No Child Left Inside - and its popularity has grown as youngsters and their families engage in healthy, fun and awe-inspiring outdoor activities year after year,” Rob Klee, DEEP commissioner, said in a news release. “The Great Park Pursuit gives families a perfect opportunity to spend time together in the outdoors while fishing, canoeing, hiking, and participating in other environmentally oriented activities – all under the expert guidance of environmental professionals.”

Klee said the goal of the program is “to instill in youngsters a love of nature and the environment, so, that as adults they are ready to assume leadership as environmental stewards who have a passion for protection of the environment and outdoor spaces in their own communities and the world.”

Teams that participate in all seven events will receive a 2014 Connecticut State Park and Forest Pass. The contest is open to Connecticut families – which must include one person 18 or over and one person under 18. To be eligible for the final prize, families must register by April 25, attend all weeks of the game, and check in at the registration at each location and provide documentation that they attended the self-guided events. For information, visit the registration section at: www.NoChildLeftInside.org.