Lois Kelley, "Mother Nature",
Director 1965-1980
In memoriam
JANUARY 14, 2019
Lois Waugh (Gillette) Kelley, age 94, died on Christmas night, December 25, 2018 having lived a full and satisfying life. Born March 11, 1924, in Amherst. MA, Lois graduated from Weston (MA) High School as valedictorian in 1941 and with honors from Pomona College in 1945. She went to work at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT.In 1947 Lois married Robert Kelley of Bloomfield CT and they moved to a small family farm in Rockville CT to raise their family. Lois restarted her career in the 50s: about 15 years as a professional Girl Scout trainer in outdoor skills while living in Andover CT; another 15 years as Director of the Education Center at the James L. Goodwin State Forest in Hampton CT, where she was affectionately known as Mother Nature; then 21 years as a featured performer and Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, MA. After heart surgery, Lois worked part-time for the Village & part-time at the Sturbridge Chamber of Commerce. Wherever Lois went, she established beautiful gardens.Lois was pre-deceased by her husband Bob in 1976. In 2011, she moved to Indian Lake, NY. She leaves her her daughter, Diana (Daisy) Kelley of Indian Lake, her son, Robert Kelley and his wife Helen, of Stafford Springs CT, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. According to her wishes, there will be no services. Lois suggests donations to a local soup kitchen, or make and share a good soup in her memory.
JANUARY 14, 2019
Lois Waugh (Gillette) Kelley, age 94, died on Christmas night, December 25, 2018 having lived a full and satisfying life. Born March 11, 1924, in Amherst. MA, Lois graduated from Weston (MA) High School as valedictorian in 1941 and with honors from Pomona College in 1945. She went to work at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT.In 1947 Lois married Robert Kelley of Bloomfield CT and they moved to a small family farm in Rockville CT to raise their family. Lois restarted her career in the 50s: about 15 years as a professional Girl Scout trainer in outdoor skills while living in Andover CT; another 15 years as Director of the Education Center at the James L. Goodwin State Forest in Hampton CT, where she was affectionately known as Mother Nature; then 21 years as a featured performer and Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, MA. After heart surgery, Lois worked part-time for the Village & part-time at the Sturbridge Chamber of Commerce. Wherever Lois went, she established beautiful gardens.Lois was pre-deceased by her husband Bob in 1976. In 2011, she moved to Indian Lake, NY. She leaves her her daughter, Diana (Daisy) Kelley of Indian Lake, her son, Robert Kelley and his wife Helen, of Stafford Springs CT, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. According to her wishes, there will be no services. Lois suggests donations to a local soup kitchen, or make and share a good soup in her memory.
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Have you taken our survey regarding the Conservation Center and trails?
Looking for programs?
Click here for the current list! Register early -space is limited for many events. |
ANNOUNCING THE GOODWIN FOREST
TRAIL CHALLENGE!! In a effort to raise money to further the mission of our organization, we are challenging individuals to become members of the Friends of Goodwin Forest and to hike all 19 miles of trails within the forest. Click here for all the details! |
Mission Statement The mission of the Friends of Goodwin Forest is to advocate, enhance and support education, recreation and conservation activities of the historic James L. Goodwin Forest and Conservation Education Center. |
Do you enjoy the Center's programs?
Are you a fan of the trails and gardens? Please consider volunteering and/or joining the Friends of Goodwin Forest to help us continue our mission. |
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Reminder:
CHECK YOURSELF FOR TICKS AFTER ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. Treating clothes and shoes with permethrin will help deter ticks but you should always do a self-check. |
Have you heard about our Master Naturalist led Meetup Group?
The group is for anyone interested in learning more about Connecticut state parks and forests and are led by Master Naturalists who trained at the Goodwin Conservation Center. Their next hike will be on December 17th at 1:00 pm. All details can be found on the Meetup site. |
Welcome to the James. L. Goodwin State Forest and Conservation Education Center!
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Give back to Goodwin;
enrich someone’s life. If you have a passion about a conservation, environmental, ecologically -related topic of your choice that you want to share, this is your opportunity. We here at Goodwin would like you to present that knowledge to your peers! Host a hike, give a presentation, do some outdoor activities or experiments, or just have an open ended discussion. Goodwin Conservation Center is looking for volunteers who have knowledge about various conservation-related topics and the ability and desire to share that knowledge with others. We are looking for with knowledge in all conservation topics including birding, rocks, invasive species, survival skills, pollution, photography, nature technological equipment, gardening, etc. Teaching experience helpful but not required. For more information, contact Beth Bernard. |
The video above is from 2012. Most of our programs are free and open to the public. Look for Current Programs under the events tab to find our monthly listings.
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The James L. Goodwin Forest and Conservation Education Center is located at
23 Potter Road Hampton, CT 06247 860-455-9534 The 2000 acre forest and Richard Haley Native Wildlife Garden are open from sunup to sundown year round. The Conservation Education Center and museums are open on a part-time basis, please call ahead when planning a visit. |