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Winter 25-26: Stories and Storytellers. Community Preservation in Bridgeport’s Washington Park. The top 5 most streamed GTN episodes and award-winning storytellers from Connecticut!
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Grating the Nutmeg TOP 5 MOST STREAMED – 2025
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Site Lines: Community Preservation in Bridgeport’s Washington Park
The East Bridgeport National Historic District is one of the most well preserved 19th century neighborhoods in Connecticut.
In 2022, Preservation Connecticut envisioned a community-wide project centered on Washington Park, located within this historic district, not originally realizing this project would grow to include five congregations.
By 2023, the Washington Park Committee convened. Forino writes, “Uniting five congregations under a single project to restore their historic buildings, increase accessibility, and expand food pantries and soup kitchens was no simple task. Preservation Connecticut started with calls and emails, then—when those went unanswered—turned to door-knocking to recruit churches willing to join the effort.”
Although the hard work paid off and Preservation Connecticut secured $5.14 million from the State of Connecticut’s Community Investment Fund 2030, it is important to remember the many underfunded religious buildings throughout the state.
Learn how you can help the Washington Park Community Preservation Project here.
Read the full story in our Winter 25-26 issue.
Connecticut History for Kids: Award-Winning Storytellers from Connecticut
In this issue we dedicated a page to three amazing children’s authors who won the John Newbery Medal and just so happen to be from Connecticut. For a children’s author, winning the Newbery is like an athlete winning an MVP award!
Check out our Kids’ Page in the Winter 25-26 issue.
Out and About: A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Isham-Terry House
This December, CT Explored staff enjoyed Vince Guaraldi’s holiday classics “Linus and Lucy” and “Christmastime is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring the Andrew Wilcox Trio. The last event of the season for CT Landmarks concluded with tours of the Isham-Terry House, a mid-century wonderland. A perfect Sunday filled with festive decorations, lively music, and cheer!
Programs and Exhibitions to Enjoy This Season:
Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives
Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives brings visitors eye-to-eye with nature’s minuscule and marvelous super-insects. These tiny dynamos form societies, construct complex homes, stockpile and cultivate food, and go to war with other colonies. The exhibition zooms in on our ubiquitous insect neighbors, using scaled-up models and macrophotography to provide a close-up view of the miraculous variety of ant body shapes, behaviors and habitats. Visitors will also learn about the many ecosystem services that ants provide—from pollinating crops to aerating and improving soil to serving directly as a food staple in some societies. Guests will enter the exhibition through a scaled-up ant tunnel and encounter a five-foot-long model of a giant Amazonian ant when they emerge. Smaller models will showcase the tremendous diversity of these fascinating insects. Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives is organized by the Bruce Museum and curated by Daniel Ksepka, Curator of Science
Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr., Greenwich. BruceMuseum.org; 203-869-0376
Native Storytellers at the Institute for American Indian Studies
The Institute for American Indian Studies is privileged to have two Native American storytellers on our staff. Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation), our Educational Outreach Ambassador, is an award-winning storyteller who mesmerizes listeners of all ages with her stories about vibrant Indigenous lifeways. Irene Norman (Mohawk descendant), our Curriculum Specialist, is Darlene’s protégé in this respected tradition. Together, they allow students of any age to experience a vital aspect of Native American culture. They teach, guide, and entertain through oral tradition-based programs at the museum as well as offsite.
For schools unable to visit our museum, we are pleased to offer an expanded selection of outreach programs developed by our education department. Topics closely align with state-mandated curricula while expanding students’ understanding of Indigenous people. Check our website www.iaismuseum.org for information about educational programming for 2026.
Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road, Washington. Iaismuseum.org; 860-868-0518
Then, Now, Next: 200 Years and Counting
The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History is proud to announce a commemorative book 200 years in the making! This beautifully illustrated hardcover volume, entitled Then, Now Next: Connecticut Museum 200 Years and Counting, brings the Museum’s legacy to life, showcasing its most iconic treasures, from manuscripts, books, and photographs to furniture, textiles, toys, and beyond. Dive into the compelling stories behind these objects and discover the people, communities, and cultures that have shaped Connecticut’s rich and evolving identity. It’s the perfect gift for history buffs and Connecticut afficionados. Grab a copy during your next visit to the Museum or order your copy online! Visit connecticutmuseum.org/200years for more info. Orders are placed through New England.com.
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford. connecticutmuseum.org; 860-236-5621
Editor’s Picks:
Elizabeth J. Normen, “Historic Preservation: It’s not just about buildings” Connecticut Explored, Summer 2005.
W. Phillips Barlow, “The Olmsteds Design a Park for Bridgeport” Connecticut Explored, Spring 2022.