Save Conny

05/30/2024

Cetacean Society international would like to thank Dimatteo Construction, Walker Crane, the town of West Hartford and everyone else involved in making sure the transport and installation of Conny's tail went smoothly. And a very special thank you to Dan Barstow for all of your hard work and dedication to this project!

The next steps will be to fill in around the Sculpture and the West Hartford Garden club will come in and landscape the area. There will be a dedication ceremony in the fall.

05/25/2024

There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes over the past year and It's finally happening!! Weather permitting, Conny’s Tail is expected to be installed on Wednesday, May 29 in the Trout Brook Greenway in West Hartford. The site is already under construction! After the installation is complete, members of the West Hartford Garden club will create a beautiful landscape around the sculpture.

Cetacean Society International is grateful for all who contributed in this effort to continue Conny's legacy as symbol of the importance of protecting whales and our oceans.

A special dedication ceremony will take place in the fall.

If you would like to contribute to this effort, we still have our gofundme available:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-conny-the-whale

CSI is 501(c)(3) all-volunteer, non-profit conservation, education and research organization working on behalf of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and their marine environment.

06/24/2023

Recent article about CONNY's next phase written by Ronni Newton.

The State of Connecticut’s Department of Economic Development will provide $38,000 for the installation of Conny’s tail along the Trout Brook Greenway in West Hartford. By Ronni Newton Whales propel themselves forward by flexing their tails up and down, and members of Cetacean Society Internatio...

06/23/2023

CSI Secures State of Connecticut Funding for the Preservation of Conny’s Tail

The State of Connecticut’s Department of Economic Development, with the help of Matt Ritter, Speaker of the House, has appropriated $38,000 for this next phase of the effort to secure the necessary permits and funds to install Conny’s tail on
the Trout Brook Greenway.

"I want to thank the Cetacean Society International for being the driving force behind this project
to keep CONNY's legacy alive and inspire generations to come," Speaker Ritter said. "I was proud to work with the West Hartford legislative delegation and DECD to ensure this funding made it to the finish line." These funds along with $12,000 raised from the GoFundMe started last year will cover most of the next phase of the project.

For over 40 years, CONNY has been a popular and inspiring monument that represents the beauty, history, and importance of protecting whales and our oceans. With the demolition of the current site coming to make room for new construction, Cetacean Society International, the Town of West Hartford, and the community have been working to find a new home for this beloved sculpture. Despite best efforts and intentions, moving a 100,000 pound sculpture proved to be an insurmountable challenge.

An alternate plan was developed to keep CONNY’s legacy alive by removing and preserving a portion of CONNY, the large 25-foot tail weighing, 5,000 pounds - which now sits safely in storage in West Hartford.

The next phase of CONNY’s journey includes securing the necessary permits to install CONNY’s tail as a sculpture and educational installation in the Greenway on Trout Brook Drive,
which are in process. CSI has been working to fundraise to cover the costs of removing, storing and then placing CONNY’s tail at the new location.

CONNY is a reminder that although we may not always be able to win the battle for whale conservation, we can still make progress. This next stage of CONNY will remain a symbol of conservation, a beloved part West Hartford's history, and a symbol of the community's commitment to protecting wildlife and the environment.

CSI is 501(c)(3) all-volunteer, non-profit conservation, education, and research organization with headquarters in West Hartford. For over 4 decades, CSI has been working on behalf of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and their marine environment. In 1976, the effort to construct CONNY was led by the Connecticut Cetacean Society (now named Cetacean Society International, CSI) along with 200 volunteers to help raise awareness about the plight of whales and the devastating impact of global commercial whaling - particularly to s***m whales, which had been hunted to the point of near extinction.

For more information or to donate to the Cetacean Society International:

https://www.csiwhalesalive.org/
Email: [email protected]

In this artistic rendering, CONNY appears to dive into the ocean, to freely swim and explore.

04/07/2023

Conny Update:
Thank you to all of you who donated to the Save Conny fund!

We are far from our goal. The original plan was to move the entire whale – a 20-ton ferro-cement life-size model of a s***m whale. After much work and consideration, we have determined that we will be unable to continue with the original plan.

So, we got creative! We will save the spirit of Conny! By removing the tail and installing it in a park, Conny will live on to freely swim and explore the oceans. Pending approval of permits, we will install the tail in Greenway Park in West Hartford, across the street from its current location. Continental Properties,
the new owners of the former Children’s Museum property, will cover all costs to remove and transport Conny’s tail to the West Hartford Public Works storage where it will remain until the permits are approved.

We also have a full 3D digital scan of Conny, and will use this to create an educational app that will “reveal” the rest of Conny under the surface. You can be assured that your donations will continue to go toward preserving Conny, including the application, installation and ongoing maintenance for his
new home.

We all hoped to move the full whale but this is a great plan B to
keep the spirit of Conny alive. If this new plan, which is a more feasible approach, is not aligned with your wishes, you can ask for your donation to be returned.

We will continue our fundraising effort, because we will need additional funds for the new plan. We will update our GOFUNDME page with this new plan. Again, We are so very grateful to all of you!!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-conny-the-whale

01/18/2023

help get this done. step up and help save the great whale Conny.

Please take a few minutes to read this story. Many know the story, everyone should. There is a rea… David Kaplan needs your support for SAVE CONNY THE WHALE!

12/22/2022

Hundreds have responded in support of Conny. Where is the State. It is the State animal. Where is the Town, they have used it as a local attraction. Where is the developer who stands to make millions.

12/22/2022

Please join our effort to Save Conny!

12/07/2022

So many people have been in touch. And so much indirect support. We need friends of Conny to donate, to tell friends to donate...and volunteer to help. Come help us save the great whale.

12/07/2022

Please join our effort to Save Conny!