Conservation News

It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year, full of celebration and traditions—like the lobster trap trees made of buoys in two local towns. This year, The Nature Conservancy contributed buoys that will be hanging on the Stonington Lobster Trap Tree and the Milford Holiday Buoy Tree. The bouys were painted by Tebben Gill Lopez, TNC's marketing and communications manager in Connecticut. 

The “trees” in Stonington and Milford are built with stacked lobster traps, and buoys hang from every inch. We love that they represent our beautiful Connecticut coastline, our local marine life and ecosystem, and the ways they all contribute to our state. They also represent an opportunity to highlight the importance of removing lobster traps from the water once they’re no longer being used, to protect Long Island Sound and marine life.

Did you know the world’s largest offshore wind farm can power over a million homes? Offshore wind energy is transforming the global energy landscape, and Connecticut has a big opportunity to join in—if we act now.

This affordable, long-term energy source offers a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. It’s essential for tackling climate change in the Northeast, potentially reducing annual CO2 emissions by 42%. This translates to $362 million in annual public health benefits from avoided pollution.

Have questions about costs and impacts? Here are three key facts about offshore wind energy:

1. Cost-Effective Energy: Offshore wind can hold the line on energy bills  despite initial construction costs. Advances in technology, economies of scale, and wind as a free energy source make it competitive with traditional sources.  Despite potentially higher “list prices” (quoted cost per kilowatt hour) the way offshore wind affects energy markets means offshore wind can actually help hold the line on electric bill costs.  More energy options can also mean lower costs overall.  See a study on this topic by research firm Synapse.
2. Stable Prices: Offshore wind is a secure, local energy source, especially during winter. New England currently relies on a volatile global market for oil and gas. To prevent winter energy shortfalls, New England subsidizes oil and gas, costing rate-payers hundreds of millions annually.
3. Infrastructure Upgrade: Electricity demand will double by 2050. Offshore wind can play a major role in meeting this demand, mitigating the need for new, costly, and polluting fossil fuel infrastructure upgrades and/or power plants.

The cost of inaction is high. Building offshore wind now will save New England money by 2030. Offshore wind is an investment in our future—for nature, and for people today and generations to come.

At Lucius Pond Ordway – Devil’s Den Preserve, a digital kiosk waits in the parking area for interested hikers who want to learn more about the trails or conservation policies. From digital maps to videos sharing hiking best practices, this tool is a valuable asset for you as a visitor, and for The Nature Conservancy’s Connecticut stewardship team.

A culmination of many team members’ efforts, this kiosk increases TNC’s presence at the preserve. You may see land stewards, but if they are busy, the kiosk is there to fill you in. It heads off safety and conservation concerns, while also offering more in-depth information to help enhance visitors’ experiences.

With one click on the home screen, you are able to change the kiosk language between English and Spanish. Not only does this give you access to trail directions in a different language, but all the informational videos are also subtitled in Spanish to ensure preserve visitors can access all the information available.

Inspired by a kiosk installed by at TNC’s South Cape May Meadows preserve in New Jersey, our Director of Saugatuck Preserves, Cynthia Fowx, brought the idea to life in Connecticut. Our Preserve Visitor Safety and Engagement Specialist, Ben Croll, helped with design and informational videos.

We hope you will check out the kiosk the next time you visit Devil’s Den Preserve. Download a map to your phone, and see how this tool can make your time with nature even more enjoyable!

The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut held a chainsaw workshop this spring, where TNC land stewards sharpened their skills and practiced safe cutting. The team is always prepared for times when storms cause damage, or fallen trees and limbs need to be cleared from trails. From safety checks of chainsaws, to different types of cuts, to laws, regulations and safety gear, TNC staff covered it all with Bill of Game of Logging at our Sunny Valley Preserve.

Sunny Valley Preserve Director Wayne Woodard explained why these workshops are essential, noting “The thing about clearing trails is we have all different types of storm damage. It’s not always simple, like if you just have a simple tree fall across a trail, so we’re learning how to safely come in. As a steward for The Nature Conservancy, we do have trails we maintain, but we also have entrances to maintain, and when we have to go into a piece of property, you just never know when a tree is going to be down, and so it’s all about safety.”

June’s heat wave gave everyone across Connecticut a sudden and extreme start to summer. But cities faced an extra challenge: the “heat island effect.”

Drew Goldsman, The Nature Conservancy's urban conservation director in Connecticut, discussed the issue and its impact with News 8, Channel 3, NBC CT and Fox 61.

Urban heat islands occur when a large percentage of an area’s surface includes pavement and buildings rather than green space and trees. It can feel warmer in cities because these surfaces retain heat—and amplify and re-radiate that heat at the end of the day, Goldsman says. And because there can be fewer trees and greenery in cities, you don’t have the cooling effect that trees can provide through evapotranspiration.

The heat island effect increases energy costs, air pollution levels and heat-related illness and mortality.

It's one of the reasons why initiatives like the Connecticut Urban Forest Network for Equity and Resilience—which TNC will launch here in Connecticut—are so important for the overall wellbeing of our communities.

Back in the 1920’s, Roger Tory Peterson and other prominent ornithologists living in the New York City area would take the train out to Stratford to visit what they considered one of the best birding sites in the Northeast. Later in the 1960s, when a developer proposed turning the area into a major deepwater port, the Connecticut legislature responded with the passage of the laws to protect these tidal wetlands. In the 1990’s, a bi-partisan group of legislators—including Rosa DeLauro, Chris Shays and Joe Lieberman—urged by thousands of conservationists around the state, secured over $12 million to add the Great Meadows Marsh to the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.

More recently, in 2020, Audubon Connecticut, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Connecticut Department of Energy  and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service broke ground on a restoration project at the marsh, now a Globally Important Bird Area. The Nature Conservancy was one of many supporters that raised $3.07 million in additional funding for the project to restore 33 acres of Stratford salt marsh. 

Great Meadows Marsh contains the largest block of un-ditched salt marsh remaining in Connecticut. The rare Snowy Owl can be seen in this special place and it is also an important habitat for horseshoe crabs and blue crabs, the endangered Marsh Pink flower, Saltmarsh Sparrow and other migratory animals like Striped Bass. However, this unique habitat faces numerous threats today. Along with losing 700 acres of the marsh, dredging, non-native plants and rising sea levels have degraded the marsh. In response, TNC's Volunteer Coordinator in Connecticut, Martha Rice, works with Connecticut Audubon to coordinate volunteers who plant native grasses and shrubs during at the restoration site.