June 2024
Local students forge new paths, through trail building and hands-on training in a conservation career.
Students from Franklin Academy recently joined The Nature Conservancy at Burnham Brook Preserve in East Haddam to help clear a trail. TNC's Connecticut River Preserves Manager David Gumbart showed them how to begin preparing for a new path and about the safe use of hand tools and proper pruning techniques. The group also enjoyed a preserve walk and discussion about how the worlds of conservation and equity, inclusion and access intersect and benefit each other.
Our staff enjoys welcoming the students to help with various projects. Last year, they attended an educational program and guided hike before building bluebird houses as part of a Capstone Project. This partnership is made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.
May 2024
They came. They saw. Actually, they chain-sawed.
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.”
April 2024
Pitching In For Plovers
Volunteers and staff from The Nature Conservancy joined with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Audubon Connecticut to set up string fencing along the coast at Griswold Point in Old Lyme to protect piping plover nests. The shorebirds lay their eggs in the sand—and they’re nearly impossible to notice when walking at a beach.
TNC has completed this work for decades—in partnership with the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds—particularly at Griswold Point. Volunteers like James Buchanan, Wesley Frank and Steve Olshewski join in every year and are dedicated advocates for shorebirds.
The New London Day also featured the work on the front page of the newspaper..
June 2024
An Extreme Start To Summer—Especially in Cities
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.
April 2024
Bridgeport students receive a special delivery.
Students at Beardsley School in Bridgeport recently took home a different kind of backpack--ones that were filled with supplies for spending time in nature.
Thanks to a donation from Milford-based Athletic Brewing Company, The Nature Conservancy visited the school and delivered Osprey Packs that held Hydro Flasks, rain notebooks, crayons, bandanas with animal track patterns, a compass and more. Ben Croll, Preserve Visitor Safety and Engagement Specialist at TNC's Devil’s Den Preserve, showed students how to use the tools and led outdoor activities under a bright blue sky.
Both TNC and the students are grateful to Athletic Brewing for its generosity and helping kids to explore, connect with the outdoors, and be curious.
April 2024
Time is ticking on climate action.
The Nature Conservancy and supporters in Connecticut have been asking Governor Lamont for a special session to pass the climate omnibus bill. TNC has been urging representatives to complete the work this summer—let’s not go another year without any major climate legislation being passed!
Connecticut’s climate omnibus bill (HB 5004) didn’t come up for a Senate vote before the end of the regular legislative session, despite being passed in the House. Call Governor Lamont’s office today to voice your support for the special session at 860-566-4840, ext. 1. You can also email his office at governor.lamont@ct.gov.
The state’s greenhouse gas emissions are trending upwards, and the growing costs of rising temperatures and extreme weather events are impacting our communities. Nature, Connecticut residents and our economy cannot wait another year for progress. The clock is ticking!
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