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Audubon Vermont
Autumn at the Green Mountain Audubon Center
Autumn is a beautiful time to take a leisurely stroll or a more ambitious hike in Vermont. The Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont, located between Montpelier and Burlington, is a great place to hike, picnic, explore, and connect with nature. The Center is open to the public at no charge and has hiking trails through more than 250 acres of habitats managed for birds and other wildlife, including wetlands, meadows, and forests. There are trails for every hiking ability. You can also learn about guided programs and events hosted at the Audubon Center on the Audubon Vermont’s online events page (vt.audubon.org/events). Come visit this fall—all are welcome at Audubon!
Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC)
Award-Winning Work
CLCC celebrates the 2023 Excellence in Conservation Award Winners! Despite the challenges and uncertainties of the past three years, land trusts persevered and continued their work during an unprecedented increase in trail and preserve usage.
These awards recognize those who have made significant contributions to land conservation in Connecticut, providing inspiration and guidance to other land trusts and conservation organizations across the state. This year’s recipients have worked hard to uphold their land conservation mission and responsibilities.
The 2023 winners are: Avalonia Land Conservancy (Excellence in Community Engagement Award), Connecticut River Gateway Commission (Special Award for Excellence in Conservation), Madeline McClave (Katchen Coley Award for Excellence in Conservation), and Granby Land Trust (Excellence in Conservation Organization Award for Outstanding Project).
Visit ctconservation.org/awards/awards-2023/ to learn more about this year’s winners and stay updated on upcoming programs and events.
Save the Sound
Raise a Glass for the Sound
Attention, nature enthusiasts! You’re invited to the Save the Sound Fall Social, Tuesday, October 10, 2023, starting at 6 p.m., to celebrate your love for Long Island Sound and the great outdoors at Stony Creek Brewery in Branford, Connecticut.
This event is made even more special by Save the Sound’s recent collaboration with Stony Creek Brewery. Back in 2021, Ed Crowley, Sr., the brewery’s founder, offered support through his brewing expertise. The result? The refreshing Save the Sound Light Lager, a Helles lager crafted with floor-malted German malts and balanced with a touch of earthy Tettnanger hops.
Enjoy a complimentary beer and mingle with your local team of eco-superheroes, including Leah Lopez Schmalz, president of Save the Sound, and Denise Stranko, executive vice president of programs. So, let’s raise a glass, unite for the Sound, and have a memorable evening at Stony Creek Brewery. Register at SavetheSound.org/FallSocial.
Rockfall Foundation
2023 Awards & Grants to Celebrate
Rockfall Foundation awarded grants to fifteen organizations this year for projects that will preserve and enhance the environment in the Lower Connecticut River Valley and increase public appreciation for the region’s natural resources. Grants supported native plantings and invasive plant management, urban gardening, trail maintenance, recycling, camp scholarships, and school field trips. Chester Fair Zero Waste Project’s grant, for example, will help eliminate single-use plastic water bottles at the fair by purchasing a Water Monster mass hydration system to serve up to 5,000 fairgoers daily with clean drinking water.
You’re invited to celebrate Rockfall’s 2023 Environmental Champions and 2023 Environmental Grant recipients on Wednesday, October 4, 6–9 p.m., at Rockfall’s deKoven House Community Center in Middletown. The Environmental Champion Awards recognize individuals, groups, and organizations for their contributions to the Lower Connecticut River Valley in the areas of natural resource preservation, conservation, restoration, or education. Grant recipients will have tabletop exhibits demonstrating the positive impact of their grants on the local environment. For more information, please visit rockfallfoundation.org.
Connecticut River Museum
Fall on the River
Autumn is a wonderful time to be on the Connecticut River. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy the aerial ballet performed by thousands of Tree Swallows that gather along the river each fall. The museum’s boat cruises run through September 24. Plus, be sure to check out the special exhibition, Waterways of the Connecticut River Valley, on view through October 8 which features the work of plein air artist, Jerry Weiss.
This holiday season, the museum is excited to host the 30th annual Train Show between Thanksgiving 2023 and February 2024. Steve Cryan will once again surprise and delight with his 30-foot model train setup. Be sure to find a spot for this family tradition on your calendar. Finally, visit the museum’s website for more information about the fall lecture series which will return in September to explore the stories of the Connecticut River Valley. Visit ctrivermuseum.org for more information.
The Lyme Land Trust
Experience Lyme’s Dark Skies
The Lyme Land Trust hosts monthly astronomy observing sessions near the time of the new moon (upcoming: September 8, October 6, and November 10). The trust’s observatory site now has a modern 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope housed in a permanent structure. The location, time, and other details will be provided when you register.
The trust’s Tuesday Treks meet every Tuesday morning at a different preserve each week led by a trust staff or board member. Find out this fall’s schedule at lymelandtrust.org. Events continue to be added to the calendar. Visit the trust’s website to learn more at lymelandtrust.org/upcoming-events/.
Connecticut River Salmon Association (CRSA)
Calling All Connecticut Science Teachers!
This is a good time for Connecticut science teachers to consider becoming part of Connecticut River Salmon Association’s Salmon-in-Schools program for the 2023–2024 school year. Salmon-in-Schools operates in both Connecticut public and private schools, providing a valuable scientific and environmental learning project enjoyed by children from elementary through high school. Students participate in all phases of the program, from rearing salmon eggs in the classroom to calculating the Development Index to stocking rivers. CRSA provides guidance and teacher education, technical assistance and materials, and vital links to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
The program begins in early January by incubating Atlantic salmon eggs in a chilled aquarium. The eggs hatch mid-February into alevin (a small fish of about an inch and a half supported by a yolk sac, its sole food supply). The unfed fry are ready to stock by late spring in a tributary of the Connecticut River selected by DEEP and CRSA.
To find out how you can bring Salmon-in-Schools to your classroom, contact salmoninschools@ctriversalmon.org. For more information visit ctriversalmon.org.
Riverfront Recapture (RRI)
Run and Row for the River
Riverfront Recapture’s mission is to connect people with the Connecticut River, and they do just that year-round in their clean and safe parks through events, festivals, and fitness programs. RRI’s Community Rowing Program, one of the largest in New England, offers recreational and competitive opportunities for everyone from preteens to retirees.
RRI is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. It manages, maintains, and operates four riverfront parks and their connected riverwalks and trails in Hartford and East Hartford, Connecticut, covering over 350 acres along 3.5 miles of the Connecticut River.
In 2022 more than 780,000 people visited the parks to enjoy nature, take a class, or participate in one of Riverfront Recapture’s many signature events including, this fall, the first ever Hartford HealthCare Community 5K on September 23 and the Head of the Riverfront, a US Rowing Registered Regatta, on October 1. Find out more at riverfront.org.
Want to learn about how to become a River Partner?
Contact Elizabeth, Director of River Partnerships, at elizabeth@estuarymagazine.com.