Connecticut River Conservancy

05/28/2026

Spring Angst after Replanting 😬🌲

For the restoration program at CRC, spring comes with the anticipation of new tree plantings but also reflection (and perhaps even a little angst) on the success of earlier plantings.

Last fall, with the support of Watersheds United Vermont and the State of Vermont Clean Water Initiative Program, we replanted two sites that had been planted previously but that had not done well. One site, first planted in 2022, was located on privately-owned farmland in Norwich, Vermont (photo #1). The second site was located on land owned by the Town of Newbury, Vermont and was first planted in 2010 (photo #2). To counter drought-induced mortality at the Norwich site, we planted a mix of species that included several more drought-tolerant species (e.g. oak, birch, and aspen), and, to prevent girdling by meadow voles at the Newbury site, we wrapped all of the new trees with biodegradable tree wrap.

This spring, we are excited to revisit these sites and to see how the recently-planted trees and shrubs are doing. Already we are seeing new growth and reproduction in the first flowering shrubs of spring, which are the shrub willows (photo #3). These early blooms provide important food resources for the earliest pollinators, including many of our native bees.

White birch planted in October 2015 at the Wells River Conservative Area in Newbury are also looking good (photo #4). White birch are a native species that is somewhat more drought tolerant than some of the other species that we plant (e.g. silver maple and black willow).

We hope you too are enjoying the arrival of spring at these and other sites where native trees and shrubs abound!

Learn more about different types of river restoration projects at ctriver.org/restoration

05/27/2026

We are pleased to share that CRC's Annual Meeting and River Cruise celebration in June will also feature guest speaker, Leila Philip!

Leila is an award-winning author whose most recent book, Beaverland, is a Times Editor’s Choice, New York Times Best Seller and NPR Science Friday Book Club selection which The Wall Street Journal called “as full of charm and wonder as its beguiling protagonist.” She is at work on a new book about rivers which explores all the waters we usually never see in the river system, and the presentation at Goodwin University will unite these themes.

The full day of activities includes the following, and you are welcome to customize your ticket:

💧 A morning or afternoon boat cruise on the Connecticut River

💧 Catered brunch with Annual Meeting & awards

💧 Special guest presentation by Beaverland author, Leila Philip, titled Hidden Hydrology: How Rivers, Beavers, and Wetlands form Watersheds.

You can get your ticket for all three above, or select your preference for certain portions only. CRC's staff and Board of Trustees look forward to connecting with you on this fantastic day—no matter the weather! Details and RSVP: https://ctriver.org/annual-meeting

05/26/2026

Join Connecticut River Conservancy and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for an online webinar on the aquatic invasive plants threatening our lakes and rivers, and how you can help stop their spread.

Hear from invasive species experts Kelly Beerman and Georgia Brunnell about:
• The region’s top aquatic invasive plants
• Why early detection matters
• New community reporting opportunities
• Practical ways to protect local waters

Whether you’re a boater, angler, resident, or conservation supporter, this webinar will provide practical tools and clear ways to get involved.

Register at ctriver.org/event-details/ais-webinar-nh

05/26/2026

CRC is thrilled to have recently welcomed Dr. Stefanie Farrington as the Aquatic Ecology Program Associate to support our Aquatic Ecologist and Program Manager, Dr. Kate Buckman, in implementing and growing our ecology programming 🐟

Among the priorities is data analysis for the past 5 years (2020-2025) of sea lamprey nest surveys conducted with community science volunteers on different tributaries in the Connecticut River watershed. See the update below with charts showing the data so far, and stay tuned for a new round of sea lamprey nest survey events becoming open for volunteer registration (nest surveys to be held June-August, no rsvp links yet but they are coming soon!).

Analysis and ecology update of sea lamprey nest survey data from 2020-2025 on the Green River and Ashuelot River led by the Connecticut River Conservancy.

05/22/2026

Join us for a Mill River Water Walk in Northampton, MA, next Sunday, 5/31 💧

John Sinton (author of a History of the Mill river) will lead a walk with Nina Gordon-Kirsch (MA River Steward) from Smith College to downtown Northampton. We will follow the path of the historic Mill River that ran through the center of Northampton—a path now hidden by developments and bridges. The walk will offer Native American and industrial history and give you a sense of how Northampton was built in 1660 and what role the river has played in city design.

Details and RSVP at the link below!

John Sinton (author of a History of the Mill river) will lead a walk with Nina Gordon-Kirsch (MA River Steward) from Smith College to downtown Northampton. We will follow the path of the historic Mill River that ran through the center of Northampton- a path now hidden by developments and bridges. Th...

05/20/2026

Advocating for the Connecticut River watershed sometimes entails a trip to Washington D.C. 🇺🇸

That’s exactly what members of the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership did last week—including the Connecticut River Conservancy's Executive Director, Rebecca Todd (right), and Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Director, Markelle Smith (left). Joined by representatives from American Rivers and Wild Landscapes International (organized by David Houghton), our delegation met with members of Congress and their staff to:

✅ Highlight the importance of the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act*
✅Support increased appropriations for the Connecticut River Migratory Fish Restoration Cooperative
✅ Describe the watershed project consequences of federal funding that has been cut or delayed
✅ Deliver the Partnership’s FY 27/28 Look Book of projects that included $34.5M of river connectivity and restoration project opportunities in the watershed
✅ Elevate the issue of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge having been omitted from the latest federal funding list

*This Act—introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in the Senate and soon to be introduced by Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) in the House—seeks to establish a permanent grant program to support local habitat, flood resilience, and recreation projects.

We are grateful for a fantastic coalition of partners who help ensure the Connecticut River watershed continues to stay top of mind for decision-makers at the highest level!

05/20/2026

World Fish Migration Day will be celebrated in Hinsdale, NH, this Saturday! 🐟 Join us to recognize the extraordinary journeys of migratory fish and the vibrant ecosystems that support them.

This family-friendly event on the banks of the Ashuelot River will include film screenings, educational demonstrations, river and fish art-making, food vendors, and more. The weather looks promising at the moment - not too hot or rainy, just right.

Add Hinsdale to your weekend migration plans this weekend! 😉

Join us on the banks of the Ashuelot River in Hinsdale, NH as we celebrate the extraordinary journeys of migratory fish and the vibrant ecosystems that support them!

05/19/2026

Last day of spring tree-planting🌲
More to come in the fall!

47 planted today in Lyme, CT, to help reduce erosion in and around a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service property. We planted live stakes last fall and today added potted trees and shrubs. The bottom of the slope is tidal so the species are all salt tolerant, including Groundsel tree (sometimes referred to as a saltbush!), Bayberry, High-tide bush, Silky dogwood, Red-osier dogwood, Spicebush, and Elderberry. These species also support local birds and insects 🦋

05/19/2026

Wetlands are among the most important and extraordinary places in the Connecticut River watershed 💧

They hold back floodwaters after storms, filter out pollution from sources of drinking water, store carbon, support wildlife and native plants, and regulate how water moves throughout the landscape.

Our ecosystems depend on healthy wetlands, and their protection depends on a complex mix of legal definitions and federal, state, and local actions. A new article written by the Connecticut River Conservancy's Board of Trustees member and wetlands scientist at Antioch University, Michael Simpson, explores this in great detail. An excellent read for your next lunch & learn!

An in-depth analysis of different types of wetlands in the Connecticut River watershed, and how federal, state, and local protections intersect in the primary watershed states of NH, VT, MA, and CT.