Connecticut Fund for the Environment

09/29/2022

A big change: Tomorrow, September 30, is Curt Johnson’s last day as president of Save the Sound. On October 1, Leah Lopez Schmalz, currently our vice president for programs, will become president.

As we shared back in June when this transition was first announced, Leah was the unanimous choice of our Board to lead Save the Sound into its next 50 years, and she spearheaded the development of the new strategic plan that is guiding project development and priority-setting across the region.

Curt has spent nearly three decades at Save the Sound, including five years as president. His ambitious vision, supportive style, and ability to connect deeply with people who care about our environment have left a mark on Save the Sound and on our whole region. Fortunately for us all he’s not going far; he’ll stay involved part-time to assist with outreach around our strategic plan campaign.

In coming days we’ll share more—Curt’s farewell message and Leah’s vision for the future—but for today, please join us in thanking Curt for his years of leadership and service, and congratulating him on his retirement!

06/29/2022

📣Calling all Fair Haven residents who care about their neighborhood!.
Do you live in Fair Haven and want to get paid to help restore your neighborhood? .
Help Save the Sound identify environmental hazards and assets in Fair Haven. .
Get paid to learn the basics of photography and document your experiences, concerns, and stories about environmental spaces that need restoration in your neighborhood. .
What ▶️$20/hr for your participation in 11 hybrid training sessions
When ▶️6 week-program from July through September | two 90-minute sessions a week on Mondays and Wednesdays 6-7:30pm.
Who ▶️ You! Fair Haven residents ages 16 and up
Start date ▶️ July 18.
Contact Xóchitl at (203)-680-0455 or Melissa at [email protected] for questions..
Register your interest here: https://forms.gle/iNC4TGXn9o1ptFUN6.
Fair Haven Community Health Care Mary Wade Junta for Progressive Action Southwest Conservation District River Advocates of South Central CT South Central Regional Council of Government .

06/27/2022

MAJOR UPDATE: We're excited to share that on October 1, our Vice President of Programs Leah Lopez Schmalz will be succeeding Curt Johnson as President of Save the Sound as Curt moves toward retirement.

Here's what Curt and Leah have to say about this upcoming transition:

“I’m so proud of all we’ve accomplished together during my nearly three-decade career at Save the Sound,” Curt says. “Big accomplishments—like leading a collaboration to test waters from Flushing Bay to Mystic Harbor, protecting 15,000 acres of water company lands in Fairfield County, passing the Global Warming Solutions Act, stopping Broadwater, and restoring Sunken Meadow on Long Island. Leah has been the driving force behind many of these efforts to clean our waters, restore our rivers and coast, protect endangered lands, and fight climate change—you deserve her energetic and visionary leadership. It has been an honor to serve as Save the Sound’s president for the last five years, and I am honored as well to be passing the baton to Leah. There are so many exciting things ahead.”

Leah says, “Over my 20 years at Save the Sound, I’ve seen our organization bloom into a catalyst for lasting change across the region. As we look to this next chapter, we’ll build on our well-established approach of uniting science-driven advocacy, legal expertise, on-the-ground construction, and community engagement to realize significant outcomes for clean waters, resilient neighborhoods, and climate action. Together we can transform systems, protect the vulnerable from oncoming storms, and restore starving habitats to life. Together we can grow towards a bold vision while rooting ourselves in action. I know this future is possible because together, we have a track record of achieving great things.”

Read more in our press release: https://ecs.page.link/izBQH

This October, Curt Johnson will retire as president of Save the Sound and Leah Lopez Schmalz will assume leadership of the 50-year-old regional environmental nonprofit.

06/22/2022

The first plants at Haven and Exchange St Park are in!.
Last Wednesday, students from the John S. Martinez and Cold Spring Elementary schools planted native plants in the bioretention area of our new park. The sunny day was matched with bright faces of students from 4th - 6th grade, eager to get their hands dirty..
As plants begin to populate the park, stormwater will have a place to naturally filter before it reaches the Mill River watershed. This is important to remove pollutants and keep our waterways clean..
We are collecting more plants to offer community planting events this summer. Stay tuned to know how and when you can get involved in the transformation of this space..

06/16/2022

We are assessing road-stream crossings as a part of a new field work collaboration with the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA), and Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). .
The bridges and culverts that cross our streams can become obstacles to the movement of fish and may be at risk of damage or failure during flood events..
Assessing the bridges and culverts in the Naugatuck Watershed towns of Thomaston, Bethany, and Prospect will help us create a road-stream crossing inventory, management plan, and conceptual restoration designs for priority crossings..
Follow our work to see updates from the field in the Naugatuck Valley..

06/14/2022

Thank you for coming to our park opening this past weekend!.
Last Saturday, we hosted our public launch of Fair Haven's new green park at the intersection of Haven and Exchange Streets as part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas..
We had over 50 guests join us along our guided Mill River Trail walk, learn about our new bioretention park, and interact with Site Projects' commissioned artist, Frenemy, in his live mural painting demo..
The park, still in progress, will be home to over 20 species of native plants and our first planting event this week will bring students from the John S. Martinez and Cold Spring Schools out for a full day of immersive learning, gardening, and outdoor engagement..
Stay tuned to see how we will use this space throughout the summer!.
Have an idea for this park? Share it here!.

06/08/2022

This is the last week to register for our event!.
When: Saturday, June 11 at 3:00 pm
Where: Mill River Trail at English Dr & Orange St in East Rock
What: A guided tour along Mill River + Public launch of Fair Haven's new green park.
Join us for a guided 1.5-mile tour through the Mill River Trail led by Steve Hamm, local filmmaker and creator of "A River Speaks." Walk through portions of the trail that are complete and some still in progress and learn about the importance of the watershed..
End the tour at the intersection of Haven and Exchange St in Fair Haven at our new green infrastructure park. Learn about how our park benefits wildlife and people by providing native plants and a natural filtration for stormwater..
Then, interact with the large-scale mural and get creative with Kris Kotcher, aka Frenemy, as he walks you through his process of creating mural art..
Have questions about the event? Let us know here and make sure to register for Connecting Community to the River's Natural Resources https://www.artidea.org/event/2022/4889.
We look forward to seeing you there!.
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06/03/2022

Happy Fish Run Friday!.
Friday's are when we share the latest updates from the field and talk all things fish..
Today's post highlights our fish biologist, Jon Vander Werff, in an interview and story covered by Patrick Skahill at The Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR ..
This story aligns with ours published a few weeks ago, telling the tale of the fish that got away, or rather the fish that never showed up..
The traps this year have not seen many alewife and this is puzzling..
It’s a bit of a mystery. Because last year, Vander Werff said he counted around 200 alewives here, which raises some interesting questions: “Where’d they go? What's going on? What happened to them?”.
Stay tuned each Friday as we unravel this mystery..
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https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2022-06-01/wading-through-revitalized-rivers-in-search-of-key-link-in-food-chain.

06/01/2022

It's always important to look out for local wildlife as new ecological restoration projects develop..
Here, at our living shorelines project site in Queens, NY, Tod Winston from NYC Audubon () is looking for birds to establish a pre-project avian diversity baseline..
Because the plan for this area includes planting native vegetation and removing hard substrates, the shoreline will not only serve as natural protection against wave action and erosion, it will also be home for wildlife..
We are hoping for wetland animals, including birds, to repopulate the area and contribute to the health and balance of this important ecosystem..
What birds are you excited to see come back to this area?.
Stay tuned throughout the summer and the rest of the year to follow the living shorelines installation here at Big Rock..

05/29/2022

Oysters are great, and not just for eating!.
Did you know that oysters are filter feeders? That means they filter organic particulate matter from their surrounding water. Oyster reefs are literally cleaning the ocean as they eat..
Oysters are also beneficial in stabilizing shorelines. Growing as reefs, these organisms create a cement-like glue that help them stick together and to underlying substrate. The reefs they create end up protecting shorelines from tidal surges, wave action and tropical storms!.
In Queens, NY, Save the Sound is implementing a Living Shoreline at Douglas Manor. Replacing the hard-edged surfaces with softer sand, rocks and plants will help to absorb wave action here and reduce the consequences of sea level rise. Oyster castles will also be placed along the shoreline to encourage bivalves to grow here and naturally stabilize the coast..
Researchers from Hofstra University () are collecting and analyzing the grain size of the sediment here to better engineer these castles and prevent them from sinking into the sand..
Do you know of other ways oysters benefit our coasts? Tell us in the comments!.

05/25/2022

We are hiring!.
Apply to join our team as a cleanup intern for the annual Connecticut Cleanup..
As the cleanup intern, you will work part time (10-15 hrs/week) at $18/hr. The position starts June 15 and runs through October 31 2022..
Our cleanups span the state of Connecticut across beaches, parks, and rivers. If you love the outdoors and want to spend your time making a difference this summer, this is the job for you!.
More details and application instructions on our website at savethesound.org/about-us/jobs-rfps/

05/23/2022

Join us in the public launch of our new green space in Fair Haven as part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas on June 11th..
The dead-end road way at the intersection of Haven and Exchange Street in Fair Haven has been transformed into a community park that benefits both wildlife and human life..
We are launching our newest ecological restoration project this summer and inviting members of the community to engage with nature, science and art..
Start with a guided Mill River Trail tour with local filmmaker, Steve Hamm, and end at the new park where you will learn about how plants absorb pollutants from stormwater and provide new habitats for native wildlife..
Register here: Connecting Community to the River's Natural Resources https://www.artidea.org/event/2022/4889.
Contact us at [email protected] with any questions..