It doesn't take much to live in an environmentally friendly manner. These 10 simple things, done every day, will go a long way toward making your corner of Earth more sustainable. 1 Turn out the lights you don’t need 2 Consider the amount of packaging when selecting groceries 3 Print on both sides of a piece of paper 4 Consider “no mow” native ground covers to replace your lawn 5 Use mass transportation, carpool, bike, or walk 6 Use cloth bags for shopping 7 Avoid bottled water 8 Buy ENERGY STAR® rated appliances 9 Turn down the heat and air conditioning 10 Eat organic food

Wastebusters - Idling Myths

Be Green Connecticut! Family Fair – Protecting our Coast

Sunday

October 2nd 12-3pm

Fairfield Museum and History Center

370 Beach Road

Fairfield CT

Link to Event Website

Enjoy the community opening of the exhibition “Rising Tides: Fairfield’s Coast, Past to Future” and find out what YOU can do to protect the environment for future generations. Learn about sustainable energy with hands-on activities presented by Energize ConnecticutSM’s eesmartsprogram throughout the day.

Take the ENERGY STAR® Pledge or bring an incandescent light bulb to exchange for a free, energy efficient LED light bulb. Energize Connecticut will present on the Home Energy Solutions program – make your home more comfortable, get rebates and lower your energy bill! Find out about the Fairfield Energy Challenge with Fairfield’s Clean Energy Task Force and learn about electric cars. Enjoy additional hands-on activities and informative displays by CT Audubon Center, Mill River Wetland Committee and Resilient Bridgeport.

Join the RMA Sept 21 to hear The Commissioner of CT Deep - CT & Challenges of Climate Change

11:00am

http://greenwichrma.org/wp-content/uploads/Robert-Klee-2016-0921-edited.pdf

The 2016-2017 Audubon Schoolyard Habitat Application is open!

The 2016-2017 Audubon Schoolyard Habitat Application is open!

8 grants available for the 2016-2017 Schoolyard Habitat Program

The Schoolyard Habitat Program works to create wildlife habitat and outdoor classrooms in urban areas. Since 2012, 16 New Haven and Fairfield County Schools have created Schoolyard Habitats!

If chosen, your school will receive support and funds to create a wildlife habitat and outdoor classroom in your schoolyard. This grant will also include funds for museum-quality interpretive signage for your habitat. As part of the program, we expect your school to create a leadership team made up of teachers, administrators, parents and other community members who will meet regularly to plan and implement your habitat. Also, we ask for 5 teachers to commit to attending workshops and implementing curriculum in their classrooms.

This program is open to any K-8 school in NEW HAVEN and FAIRFIELD COUNTIES. Funding is for the 2016-2017 academic school year. 

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

For schools IN New Haven and Hamden:

Your Schoolyard Habitat Project would be part of the Greater New Haven Harbor Watershed Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership and will also become part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Schoolyard Habitat Network. Projects will be led by representatives from the following partner organizations: Audubon CT, Common Ground High School, Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Yale Peabody Museum.

For schools OUTSIDE OF New Haven and Hamden:

Your schoolyard Habitat Project would become part of the national U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Schoolyard Habitat Network. Projects will be led by staff educators and naturalists at Audubon Connecticut and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Apply online here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHWcip5wsIkD7HkVAgADtUtq77QwJR4UJ9myCcMI4wGkoq1A/viewform?usp=send_form)

Please email Jillian Bell (jbell@audubon.org) or Suzannah Holsenbeck (suzannah.holsenbeck@nhep.com) with any questions.

Free Organic Lawn Care Workshops hosted by Greenwich Conservation Commission

Explore Better Ways to Free Your Yard from Dangerous Chemicals and Heal Your Soil.

Several workshops will be hosted by Conservation Commission at the Town Hall Meeting Room

Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.

To register call (203) 622-6461 or email: amoch@greenwichct.org

Healthy soil is critical for clean air and good water quality as well as the health of our lawns and gardens. Workshop attendees will learn about how to use free organic materials such a leaves, grass clippings and kitchen scraps to restore soil health and benefit plants. Returning organic matter to the soil through mulching-mowing, composting and vermicomposting is the key to maintaining a well-balanced and healthy yard. This practice eliminates or limits the need for harmful synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Learn how to properly manage your land and what to ask of landscape professionals to ensure proper maintenance.

Whether you care for your yard or provide landscape services for others you will receive a hands-on learning opportunity.

Property owners:                              Landscape professionals*:

Sept. 12 (Monday) at 7:00 pm                  Sept. 15 (Thursday) at 8:00 am

Sept. 14 (Wednesday) at 1:00 pm             Sept. 20 (Tuesday) at 8:00 am

Sept. 22 (Thursday) at 7:00 pm                  Sept. 27 (Tuesday) at 8:00 am**

Sept. 27 (Tuesday) at 7:00 pm                   Sept 29 (Thursday) at 8:00 am

Sept. 28 (Wednesday) at 1 pm            

*Landscape professionals who attend a workshop will be listed on the Town website, receive NOFA’s credit for Organic Land Care, and credits towards CT DEEP Pesticide Applicator Certification.

** Workshop will be given in Spanish

Creating Urban Oases for People, Wildlife and Watershed Health - Audubon Workshop - New Haven Sept 7th

Audubon Connecticut will offer a four hour workshop on September 7, 2016 from 9am-1pm on “Creating Urban Oases for People, Wildlife and Watershed Health” as part of a series of “Urban Refuge Academies” organized by the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. This workshop is designed for municipal employees, land trusts and other land managers, as well as interested homeowners or teachers who want to learn more about creating bird-friendly habitat. It will be facilitated by Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut’s Director of Bird Conservation, Dr. Michellle Frankel, Director of Audubon Greenwich, and Dr. Michael Dietz, Director of the University of Connecticut’s NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) program. The workshop will focus on the importance of native plant landscaping for native birds, butterflies and other wildlife; will provide technical guidance, tools and resources for managing land to benefit both wildlife and people; and will discuss how the creation of native plant rain gardens can benefit wildlife, provide stormwater filtration and improve watershed health. The workshop will include a visit to an Urban Oases site to demonstrate how these practices look on the ground, and how the project has been implemented through partnership between federal and municipal agencies, NGOs and local community volunteers.

When: September 7, 2016,  9am - 1pm

Where: Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven. Room 212 New Science Building 

Instructors:  Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut’s Director of Bird Conservation, Michelle Frankel, Director of Audubon Greenwich, Michael Dietz, University of Connecticut’s Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program Director.

Please RSVP by 9/3/16 to Richard_Potvin@fws.gov