Category Archives: Outdoors

Old Saybrook Voters Give Overwhelming Approval for $3 Million in Bonding for Preserve Land Purchase

Posted on by
Reply
Polling taking place at the Old Saybrook High School. (Photo by Jerome Wilson)

Polling taking place at the Old Saybrook High School. (Photo by Jerome Wilson)

Voters Tuesday gave overwhelming approval for $3 million in bonding for the town’s share of a planned $8 million purchase of the Preserve property, described as the “1,000 acre forest.” The bonding for the 930 acres located in Old Saybrook was approved on a 2,002 – 242 vote in an eight-hour referendum.

About 20 percent of the town’s 7,361 registered voters turned out for the referendum, with 115 property owners who are not registered voters in Old Saybrook also casting ballots. The bonding approval is the key element in a combination of funding sources that is expected to lead to a closing on the property by the end of the year.

First Selectman Carl Fortuna said he was not surprised by the huge margin of support. “This has been a generational issue in this town and it’s finally being put to bed,” Fortuna said, adding that he was aware of no organized opposition to the bonding authorization while, “There was certainly organized support.”

The parcel, which includes 70 acres in Essex and four acres in Westbrook, is located off Bokum Road and Ingham Hill Road in Old Saybrook and Ingham Hill Road in Essex. The property had been the subject of development proposals dating back to 1999 that once called for over 200 homes and a golf course. It is currently owned by River Sound Development/Lehman Brothers, with the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers setting the stage for negotiations that led to a purchase plan earlier this year. The purchase negotiations were coordinated by the non-profit Trust For Public Land.

Along with the Old Saybrook contribution, the plan calls for about $3.3 million in state funding and about $1.9 million from the Trust For Public Land. Essex voters will be asked at a July 16 town meeting to approve a $200,000 town funding contribution, with the Essex Land Conservation Trust also contributing through private fund raising. The Essex town meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at town hall.

Fortuna said the acreage in Old Saybrook would be co-owned by the town and the state. The Essex Land Conservation Trust will own the section of the property in Essex. Fortuna said trails through the vast property should be improved and ready for public use by the summer of 2015.

Supporters of the referendum near the polling station (photo by Jerome Wilson)

Supporters of the referendum near the polling station. (Photo by Jerome Wilson)

Blumenthal Urges “Yes” Vote by Old Saybrook to Grant $3 Million Towards Purchase of ‘The Preserve’

Posted on by
Reply
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal at July 7 rally for a “yes vote” at July 8 referendum

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal at July 7 rally for a “Yes” vote at July 8 referendum

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal came to the Old Saybrook Green on Monday, July 7, to urge Old Saybrook voters to vote “Yes” in a referendum to grant $3 million of town monies to help purchase 930 undeveloped acres in the open land known as The Preserve. The referendum for Old Saybrook voters will be held on Tuesday, July 8, at the Old Saybrook High School gymnasium, and the polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m.

Other public officials urging a “Yes” vote on the July 8 town referendum were: Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna, State Representative Phil Miller; and Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman.

Old Saybrook First Selectman Fortuna said in his prepared remarks, “This property has been at the center of attention, good and bad, for 20 years. It is now time for resolution. We are optimistic that enough private and public funds can be raised to purchase the property and preserve The Preserve in its natural state. The Town will work cooperatively with all parties in this effort, including DEEP. Most importantly, I will work for and listen to Old Saybrook’s residents as they decide the future of this parcel.”

State Representative Miller said in his prepared remarks, “We’re grateful to the citizens of Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook, and our allies, the Trust for Public Land, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Governor Malloy, Senators Blumenthal and Murphy, Congressman Courtney, First Selectmen Fortuna and Needleman and the Connecticut legislature. A thousand acres forever preserved. What a rightful thing.”

Essex First Selectman Urges “Yes Vote”

Essex First Selectman Norman Needleman said in his prepared remarks, “Over in Essex, we’re excited about the proposition for acquiring this majestic property. Essex will hold a public hearing and town meeting to approve a $200,000 appropriation for the purchase on July 16 and look forward to joining our neighbors in Old Saybrook in support of this wonderful project.”

The Essex town meeting to consider approval of the town’s $200,000 appropriation to The Preserve’s acquisition will be held at 6:45 p.m. on July 16 at Essex Town Hall.

pic3

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal with State Senate candidate Emily Bjornberg at the July 7 rally for a “Yes” vote.

Other Supporters of Acquisition

Other remarks for the occasion were offered by Chris Cryder, Special Projects Coordinator of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, who said, “Coming off July Fourth weekend, this is an exciting time for Old Saybrook to exercise their patriotic rights and vote to protect this important piece of land here in town.”

Also, Alicia Sullivan, Connecticut State Director of the Trust for Public Land said, “We commend Governor Malloy and the General Assembly for the state’s early funding commitment to this significant landscape. Also, we are grateful to Senator Blumenthal and our congressional delegation for supporting federal conservation programs that the state will use for this acquisition.”

An audience of some 30 to 40 persons attended the pre-vote July 7 rally.

Help Your Rivers Celebrate Their Independence—From Trash

Posted on by
Reply

trash_on_CT_RiverThe Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) encourages you to do two things while you’re out celebrating this weekend: recycle and scout trash.

By recycling what you can and keeping an eye out for trash while you are outdoors, you can help keep trash out of our rivers. You can report litter sites in need of clean-up volunteers to CRWC on their website at www.ctriver.org/source-to-sea-cleanup and click on ‘Report Trash Site’ or call their office at 860-704-0057. CRWC will direct volunteers to those sites during their 18th annual Source to Sea Cleanup on September 26 and 27. “If you see a trash site, note the location and what kind of debris is there, take a picture if you can, and then let us know,” says Jacqueline Talbot, CRWC River Steward and organizer of the Cleanup.

The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a two-day trash clean-up event coordinated by CRWC in all four states of the 410+ mile Connecticut River watershed (NH, VT, MA, CT), home to more than 2.5 million people. “Source to Sea Cleanup volunteers have worked hard to combat litter and illegally dumped trash,” notes Talbot. “It’s a big watershed and we rely on people to let us know about the problem spots. You are one of our best sources of information.”

Each fall, thousands of volunteers of all ages and abilities head out to clean the Connecticut River and its tributaries on foot or by boat. Volunteers remove trash along rivers, streams and stream banks, parks, boat launches, trails and more. Individuals can register now to start a clean-up group, register to work solo or join an existing group by visiting www.ctriver.org/source-to-sea-cleanup. Businesses are also encouraged to get involved by starting an employee clean-up group, making a donation of supplies such as gloves and trash bags, or by becoming an event sponsor.

In 2013, more than 2,200 volunteers pulled over 45 tons of trash from river banks and waterways in NH, VT, MA and CT. Volunteers use human power and sometimes heavy equipment to pull out everything from recyclables, fishing equipment and food waste to tires, televisions, refrigerators and junk cars. To date volunteers have prevented more than 851 tons of trash from flowing downstream.

“Lead sponsors NRG Middletown and TransCanada’s generous financial support enables us to organize the thousands of volunteers who participate in the Cleanup, and to take on complex projects that require the use of heavy equipment, scuba divers and other professionals to get those really trashed places cleaned up,” says CRWC Executive Director Andrew Fisk.

Anyone with questions or trash tips may contact CRWC’s Cleanup Coordinator Jacqueline Talbot at cleanup@ctriver.org or by calling 860-704-0057.

The Connecticut River Watershed Council works to protect the watershed from source to sea. As stewards of this heritage, we celebrate our four-state treasure and collaborate, educate, organize, restore and intervene to preserve its health for generations to come. Our work informs our vision of economic and ecological abundance.

To learn more about CRWC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit www.ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020, ext. 201.

Extension of Connecticut River Paddleway Celebrated at Gillette Castle in Lyme

Posted on by
Reply

canoes&river

The Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC), along with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Vermont River Conservancy, launched the extension of the Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail into Massachusetts and Connecticut at Lyme’s Gillette Castle State Park last Saturday, June 21.

The Council, along with project leaders from the other two organizations, unveiled the plan for the expanded trail, which currently just serves Vermont and New Hampshire.

“We’re excited to be a part of a collaborative effort to enhance this resource for those who paddle our great river,” said Andrew Fisk, CRWC Executive Director.  “This trail is an investment for those who are enthusiastic about being out on the water, and the 410-mile journey from the river’s source to the sea is one of New England’s iconic adventures.”

The Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail is managed by a collaborative of organizations working together on trail planning and development, building and stewarding primitive campsites, improving access points and portage trails, and disseminating information to visitors.

canoes

Steve Grant, a Pulitzer-prize nominated journalist, spoke at the Celebration.  Jim Dina, an intrepid explorer and author of The Voyage of the Ant, was also a featured guest. The two guests have deep connections with the river.  Grant has worked as an outdoor and environmental reporter for the Hartford Courant for over 29 years and wrote a 17-part chronicle of his journey from the headwaters of the Connecticut River down to the Sound.  Dina’s work, The Voyage of the Ant, relays his experience paddling up the Connecticut River in his birchbark canoe, made using Native American tools and techniques.

The Celebration also included the presentation of the Bud Foster Award and lunch on site at the state park.

Many of those present launched their canoes and kayaks at the ferry landing and paddled down to Selden Island State Park on the Lyme shore of the Conn River.

For more about the Paddlers’ Trail, visit www.ConnecticutRiverPaddlersTrail.org.

The CRWC works to protect the watershed from source to sea.  As stewards of this heritage, it celebrates the River as a four-state treasure and collaborates, educates, organize, restores and intervenes to preserve its health for generations to come.

To learn more about CRWC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit www.ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020, ext. 201.

For more information, visit http://www.ctriver.org/river-celebration-announces-launch-of-expanded-connecticut-river-paddlers-trail/#sthash.nP6eiSVf.dpuf

CT Historic Gardens Day Takes Place Today

Posted on by
Reply
Enjoy the beauty of the Florence Griswold Museum's historic gardens this Sunday.

Enjoy the beauty of the Florence Griswold Museum’s historic gardens this Sunday.

Fourteen sites throughout the state celebrate with special programs

The Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme is one of 14 of the state’s beautiful sites that have joined to form Connecticut’s Historic Gardens.  This coming Sunday, June 22, from noon to 4 p.m, each site will offer special activities emphasizing their garden program for CT Historic Gardens Day.

FGMgarden_243x289

The gardens are a-bloom at the Florence Griswold Museum.

These delightful places, scattered throughout the state, offer visitors an opportunity to explore a  variety of garden styles and time periods.

The sites are: Florence Griswold Museum Old Lyme

At the Museum, outdoor activities are free from 1 to 5 p.m. Visitors are invited to stroll through “Miss Florence’s” historic gardens and watch members of the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists as they work on paintings featuring models posed in the gardens and along the river. Painting materials will be supplied so that visitors can try their hand at creating their own masterpieces. Families can go on the new garden scavenger hunt. Museum admission applies to House and galleries.

The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden Bethlehem

Stroll through the circa 1915 formal garden and landscaped grounds of the Ferriday Garden. Guides will be on hand to share informative and often amusing excerpts from Caroline Ferriday’s garden notebooks that illustrate her interests and concerns about the plants she chose for the garden and their care. Check out the plants for sale, the art exhibit featured in the visitor center and sip a glass of switchel, a recipe Miss Ferriday copied from the Boston Herald. “There’s nothing like switchel to allay thirst and generate optimism.” Ice tea will also be on hand. Grounds admission is free; regular admission applies for historic house tour.

Butler-McCook House & Garden Hartford

Stroll through the 1865 Jacob Weidenmann-designed Victorian garden where staff will tell the story of its history and answer questions. Enjoy a glass of lemonade and the Main Street History Center exhibition. Grounds free; regular admission applies for historic house tour.

Glebe House Museum & The Gertrude Jekyll Garden Woodbury

Garden tours led by garden volunteers “Gertrude’s Gardeners.” Enjoy lemonade and cookies and browse garden books, plants from the garden, and garden related items for sale. Enjoy a presentation about the discovery of the Jekyll Garden plans and how the garden came to be. We are celebrating the 85th anniversary of Miss Jekyll’s garden plan and the 20th year since its installation.

harkness_500x336

Harkness Memorial State Park (pictured above) Waterford

Garden tours and talks about the history and Beatrix Farrand design of the Harkness gardens provided free of charge by Park Staff and Friends of Harkness volunteers. In addition, take a tour of the mansion from 10am to 2pm, visit the Gift Shop, or enjoy some refreshments with spectacular views of Long Island Sound.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Hartford

Grounds admission is free; regular admission applies for historic

house and garden tour. For Stowe’s bicentennial, treat yourself to a guided tour of her charming Victorian Gothic revival home, surrounded by ever-blooming gardens. The historic gardens are open for strolling every day.

Don’t miss a visit to the Stowe Center Museum Store for books and garden treasures. House and Garden tours offered every half hour. Find your favorite spot in the garden – watercolors, paper and brushes are on hand so you can tap into your inner artist and paint en plein air!

Hill-Stead Museum Farmington

Stroll the paths of Hill-Stead’s c. 1920 Beatrix Farrand-designed Sunken Garden, admire heirloom plants and consult with interpreters and master gardeners. A wedding in the Sunken Garden requires visitors to clear the garden by 2 pm. Ice-cold lemonade available from 2-4pm in the Kitchen Garden.

New London County Historical Society and Shaw Mansion New London

Included in the regular admission price are special tours and lectures. In the morning, Connecticut Master Gardeners provide tours of the Shaw Mansion Garden. In the afternoon, Miss Perkins and some of her friends from the 1860s return to her garden with some period music and to offer a guided tour sharing, “the Language of Flowers.” Presentations will be scheduled on the Shaw Mansion-Woodbridge Farm connection, and on the surprising connection between the Shaw Mansion gardens and famed modernist landscape designer Christopher Tunnard. Strawberry shortcake available.

Osborne Homestead Museum Derby

After strolling through the museum’s lovely Colonial Revival gardens, visitors can enjoy the historic house museum and learn about Frances Osborne Kellogg’s passion for gardening and conservation. Complimentary museum and garden tours will be offered every half hour on the hour.

Promisek at Three Rivers Farm Bridgewater

In 1921 Beatrix Farrand designed a formal garden on this property for Dr. Frederick Peterson, a noted New York neurologist, who entertained family, friends and clients on his country estate, which he called Three Rivers Farm.  By the time the 300-acre tract was acquired in 1978 by Promisek, all traces of the garden’s former glory had been buried under years of overgrowth. In 1992 a local resident and garden historian  rediscovered the historic value of the walled garden, and a restoration began using the plan found in the Farrand archives at the University of California at Berkeley. Come visit us in the garden and discover this unearthed treasure.

Roseland Cottage Woodstock

From 1-4 enjoy a guided tour of the garden and learn the history, significance, and theory behind the Roseland Cottage garden layout and design, including Historic New England’s on-going boxwood restoration project.  Tours on the hour. Free admission.

Thankful Arnold House Museum Haddam

Scents and Sachets!  Visitors to the Wilhelmina Ann Arnold Barnhart Memorial Garden learn how the Widow Thankful Arnold used herbs in the early 19th century for medicinal, household and culinary purposes.  The garden features over 50 varieties of herbs including many that were used to make an early American home smell sweeter.  We invite guests to make a scented sachet, complete an herb scavenger hunt and enjoy light refreshments.  The garden and museum are free between 12 noon and 4 pm.

Webb Deane Stevens Museum Wethersfield

Visitors enjoy a free garden tour focusing on the architect, Amy Cogswell, and the history of the garden. Master gardeners and other garden volunteers are on hand to answer questions on the garden. Garden visitors receive a coupon for $1 off the three house tours (regularly $10 for a one hour tour). The highlight is the Webb House, where George Washington met with the Comte de Rochambeau to plan the siege of Yorktown, which ended the Revolutionary War. Tea, lemonade and homemade cookies will be served.

Weir Farm National Historic Site Wilton

Weir Farm’s Garden Gang volunteers offer short informal talks in the Sunken Garden and Secret Garden about the gardens’ history, flowers, restoration, and ongoing preservation. In addition to the talks, visitors can spend an afternoon painting in the landscape. Experience first-hand the fun of creating art in a landscape that has inspired artists for over 125 years. Watercolor supplies available at no charge from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. The colonial revival Sunken Garden and the Secret Garden, which was created in 1915 and features a fountain, sundial, and rustic cedar fence, appear today just as they did to J. Alden Weir and the other artists that made this farm their home.

For more information, visit http://www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org