The Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center announces a new 4-part short course:

LEARNING TO IDENTIFY TREES & SHRUBS             

Wednesday, September 22

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 25,

9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, October 9

9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, October 23,

9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

 Brochure & Registration Form

Have you ever walked through the woods and wished you could do a better job telling one tree or shrub from another?

Learning to identify common trees and shrubs can open a whole new world of understanding of the forest environment. This new short course, offered in September and October, will start you down that path. We’ll take you beyond the typical one-day program and teach you how to use leaf, bud, branching patterns and other traits to identify common species. We’ll teach you something about their individual growth habits and preferences, so you can begin to read the forest growth and ecology stories that are always surrounding you. Most importantly, we’ll teach you a systematic process through which you can return home and continue to learn more on your own.

Our instructor is Dr. David Schroeder, forest pathologist and retired Head of the UConn Department of Natural Resources Management. Dr. Schroeder taught dendrology (tree and shrub identification and silvics) to UConn students for over 25 years.

The attached brochure provides all the details. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. To register, simply print out the brochure, complete and remove the registration form and mail it along with your check to the address indicated on the form.

For more information contact Steve Broderick, Goodwin Center Forester and Program Director, at 860-455-9534 or sbroderick@ctwoodlands.org

The Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center and the Goodwin State Forest were gifts to the people of Connecticut from James L. Goodwin, one of America’s first professional foresters. Together the Center and Forest include 2,000 acres of forests and habitats, 14 miles of hiking and multi-purpose trails, 3 large ponds and a nature museum. The Center is managed jointly by the Department of Environmental Protection and The Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Inc.

DIRECTIONS: The Center is located off of Route 6 at 23 Potter Road in Hampton, CT. From the intersection of Routes 6 and 198 in Chaplin, go east 3.1 miles on Route 6 and take a left onto Potter Road. From the intersection of Routes 6 and 97 in Hampton, go west 1.4 miles and take a right onto Potter Road.

CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION SEED GRANTS

The Conservation and Research Foundation provides seed grants, normally not more than $5,000, for efforts to promote the conservation of energy and natural resources and the limitation of population growth in countries around the world. The foundation encourages study and research in the biological sciences including the biodiversity of plant and animal species and their terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and seeks to deepen the scientific understanding of the relationship between people and our environment through environmental education and community action. Although grants are small, projects are often supported that are not normally funded by conventional sources. The Foundation particularly looks for opportunities to seed new conservation efforts and research that may lead to new collaborations and stimulate larger investments. The Foundation responds to an initial 1 to 2 page letter of inquiry, followed by a full proposal by invitation only. Grant proposals are due by August 31st and are reviewed in the fall, although letters of inquiry will be reviewed throughout the year. Click here for more info.
 
JESSIE B. COX CHARITABLE TRUST FUND GRANTS AVAILABLE

The Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust Fund makes grants in the six New England states in the fields of education, environment and health. Environmental giving focuses on habitat conservation, concentrating on fresh and marine water protection. Guidelines for applicants may be found here (scroll down to see guidelines specifically related to environment and habitat conservation). Deadlines for submission of concept papers are March 15 and September 15.  In an effort to be as clear as possible about the guidelines and to open up communications with potential grantees, the Trust invites you to send questions to the attention of Kirstie David, Program Manager, at kdavid@gmafoundations.com. Each question will receive an individualized response.
   
NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's FY 2011 North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant instructions and deadlines are posted here. Although the FY11 Standard Grants deadline has passed, the NAWCA small grants (up to $75,000 in grant funds) Deadline isn't until Thursday, October 28, 2010. Grants are available to partners who can provide at least a 1:1 in non-federal match in support of wetland and associated upland habitat protection, restoration and enhancement. Atlantic Coast Joint Venture staff (contacts below) are available to help you assess the competitiveness of a project, provide information on bird conservation plans and priorities in your area and develop grant applications. Please contact one of them soon if you are considering submitting an application or if you have any questions. The contacts are: Andrew Milliken, (413) 253-8269 andrew_milliken@fws.gov  or Mitch Hartley, (413) 253-8779 or mitch_hartley@fws.gov.

Learn How To Do a Rapid Bio-assessment of your Local Stream            

What can insects tell us about water quality? “Several types of stream insects are excellent indicators of water quality,” said Jean Pillo, Watershed Conservation Coordinator for the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District.  “Mayflies and stoneflies, among other types, spend most of their lifecycle living underwater in freshwater streams.  They can be very sensitive to their environment, and since they are exposed to the river water 24/7, their presence in a river could indicate good quality water.  If they are missing, then something is up and further investigation may be warranted”.  This is the basis if a water quality monitoring technique known as a Rapid Bio-assessment.

Ms. Pillo is beginning her fifth year coordinating a volunteer water quality monitoring program sponsored by The Last Green Valley, Inc, the managing entity for the Quinebaug-Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.  She is now enrolling people interested in a workshop scheduled for September 11, 2010 at the Ashford Town Hall beginning at 9 AM.  Volunteers interested will be trained in 3 hours on how to collect and identify stream insects and how this information is used to help determine water quality by both the Connecticut and Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Protection.  The training will include an indoor workshop followed by actual field training.  Volunteers should come dressed to wade in a stream.  Once trained, volunteers can sign out equipment and monitor a stream or streams of their choice at a time convenient to their schedule, as long as the sampling is completed by December.  “Our goal is to develop a core group of volunteers willing to give up a few hours a year each fall and get usable baseline water quality data in each of The Last Green Valley’s 35 towns.” 

The Rapid Bio-assessment training is free, but pre-registration is required. Volunteers should be 14 years old or older to participate. To register for this program, please call Jean Pillo at 860-928-4948 or by email at Jean.Pillo@ConserveCT.org.

WILLIAM P. WHARTON TRUST PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS DUE SEPT. 15
 
The William P. Wharton Trust, which is administered by the Trustees at the law firm of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP in Boston, Massachusetts, makes grants to organizations as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Trust has two grant rounds annually - in spring and fall.
 
The Trust supports projects that directly promote the conservation, study, and appreciation of nature, including:
   1) Natural areas preservation, primarily in Massachusetts and New England, including funding acquisitions of land for conservation purposes,

   2) Management techniques designed to improve environmental quality and species diversity,

   3) Bird and forestry research and management, especially at the applied level rather than the theoretical or molecular level, and

   4) Creation of materials or projects designed to foster an appreciation of and a concern for wildlife and natural systems. 
 
Preliminary applications for the Fall Round are due September 15, 2010 by 2:00 pm EDT.

At his death in 1976, William P. Wharton's will created The William P. Wharton Trust to carry on his lifelong support of the study and conservation of nature in its broadest form on the local, national, and international scenes. The Trust is administered by the Trustees at the law firm of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Trust only makes grants to organizations as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Trust does not make grants to individuals or organizations classified as a private foundation.

Next Preliminary Application Deadline:
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 2 p.m. ET

Purpose and Objectives

General Objective:

• To support projects that directly promote the conservation, study, and appreciation of nature.

Specific Objectives (in order of priority):

• Natural areas preservation, primarily in Massachusetts and New England, including funding acquisitions of land for conservation purposes.
• Management techniques designed to improve environmental quality and species diversity.
• Bird and forestry research and management, especially at the applied level rather than the theoretical or molecular level.
• Creation of materials or projects designed to foster an appreciation of and a concern for wildlife and natural systems.

Contact Information

Mail:
William P. Wharton Trust
c/o Choate Hall & Stewart LLP
Two International Place, 32nd Floor
Boston, MA 02110

E-mail:
williampwhartontrust@choate.com
Telephone:
F. David Lucia, Trust Administrator, 617/248-5122

You’re Invited

To

 New Introduction to The Natural World

A Weekend Educational Retreat for
Land Use & Natural Resource Volunteers and Community Leaders
At
YMCA Camp Woodstock on Black Pond
Woodstock Valley, CT
September 17-19, 2010
$40 participant fee             APPLICATION LINK

APPLICATION DEADLINE WAS AUGUST 20, 2010

 RECRUITING APPLIICANTS FOR COMMUNITY CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

The Green Valley Institute is recruiting applicants for an intensive weekend retreat that offers a primer on the natural world for residents of The Last Green Valley who are interested in becoming conservation volunteers in their communities.

A New Introduction to the Natural World will be held from Friday evening, Sept. 17 through Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19, 2010 at the YMCA Camp Woodstock in Woodstock Valley, CT.

Regional experts in watersheds, forests, geology, wildlife habitat and mapping technology will lead sessions in the classroom and then bring participants outside to observe and experience the natural world. A highlight of the retreat is the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as reading topographic maps and monitoring the water quality of streams.

Participants must commit to attend the entire weekend program and are encouraged to lodge with the group Friday and Saturday nights in the camp’s New Yurt City. Commuting is also an option.

No previous volunteer or natural resource experience is required, but space is limited and applicants must complete a brief questionnaire to be considered. A $40 participant fee will include lodging, all meals (catered by the Inn at Woodstock Hill) and a natural resource library to keep. All other expenses are covered by GVI and The Last Green Valley.

To learn more or apply to attend the retreat see our brochure at

http://www.greenvalleyinstitute.org/documents/GVIRetreat_Web_Brochure_2010.pdf

or call the Green Valley Institute at 860-774-9600. Applications must be received by August 20, 2010 for consideration.

NE GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENT FUND SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

from Conservation Common
 

NEGEF's small grants program provides grants to groups working on community level issues in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Fund interprets the word 'environment' broadly and will provide funding for a wide range of activities. Whole systems-thinking is critical to initiatives focused on making our environment better, healthier and more sustainable.

Small grants are intended to support community groups who represent the most exciting energy in the environmental movement that are not being reached by traditional funders. Grant awards range from $500 to $2,500.
Deadline: September 15, 2010

Your organization is eligible if it:

• Is doing community-based environmental work in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI or VT;
• Has less than 2 full-paid staff or their equivalents;
• Has an operating budget of less than $100,000;
• Has not received a NEGEF grant within one year of the application.

Exhibition Opens at Roseland Cottage

Woodstock, Connecticut

June 2010 through October 15, 2010

Wednesday-Sunday

11 AM - 5 PM 

Free Admission

Farmers, Cows and the Land, an exhibition about the modern history of dairy farming in Connecticut, opens at the Roseland Cottage carriage barn on Sunday, June 20. 

The illustrated exhibition is the result of a partnership between Historic New England and The Farmer’s Cow, a local dairy cooperative.   The goal of the partnership was to capture, preserve and share the story of dairy farming in Connecticut over the past century.

Historic New England staff and volunteers conducted nearly twenty oral history interviews with farmers from the six farms that make up The Farmer’s Cow.  The interviews, which touched on topics ranging from the family tradition of dairy farming and the importance of the state’s agricultural heritage and land to technological improvements and the influence and necessity of agricultural advocacy organizations, formed the basis of the exhibition.  Photographs from the farmers’ private albums and Historic New England’s archives illustrate the exhibition.

This partnership between Historic New England and The Farmer’s Cow is part of Historic New England’s centennial anniversary initiative 100 Years, 100 Communities.  The goal of the 100 Years, 100 Communities initiative is to protect and share New England's twentieth-century history.  Historic New England is partnering with communities throughout the region on projects that capture their unique stories before they are lost. 

For more information, visit Centennial.HistoricNewEngland.org/100-communities.

This partnership project was supported, in part, by grants from the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

About The Farmer’s Cow

The Farmer’s Cow is a group of six Connecticut dairy farms working for the future of their families and the dairy business.  The farms include Cushman Farms in Frankin, Fairvue Farms in Woodstock, Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, Graywall Farms in Lebanon, Hytone Farm in Coventry and Mapleleaf Farm in Hebron.   The Farmer’s Cow produces milk, half-and-half, cream, eggs, seasonal beverages and ice cream.  For more information, visit TheFarmersCow.com or call 860-642-4600.

About Historic New England

Roseland Cottage, located at 556 Route 169 in Woodstock, Connecticut, is owned and operated by Historic New England.  Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. We bring history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the authentic New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. Historic New England owns and operates thirty-six historic homes and landscapes spanning five states. The organization shares the region’s history through vast collections, publications, public programs, museum properties, archives, and family stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England.

For more information visit HistoricNewEngland.org<http://www.historicnewengland.org/>.