Welcome to your weekly environmental newsletter! We aim to bring you environmental stories that are relevant to YOU every week, along with action opportunities, upcoming events, and beautiful photos from around the region. Want to keep everything you see here going? Consider a gift to Save the Sound.

Volunteers and native wildflowers come together for a planting at Hyde Pond, a Save the Sound river restoration site in southeast Connecticut.

Meeting the Earth Day Call to Action

Last month, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a stark warning in the form of a report it called “a survival guide for humanity.” The panel laid out in no uncertain terms the price of inaction and the urgent steps we must take to avert the worse catastrophes of climate change. Like many of you, we at Save the Sound have been both alarmed and inspired by the panel’s stark warning. 

...and now it is Earth Month, a time to come together and reflect on the past and future. To look toward the fights of today and the future, like adapting to our changing climate and restoring wild places for people and wildlife alike. And to draw hope by appreciating the victories of the past, like the fight against DDT that means our yards and forests will once again fill with songbirds and raptors this spring. 

Join us in meeting the call of the UN climate report to demand the things we need for a healthy future. We’re working this spring in Hartford to hold Connecticut accountable to its promise of dramatically reduced emissions and stronger environmental justice, and in Albany for the living shorelines and transparency that can make our communities more resilient; your voices writing to your legislators can make the difference. 

You can help shape a plan for the Hutchinson River Watershed or plant trees in Bridgeport—more on those opportunities below. 

Read on, too, for events across the region—from the 15th Annual Rock to Rock Ride/Walk in New Haven to the Long Island Natural History Conference, plus lots of local festivals along the way—where you can build community and learn new ways to make difference.  

You can keep this work going by becoming a member of Save the Sound or continuing your generous support. Monthly donors—our Green Guardians—are invited to regular “breakfast club” events with Save the Sound experts, this month with NY Ecological Program Manager Katie Friedman. 

There are so many ways to come together and answer the call. Join us this Earth Month in honoring the achievements of the environmental movement and sharpening our resolve to do what's needed to ensure a thriving, resilient Long Island Sound region. 

New York Congressman Nick LaLota (3rd from left) spoke at the annual Environmental Roundtable held in Riverhead back in February. 

Courtney, LaLota Named Co-Chairs of Long Island Sound Caucus  

Congressmen Joe Courtney and Nick LaLota have been named co-chairs of the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus, a partnership that bodes well for a close working relationship that mirrors the closeness of their districts. Fishers Island is in LaLota’s district, which covers the east end of Long Island. Right across one of the narrowest stretches of the Sound is Stonington, part of Courtney’s district in southeastern Connecticut.   

“I am proud to partner with my colleague from across the Sound, Congressman Courtney, to lead the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus. Much has been accomplished before me, and yet much is left to be done. Protecting the Sound is not a partisan issue, it is an issue important to all Long Islanders,” said LaLota (NY-1), serving his first term in Congress. 

 “No one asks who you vote for when you’re out hiking the trails or fishing the streams of eastern Connecticut, and that’s because protecting our region’s natural heritage is an issue that transcends politics,” said Courtney, who has represented CT-2 in Washington, D.C., since 2007. 

Calling volunteers in Bridgeport!  

Join “The Flow Project,” a seasonal environmental collaboration between Save the Sound, The Nature Conservancy, Groundwork Bridgeport, and Lots of Fish. We will work with volunteers to identify opportunities for planting trees or installing other green infrastructure that can help to mitigate localized flooding and water pollution while providing habitat and green spaces for wildlife and residents alike. Volunteers can help assess potential sites for bioswales (planted areas between sidewalks and streets that help stormwater drain and filter naturally into the nearest waterbody), paint environmental murals, and/or plant trees. Training is provided, and most work will be done during the weekends to maintain a flexible schedule for volunteers. Join one or many efforts and help us create a greener and cleaner Bridgeport! Sign up here.

Having Your Say on the Hutch 

Our New York ecological restoration team has spearheaded two public meetings and two steering committee meetings for the Hutchinson River Watershed Plan in collaboration with Westchester County. These meetings invite community input to ensure local stakeholders have a say in what happens to their watershed. The steering committee, comprised of over 30 invested individuals, continues to work through the planning process each month. Now that a baseline assessment of the watershed has been completed, the next step for the Hutchinson River Watershed Plan is to identify improvement opportunities to develop an inventory of restoration projects to pursue. Examples may include green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales), stream habitat restoration, and public access and educational opportunities for local communities.  

Dr. Christine Gilbert from Stony Brook University (left with glasses) led a roundtable discussion on Communicating Clean Water Success and Progress at the Long Island Sound Summit last week. 

Long Island Sound Summit 2023 Packs ‘Em In  

Local actions matter. That was the message delivered by Adrienne Esposito, executive director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the clarion call that drew roughly 100 participants to the Village Center in Port Jefferson, NY, last Thursday for Long Island Sound Summit 2023: “Funding and Strategies to Tackle Local Water Pollution”—the first in-person event hosted by the Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed Network. 

Elected officials, environmental leaders, educators, scientists, researchers, and businesspeople spent the morning listening to presentations on green infrastructure projects, collecting plastic debris, creating partnerships, and communicating clean water success (Takeaway of the Day: NO ACRONYMS!). Then, they broke into workshops to explore topics from accessing competitive funding opportunities to the use of floating islands for nutrient absorption.  

“The energy and sense of camaraderie in the room was palpable,” said Peter Linderoth, our director of water quality. “The meeting of minds from around the Sound to engage in discussion on the challenges to our estuary and potential projects for addressing them was really encouraging.” 

Stay tuned for information about the Coastal Watershed Network’s spring webinar series. 

Quick Links

• Articles in Newsday last Tuesday framed environmental impacts of the New York State budget, which was not submitted before its April 1 deadline: Suffolk County sewer system plan and the Housing Compact 
• Save the Sound environmental justice specialist Alex Rodriguez speaks on the need to maintain strict permitting provisions for polluting facilities in legislation that would strengthen Connecticut’s environmental justice statute: Connecticut could consider health impacts in facility siting (energynews.us) 
• “From here, it is difficult to understand what the holdup has been on saving Plum Island,” says a new editorial in the East Hampton Star.  
• Join the team! This week’s featured job: we’re looking for a seasonal, full-time Environmental Technician to help coordinate our annual water quality sampling program. Find all open positions on our website.

Upcoming Events

• Climate Open Mic – Friday, Apr. 14 at Semilla Cafe & Studio in Hartford. Save the date—more info coming soon! 
• Branford Earth Day Fair – Saturday, Apr. 15 at 10:30 a.m. on the Branford Green, CT. Earth-friendly ideas and inspiration, activities for kids, and exhibits by local sustainability orgs including Save the Sound! Learn more.  
• Clean Waters & Thriving Coastlines – Thursday, Apr. 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Westport Library in CT. Save the Sound’s VPs for ecological restoration and water protection, Laura Wildman and David Ansel, will guide a discussion on how we’re creating a more resilient and thriving coastline. Everyone is welcome; RSVP by Apr. 18 here.  
• 2023 CT Youth Advocacy Day – Friday, Apr. 21 at 8:30 a.m. at the Connecticut State Capitol. Save the Sound and partners invite you to a day of youth empowerment and advocacy! Details.   
• Celebrate Earth Day with Save the Sound – Saturday, Apr. 22 in Larchmont, NY and Hamden and Milford, CT. Stop by our tables and say hi! Click here for locations and times for each event.    
• Essex Boat Show – Apr. 28-30 on Safe Harbor Essex Island, CT. Hear a talk from Soundkeeper Bill Lucey, visit our table, and enjoy live music. Schedule and details.   
• Long Island Natural History Conference – Friday, Apr. 28 in Islip, NY. Hear an update from Long Island natural areas manager Louise Harrison at this annual conference hosted by Seatuck. Register.   
• Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride – Saturday, Apr. 29 in New Haven. Cycle or hike with us, or simply support the Save the Sound team and our friends at CPEN-Community Placemaking Engagement Network. Thanks to a generous donor, all funds will be matched until $2,500! Learn more.   

Find details on these, and all our events, on our Stay Engaged page.

Photo of the Week

With the arrival of spring, these kayaks on Long Island's Northport Bay are ready to get back in the water! Would you like your photo to be featured in an upcoming issue? Send it to us at info@savethesound.org.