Greetings!

 

TONIGHT:  Earth Hour from 8-9 PM.  Turn out your lights in support.  

Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone.  Many cities around the country (Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, etc) are on board.  Cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.  Read more at http://www5.earthhourus.org/.  Tell a friend!

 

Ongoing initiatives:

 

Thank you to everyone that attended the Face of Connecticut 2008 kick-off in Hartford.  Read more about it and what you can do at www.faceofconnecticut.org.  See who is sponsoring this and encourage YOUR legislator to SIGN ON!

 

Great attendance and support for the East Coast Greenway!  Multi-use trails are a wonderful community asset for recreation and transportation.  www.greenway.org. 

 

Sign up for Clean Energy and help your town earn free solar panels.  Join the SmartPower 20% by 2010 Clean Energy Campaign. Find out more www.ctcleanenergyoptions.com; sign up and see if your town is a clean energy community at www.ctcleanenergy.com/communities

 

 

Phase II of the Ethel Walker Woods of Simsbury:

 

See the materials prepared for Highlands Conservation Act FY 09 federal funding.  http://www.keepthewoods.org/docs/FY09_HCA_EWalkerREV_FactSheet.pdf

We need support at the federal level for funding of the Highlands Conservation Act.  The Ethel Walker Woods of Simsbury is a top priority for these funds.  

 

EVENTS:

 

Tuesday April 8^th 6:00 PM

Simsbury Land Trust annual Dinner

Hopmeadow Country Club, Simsbury

RSVP online (www.simsburylandtrust.org), or call 651-8773

Visit the SLT website for information on upcoming guided hikes and volunteer opportunities.

 

Saturday April 12^th  9:00 AM

Linda’s Litter Lugging Day - Simsbury

(Rain date April 13^th, 1:00) 

Representative Linda Schofield has organized a day to clean up the community.  Meet at the Simsbury town hall parking lot between 9:00-11:00 AM to get a clean-up assignment or sign up for a section of road in advance.  Paine’s will be removing recyclables and trash at 3:00 from town hall parking lot. Refreshments will be provided by Fitzgerald’s. 

 

Saturday, April 26, 9am – 4pm

Earth “Work” Day – Head down to the shore in Madison, CT and clean up freshwater wetland of trash, litter clean up in the wood lots and beach.  Our wetland is the last spot of filtration before directly entering Long Island Sound.  Lunch provided. Volunteers should bring their own gloves and appropriate clothing including shoes for wet conditions. For more information and to register to volunteer:  http://www.mercybythesea.org/CourseCatalog/classView.asp?id=817

 

Saturday April 26,  Noon to 6:00

Grand opening of the Riverview, just north of the intersection of Rts. 10 and 185, Simsbury.  Major fundraiser for Farmington River Watershed Association, Farmington Valley Trails Council and East Coast Greenways.  Come for the fun, the giveaways, the entertainment and the food and drinks catered by Riverview.  Costs for entry are $25/family and $10/individual.  It’s on the Farmington Valley Greenway - ride your bike!  http://frwa.org/publications/riverview_event.pdf. 

 

Save the Date!

 

Eggstock – JUNE 7^th!  Tickets on sale now!  http://www.flamigfarm.com/eggstock.html

 

 

Final notes:  Everyone has noticed the increasing concerns in the media about water – quality, quantity, contamination, and we discussed this at the last Keep the Woods meeting.  We cannot take our natural resources for granted, no matter where we live.  We all learned an enormous amount about the environment and the inseparable link between land and water through the process of preserving the Ethel Walker Woods of Simsbury.  Use this knowledge to educate others.  Enjoy spring!

 

 

"It is extremely important that each individual realize their responsibility for preserving the environment, make it a part of daily life, create the same attitude in their families, and spread it to the community".

His Holiness the Dalai Lama