9:00 am – 9:30 am

Check-in on the first floor of the Fayerweather Building

9:30 am – 9:45 am

Opening Remarks by Elizabeth D. Kaeser

Session 1
9:45 am – 10:15 am

Leveraging Community and Collaborative Science to Restore Healthy Habitats in the Connecticut River Watershed
 
Ron Rhodes, Director of Programs, Connecticut River Conservancy
 
How do nonprofit organizations with limited staff and financial capacity advance science-based assessment and habitat restoration strategies? It all comes down to people power. This presentation will share how community science, seasonal support, partnerships, and other forms of collaboration combine to create a stewardship model that can be scaled for positive ecological results.

Session 2
10:15 am – 10:45 am

Resilient Road-Stream Crossings: Assessment, Prioritization, and Implementation

 
Emily Hadzopulos, Freshwater Restoration Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut
 
Ineffective culverts block wildlife passage, disrupt stream function, and exacerbate extreme weather. With approximately 25,000 culverts in Connecticut, there is a critical need to improve existing infrastructure, especially in the face of climate change. This presentation will provide an overview of steps to meet this challenge by 1) assessing culvert conditions and barriers to wildlife passage, 2) prioritizing in-need crossings, 3) providing training on best practices for implementation, and 4) assessing funding to match local projects.

10:45 am – 10:55 am

10 Minute Q&A for sessions 1 and 2

10:55 am – 11:05 am

Break

Session 3
11:05 am – 11:35 am

Resilient East Haddam: Adapting to Flooding in East Haddam Village Center

 
John Truscinski, Director of Resilience Planning, Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA).
 
“Resilient East Haddam” is a planning study recently completed by CIRCA through the Resilient Connecticut Planning and Technical Assistance program. The purpose of the study was to evaluate alternatives for flood mitigation to community assets in Downtown East Haddam from Succor Brook and the Connecticut River. These include the town’s wastewater treatment plant, as well as Goodspeed Opera House facilities, residential properties, and critical roadways. The presentation will review study outcomes.

Session 4
11:35 am – 12:05 pm

Restoring the Mill River: Balancing Climate Resilience, Historic Infrastructure, and Ecological Recovery

 
Daniel Miller, PhD.  Senior Environmental Scientist, Tighe & Bond
 
The D.F. Riley Grist Mill Dam removal feasibility study on the Mill River in Hatfield, Massachusetts, demonstrates how river restoration can improve habitat connectivity while addressing aging infrastructure, legacy sediment, and climate-driven hydrologic change. This presentation highlights integrated hydraulic modeling, sediment evaluation, cultural resources assessment, and structural assessment used to guide design in a historically complex setting, offering lessons for balancing ecological recovery, public safety, and resilience in New England river systems.

12:05 pm – 12:15 pm

10 Minute Q&A for sessions 3 and 4

12:15 pm – 12:30 pm

Poster “Blitz”
 
In this elevator pitch-style presentation, hear from each poster presenter. Be sure to stop by the posters during lunch.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

Lunch Table Discussions:

Youth Engagement with Atharv Dimri, Wesleyan University Student

Organizational Partnerships with Markelle Smith, Director, Connecticut River Watershed Partnership

Lunch Workshop:

Deepening One’s Connection to the Land We Live with Nature Journaling
Jon Schroth and Erik Assadourian, Gaian Way
Artist and designer of the Cycles of Gaia ecological calendar and aligned nature journal Jon Schroth will introduce participants to the benefits and basics of nature journaling. The objective is to inspire increased attention to the land and nature surrounding us that provide countless benefits (physical, psychological and spiritual). After a brief introduction by Jon on how to observe nature (including basic sketching techniques), as well as an overview of the eco-calendar, connected K-12 curriculum, and journal, participants will observe nature and write and sketch some of their observations (outside if weather permits). Takeaways of the workshop include: a
basic familiarity with nature journaling; an invitation to start journaling and develop a relationship with the land participants live in and are part of, and a deeper awareness of annual nature cycles
(i.e. flowering, fruiting, and leafing).

Session 5
1:30 pm – 2:10 pm

River Power: Atomic Energy, Activism, and Acts of Memory Along the Connecticut River
 
Amrys Williams, PhD. Executive Director, Connecticut League of Museums
 
Jon Kozak, Public History Master’s Student, Central Connecticut State University
 
This presentation brings together the perspectives of history and environmental activism to trace the useful past of the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant and its relevance to contemporary debates over the future of energy in Connecticut and New England. Connecticut Yankee produced power from 1968 until 1996 and was decommissioned between 1998 and 2007. Today the site is home to both a wildlife refuge and a spent fuel and waste storage facility. Drawing on archival research and environmental and oral history, the presenters will examine the ambitions and legacies of this place for the town, state, and Connecticut River watershed and region.

2:10 pm – 2:25 pm

Break

Session 6
2:25 pm – 3:25 pm

Panel Discussion: Power of Partnership
 
Moderator:
 
Rebecca Todd, Executive Director, Connecticut River Conservancy
 
Panelists:
 
MaryEllen Mateleska, VP of Education & Conservation, Mystic Aquarium,
 
Dr. Ava Goodale, Director of the Center for Service and Global Citizenship, Deerfield Academy
 
Kate Ten Eyck, Artistic Director, TunnelVision

3:25 pm – 3:35 pm

Break

Session 7
3:35 pm – 4:05 pm

Sound Gardening: Watershed Wise Gardening and Sustainable Landscapes
 
Margaret Cozens, Outreach Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Partnership, Connecticut Sea Grant
 
“Sound Gardens: Watershed Wise Gardening and Landscaping” is an upcoming program from the LIS Partnership that aims to empower partners and the public with tangible tools for effecting positive environmental change in their own backyards. Guided in part by the results of the 2024 LIS Partnership Public Perception Survey, this project will focus on targeted outreach to garden clubs, nurseries, and other community groups to disperse information about best management practices for sustainable gardening and landscaping. This presentation will share information about the program and future opportunities for involvement.

4:05 pm – 4:30 pm

Wrap-up