Join the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) and Audubon Connecticut for a Conservation Conversation at the Bent of the River Sanctuary, a spectacular 1200-acre nature preserve in Southbury.

This walk-and-talk event will highlight the power of state and local partnerships in tackling large-scale forest stewardship. Attendees will see firsthand the direct impact of climate smart funding: using an initial planning grant from the Climate-Smart Land Stewardship Program (funded by Connecticut Department of Agriculture), Audubon Connecticut worked with private forester, Eric Hanson, to have 10 year forest management plan written, which they are now bringing to life on the ground through a grant awarded via CLCC’s Climate-Smart Forest Stewardship Program (funding through CT DEEP Forestry).

Attendees will hear about the forest management plan and why that type of planning is important and tour some of areas targeted for implementation. We will hear about the multi-layered strategies being used to bolster the forest’s long-term health, structural complexity, and carbon storage.

This project stands as a premier example of how state and federal funding can empower local, science-based stewardship work hand-in-hand to protect Connecticut’s ecosystems and ensure our natural canopies remain resilient to a changing climate.

Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes for the sanctuary trails.