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Each year, tax-deductible gifts help The Jonah Center for Earth and Art continue our work. Please consider donating today.

We advocate for multi-use trails, safer roads for pedestrians and bicycles, clean energy and energy efficiency, protecting our natural environment, reducing pollutants and toxic chemicals, removing invasive plants, supporting parks, planting and protecting trees, environmental education, and sustainable living in the greater Middletown, Connecticut area. (Video credit: John Shafer.)

If you have already donated, thank you.
We appreciate your support!

Litter Cleanup on River Road — December 13

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Our final litter cleanup of 2025 will take place on Saturday, December 13th at 10:00 a.m. (weather permitting). We will be returning to River Road, cleaning the area just east of Eastern Drive (by Meadow Meat).

Navigate directly to River Road (the section that is usually closed to through traffic, by the Roth Water Treatment Plant) by using the Silver Street entrance. We will be parking alongside River Road here.   A recent mowing along River Road has exposed a lot of litter, making it accessible for an easy cleanup opportunity.  Please register here so we can inform you of any weather-related change of plans.

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Common Council Supports Midden Lookout Park

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Drone Video: Future Midden Lookout Park, approach from downtown Middletown over the North End neighborhood. Courtesy of Matthew Stauble, staublemedia.com.

On December 1st, Middletown’s Common Council unanimously supported a resolution granting permission for the Jonah Center to develop the city’s closed landfill (aka “midden”) into an environmental education and wildlife viewing area. The site overlooks a large marshland — the Floating Meadows — populated by herons, egrets, cormorants, osprey, eagles, ducks, beaver, muskrats, and deer. Continue reading →

November HeatSmart Canvassing Was Successful…and Warm?

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It was a chilly, wet Saturday afternoon, November 22nd. But our volunteers were warmed by the spirit of sharing the HeatSmart program with Middletown neighbors!

Donning Jonah Center safety vests and excellent energy, from left to right, Genesis, Eli, Tamira, and Kristen.

Wesleyan College of the Environment interns for Sustainable Middletown, helping with two Jonah Center initiatives: HeatSmart and the Midden Lookout Park.

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Middletown Gets a Miyawaki Forest

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by Steve Cronkite

The Middletown Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) has been endeavoring to install a Miyawaki-style micro-forest in town for over two years. They are therefore thrilled to announce that on November 8th, with the help of 20 hard-working volunteers, they planted 99 donated native trees and shrubs and one native perennial in a Miyawaki-style micro-forest on the southeast corner of Van Buren Moody Elementary School on Country Club Road in Middletown. Continue reading →

$$$ Saved + Tons of Pollutants Avoided = Big Wins For Our Community

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We are thrilled to have been awarded a grant through the Community Partnership Initiative. This is a partnership with the Sponsors of @Energize Connecticut and the City of Middletown to promote energy-saving solutions for our community. This kicks off a full year of focused efforts to promote the Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible and Multifamily Initiative, including outreach to renters and landlords. 

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What are “Complete Streets”?

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The Jonah Center has been working on “Complete Streets” projects in both the City of Middletown and the Town of Portland for several years and helped initiate Complete Streets committees in both municipalities. But what are “Complete Streets“? We are happy to present a recently completed short video that explains what the term means featuring Jonah Center Executive Director, John Hall and Board of Directors President, Krishna Winston. The video was produced by Wesleyan University film students, Jackson Barber-Just and Cyrus Mailer, with assistance from John Shafer, Director of Media, Art, and Technology for the Jonah Center.

For further information:

Complete Streets Middletown

Kristen Colombo, Jonah Center Director

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By Krishna Winston

The members of the Jonah Center Board are delighted to announce that on September 1 Kristen Colombo became the Center’s new Director. Kristen first contacted the Jonah Center in the fall of 2024 to ask about volunteer opportunities in furtherance of clean energy and sustainability. She had recently taken early retirement from Verizon Communications, where she headed up curriculum design and project management, building employees’ leadership skills and fostering career development. Kristen quickly demonstrated her passion for environmental work and an impressive range of skills and talents. Continue reading →

A New Path Forward: Mayor’s Walk Kicks Off Community Trail Development

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To date, thirty people supported the new trail at the Midden Lookout by attending public walks, including Mayor Gene Nocera, who is very interested in the community vision for this amazing space. It’s time to get more organized to keep this project going!

Walking at the Midden:
Acting Middletown Mayor, Gene Nocera!

Here are two ways to get involved:

Sign up here to join us at our next walk, Thursday, October 2nd at 5PM, for an early sunset view. Plus, an optional post-walk meet-up at Forest City Brewery.

Join our official “Trail Blazers” Group to commit to actively supporting the Midden Lookout Park and Trail. We’ll use the Trail Blazers distribution list to share milestones, public meetings, calls for time and talent, and moments to celebrate along the way. Keep reading for a recap of our walk with the Mayor.

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Our Next Litter Clean-Ups Are Scheduled!

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Join us for one or both dates! Click here for more details and to register.

  • Saturday, September 20th at Pameacha Pond, Middletown
  • Saturday, September 27th at Airline Rd, Portland

Litter clean-up events are a fun way to accomplish something good while socializing with like-minded friends and neighbors.

6 volunteers on litter clean up
You too can be a part of this crew!

The Cheapest Energy Is GREEN Energy

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The current administration, along with Republican lawmakers, is systematically dismantling policies related to climate. This includes many of the tax credits and economic incentives designed to drive green energy acceleration put into place by the Biden-Harris administration.

Deadlines for incentives are approaching but they aren’t here just yet.

There is still time to take advantage of clean technology offers that allow you to save now and save later with your future energy bills!

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The Spotted Lanternfly Arrives in our Area — Watch For It!

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By John Loughery, of the Berlin Land Trust

To view an enlarged version of this image on the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website, click here.

The spotted lanternfly, a particularly beautiful, plant-hopping insect with a fiercely destructive nature, was unknown in the U.S. prior to the 2010s. September will be the crucial month.  That is when spotted lantern flies deposit their eggs on tree bark, covering them with a thick white or gray-ish substance.  It is necessary to scrape that substance off the tree, immediately killing the eggs, or vast numbers of these insects will be released into the environment in the spring, endangering plants and trees in that area.  So, the message is: examine your trees! Continue reading →