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
Each year, The Jonah Center for Earth and Art asks supporters to make a donation to support our on-going work. Among other things, 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.
Thanks for your support!
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
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
Reader’s Theater Presents “THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN” by Eric Coble. A play about a 79-year-old artist, Alexandra, who barricades herself in her Brooklyn brownstone with Molotov cocktails to avoid moving into a nursing home. Her estranged son, Chris, climbs through a second-story window to mediate the situation, leading to a confrontation that explores themes of aging, independence, family dynamics, and the struggle to maintain one’s identity.
Sunday October 5th at 3:00 PM at the Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown, CT.
To reserve a seat, please call OP at 860-347-6143, leaving your name and number of seats.
Donations accepted at the door.
Videographer Phil LeMontagne wrote: This video proves that you don’t have to leave the planet to see something that looks truly alien. I took the video on the grounds of the Wadsworth Mansion. I believe that it is a Tawny Garden Slug, (Limax flavus). The long tentacles at the front are for sight and smell. The short ones are for taste and touch. It was probably looking for something to eat, but since it was very exposed, in the middle of a very wide trail, it was more likely to be eaten itself.
Phi LeMontagne captured this video of our Paddle With A Purpose event on July 14, 2024. We invite new volunteers, even if you have never paddled before, to join us this summer. Our partner, The Connecticut River Conservancy, has a limited number of kayak to loan to those who don’t own one. See our 2025 paddle schedule and access our registration form here.
Middletown’s Complete Streets Committee and the Jonah Center will be conducting a Public Information and Input meeting regarding current projects on Monday, June 9, at 7 PM in Room 208 of City Hall, 245 deKoven Drive. This will be a good opportunity to learn more about what’s going on with bike paths, sidewalks and multi-use trails in and around town. Continue reading
To watch the Vernal Pool video by Phil LeMontagne, click on the image below..
Remember our “Power Moves” article, where we shared ways to cut energy costs? Have you tried any of those ideas?
If you’ve successfully lowered your energy bills, we want to hear your success story!
Please send us a message through the Contact Page on our website. Just give us the best way to contact you, and we’ll reach out to hear the full details. Continue reading
Every year, Wesleyan Physics Professor Brian Stewart presents an illuminating talk about the world’s environmental and energy crisis. It is always well worth attending. Here is what Brian says as preview to this year’s talk. Continue reading
UConn Extension Service is offering reduced cost well water testing to residents of Middlesex County. To register for the program, use this link.
