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.
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:
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
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.
Continue readingJoin us for one or both dates! Click here for more details and to register.
Litter clean-up events are a fun way to accomplish something good while socializing with like-minded friends and neighbors.
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!
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
If you’ve been thinking about solar, get started now to take advantage of Federal Solar Incentives before they expire.
Continue readingThe Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) has released its annual Environmental Scorecard.
This is a tool we can all use to hold our lawmakers accountable.
Which of your elected officials are regular champions of protecting our environment, healthy living and green economy?
Which elected officials are marginal or failing us?
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.
Our final Paddle With A Purpose for the season was on August 2. Volunteers and field workers removed 2000 pounds of invasive water chestnut plants. That makes our total for the year come to 18,500 pounds. (We removed 24,000 pounds last year. So, we’ve made progress in reducing this infestation.) Continue reading
We are so thrilled to have awesome volunteers step up to help us on a hot, humid day in July. This crew showed up ready to work!
Work Party – From left to right – Marek Kozikowski, Chantal Foster, Rob Evans, John Hall, Ann Percival, Nathaneal Rodbourn, Carl Lecce, Mick Bolduc, Mike Thomas, Kevin Markowski – Other volunteers not pictured– John LeShane, Kristen Colombo, Gary Middleton and James Sipperly
Before we arrived on site, Joe Pac (from Plummer Landscaping) kicked off the volunteer effort by driving a Brush Hog through Mugwort that was up to 5ft tall in some places.
Continue reading