Conservationists Sponsor Seminar

On Lowering Environmental Impact

The Newtown Conservation & Inland Wetlands Commissions presented a spring environmental education seminar, “Lowering the Impact of Development on Your Environment,” Saturday, April 10, at the Newtown Municipal Center.

Guests speaking covered such topics as how to make development environmentally friendly, how to improve a habitat by using native plants and more, learning how developed areas affect rivers, fish and water quality. 

“You have a lot of examples in your own backyard of things we are doing across the state to manage storm water,” said Maryann Nusom Haverstock, a supervising environmental analyst with the Connecticut Department of Education.

Ms Haverstock shared information on projects from around the state that work with managing storm water.

From permeable block paving, a porous water draining system used in place of concrete, to rain gardens and rain barrels Ms Haverstock listed different projects that have been built to retain water, stop it from draining into the sewer system, and allow it to be absorbed back into the soil.

Neal Hagstrom, Fisheries Biologist II from the Connecticut Department of Environmental protection, Pamela Cooper, turf program coordinator with the University of Connecticut’s Department of Extension, and Jane Didona, principal of Didona & Associates of Danbury, also spoke during the seminar.