Learn about and support the work of Danbury Public School students to strengthen the environmental and public health of the Still River watershed.
DANBURY, CT, August 2, 2024—The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) invites the public to the Still River Watershed Connections program 2024 Capstone Presentations on August 15, at the Courtyard by Marriott Danbury (3 Eagle Rd, Danbury, CT 06810). Interested community members are welcome to stop by anytime between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to hear directly from Danbury Public School students about their work to improve the environmental health of their local watershed as part of HVA’s Summer Crew.
Launched by HVA in 2016, the Connections program has served over 700 students in and around Danbury, Connecticut, with educational projects focused on the environmental comeback of the Still River—the most polluted tributary of the Housatonic River. The initiative, which also occurs in class during the school year, is designed to connect young members of environmentally overburdened and underrepresented watershed communities with their home river, hands-on environmental education, and green job skills training. In the spring, interested students have the chance to apply to the paid Summer Crew position, where participants complete river restoration projects and meet with experts and organizations, such as Tabatha Lewis of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to learn about a future in various environmental careers.
This summer, four students, led by HVA’s Connecticut Watershed Manager, Rodrigo Pinto, and 2024 Still River Connections Crew Leader, Sydney Molaver, have worked on environmentally important projects such as rain garden installations and the removal of invasive species. The Crew is excited to share their successes with local community members at the program’s culminating event: The capstone poster presentations.
Still River Connections Crew members are recruited and employed by Danbury Youth Services (DYS), and their placement into the HVA program is funded by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, FirstLight, and the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund—an initiative of the Long Island Sound Study, Restore America’s Estuaries, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). HVA would like to thank the City of Danbury and the Courtyard by Marriott Danbury for their support of the 2024 restoration projects and capstone presentations.
To learn more about the Still River Watershed Connections program and its impact on the Housatonic basin, visit HVA’s website: hvatoday.org.
Contact: Lara Beckius, Communications and Engagement Manager
LBeckius@hvatoday.org | 860-626-3448
