Garden Party, Paddles, Goldfinch Video & More

Help us celebrate our 20th Anniversary at our Forest & Garden Party on Saturday, June 22 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the South Middletown home of Jon Morris and Pam Frost. Enjoy conversation, refreshments, and the beauty and sustainable features of the property. Optional activities include a short walk to learn about forest management and the effects of climate change on local woodlands; a garden tour; and a sawmill demonstration. Click here for more information and registration. Attendance is limited to 40 due to parking constraints.

“Paddling With A Purpose”

Water chestnut plants emerged 2 weeks early this year, and we need lots of volunteers, starting this Saturday, June 1, at 9 a.m. to help remove them before Hydrilla (another invasive plant) makes paddling and pulling difficult. See the complete paddle schedule here. Advance registration is not required, but we now have a new online paddle registration form to streamline the process on the day of the event.

Public Workshop On Central CT Loop Trail

On June 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Middletown’s Council Chamber, engineering company VHB will host a public workshop on our most ambitious project – to connect the Air Line Trail in Portland with the Farmington Canal Trail in Cheshire. We hope many will attend, since that demonstration of support will help us make further progress. It's a long-term project. VHB was hired to study the best route for this 23-mile segment. The RiverCOG and the City of Middletown have been awarded approximately $3 million in state and federal grant funding. More information is here.

Landfill Trail Closed For Solar Installation

The trail to the top of Middletown’s retired landfill is temporarily closed while a solar array is being installed. This project will help achieve the Jonah Center’s founding vision back in 2004 – to turn the landfill mound into a source of renewable energy and a site for recreation and wildlife viewing. The view from the top (above) is spectacular. Once the solar project is complete, the next step will be to construct a loop trail and a wildlife viewing platform. (Watch the video made by John Shafer in 2023.)

Video – Goldfinches in the Garden

Here’s another excellent close-up wildlife video by Phil LeMontagne. Phil has made his yard very pollinator-friendly, but the birds obviously love it, too. !