Programs for Sustainable and Resilient Communities

More coastal roads such as this one in Guilford are experiencing frequent flooding due to climate change effects.Residents of a coastal community learn about a resilience project underway there.Marshes such as those at Barn Island in Stonington are important flood buffers for many communitieA living shoreline project supported by CTSG was created at Stratford Point.

Funding

A living shoreline was created in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook in response to frequent flooding.

Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program

The Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs announce a funding opportunity open to municipalities and community organizations to facilitate the hiring of grant preparation and writing support to assist with the development of a grant application for sustainable and resilience-focused projects.

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Upcoming Opportunities

Flier for Steps to Resilience workshop

“Steps to Resilience” workshops offered this fall

CTSG and partners will host a free virtual workshop on resilience fundamentals on two dates: Sept. 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; and Sept. 21 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Attendees will learn about climate change projections and impacts, strategies for resilience planning, and local climate certification programs.

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Community climate planning projects underway in 4 CT cities

Four Connecticut cities have joined a pilot project to boost community participation in climate change planning. Community activities in Bridgeport, New Haven, New London and Norwich are being led by CTSG and NOAA and will focus on climate risk communication and planning for community resilience.

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Highlights from the Field

Elena Padin, left, watches as her five-year-old grandson Lucas Todd practices casting.

Discovering the joys of fishing & shaping a waterfront park

On a sunny Saturday morning the Bridgeport community gathered at Knowlton Park for a “Let’s Go Fishing!” event on Aug. 19. Residents of all ages angled into the art of fishing as part of a unique initiative to activate the waterfront and gather insights for the future “Sliver by the River” community waterfront park.

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Participants at the CACIWC workshop gather for small group activities focusing on the value of incorporating different forms of knowledge when developing sustainable solutions.

Workshop focuses on sustainable watershed management

In partnership with the UConn CLEAR, CT Sea Grant Extension Educator Alicia Tyson co-facilitated a hands-on workshop at the Connecticut Association of Conservation & Inland Wetlands Commissions’ 45th Annual Meeting & Environmental Conference.

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Graphic for "Spatial Thinking in the STEM Classroom" workshop

Workshop offers unique approach to climate change lessons

This spring Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Educator Alicia Tyson presented a workshop titled, “Spatial Thinking in the STEM Classroom: Applying Geospatial Storytelling to Understanding Climate Change Impacts” to student team advisors in the CT Envirothon.

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Sustainable and Resilient Community Extension Educators

Deb Abibou
Deb Abibou

Deborah Abibou and Sarah Schechter are sustainable and resilient community extension educators for Connecticut Sea Grant and the EPA's Long Island Sound Study, working in collaboration with three colleagues based at New York Sea Grant.

Abibou works in the western half of the state, from Greenwich to Branford and inland. She is based at the New Haven County UConn Extension Center office in North Haven.

Schechter works in the eastern half of the state, from Guilford to Stonington and inland and is based at the Connecticut Sea Grant office at the UConn Avery Point campus in Groton.

Read more about the sustainable and resilient community extension educators: