Connecticut Ann ua l Re p o r t 2 0 1 9 THE NATURE Dear Friends– CONSERVANCY IN CONNECTICUT I love seeing the world through the eyes of others, whether looking at my favorite artist’s work, talking with vendors at my farmers’ market, BOARD OF TRUSTEES or learning about the latest renewable energy innovations from our FRANCES C. ASHLEY experts. I get a more complete picture of the world when I see it from CHAIR others’ points of view. LAURA di BONAVENTURA VICE CHAIR DAVID JAFFE What does this have to VICE CHAIR do with conservation? JOHN PRITCHARD SECRETARY EVERYTHING. ERIC BAUMAN TREASURER Building a healthy, sustainable planet is a monumental challenge, and TRUSTEES one that is beyond the scope of any one organization to achieve. We EUNICE BURNETT WITH A have to bring many different people and perspectives together to make RODRIGO CANALES, PH.D. DANIEL C. ESTY, ESQ. it happen. KIKI KENNEDY, MD MARIE-FRANCE KERN That’s how The Nature Conservancy gets conservation done, and what PHILIP O. LIVINGSTON, MD LITTLE HELP you’ll see in these pages. You’ll meet our partners like Connecticut ELIZABETH MCCANCE, PH.D. KAREN MEHRA National Public Radio and Yale University, who have helped us JAMES PROSEK broadcast climate discussions across the state and nation, to partners ALLEN ROSENSHINE like Groundwork Bridgeport helping us to bring the benefits of nature DAVID K. SKELLY, PH.D. FROM OUR AMY VAN DER VELDE to urban dwellers. GARY YOHE, PH.D. YALE BOARD FELLOWS We’ve taken a program – our Coastal Resiliency Building workshop SHEA FLANAGAN FRIENDS which trains communities how they can use nature to buffer MANON LEFEVRE themselves from the effects of climate change – and expanded TEONA WILLIAMS it rapidly. Pioneeered here in Connecticut, demand for these STATE DIRECTOR workshops has led to them being adopted in six other states, including DR. FROGARD RYAN Massachusetts, and most recently, Rhode Island. And finally, there is our leadership on the Long Island Sound Blue Plan, which exemplifies how we work at scale, with many partners and different users of this beautiful estuary that is our window to the world. You’ll hear voices from communities across the state who want to create a plan for Long Island Sound that balances the needs of tens of millions of people along with the needs of nature. Like the farmers selling their produce at my Saturday market, or entrepreneurs innovating the next clean energy breakthrough, this work is our passion. We do it because we love it, but also because it’s essential to our collective survival. It requires us to be ambitious, and we can only do it with many partners and voices on board, including yours. Thank you for seeing the world through the eyes of others, like mine. Best, INSET PHOTOS THIS PAGE: Brant flying over Long Island Sound © TNC; Dr. Frogard Ryan © TNC (Michael Asphar); Salt Marsh near the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Lyme © TNC (Jerry and Marcy Monkman) Dr. Frogard Ryan This past year saw a variety of events and gatherings, large and small, for us to share with all of you our enthusiasm for protecting the lands and waters on which all life depends. We love to get together with our friends and talk CELEBRATING AN about conservation in our supporters’ homes so we can get to know each other EVENTFUL YEAR better. But we also love our big annual events, like Nature Talks, International Women’s Day and the Greenwich International Film Festival. Here are a few photo highlights from our very eventful year. TOP ROW FROM LEFT: TNC’s Andrew Benson at beach clean-up day, Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven © TNC (Laura Shail); Nature Conservancy Center wall mural © TNC; TNC trustee Laura di Bonaventura, Connecticut chapter State Director Dr. Frogard Ryan and TNC trustees Karen Mehra and Eunice Burnett at Earth Day presentation at Grace Farms, New Canaan © TNC (Andrew Benson); Former State Senator Ted Kennedy Jr., Dr. Frogard Ryan, TNC trustee Allen Rosenshine and former PepsiCo Chair and CEO Indra Nooyi at Nature as a Business Asset dinner, Greenwich © TNC (Andrew Benson) MIDDLE ROW FROM LEFT: Mara Shore, TNC Board Chair Frances Ashley and TNC trustee Kiki Kennedy in Greenwich © TNC (Andrew Benson); Radio personality John Dankosky speaks with panelists Gary Yohe, Huffington Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University and TNC trustee, Jay Williams, president, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Lynn Stoddard, Executive Director, Sustainable Connecticut, and Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org at Nature Talks event at Yale University in New Haven © Steven Laschever; Beach clean-up at Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven © TNC (Laura Shail); a falcon impresses a crowd at the TNC and Grace Farms Earth Day event, New Canaan © TNC (Andrew Benson) BOTTOM ROW FROM LEFT: Former Board Chair John Levinson and Connecticut chapter State Director Dr. Frogard Ryan greet the late Wild Kingdom host Jim Fowler in New Canaan © TNC (Andrew Benson); The Greenwich International Film Festival of which TNC was a sponsor; Michael Sutton, Executive Director of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Melissa Garvey, Global Director of Ocean Protection at TNC, Nathan M. Frohling, Director CT Marine & Coastal Initiatives, Frances C. Ashley, TNC in Connecticut Board Chair join panel discussion with Science Friday host Ira Flatow © TNC (Andrew Benson); Frogard Ryan speaking with supporters at an Earth Day event at Grace Farms Foundation © TNC (Andrew Benson) RESILIENT RHODY Today, with 80 percent of the world’s Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank announced population living in coastal areas, Connecticut’s the launch of the Resilient Rhody Municipal climate adaptation efforts are part of a Resilience Program in partnership with The worldwide effort to address climate change. Nature Conservancy. The program aims From the Florida Keys, to the Philippines to to support Rhode Island municipalities in Connecticut’s coastal communities, we are increasing their climate resilience by providing building the scientific case for the protective technical assistance and the ability to apply for value of nature for communities and economies, implementation funds. while working with local communities to The Nature Conservancy will help ensure they can adapt to climate change. municipalities complete a climate vulnerability assessment and develop a list of actionable TACKLING Connecticut’s climate plans and projects using our Community Resilience Building process. Participating adaptation efforts are part communities will receive designation as a Resilient Rhody Municipality upon successful CLIMATE of a WORLDWIDE EFFORT. completion of the program, which aims to deepen municipalities’ understanding of There have been some exciting new climate risks and financially assist them in CHANGE developments with our Community Resilience developing resilient solutions. Building workshops this year. The Connecticut The program supports the goals outlined in Chapter’s workshop process has been the state’s Climate Resilience Action Strategy instrumental in helping more than 350 towns (Resilient Rhody) released by Governor Gina prepare for extreme weather in Connecticut, Raimondo in 2018, which identified steps the New York, Massachusetts, and beyond. This state can take to protect against unexpected year, Rhode Island followed suit. events, like severe weather, while addressing chronic stresses, such as sea level rise coupled with aging infrastructure. THE CHAPTER RELEASED THE DRAFT LONG ISLAND BLUE PLAN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND DELIVERED THE FINAL DRAFT TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN SEPTEMBER. THIS PAGE: Community Resilience Building workshop in action © TNC (Adam Whelchel); Storm surge overcomes road © TNC THE CHAPTER HAS SERVED ON THE DEEP COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND HAS BECOME ACTIVE IN THE EFFORT TO DEPLOY AND PRODUCE RENEWABLE OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY. The Nature Conservancy’s CONSERVING efforts to protect land and water for nature and people RESILIENT SPAN THE ENTIRE GLOBE. This year saw one of TNC’s largest-ever LAND AND conservation efforts in the eastern United States, the Cumberland Forest Project. The 253,000-acre parcel WATER protects the Central Appalachian winding streams and hilly forests of THE CHAPTER ADDED Virginia’s Clinch Valley. And all the way 77 ACRES TO LUCIUS in Kenya’s central highlights of Nairobi, ORDWAY/DEVIL’S DEN, OUR we are working with communities to MOST POPULAR PRESERVE. provide access to clean water. LAND AS A LEGACY OF LOVE Here in Connecticut this year, we celebrated “As my mom got older, we were looking for the addition of 75 acres to TNC’s Connecticut a final gift that could be a fitting tribute to flagship Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den her lifelong love of the natural world,” Philip Preserve in Weston. Livingston says. “We were delighted when The addition was truly a labor of love for Marie Orsini Rosen (TNC Connecticut director of Dr. Philip Livingston, a trustee of both TNC philanthropy) told us about this opportunity.” in Connecticut and his family’s Tortuga Because of its history, Devil’s Den is a Foundation. A renowned conservationist and particularly meaningful spot for the family— philanthropist, Philip Livingston’s mother, the the new land acquisition will be named for late Joan Livingston Tweedy was also the niece Joan Livingston Tweedy. Located less than 60 of Katharine Ordway, a pioneering botanist miles from New York City, though, it’s also an who helped TNC protect numerous remarkable important place for countless others. places, including Devil’s Den—TNC’s “Because of where it is, Devil’s Den provides largest and most frequently visited real access to nature—and its tranquility and Connecticut preserve. wonder—to so many people,” he says. “To be The Tortuga Foundation made this year’s able to expand it a little bit was a privilege.” addition to Devil’s Den possible, with additional critical support provided by another family committed to land protection through their Summer Hill Foundation and other partners.