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by Sarah Jeanne Royer The contents of this column were recently presented to Town Manager Richard Johnson, Glastonbury Town Council Members and Glastonbury Board of Education. The comments are by  Sara-Jeannie Royer, PhD., a research scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, Center for Marine Debris Research, Hawaii Pacific University […]

By Jennifer Siskind Awareness of environmental toxins and their impacts on health is increasing. Carcinogens and PFAS surround us from a variety of sources, and many try to reduce exposures. Toxic products once commonplace in our lives have fallen out of favor. The prevalence of PFAS in non-stick cookware, food wrappers, cosmetics, sunscreens, stain and

By Bruce Bowman The Town of Glastonbury has the distinction of being a ‘Climate Leader’ for its recognition and actions demonstrating the Town’s commitment to environmental, economic, and social stewardship, while remaining fiscally responsible. In 2018, the Town enacted a Sustainable Purchasing Policy where it seeks in part to encourage environmental sustainability by being mindful

by Bruce Bowman We are in the midst of climate change, and we need to do what we can to stop it or slow it down. While we do this we also need to learn how to adapt and live with worsening climate change effects. That adaptation may be on a smaller level based on

by Dan Boughton Nestled between Portland, Marlborough, East Hampton, Hebron and Glastonbury is where the Meshomasic State Forest is located. These woodlands, which consist of two separate tracts bisected by Rt 2, exceed 9,000 acres. There is some pretty cool history worth noting about these woods. In 1903 the state of Connecticut purchased 627 acres

By Tracy Kavananaugh Here we are at another crucial time of year when it is pollinators (and many other creatures) versus homeowners. This time instead of considering taking part in NO MOW MAY, where we stop mowing for the month to help early emerging pollinators with food, the Glastonbury Pollinator Pathway is asking you to

By Shawnee Baldwin Looking over your life how many ways have you experienced water in all its forms? Crossing a bridge and seeing the river or brook below? Fishing in a lake or the ocean? Sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, swimming? A baptism, ritual washing, or other sacred ceremony? Washing a car or watering a lawn,

By Kristi Vitelli On March 2, 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly voted to create a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Plastic knows no boundaries, so it requires a global response to stop the scourge of single-use plastic pollution. This treaty will force governments and companies to take more responsibility. Unfortunately, COVID-19 exponentially increased

By Dan Boughton FrogWatch USA is a citizen science program that invites community volunteers to help scientists collect information on frogs and toads heard calling at wetlands across the United States. My wife and I became citizen scientists this past spring through online training with the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk. The training was fun and