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Internationally Acclaimed Climate Scientist To Speak at New Canaan Library’s Inaugural ‘Oldham Nature and Environment Lecture Series’

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When a generous New Canaan Library supporter suggested a lecture series in recognition of former director Lisa Oldham’s contribution to the building, the team there had just finished its sustainable new structure. It was early 2023 and the library was working with “many groups in New Canaan that were concerned with the environment and climate change,” Oldham recalled. “Tying this together with our mission to foster learning in the community, we decided the lecture series would focus on nature and the environment,” she told NewCanaanite.com. 

Fast-forward about 18 months. 

The “Oldham Nature and Environment Lecture Series” will kick off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15 with world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe (register here). 

As chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and author of the bestselling book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, as well as presenter of TED Talks viewed by more than 5 million people globally, “Hayhoe reveals a remarkable talent for translating complex climate issues into accessible public discourse,” library officials said in a press release announcing the Lecture Series. “Katharine Hayhoe will discuss how the key to tackling climate change is to begin by understanding how any change to our environment naturally connects us,” the press release said.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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New Canaan Police at 12:43 p.m. on Sept. 20 received a report of a vehicle stolen from the Roger Sherman Inn. ***

Group exercise party: Free drop-in classes at the New Canaan Y, open to all with no registration, this Saturday and Sunday. Details here. ***

Tickets are now available for the Second Annual Hallo-Wine Party.

Around Town

‘A Truly Loving Kid’: Hundreds Attend Elliott Kropf’s Funeral Service

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Elliott Kropf’s friends say he often was one of the first people to greet new kids at school, Monsignor Rob Kinnally, pastor of Saint Aloysius Parish, said Monday morning. The New Canaan High School senior also was a person who remained loyal to his friends “when it might be easier not to,” Kinnally told a standing-room-only crowd several rows deep, gathered for the teenager’s funeral Mass. “That he loved the game of hockey so much that he taught other kids how to play the game, so that they would have something to belong to,” the monsignor continued. “Something that made them feel like they were masters of the highest degree of destiny, and thus very much a part of something that at one point they thought maybe they could never do. Teachers of anything never do what they do for fame.

Around Town

2nd Annual Waveny Park Arts Festival Set for Oct. 6 [Q&A]

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The second annual Waveny Park Arts Festival is less than two weeks away. Presented Oct. 6 in partnership with the New Canaan Parks & Recreation Department, and with support from the Waveny Park Conservancy, the Carriage Barn Arts Center’s festival features a juried collection from fine artists and artisans across a wide range of media. The Carriage Barn is looking to build on a very successful inaugural event, with live music, family activities, refreshments and food trucks and more—including a new “Young Entrepreneurs Marketplace.”

We put some questions to the organization’s executive director, Hilary Wittmann, ahead of the Oct. 6 festival.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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New Canaan Police at 8:55 a.m. on Sept. 12 received a report of copper pipes stolen from a house under construction on Evergreen Road. The investigation is ongoing. ***

The Planet New Canaan Green Gala will be held 7 to 9 p.m. next Thursday at Carriage Barn Arts Center. Tickets and silent auction info here.