Hello. My name is Christy McGough. I am fifteen years old and I attend New Canaan High School.
In the summer of 2016 I was a summer steward for the New Canaan Land Trust where I was educated about the environment with a group of other high schoolers my age who love nature. I learned how to identify different species of trees, plants, and ferns, and I was taught the correct way to properly interact with the environment. We also went into many of the Land Trust properties scattered around New Canaan and did a significant amount of work in the woods.
My group and I did some work managing some of the invasive species that harm plants that are more beneficial to the environment and overpopulate vast areas of land; two of these invasive species are the Japanese Barberry and grape vines.
Furthermore, the summer stewards and I built brush piles, which consist of large sticks and branches that may have fallen off of dead/dying trees. We would stack them together to create a sort of barrier that provided protection for little creatures from predators or just shelter for their own personal use.
Not only is the New Canaan Land Trust great for the environment but it also brings benefits to the people of New Canaan. Land preservation is definitely aesthetically pleasing and expresses peace and beauty, and the land trust allows more New Canaan residents to be able to enjoy a healthy environment.
We build and clean up pathways so people who live around the area can walk around to see the beautiful trees, water streams, and structures that the girl and boy scouts have created.
A specific property that I would like to bring attention to is the Fowler property. The Land Trust owns a portion of the pond that is in the Fowler property, which was generously donated by the town. We are very thankful for this property and we have been able to make good progress preserving nature with the portion that we have been given.
However, a donation of the whole pond would benefit not only the town, but our community as a whole:
“Protecting the entirety of the pond will help wildlife, including important birds such as the Eastern Wood Peewee, Red-eyed Vireo and Northern Flicker. This property protects a migratory bird route with diverse habitats including meadows, woodlands, wetlands and a pond.”—New Canaan Land Trust
The preservation of this pond would benefit the community and the town as a whole.
Being a part of the New Canaan Land Trust has been a truly enriching experience. I have learned so much about the various plant and animal species that populate the land, and I am amazed by the beautifully diverse landscapes that I have come across during my time at the Land Trust. Our town does such a good job preserving its environment, and the beauty that flourishes in every acre gives me another reason to be proud of New Canaan.
Thank you for your time,
Christy McGough
Points well made by Christy … while the Board of Selectmen’s meeting Tuesday morning at 900am is during school time … if there is any chance you and some of your fellow stewards could make it to the meeting that would be very helpful for the cause.
We need to prove to the BOS that it is not just the older generation who are “tree huggers”, but it is younger people, like yourself, who will value and benefit from the presence and use of open space for years to come.
Keep up the good work!