Around Town

‘A Perfect Tribute’: Community Dedicates ‘Linda Andros Day’ at New Canaan Nature Center

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During her many years on the New Canaan Nature Center Board of Trustees—eight in all, including five as president—Linda Andros puzzled over what to do with the abandoned “Audubon House” structure near the Visitors Center. An original building on the well-loved Oenoke Ridge property, the Audubon House was demolished one week ago, thanks to the New Canaan Department of Public Works—something that Andros would have appreciated, according to Nature Center Executive Director Bill Flynn. “Our idea to rejuvenate this area, it being the Audubon House, was to make this a celebration to birds and bird-watching and make it a native pollinator sanctuary,” Flynn told 50 people gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Nature Center on a clear, sunny day. “And that was something we had an idea before the building was coming down.”

Next to Flynn stood a young Winter Hawthorn tree donated by Copia Home & Garden and planted in honor and memory of Andros, a lover of nature, plants and animals. She died Dec.

Bill Flynn

Op-Ed: In Loving Memory of Linda Andros

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[Bill Flynn is executive director of the New Canaan Nature Center.]

On December 12th, we lost Linda Andros, a cherished member of our community. As president of the board of the New Canaan Nature Center, Linda brought boundless energy, vision, and unwavering dedication to our mission of fostering a love for nature and environmental stewardship. Her leadership helped guide the center through years of growth and success, leaving a lasting legacy that will inspire generations to come. Beyond her instrumental work with the Nature Center, Linda was deeply committed to the well-being of the people of New Canaan and beyond. She served with distinction on the New Canaan Conservation Commission, where her passion for preserving our town’s natural beauty was evident in every initiative she championed.

Around Town

‘They’ll Chew Down Everything’: The Goats Are Back at the New Canaan Nature Center

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Invasive plant species here in New Canaan have met their match … goats! For the second straight summer, the New Canaan Nature Center has introduced goats to help combat invasive plant species in a chemical-free manner. The goats are sourced from a company out of Rhinebeck, N.Y., according to the executive director of the New Canaan Nature Center, Bill Flynn. 

“[The company] does this all over the Northeast,” he said. “They rent [the goats] out who do their work, and then they go back.”

The goats are used primarily to remove an invasive plant called Japanese Knotweed.

Alice Wyman

‘We Chose Not To Use Chemicals’: Invasive Plant-Eating Goats Arrive at New Canaan Nature Center

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The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. In an effort to provide a pesticide-free solution to a growing number of invasive plants, the New Canaan Nature Center on Thursday introduced four goats into one of its pastures. The introduction of the goats is the Nature Center’s first such project “of what we hope is many,” according to Bill Flynn, the organization’s executive director. 

“Because of our land management plan, we chose not to use chemicals to tackle invasive species, and goats are a non-chemical way to do that,” Flynn said as he stood near a half-acre field in the northern section of the Nature Center. About 20 volunteers had prepared the pasture the day before by installing fencing and a shelter for the animals. 

The area is “full of” invasive vines, Flynn said. “Bittersweet, we have a huge mugwort problem on our property,” he said.