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.

Government

Public Works: Town Workers Here To Help Those Seeking To Use New ‘Swap Shop’ Apply for Transfer Station Permit Online

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Town officials say residents seeking to use the recently launched Swap Shop at the Transfer Station can get help obtaining a permit for the facility in multiple ways. For New Canaanites unable to access or use the online system through the town’s website for a Transfer Station permit—a requirement to use the Swap Shop at the Lakeview Avenue facility—there are municipal workers ready to help. “If you can’t access it online, and perform it online, I have three people—one in my office, one in our special projects office and then Donnie Smith down at the Transfer Station—that will actually walk you through the process and help you fill it out online in front of him,” according to Tiger Mann. “We do ask that you have it only because we’re trying to make sure that the Station is used correctly and that we monitor goods coming and going,” Mann told members of the Conservation Commission at their regular meeting, held Feb. 9 at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

His comments came in response to remarks from Commissioner Ann Silvio, who said she’s seen chatter on Facebook about the “difficulty of getting a pass.”

Silvio noted that residents pay the same annual fee regardless of when during the fiscal year they purchase a pass.

Government

Test Results Show ‘Slightly Elevated’ E. Coli Levels in Parts of New Canaan Waterways

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A half-dozen bacteria data collection sites in three New Canaan rivers turned up slightly elevated levels of E. coli following tests that commenced this spring, officials said last week. 

The results could indicate nitrogen in the water supply, according to members of the New Canaan Conservation Commission. 

“I am not looking at these streams and rivers as drinking water supply, but I am looking at them from a wildlife and biodiversity standpoint and I am trying to get a better feel on, are they getting too much nitrogen in the water?” Commission Chair Chris Schipper said during the appointed body’s Aug. 13 meeting, held via videoconference. “I assume E. coli is also related to nitrogen. And are there other chemicals getting into the water supply?”

The Commission referred to data collection and water quality tests from Harbor Watch, part of Westport-based nonprofit organization Earthplace. The group presented to the Commission last spring. The town approved a total of $25,000 for the professional services in the Commission’s budget for the current fiscal year.

Around Town

New Canaan Nature Center Appoints New Executive Director

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After more than one year without a permanent employee at the helm, the New Canaan Nature Center on Monday afternoon announced that a longtime staff member will take on the role of executive director. Bill Flynn, most recently the Oenoke Ridge Road organization’s director of animal care & environmental educator, starts in the leadership role following a “comprehensive search and selection process,” according to Linda Andros, president of the Nature Center’s Board of Trustees. “He’s an accomplished naturalist with excellent communication and leadership skills,” Andros said in a press release. “We are confident that he will take the Nature Center to the next level while continuing to deliver on our core values of community, education, protection and preservation.”

Flynn, a resident on the town-owned property’s campus, came to the Nature Center in 2010 following a stint as naturalist and environmental science educator in Ohio and Southern California, according to the press release. He has earned degrees in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology and Pre-Medicine from the University of Colorado, Boulder, it said.