Storm Aftermath: A Message from the Chairman of Connecticut Audubon Society’s Board of Directors

It’s obviously been a tough few days in Connecticut and it’s likely to continue on the tough side as folks assess storm damage and wait for power to return.

At Connecticut Audubon Society we sustained a bit of damage but basically pulled through OK at our five conservation centers and other facilities.

The Milford Point Coastal Center, which sits on a barrier beach on the shore of Long Island Sound, was inundated when the storm surge breached the sand bars and dunes. The ground floor of the center building and the parking lot were under water. But the offices, exhibitions, classroom space, etc., are all on the building’s second floor, and so damage was light.

The entire sanctuary – indeed, the entire point – is strewn with flotsam and jetsam, both litter and organic debris such as uprooted reeds. Cleanup is just getting underway and so the Coastal Center is closed until further notice.

On the other extreme is the Center at Glastonbury, which never lost power and which is open for visitors, as usual. The adjacent trails are clear and available for hiking as well.

There still is no electricity at the Center at Pomfret; at Trail Wood, in Hampton; at the Center at Fairfield and at Birdcraft Museum (which is in Fairfield). Their adjacent sanctuaries are all open, though, and the trails for the most part are clear, although hikers should be careful about dangling and overhanging branches.

Our new Science in Nature education program for elementary and middle school kids had to be postponed this week, of course, but will be rescheduled.

In general we pulled through. We hope the same is true for all of you, and we wish you the best of luck during the next few days of recovery.

Sincerely,

Ralph Wood
Chairman of the Board of Directors