Conservation Committee

The Conservation Committee is charged with arousing the interest of the Club and the community to the importance of conservation and the dangers of neglect. In this educational mission, the committee has undertaken the following activities in recent years:

• A prize winning exhibit was produced illustrating the importance of preserving open space in Litchfield. This exhibit has been on display at Garden Club meetings, at the Community Center, the Oliver Wolcott Library in October 2005, White Memorial during Family Nature Day (2005 and 2006)  and at the Federated Garden Club Flower Show in Hartford in February, 2006.  

• An exhibit on the local impact of global warming and steps we can take in our community is being prepared for the October, 2007 Zone II meeting in Litchfield.
  

• A public forum on open space preservation on February 9, 2006 was organized by the Conservation Committee.  Panelists were Eliot Wadsworth, CEO of White Flower Farm; Lynn Werner, Executive Director of the Housatonic Valley Association; Tim Northrop, CT state director of the Trust for Public Lands; and Andrew Roraback, CT state senator. Martha Phillips, a Garden Club member, moderated.

• Gina McCarthy, the Connecticut Commissioner of Environmental Protection, was invited by the Conservation Committee to address the Garden Club open meeting held October 19, 2006 at the Litchfield Community Center. 

• The Conservation Committee makes an annual grant in support of the educational program operated by White Memorial for Litchfield Sixth Grader.

• The Conservation Committee annually makes small grants to organizations important to promoting conservation in our community.  Recent recipients have included the Housatonic Valley Association, the Litchfield High School Envirothon, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Litchfield Hills Greenprint, and the Rivers Alliance of Connecticut.

• Pollinator Project:  The Conservation Committee has “hands on” involvement in the Pollinator Project, which it planted and continues to maintain at White Memorial. Each year the White Flower Farm generously donates annuals which are then planted by Garden Club members. Garden Club members also take turns making sure the garden is weeded and watered.  Click here for more information about the Pollinator Project, including before-and-after pictures, the garden plan, a list of plants important to butterflies.

• Washington Legislative meeting:  Members of the Conservation Committee travel to Washington DC each February for an intense three-day national conference on legislation affecting the environment. 

• Connecticut State Legislative Report and advocacy:  The Conservation Committee tracks state legislation pertaining to environmental issues. 

Additional Resources and Links:

• Click here for Position Papers from the Garden Club of America (PDF format)
  
  
  
• Click here for legislative updates from the Garden Club of America (Accessible to GCA members only - requires login. Once you login, click on "Committees," then "National Affairs and Legislation," and then "Current Legislative Update.")