Couch Tour - A Guided Trip Around Your Watershed
Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition (PRWC) invites its supporters and community to kick off World Rivers Day and celebrate the Pomperaug Watershed with an online video tour of spots of interest throughout the watershed. PRWC team members will guide you on a journey from the headwaters in Bethlehem to the mouth of the Pomperaug in Southbury where it joins the Housatonic River and flows out into Long Island Sound.
Event attendees will be treated to welcoming remarks from special guests Tim Palmer and Ann Vileisis. Tim is the award-winning author of 26 books about rivers, conservation, and adventure travel. He is a photographer of America's natural landscapes and a dynamic public speaker on a range of environmental topics.
Ann Vileisis is an independent scholar and award-winning author of three books that explore culture and nature through history, offering insight to current issues and hope for the future. While Tim and Ann live in a small town on the Pacific coast and work together as activists focused on the conservation of rivers, salmon, and birds, they have strong ties to the Pomperaug Watershed as Ann grew up in the area.
Tim and Ann will share thoughts on World Rivers Day and how we can steward our precious water resources. World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world's waterways. It highlights the many values of rivers and strives to increase public awareness and encourages the improved stewardship of rivers around the world. Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.
Carol Haskins, PRWC Executive Director will invite attendees to join in a toast in honor of PRWC’s 20th Anniversary in 2020 and in memory of Dr. Marc Taylor, Founder of the PRWC, River Steward Extraordinaire and a true River Hero. For twenty years, staff and volunteers of PRWC have worked tirelessly to ensure the health of the Pomperaug River and the many rivers and streams which flow into it.
The virtual watershed video tour event will be hosted on Zoom on Saturday, September 26 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM and is free of charge. Join in the fun with fellow river enthusiasts and environmentalists from the comfort of your home. Register online. Watershed Tour Guides in the video include:
• Dana Dessereaux, 2016 Dr. Marc Taylor Intern and Laboratory Coordinator at Norwalk First Taxing District Water Department
• Dillon Larkin, 2020 Dr. Marc Taylor Intern and Environmental Engineering undergraduate student at St. Lawrence University
• SaraLynn Leavenworth, Board Member and Director of Admission at Cheshire Academy
• Donna Lesch, Volunteer and Science Teacher at Woodland Regional High School
• John Pittari, Board Member and Owner of New Morning Market & Vitality Center
• Naomi Robert, 2020 Dr. Marc Taylor Intern and recent graduate of University of Connecticut School of Natural Resources
• Matt Rose ,2014 Dr. Marc Taylor Intern and Environmental Scientist at Milone & MacBroom
• David Taylor, Board Member and Chairman Woodbury Conservation Commission
• Jan Taylor, Volunteer and Founding Supporter
Aligned with the watershed video tour watch party, PRWC will host a Fund-A-Need Online Auction to raise funds needed to support its internship and youth conservation corps programs, educational programs, watershed monitoring and restoration initiatives, the development of and advocacy for sustainable water and land use policies, and other vital work.
As PRWC marks its 20th year of providing science-based environmental protections, it remains committed to the rivers and aquifer that provide clean drinking water, a home to wildlife, and miles of opportunities for recreation and enjoyment. All of PRWC’s programs and activities underscore our collective roles as stewards of our environment and promote good habits to keep our watershed and rivers healthy.
