NAUGATUCK RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
| NRWA 2010 The following is a summary of many of the NRWA activities/events concluded in 2010. Bird Nesting House and other projects Linden Park -Bird Nesting Houses, Erosion Control, Beautification
Vegetation and River Bank Cleanup by Naugatuck High School Air Force
Junior ROTC cadets & their leaders completed on April 27 and November
15. Events Shopping Carts In the Naugatuck River A NRWA officer met with the
Naugatuck BIG Y store manager Sal and discussed possible solutions
for BIG Y keeping them on its property. Vandals are taking the carts,
wheeling to the foot bridge near the Naugatuck River Convocation Committee -- Bob Gregorski attended the Naugatuck River Convocation Committee (NRCC) meetings (6-21, 10-25, 11-15 &12-13); he is a member of the Steering Committee. Publicity Correspondences (Email & US Postal)
Great Students and Bad Students 11-15-10 Joe Savarese and Bob Gregorski of the Naugatuck River Watershed Association organized a clean up of the Naugatuck River banks in Linden Park in Naugatuck. Thirty Naugatuck High School Air Force ROTC Cadets and their leaders were outstanding, hard working volunteers. The clean up was a great success. The 8 bird nesting houses that NRWA contributed to the Park and ROTC Cadets erected last spring were destroyed by vandals recently. The houses were inspected about a week prior to the clean up and 6 were in place with nests in them. When the Cadets went to examine the nests, determine the bird species (an outdoor, educational experience) and clean out the houses, they found them vandalized. Several cadets planted spring flowering bulbs and evergreen plants to beautify the riverbank. The NRWA and Trout Unlimited- Naugatuck-Pomperaug Chapter provided the bulbs and plants. A pair of strong-armed cadets knocked down six-foot high Japanese Knotweed growing along a section of Greenway. The exotic, invasive plant was blocking the view of the river for people walking on the Greenway. An obvious example of great students/teens compared to bad behaving, irresponsible students (adolescents/teens). Thanks to Ed Carter, Bob Rowland and Jim Stewart of the Borough of
Naugatuck for their support and assistance.
Conservationist At Work Scout Life Project Completed--Recently Justin Zinko of Boy Scout Troop 5 in Middlebury completed his Boy Scout Life Project. Five of the Troop's Scouts and three adults assisted with the project. The following were erected: at Lake Elise one Wood Duck nesting box and two Bluebird/Tree Swallow houses and one Wood Duck house and a Bluebird/Tree Swallow house at Turtle Pond. Both areas were cleaned of litter making the nesting houses a welcome sight to wildlife. The second part of the project will be monitoring of the Wood Duck
and Bluebird/Tree Swallow nesting boxes at the end of the season to
determine the breeding success, and then cleaning them out.
Middlebury Troop 5 Boy Scouts. From left to right Justin
Zinko, Joe Bannon, Stephen Dwyer, Tyler Zinko, Eli Pekovich, and Shaun
Bannon. 2010 Kayak Race Festival in Beacon Falls-On May 8, Dave Leveillee, John Ploski and Bob Gregorski set up and manned the NRWA booth at the festival. NRWA business cards/web address and information about NRWA programs and events were discussed with a number of interested people. Linden Park -Bird Nesting Houses, Erosion Control, Beautification Vegetation and Cleanup April 27, 2010 Recently a hard working group of Naugatuck High School, Air Force Junior ROTC cadets lead by Lieutenant Colonel Valerie Lofland, USAF (ret) and Master Sergeant Gary Morrone, USAF (ret) improved the quality of life in the Naugatuck River Valley. The Cadets have made Linden Park in Naugatuck a better place to spend time. To attract song birds, including for blue birds and tree swallows, eight nesting houses were erected. Provide free comfortable housing, and they will come! The first stage of planting for beautification, wildlife food and habitat was completed between the Naugatuck River and the Greenway. A water garden was started with cattails, blue flag water iris, tall grasses and bog bean. One hundred other flowering plants were planted including: yucca, iris, money plant and lilac. About 10,000 wild flower seeds (Cornflower, Forget Me Not, Sweet William, Baby's Breath and ten other varieties) should add to the park's beauty for years to come. A short section of eroding riverbank received about 50 willow bush cuttings and several pounds of grass seed to abate erosion. The view and sounds of rushing river water from most of the Greenway is blocked by the tall, Invasive and exotic Japanese knotweed. Several of the cadets knocked it down in one section along the Greenway; now one can see & hear the river. Once a few cadets saw ugly debris which included: plastic lawn chairs, a burned out TV, metal pipes, plastic bottles and bags, they were relentless in their pursuit of getting out of an area they had just planted. The project was organized by Joe Savarese and Bob Gregorski of the Naugatuck River Watershed Association (NRWA) and sponsored by the Borough of Naugatuck including the Mayor's office, Public Works and Recreation Departments. NRWA and the Naugatuck-Pomperaug Chapter of Trout Unlimited donated plants and seeds. Contact person: Bob Gregorski
Naugatuck River Banks Cleaned More than twenty bags of debris, a barrel, and a bicycle and car transmission were removed. The project was organized by Joe Savarese and Bob Gregorski of the Naugatuck River Watershed Association and sponsored by the Borough of Naugatuck including the Mayor’s office, Public Works and Recreation Departments. Here are the names of those who worked: AFJROTC Cadets: Corey Boulanger, Megan O'Connell, Ken Looby, Dylan Brouard, Nick Ritkowski Adrianna Taylor, Chris Lampo and Mr. Chris Ritkowski, MSgt Gary Morrone, USAF (ret) and Lt Col Valerie Lofland, USAF (ret).
This is the clean-up group—(From L to R): MSgt Gary Morrone, USAF (ret) AFJROTC Aerospace Science Instructor and teacher, Naugatuck High School, Dylan Brouard, Ken Looby, Chris Lampo, Lt Col Valerie Lofland, USAF (ret), Senior Aerospace Science Instructor and teacher, Mr. Chris Retkowski (parent), Nick Retkoswki, Corey Boulanger, Megan O'Connell and Adrianna Taylor. 2010 Kayak/Canoe Race The Naugatuck River is calling you!! A 100% Charitable Event! We are currently seeking sponsors at many support levels to help us continue the event each year. Please contact us if you would like to help. Come join us and paddle down river 6.0 or 6.5 miles of great river
winding down through the Naugatuck Valley through three towns and
the Naugatuck State Forest, please help us support the "Naugy's"
return to a recreational river |
