Trainings & Events

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA), People's Action for Clean Energy (PACE), and the Connecticut Energy Network (CTEN) invite you to tour the Interstate Waste Services (IWS) Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Shelton, CT. The IWS facility is one of four MRFs in Connecticut. A Material Recovery Facility is where mixed recyclables are sorted, baled, and marketed. Join us to see the fascinating recycling process in action, and learn more about what is accepted and what is not accepted in CTs mixed recycling program. Deadline to reserve your spot is Oct 19. Space is limited to 14 participants. Note: This tour is not ADA accessible; participants will navigate several flights of stairs. More details will be shared with registered attendees prior to the tour.
 

Attend this workshop to get the benefit from programs paid for by a charge on your energy bill

• Learn energy efficiency hacks that can save you money on winter energy bills.
• Sign up for a Home Energy Solutions assessment and service visit to have experts help you get your home ready for winter.
• Play Energy Bingo for a chance to win a Downtown Middletown gift card!

Join the Long Island Sound Partnership and New York Sea Grant for the 4th Annual Long Island Sound Coastal Resilience Forum on October 27 for an opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired!

The goal is to bring together Long Island Sound decision-makers and practitioners working to address shoreline erosion, flooding, and other coastal issues to share information on best practices, discuss challenges, identify opportunities to increase resilience, and enhance coordination across communities.

• Hear updates and insights from NYS agency partners
• Learn about innovative adaptation strategies
• Explore resilience tools and resources
• Engage in a fun and interactive adaptation scenario planning session

View the forum agenda. Refreshments and lunch will be provided!

Register by October 20th! Registration is required.
*If you register after October 20th we cannot guarantee special dietary needs or restrictions will be accommodated.

This event is hosted by Long Island Sound Partnership and New York Sea Grant, in partnership with Suffolk & Nassau Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for questions.
 

Solid Waste Advisory Committee Meeting (SWAC) membership is open to all. Meetings held in an open stakeholder forum. This meeting is online.

For more information or agenda: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/waste-management-and-disposal/solid-waste-management-plan/state-solid-waste-advisory-committee-information-and-schedule
 

As part of the 4th Annual Long Island Sound Coastal Resilience Forum the Long Island Sound Partnership is hosting a Long Island Sound Coastal Resilience Field Trip Tour on October 28 for more opportunities to connect, learn, and be inspired in the field!

Join experts to get a guided bus tour of 3 project sites!

• Patchogue Shorefront Park Living Shoreline
• Cedarmere Preserve Invasive Species Management & Green Infrastructure Project
• Sands Point Preserve Bluff Restoration

There will also be discussions on the bus about other local resilience projects and initiatives.

View the field trip itinerary

Choose a bus departure location that is convenient for you:

• Eisenhower Park (East Meadow) @ 8:00 am
• Hyatt Regency LI (Hauppauge) @ 8:30 am

Both buses will follow the same itinerary and arrive and depart from the 3 project sites at the same time. Buses will return to departure locations around 3 pm. Lunch will be provided to bus trip tour participants!

Register by October 20th! Registration is required.

It is encouraged to ride the bus to avoid entrance fees and overwhelming local streets and parking lots.
*If you register after October 20th we cannot guarantee special dietary needs or restrictions will be accommodated.

This event is hosted by Long Island Sound Partnership and New York Sea Grant, in partnership with Suffolk & Nassau Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for questions.
 

Invasive Plant Symposium, Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, UConn Student Union, Storrs, CT

The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) 2026 symposium will be a full day in-person program on October 28, with some sessions directed to all attendees and other sessions in concurrent breakouts. This year's theme is From Awareness to Action - Strengthening Our Response to Invasive Plants.

The morning session will include a keynote presentation by Tom Zetterstrom, Sharon Land Trust: “Land Trust Decision Model for Invasive Control in Severe Impact Areas” and a Panel Discussion: “Myths of Invasive Plant Management.”

The afternoon breakout sessions are:

Group A (Concurrent):

1) Identification and Management of Invasive Vines: Dr. Bryan Connolly, ECSU; Pete Picone, CT DEEP

2) Rugged Native Plants for Restoration of Managed Areas: Frederick (Erik) C. Sechler, Jr., Native Plant Trust

3) Invasive Aquatics: Updates on Hydrilla and Water Chestnut: John Hall, Jonah Center for Earth and Art; Greg Bugbee, CAES

Group B (Concurrent):

4) Special Topics in Invasive Plant Management: Christian Allyn, Invasive Plant Solutions; Joshua Tracy, Regional Water Authority; Tim Mack, Hamden Land Conservation Trust

5) Building Layers for Biodiversity with Native Plants: Anna Fialkoff and Maggie Redfern, Connecticut College Arboretum

6) Herbicide Management of Invasives: Law and How to Apply it: Zach Donais, CT DEEP

CEU's for organizations and Pesticide Recertification Credits are available.

$90 General Registration (in person attendance). $80 Recording Only; Student Registration Available.

More info: cipwg.uconn.edu/2026-symposium
 

Applicants will learn strategies in writing a strong narrative for the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund. In conjunction with the RFA webinars, get a clear understanding of what is required in a narrative statement. Learn to effectively communicate your organization’s mission and project proposal.
 

EVENT DETAILS

Join The Nature Conservancy in CT for the Urban and Community Forestry Peer Learning Exchange for the Capitol Region! This will be an opportunity to:

• Share urban and community forestry successes and challenges
• Advance transformative urban forestry project ideas
• Build connections
• Learn about innovative funding models

This event, supported by The Nature Conservancy, CRCOG, and partners, is an interactive opportunity to advance urban and community forestry initiatives for the health and well-being of Connecticut residents!

Target audience: local organizations, community leaders, and municipal staff engaged in, or looking to be engaged in, urban and community forestry work in Connecticut.

Capitol Region municipalities: Andover, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Canton, Columbia, Coventry, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Rocky Holl, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Willington, Windsor, Windsor Locks

See the agenda below for more information.

• Optional morning refreshments (8:30-9:00)
• Introduction to the Peer Learning Exchanges and the Urban Forest Network Project (9:00-9:15)
• Introductions by statewide urban forestry organizations (9:15-9:45)
• Lightning round talks from municipal and community leaders from the Capitol Region on how they are approaching management of their urban forest. What's working, what's not (9:45-10:45)
• Break (10:45-11:00)
• Breakout group discussions focused on urban forestry themes (11:00-12:00)
• Breakout group report out and continued conversation (12:00-12:30)
• Lunch (12:30-1:00)
• Optional tree planting (1:00-2:00)

For your consideration:

• What are the successes and challenges you encounter related to urban forestry in your community?
• Is there an opportunity to deepen your engagement in urban forestry?

You're invited to the 2026 RCP Network Gathering, the region’s premier conference for collaborative landscape conservation! This annual full-day event is free and open to all. Registration closes on Monday, October 26.

This year’s program, Cultivating a Shared Food Future through Conservation, Community, & Collaboration, will explore real solutions to the interconnected biodiversity and food system crises, and the vital role that diverse and resilient partnerships, such as RCPs, play in creating a healthier, equitable, and sustainable food future. We hope you’ll come gather with us!

Please contact [email protected] with any registration questions.
 

For our next First Thursday webinar, Eversource experts will explore demand response and the important role it plays in supporting a reliable electric grid. Jennifer Runyon, Energy Efficiency Consultant at Eversource, will provide an overview of available programs, explain how they help balance electricity demand during periods of peak use, discuss the technologies and connected devices that make participation possible, and highlight financial incentives available to eligible residential and business customers.

Why should you attend?

• Learn what demand response is and why it is becoming an increasingly important part of Connecticut's energy future
• Explore how demand response programs help maintain electric grid reliability during periods of high energy demand
• Discover participation opportunities and financial benefits for residential and business customers

Join the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve on Saturday, November 7^th from 9:00AM-11:00AM as they partner with the Mystic Aquarium for a magical beach cleanup featuring a very special mermaid appearance! Grab your favorite ocean themed or winter onesie (or warm winter gear) and join us for a winter coastal cleanup at Bluff Point State Park, Groton, CT. Whether you’re a cuddly crab, a spunky seal, or a fabulous sea unicorn, show off your aquatic flair while we work together to save the waves.

Registration strongly suggested: https://forms.gle/5MaZFupfTY2Lz5Pf6
 

Governor Lamont is hosting Connecticut’s third annual Sustainability and Resiliency Week! Join us November 8 - 14, 2026, for events that celebrate the work across Connecticut that protects our economy, natural resources, and our communities.

Each day will feature virtual, hybrid, and in-person events hosted by partners from across the state. We hope you can join us!
 

Join the Doherty Climate and Resilience Institute at Save the Sound for a webinar information session to learn about our upcoming project, “Long Island Sound Climate and Resilience Report Card.” This report will be the third in a series of science-backed report cards produced by Save the Sound. It will focus on the ecological resilience of coastal New York and Connecticut through indicators spanning ecosystem health, climate hazards, planning, and policy. Through the development of the report card, experts will also identify hotspots for nature-based solutions to defend our coasts.
 

On Monday, November 9, the Land Heritage Coalition of Glastonbury is hosting An Evening with Ethan Tapper at the Riverfront Community Center in Glastonbury. Ethan is a forester, ecologist, digital storyteller, and bestselling author. His new book is The Forest Year: Finding Hope in a World Worth Saving.
 

Connecticut's tide gates, many originally installed decades ago to drain salt marshes for farming or protect property from flooding, but these same structures can restrict the natural tidal flow salt marshes need to stay healthy. This presentation shares findings from a joint CIRCA (UConn) and CT NERR assessment of the initial resilience assessment of the tide gates. During this webinar see the new statewide ArcGIS Experience Builder tool mapping every gate's location and condition, then dive into case studies where hydraulic modeling and on-the-ground marsh surveys come together to answer: what flood protection and marsh health actually require? A hands-on look at how mapping, modeling, and field science combine to guide Connecticut's coastal resilience planning.
 

Join the Connecticut Green Bank for a panel event to celebrate Connecticut's 3rd Sustainability and Resilience Week!

Financing What’s Next – Creative Capital for a More Resilient and Sustainable Connecticut will bring together financing professionals, environmental consultants, economic development practitioners, municipal and state leaders, and project partners for an afternoon of discussion on how innovative financing can help unlock the next generation of sustainability and resilience investments across the state. The event will explore what resilience means across communities, infrastructure, buildings, and emerging markets. Through three focused panels, attendees will examine how creative capital can support resilience planning and bring policy goals and project ideas into reality. The event will also provide space for audience discussion, questions, and networking.
 

Please join us on November 10, 4-7 p.m., at The Wadsworth in Hartford. We'll be honoring all of our 2026 certified towns and a brand new cohort of Climate Leaders.

Formerly known as the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, The Wadsworth honors the past and inspires the future through the power of human creativity. Guided by its founding belief that art can uplift society and ignite progress, The Wadsworth inspires reflection, dialogue, and cultural transformation through its outstanding collection, programs, and partnerships.

Register today to celebrate with us at the Wadsworth. Please feel free to register any guests you would like to bring with you as well. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We're always happy to connect with you.

Your hard work and continuing support are of vital importance to us, so we look forward to celebrating you on November 10th!

Our 2026 Annual Awards Celebration is generously sponsored by Earth Forward Group, with additional support from Titany Energy, Casella, Liberty Bank, Energia, PowerOptions, and the UConn School for Public Policy.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

This workshop will focus on the Smart-E Loans program offering low-interest financing for residential home energy improvements through a network of contractors and lenders.
 

Climate change threatens our coastal habitat, ecosystems that play a critical role in protecting people and wildlife. Local environmental partners are working to protect these habitats through restoration. Partners have traditionally conducted this work in a siloed, reactive manner. In 2024, Audubon CT/NY, Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Save the Sound, Sound Waters, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the CT National Estuarine Research Reserve aimed to change this process and formed the Long Island Sound Coastal Restoration Coalition. This webinar will discuss Coalition goals, restoration practices, and provide examples of restoration projects.
 

Riparian areas are vital habitats located where waterbodies meet the land and that provide a “first line of defense” against the pressures of development. Healthy riparian areas are vital for water quality, ecosystem health, fish and other aquatic habitat, recreational opportunities, and resilience to extreme weather. Evaluating the function of riparian areas in relation to these benefits is critical to making management and restoration decisions.

This webinar will explore a new website and web-tool from CT Sea Grant and UConn CLEAR that is designed to support the assessment and restoration of riparian areas in Connecticut. The Riparian Assessment Tool is designed to help target restoration and management actions based on a set of goals that you define for your site. It combines CT Parcel data, high resolution land cover data from the NOAA C-CAP program, and user input to a series of questions to provide recommendations on how to improve your riparian areas. You will learn how the tool was developed and how it can be used to help you meet your goals for this critical resource. Part of CT Sea Grant and UConn CLEAR’s ongoing webinar series.
 

Join us for a fall walk to observe birds at Haley Farm State Park. The walk will be led by fun and friendly birder, Joe Attwater (The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Conservation & Education Coordinator). No experience is needed. Binoculars and bird guides will be provided. Registration is required and space is limited. Contact Larissa at ‪(860) 446-7371 or [email protected] to register.
 

The Partnership for Strong Communities will host this year’s virtual Connecticut Affordable Housing Conference (CAHC) on November 16 - 17, 2026. The CAHC is our opportunity to convene, collaborate, and drive meaningful change to improve and expand housing affordability, creation, choice, and stability across our state.

The CAHC will span two days, offering a diverse array of sessions tailored to advocates, policymakers, housing and service providers, lenders and funders, and the public. All are welcome. Each year, we spotlight strategies and solutions that help advance the vision that everyone in Connecticut has a safe, stable, affordable home.

The CAHC will conclude with an in-person reception at the Lyceum in Hartford, Connecticut, taking place from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

At The Partnership, we are dedicated to promoting equitable change in Connecticut’s housing policy landscape. Through coordinated advocacy, expert research, and collaboration with partners, we strive to address historic and ongoing housing injustices and support equitable and resilient communities across our state.
 

We can only collect meaningful survey data if the people we are asking questions to can understand them. For most, this means we need translation. But, knowing you SHOULD translate your survey and knowing HOW to are different things. Which languages do you choose? What are your options for translation? And once responses come back in a language you don’t speak, how do you analyze them?

In this session, guests will hear from someone who has worked to translate surveys, along with community members who will share what worked. By the end of the conversation, you will have a way to decide which languages make sense for you to translate your survey into, steps for getting them translated, and ideas for handling the data once it comes in.
 

Join the Long Island Sound Partnership on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 in Bridgeport, CT for the 5th Annual SRC Workshop – an event focused on building capacity for regional resilience planning in support of sustainable and resilient communities throughout coastal Long Island Sound.

Over the past four years, more than 800 people from across the region have joined virtually for our workshop, and this year will be the first time the event is held in person! A main focus of this year’s workshop will be cultivating discussions on advancing watershed and regional resilience coordination and planning.

View the Draft Agenda

A full agenda is coming soon!

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM-5:30 PM

Location: Beacon Hall, Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Boulevard, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Important details:

• There is no cost to attend but registration is required.
• Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
• Travel expense reimbursement of up to $150/person is available on a first-come first-served basis for those who do not have travel budgets through their employers.
• The workshop has a maximum capacity of 140 people – register by November 10 to save your spot!

This event is hosted by the Long Island Sound Partnership, Connecticut Sea Grant, and New York Sea Grant. Contact l[email protected] for any questions.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Thursdays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

UConn's Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is holding a one-day conference at UConn School of Law in Hartford on Friday, November 20, 2026, to learn about CIRCA's programs.

Agenda

• 8:45 – 9:15: Registration and Coffee
• 9:15 – 9:30: Welcome Remarks
• 9:30 – 9:50: CIRCA Update Presentation
• 9:50 – 10:35: Legislative Implementation Presentations
• 9:50 – 10:00: Resilience Improvement Districts
• 10:00 – 10:10: Stormwater Authorities
• 10:10 – 10:20: Climate Change and Coastal Resilience Reserve Funds –
• 10:20 – 10:35: Question and Answers
• 10:35 – 10:45 Break
• 10:45 – 11:00: Keynote Address
• 11:00 – 12:00: Legislative Panel
• 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch
• 1:00 – 2:10: On the ground and in the Water Panel
• 2:10 – 2:30 – Networking

Join the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve for a winter walk with historian Joe Baril to learn about the large rail yard called Midway Yard that was built in 1904 at Bluff Point. The yard declined beginning in the late 1920s and was abandoned in 1939 but the turntable pit and the roundhouse foundation remain extant inside the park. The walk will start at Poquonock Bridge Boardwalk and travel through Bluff Point State Park. Registration is required and space is limited. Contact Larissa at ‪(860) 446-7371 or [email protected] to register.
 

Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) was established in Executive Order 21-3 to provide guidance to the Commissioner of CT's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) on issues related to the state's historic and current environmental injustice and inequities across the state.

The Council convenes quarterly to hear updates from subcommittees and discuss key projects. All Quarterly Meetings are open to the public. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

Accessibility Needs: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any agency hearing, program or event.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Thursdays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.
 

The 2027 Sustainable CT Virtual Equity Training Series is a free, practical, action-focused learning experience designed to help municipal leaders move from equity concepts to confident application in real time. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Participants will work in regional teams on the real responsibilities of their own roles, and every session ends with each participant holding a finished product they built. This series serves elected officials, director level staff, town clerks, public works directors, and resident commission volunteers, and it welcomes participants at every level of familiarity with Sustainable CT.

Each workshop builds on the one before it, so participants complete the series with a community map, an engagement plan, and a relationship plan ready to use in their own town.

All sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. on January 14, January 28, and February 4. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

January 14 - The Community Map: Every municipal role puts a person in contact with one part of the community, and each of those views is real and partial. Participants map who they hear from, who they see, and who they serve, then set that picture against who lives in their town. Regional teams compare maps and see how a gap that looks like one person’s blind spot often reflects how the town’s systems are built. Participants leave holding a completed community map that names the residents their daily work currently misses.

January 28 - The Engagement Plan: Seeing who is missing raises the question of why, and the answers are usually structural: meeting times, language of notices, and the accessibility of buildings. Participants identify the barriers operating in their own departments and trace how those barriers shape who takes part. They build an outreach plan sized to the budget and authority they already have, and peers in their regional team pressure test each plan. Participants leave holding a written engagement plan addressed to the barriers in their own department.

February 4 – The Relationship Plan: Reaching residents opens a conversation, and the conversation is where trust forms. Participants practice what opens a dialogue and what shuts it down, working in small groups through the moments that most often stop people: an angry resident, a public disagreement between colleagues, and a question with no clean answer. They then decide where these conversations belong in their work over the coming year. Participants leave holding a relationship plan that names the people they will reach, the conversations they will open, and how they will approach them.

We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to any program or event.