Trainings & Events

Join the Southwest Conservation District on July 9th and 12th for Water Week for Urban Farmers in New Haven. Water Week is all about sustainable water practices that can support urban farmers. Please see below for additional information:

Wednesday, July 9th: Learn about the basics of integrating hydropnics and aquapoincs into our food systems. Participants will see exactly how hydroponics/aquaponics works with models at Sound School and making a 5-gallon bucket hydroponic system. Time to be determined. Please fill out this poll to inform the Southwest Conservation District when you are most available to join this workshop. 

Saturday, July 12th from 10am to 12pm: Learn about the basics of irrigation design, installation, maintenance, and overall water management. Participants will be invited to reinforce and arrange irrigation lines for hands-on learning to improve the water system at Armory. 

Saturday, July 12th from 1 to 4pm: Shortly after the workshop, please join the Southwest Conservation District at the West River Water Festival, organized by their partner CPEN. Celebrate water with free family fun, food, canoe rides, touch tank, watershed education, native plant workshops, and tours of West River Peace Garden.

Free cover crop seeds will be distributed to every registered attendee. Register here!
 

The Partnership is featuring advocates, policy experts and leaders in other sectors across Connecticut who aim to promote intersectional solutions to help address the critical need for diverse, accessible and affordable housing in our state.

This session will focus on the intersection of Affordable Housing and Family Safety, exploring how access to affordable housing can help to prevent family violence and keep households safe. Alongside information shared by staff at the Partnership, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from:

• Polly Marston, PhD, President & Founder at The Violence Institute
• Yolanda Potter, Director of Housing Advocacy at Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV)
• Fenty Lee, Director of Residential Programs at Safe Futures

Taking Action...Fairfield County is a Workshop Series hosted by the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) and the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) as part of their EPA funded Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Southwest Connecticut.

Taking Action... to Reduce Waste is an event focused on providing municipalities, organizations, and residents with the tools and guidance to implement actionable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This workshop will revolve around innovative food waste diversion and waste management programs in Fairfield County. The workshop will consist of a collection of 15-minute presentations followed by a panel-style Q&A.

The event will be held at the East Theater on Sacred Heart University's West Campus in Fairfield, CT.
 

Taking Action...Fairfield County is a Workshop Series hosted by the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) and the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) as part of their EPA funded Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Southwest Connecticut.

Taking Action... to Enable Clean Mobility is an event focused on providing municipalities, organizations, and residents with the tools and guidance to implement actionable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This workshop will revolve around three main topic areas: Green Infrastructure, Mode Shift, and Clean Vehicle. Each topic area will consist of a collection of 15-minute presentations followed by a panel-style Q&A.

The event will be held at the East Theater on Sacred Heart University's West Campus in Fairfield, CT.
 

Taking Action...Fairfield County is a Workshop Series hosted by the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) and the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) as part of their EPA funded Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Southwest Connecticut.

Taking Action... Community Choice Aggregation 101 is an event focused on providing municipalities, organizations, and residents with the tools and guidance to implement actionable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Peter Millman of PACE will present a comprehensive overview of Community Choice Aggregation, followed by a Q&A session.

This workshop will be entirely virtual.
 

Taking Action...Fairfield County is a Workshop Series hosted by the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) and the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) as part of their EPA funded Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Southwest Connecticut.

Taking Action... to Decarbonize Buildings is an event focused on providing municipalities, organizations, and residents with the tools and guidance to implement actionable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The workshop will consist of a collection of 15-minute presentations followed by a panel-style Q&A.

The event will be held at the East Theater on Sacred Heart University's West Campus in Fairfield, CT.
 

UConn CLEAR’s Land Use Academy is holding an in-person training for land use commisisoners on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at UConn's Middlesex County Extension Center located at 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT, 06438.

Renata Bertotti, AICP, Assistant Extension Educator in LU Planning and Climate Resilience, UConn Extension will present "Fundamentals of Site Plan Reading and Interpretation." This training is most helpful to newly appointed or elected Land Use Commissioners and those with little or no experience in site plan reading and interpretation. This training may be eligible for two (2.0) commissioner training hours as per CGS Sec. 8-4c. (Fair and Affordable Housing hour will NOT be covered).

For more information, contact Renata Bertotti, UConn CLEAR at [email protected], (860) 345-5210.

UConn CLEAR is a partnership of the Departments of Extension and Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and the CT Sea Grant Program.

Price: $20.00
 

Join the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s Energy & Technology Subcommittee to learn about New England’s energy grid. ISO-NE is a nonprofit responsible for keeping the region’s electricity reliable and flowing. We’ll be learning from ISO-NE's staff about how they operate and the role they play in CT’s and the region’s energy system. So if you’ve ever heard of ISO-NE or FERC or maybe you’ve just wondered what a “grid” has to do with your utility bill...then come join us!

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.
 

Battery safety is a topic of interest in many communities exploring the use of electric vehicles (EVs). This webinar will provide an overview of EV battery systems, common safety questions, and standard best practices for risk assessment, prevention, and response. We will also examine how misinformation and gaps in trust can influence public perception, particularly in rural and middle- to low-income communities. The discussion will highlight effective communication and education strategies that can support transparency, build local confidence, and empower residents to make informed decisions.
 

Environmental law has brought about a marked change in how we manage hazardous substances and waste. This Summer School session will examine the events that led to the enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as the statutes’ legal foundations. Faculty will explore the regulatory and liability efforts used to manage hazardous waste and sites, with an emphasis on:

• the definitions of hazardous substances and hazardous waste;
• the basic elements of RCRA;
• the basic elements of CERCLA; and
• recent hazardous substance designations and hazardous constituent listings.

UConn CLEAR’s Land Use Academy is holding an in-person training for land use commisisoners on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at UConn's Middlesex County Extension Center located at 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT, 06438.

Renata Bertotti, AICP, Assistant Extension Educator in LU Planning and Climate Resilience, UConn Extension will present "Fundamentals of Site Plan Reading and Interpretation," this training is most helpful to newly appointed or elected Land Use Commissioners and those with little or no experience in site plan reading and interpretation. This training may be eligible for two (2.0) commissioner training hours as per CGS Sec. 8-4c. (Fair and Affordable Housing hour will NOT be covered).

For more information, contact Renata Bertotti, UConn CLEAR at [email protected], (860) 345-5210.

UConn CLEAR is a partnership of the Departments of Extension and Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and the CT Sea Grant Program.

Price: $20.00