In early Fall, there was the International Beach Clean Up Day.  Connecticut beaches are always a part of this and this year was no exception.  Here are some eager volunteers (along with State Senator Ed Meyer) at our Sierra Club Hamonnassett Beach clean up. (55 people in total helped out over the three hour clean up!) (photos courtesy of Tom Paul)

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Dune Restoration Completion at Rocky Neck Park  April 2011  By Tom Paul

 July 2009, NOAA(National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration), awarded $1.5 million to Connecticut for two coastal projects, West River tidal gate replacement in New Haven and Bride Brook restoration including a new culvert at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme.  Bride Brook is the second largest migrating fish run in the state. 

In September 2009 Dune grass was moved in an area were a new culvert to Bridge Brook was to be built.  This grass went to areas near by on the beach to stabilize the sand dunes.  The culvert was constructed in the fall of 2009.  A photo shows this new culvert on Brides Brook going to the Sound.  Last year April 10, 2010 there was another Dune grass planting to cover the sandy area over the culvert that was installed.  A group of 110 people showed up to plant 13000 Dune grass shots. April 2, 2011 a final dune grass and beach shrubs planting completed the project.

Before this work was started Dick Blumenthal, Joe Courtney, Dan Espy, new DEP administrator, and other attended a brief ceremony.  Joe Courtney and Dan Espy were on the beach planting dune grass along with about 70 others.

The job took less than two hours to complete.  Members of the Save the Sound – Connecticut Fund for the Environment, DEP and the Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club were helping at this project.    

CCL and Excom member of Connecticut Chapter and Sound Alliance Member