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 The New Haven Bioregional Group sponsors walks, films, canoe trips, potlucks, and other events to help us connect with our natural and built environment, and to build community and local resilience.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Skillshare: Maple Syrup Tapping, Boiling, & Processing
Sat, March 20, 1 PM
Laine Harris' Sugar House, 18 Turner Ave, Hamden, CT
Come and learn how an old New England tradition is done!! Put this on your calendar!!
Urban Farming in Westville: Springside Liberty Garden-Building Community Through Urban Farming
Wed, March 3, 6-7:30 PM
Mitchell Library, 37 Harrison Street, Westville, New Haven
Tom Bell, Garden Coordinator, Springside Liberty Garden,
will discuss and show slides about:
·
An urban farm that is a 10 minute walk from Westville
Center
·
Explain how an urban farm works
·
Invite community members who would like to grow their own
food to join
·
Talk about the
benefits of this model for building ties in our community
CT NOFA 28th Annual Winter Conference
in partnership with Manchester Community College's "Team Green"
Saturday, March 6, 8:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT
CT NOFA (The Northeastern Organic Farm Association of Connecticut) has promoted local organic agriculture through education and advocacy since 1982. Its members are a growing community of farmers, gardeners, land care professionals, businesses and consumers.
This year's theme is "Sustaining Connecticut: Growing Local, Eating Healthier, Living Smarter."
The featured keynote speaker will be the celebrated green activist and entrepreneur Michael Shuman.
See December 2009 Business Week's mention of Michael Shuman's study on the rising success of the local food movement, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - <http://bit.ly/ 6MgsRy> http://bit.ly/ 6MgsRy
This year's conference will also offer over thirty six sustainable lifestyle workshops for the gardener, cook, farmer and land care professional. Classes ranging from beekeeping, cheese making, hands-on bread making, beer brewing thru permaculture. For all persons interested in local organic food and agriculture there will be cooking demonstrations such as Organic Home Wine Making, expert panel discussion on Connecticut Organic Food Businesses, Local Vendors and exhibits focusing on food, gardening, farming, sustainable lifestyles and much more. Lunch will be the famous NOFA organic potluck.
For more info or to register: <http://www.ctnofa. org> www.ctnofa.org or
203-888-5146
RECENT EVENTS
Skillshare and Potluck - Wild Mushroom ID & Bicycle Clinic
Sat., Feb. 20, 6 pm
FUUS,, 608 Whitney Ave.
Featured Presenters:
A Beginners Guide to Wild Mushroom Identification
with Zaac Chaves
The
kingdom of the wild mushroom is a large and mysterious. Join as as we
cover basic Mushroom identification, edibility, and myths, including a
romantically timely discussion of 28000 sexes of Schizophyllum commune. Mushroom samples and keys will be passed around throughout the discussion.
Zaac has spent several years leading mushroom walks in parks ranging from rural Connecticut to
Manhattan. He is an active member and walk leader of the Connecticut
Mycological Association(COMA) and has participated in several Mushroom
University courses.
Bicycle Clinic with the Chainbreakers
The
Chainbreakers is an open group dedicated to creating a
feminist-positive space as part of the bicycle community. They host fun
full-moon bike rides.
They have a monthly potluck where women and transpeople come together
to share prepared dinners, work on our bicycles and share and teach
skills, without the interference of sexism. They also participate and
enjoy other bike projects in the city. They are creating a safe space
to grow and resisting sexism within bike culture, and act through
mutual aid and solidarity on community needs. Who knew learning skills,
building community, and getting work done could be so fun and
empowering?
*****
3rd Open Space: Economy & Livelihood
Sat, Feb 13, 10 AM-5M (put this date on your calendar!)
Common Ground High School, 358 Springside Ave, New Haven
"The Economy is going down, how can we keep up?"
"How can we build a resilient local economy to foster sustainable livelihood?”
See flyer here.
*****
Movie "In Transition 1.0" & Potluck
Sat, Feb 6, Potluck 6 PM, Movie 7 PM
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
‘In Transition’ is the first detailed film about
the Transition movement filmed by those that know it best, those who
are making it happen on the ground. The Transition movement is about
communities around the world responding to peak oil and climate change
with creativity, imagination and humor, and setting about rebuilding
their local economies and communities. It is positive, solutions
focused, viral and fun.
‘In Transition’
has been shown in communities around the world to enthusiastic
audiences.
Come to the potluck and bring a dish to share or just come for the movie.
More information on the movie here.
****
Stony Creek Trolley Track
Walkabout
Sat, Jan 23, Walk begins in Stony Creek 11:15 AM (we will meet in ball field parking lot)
For a ride and carpooling: Meet at 1st UU Society Parking Lot, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven,10:30 AM
There will be a Bioregional walk on the Trolley Track
Trail in Stony Creek. We will meet in the first Unitarian
Universalist Society Parking lot at 10:30 am to car pool and caravan
to the site. If you wish to meet at the site take exit 56 Stony
Creek off of I-95 about 10 miles East of New Haven. Turn Right at
the top of the Exit Ramp onto Leetes Island Road, toward Stony Creek. Follow this road about
two miles crossing route 146 and under a train bridge. Take
the first right after the train bridge passing between two rock
ledges and then park in the parking lot next to the ball field. This is a very easy fairly short walk
( about a mile and a half round trip ). It goes over a trestle and
thru a rock cut and then traverses a very beautiful salt marsh. Upon
our return we may wish to walk thru the village of Stony Creek along
the water to the town dock and possibly get some lunch in one of the
local bistros. This is a non-demanding beautiful
walk that encompasses a unique area of our bioregion.
For information about the walk contact mariatupper@gmail.com or Bob Carruthers at 860-575-9385.
*****
New Haven Green Drinks w/ the New Haven Bioregional GroupWed Jan 20, 6-8pm
WestSide Bar & Grille
883 Whalley Ave in Westville
(www.westsidebarandgrille.com, 203-387-WEST (9378)
We'll have a speaker at 7pm from The New Haven Bioregional Group
http://newhavenbioregionalgroup.org/default.aspx
WestSide will source local alcohols, have drink specials and some yummy eats, compliments of Keith Wortz.
Please support this new establishment and come check it out.
It's easily commutable by bike and bus. Email us if you want to carpool from the East Rock area :")
We look forward to seeing you there!
Alderman Justin Elicker and Debra Lombard, LEED AP, co-organizers
New Haven Green Drinks
justin.elicker@yale.edu or dlombard@earthlink.net*******
Food Action Group of Transition Greater New Haven
Tue, Jan 19, 7 PM
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
This exciting new group has been working since our Food Open Space. At this meeting the group
will brainstorm to create a comprehensive list of components of our
Project, from which we will develop a "sort of" flow chart showing how
the various greater and lesser elements fit together to accomplish our
mission. Everyone is also invited to bring in other food related
information that might be useful in our work. ( see attached mission statement)
Come and check it out. ****** Skill Sharing for Transition/Practical Open Mike,
Sat,
Jan 9, Potluck - 6 PM,
program begins 7 PM UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
This will be
an opportunity for folks to share skills and projects they are working on as
part of their adaptation to hard times and a future of reduced energy
resources. Each person will take 5 or 10
minutes to demonstrate and tell about their project.
Examples:
Knitting, food preservation, solar energy, alternative medicine,
preparing wild foods, homemade art. Try
to bring some physical object that is part of what you are doing. At the end we
will sit in circle and talk about how such work fits into the Transition
Initiative as a whole.
*****
Bread-Baking at SHARE Haven's 1st Birthday Party (music, dancing, sharing food)
Skill Sharing Workshops Begin!! (demonstrate how or learn to bake bread)
Sun, Jan 10, 5:30 - 9 PM, UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Bring a dish to share!
From Jaz:
happy new year! let's ring in 2010 with some
fresh-baked BREAD! ...got a favorite recipe? want to learn some new
ways of baking? come share it at the 1st New Haven Skill Share
meeting:
when= January 10.
we're partnering with the SHARE Haven Time Bank folks for their first
birthday party. music, dancing, potluck, and more goodness from 5:30-9
PM. But, our bread party will be from 6-7:30 pm
time= 6-7:30 PM
what=
justin- easy breads
jaz- onion bread (chinese style), chinese steamed buns
jt hart- croissants, recipes from artisan bread class, sourdough
maureen- something yummy: artisan crusty style or other bread
claudette- french bread
bring= please bring a
bag of flour to compensate the folks who are sharing their time and
recipes. wheat flour preferred (much healthier).
please email
me to let me know if there's anything else you'd like to share! if you
share, then you can receive timebank hours. wooo!! :)
see you soon!
happy trails,
Jaz
ps- keep adding to the list!!!
Sat, Jan 2, Walk 6 PM, Dinner 7:30 PM
Start from UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven, Return for Potluck
Drop off your potluck dish at the UU. Bring candles
and/or flashlights. We will walk over to
Edgerton Park, then go through the park and over
to the water treatment facility. On
top
of a small labyrinth hill with an expansive view of the area we should
see a full moon over East Rock, here we will do a short ceremony, and
then return to the UU
via Whitney Avenue. Moonrise is at 5:58 p.m., so we should have a
good lunar display; even if it is cloudy, there will be quite a lot of light.
The walk is short. But if you prefer you can also just join us for the potluck and social gathering back at the UU. Hope to see you there. ******** Bioregional Holiday Craft Fair
Sat, Dec 12, 11 AM - 4 PM
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Come to our annual Holiday
Craft Fair. We have a variety of artisans who will be selling their
local crafts. Come and support our local crafts people and socialize
while you browse.
**********
Movie: Polis Is This: Charles Olson and the Persistence of Place" & Potluck
Sat, Dec 12, 6 PM Potluck, 7 PM Movie
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
"Polis is This" wrestles with
the six foot eight inch 275lb colossus of poetry, Charles Olson,
in the squared circle of understanding. Through never before seen
footage and interviews actor John Malkovich leads an all-star unit
in a search and explore mission.
Olson, the "big fire source"
for a restless generation of poets known as The Beats stands more
revealed than ever before. Through Ferrini's poetry-in-motion lens,
viewers can now see Olson's landscapes through the fresh eyes of
America's Archaeologist of Morning.
"Sublime...simply stunning"
says Author Jim Harrison. "An invaluable contribution to our literature"
notes Russell Banks. Charles Olson the "original
aboriginal" fights to save his town from so-called progress as
the bullzoder of change rumbles down Main Street USA.
His challenge to us? We must
either rediscover the earth or leave it. Have we all become estranged
from that which is most familiar? See Polis Is This before the
cultural wetlands are completely drained and maybe you can save
the place where you live.
For more about the movie, see here. ******
Transition Road Show at SCSU
Mon, Nov 30, 7:30 PM
SCSU Adanti Student Center Room 306, corner of Crescent and Fitch Streets
There will be entertainment,
reflection, inspiration and dynamic participation all in one show!
We'll
cover the problems (peak oil, climate change,
economic meltdown) and look to
the solutions (using our collective genius to create sustainable
community on a
human scale). The
Transition Movement is about connecting the dots and getting
us from here to there (http://transitionus.org/).
******
Quarry Park Paleontological Adventure w/ Cope MacClintock, Dan Brinkman, & Tracy Blanford
Potluck to follow at Friends' Meeting House, 225 Grand Ave, New Haven, 06513
Saturday, Nov 21, 11 AM Walk, 1 PM Potluck, Meet at Friends' MH at 10:45
Copeland
MacClintock and Dan Brinkman of Yale's Peabody Museum, and Tracy
Blanford will lead a walk in Fair Haven East through Quarry Park
Preserve ending up at the Freeman P. Clark Quarry site. Last year we
toured the Park and alluded to the famous fossil Aetosurus.
Now, thanks to Tracy Blanford having located the Clark descendents, we
know exactly where the fossil came from, and we will go to that
quarry. It came from the Triassic, New Haven Formation. It is the
only vertebrate in Connecticut from that Formation, so our chances are
slim of finding anything. Dan Brinkman will, however, bring along a
cast of the original specimen in the Yale collections. With any luck,
and some heavy lifting and digging, we may find some residual scraps.
Bring climbing gear, crow bars for turning heavy rocks, picks,
shovels, and hammers. You never know. People can do this walk without
the final scramble down into the Quarry. Park
in the Friends' Meeting House parking lot, drop off your potluck dish
before joining us for the hike, which will begin in the rear of the parking lot. ***********
Mapping Group--New
Haven’s Bioregion Seasonal Calender
Tue, Nov 17, 7:30 PM
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
The New Haven Bioregional Mapping Group will be
documenting in a circular year calendar, seasonal-specific knowledge of the
Bioregion. This may include information on climate seasons, cold-hot days, local
food availability sequence, gardening and food production seasons, food storing,
fishing and hunting seasons, environmental indicators that act as cues for
farming, school year, special events (farmers market), etc.
The idea of the calendar is to pool the collective knowledge of the
participants to construct the calendar though research, group discussion, drawing
and mapping. The calendar will serve as an educational tool fostering awareness
about seasonal aspects of interest, helping all involved in connecting more
with our bioregion/our life place.
So you are invited! Come to actively participate and share your knowledge and expand our thinking.
******  Sat, Nov 14, 10 AM - 5 PM
The 2nd Open Space Community Think Tank--FOOD
Hard Times: Community Self-Reliance
Common Ground High School, 358 Springside Ave, New Haven
We are in a time of Transition.
"When the food trucks stop rollin', what's gonna keep us goin'?"
"How
can we work together to create new jobs, beautify our neighborhoods,
establish food security and build community by coming together around
FOOD?"
Bring your ideas, inspirations, experiences and passion to this gathering in an Open Space
format and help unlock the genius of this community. If you are curious
about the Open Space format go to the link below. We had a lively,
generative experience last year. This time we want to focus on the
issues related to food.
Bring Food to share--Beverages provided
Suggested Donation $15
Child Care
Available: Call in advance
For more information and to register contact:
Bernard Brennan 203-288-0001 or BernardTransition@me.com
or Maria Tupper mariatupper@gmail.com
YouTube links to Open
Space Technology and Transition Towns information can be found on our website: http://newhavenbioregionalgroup.org/default.aspx
******
Bike Ride -- Farmington Canal
Sunday, Oct 18, 1-4 pm
Meet at First Unitarian Universalist Society of New Haven, 608 Whitney Ave. @ 1 pm
We
are planning an autumn leaves bike ride along the Farmington Canal
Trail, which is now almost entirely completed from downtown New Haven to Cheshire.
In Hamden we will leave the trail briefly to ride through a scenic area
on the north side of Sleeping Giant, visit the scenic Butterworth Brook
Reservoir and stop for refreshments at Wentworth's Ice Cream.
From the 1820s to the 1840s the Farmington
Canal was a transport route for cargo, with horses pulling canalboats
through a system of locks. At its peak the canal extended from
Northampton, MA, to New Haven. The canal was later replaced by the more
efficient railway. In the 1990s the trail began to be converted to a
multi-use recreation trail. The “rail trail” is one of the
most popular jogging and biking routes in our region. See www.farmingtoncanal.org for more information.
The ride will be about 20 miles. There will be some ups and downs but
mainly we will be on the Canal Trail which is flat and well-paved. YOU
DO NOT NEED TO BE AN EXPERIENCED CYCLIST TO DO THIS RIDE. However, you
should
not be a totally inexperienced cyclist either! If you have questions
about the difficulty of the route, please contact Aaron (see below).
Bring snacks, helmet, water, and camera if you have one.
We
will meet at 1 pm at FUUS at 608 Whitney Ave.
Please join us for this exploration of one of the most important recreational resources in our bioregion.
Contact Aaron (aaron.goode@gmail.com or 510 207 6310) for more information. ******* Movie: "First Earth" & Potluck
Sat, Oct 3, 6 PM Potluck, 7 PM Movie
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
FIRST EARTH is a documentary about the movement toward a
massive paradigm shift for shelter -- building healthy houses in the
old ways, out of the very earth itself, and living together like in the
old days, by recreating villages. It is a sprawling film, shot on
location from the West Coast to West Africa. An audiovisual manifesto
filmed over the course of 4 years and 4 continents, FIRST EARTH makes
the case that earthen homes are the healthiest housing in the world;
and that since it still takes a village to raise a healthy child, it is
incumbent upon us to transform our suburban sprawl into eco-villages, a
new North American dream.
FIRST EARTH
is not a how-to film; rather, it's a why-to film. It establishes the
appropriateness of earthen building in every cultural context, under
all socio-economic conditions, from third-world communities to
first-world countrysides, from Arabian deserts to American urban
jungles. In the age of environmental and economic collapse, peak oil
and other converging emergencies, the solution to many of our ills
might just be getting back to basics, focusing on food, clothes, and
shelter. We need to think differently about house and home, for
material and for spiritual reasons, both the personal and the
political.
Come and join us for this visually wonderful film. Bring something to eat to share with everyone. ********
4th Bioregional Canoe Trip led by the QRWA (Quinnipiac River Watershed Association)
Sat, Sept 19, 1 PMYOU MUST PREREGISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT
This
is one of the most popular events of the Bioregional Group. Please
consider joining us and having the opportunity to explore the
Quinnipiac River with people who know the river well. We get a view of
our life place that is quite different from our customary land-based
experiences. Start: We will meet in the Tilcon Asphalt and
Gravel Co., Sacket Point Road, North Haven parking lot. The entrance to
the site is a narrow unmarked alley immediately west of the Tilcon site
and east of Frankson Fence. There is plenty of parking (but it would be
good to carpool anyway). The parking lot is adjacent to the Quinnipiac
River. Here in the parking lot we will get our boats, life jackets and
instructions from QRWA on safety, and do some other official business
necessary for the trip. Length and Difficulty: The trip will
last about 3 hours. We will be paddling for most of the 3 hours. We
will be moving with the tide, but it is possible to have the wind
against us, and the trip could be somewhat strenuous. We will come out
at the public landing near the American Bistro Restaurant, just before
the Grand Ave. Bridge. Clothing: We will be exposed to the
sun for the entire trip, wear a hat, protective clothing, sunglasses
and use suntan lotion. Wear old sneakers or other shoes that can get
wet and dirty. Boats: The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association
will provide the canoes. You are welcome to bring your own canoe or
kayak, but please let us know that you are planning to do this. Fee:
*$20 per person which covers staff & interns for group safety and
insurance coverage and a $5 donation to the Bioregional Group. The
charge for QRWA members will be $15. Other information: We
are limited to 26 people for this trip. So pre-registration is required
and will be handled on a first come basis. If you are interested in
participating in this canoe trip, contact Maria Tupper at
mariatupper@gmail.com or call 203-387-7474. We will develop a waiting
list if more people are interested than we have spaces. Bring: Water to avoid dehydration and possibly a lunch or a snack. ********* The Connecticut Green Expo & "Tunnel of Transition"
Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm -- FREE admission
Edgerton Park, New Haven (Whitney Ave., on Hamden/New Haven line)
mapquest "75 Cliff St., New Haven" for directions There will be tables for SHARE Haven Time Bank and Green Haven Cohousing, and the Bioregional Group is Working with the Transition Initiative to present The Amazing Tunnel of Transition, bursting with insightful analysis and creative solutions to the tripple challenges of climate change, peak oil and economic meltdown. Green Haven Cohousing -- http://newhavencohousing.blogspot.com/ SHARE Haven Time Bank -- http://www.sharehaven.org/New Haven Bioregional Group -- http://newhavenbioregionalgroup.org/Transition Greater New Haven -- http://www.transitionnewhaven.org/Connecticut's largest Green Expo will bring together over 75 exhibitors and vendors to share earth-friendly ideas, products and services. All ages will be enlightened and entertained by exhibits, workshops, a magic show about recycling, family-friendly live music, a beautiful Garden Fairy to charm the smallest Expo visitors, storytelling on environmental themes, and a participatory art installation. Our focus is what the average family or person can do now to live more sustainably. "One planet, many choices." The Green Expo is one part of the CT Folk Festival & Green Expo. The full festival includes a Tour des Farms bike ride, children's theatre, a Green Works job fair, an outdoor concert in Edgerton park headlined by Amos Lee, and other events. Please see our website for the full schedule: http://www.ctfolk.com/ctff/schedule.html ********* 2009 CT TOUR DES FARMS BIKE RIDE
Saturday, September 12
8:30-3 pm, start & finish at Edgerton Park in New Haven
Register at: http://ctfolk.com/ctff/tour.html
Founded in 2003, CT Tour Des Farms is a bike ride intended to promote local agriculture.
In 2009 the sponsors are CT Folk Fest / Green Expo, East Coast Greenway Alliance, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, and CT NOFA. This is the first year the ride has been based entirely in Greater New Haven.
There will be two routes - a shorter, flatter route (~25 miles) and a
longer, more challenging route (~35 miles). Both will start and end at
Edgerton Park in New Haven in time for Green Expo and Folk Fest
activities in the afternoon and evening. We are planning to visit
(among other sites) Common Ground High School, Lockwood Farm, Mill
River Valley CSA, and Boulder Knoll Community Farm. Also the route will
showcase the Farmington Canal Trail -- part of the East Coast Greenway -- as it nears completion along the New Haven-to-Cheshire section.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with advance planning as well as logistics on the day of the event.
Questions? Contact Aaron at aaron.goode@gmail.com or Alice-Anne at
aliceanne.harwood@gmail.com. ********* Hiking Our Bioregion with Overnight Camping at Common Ground High School
Sat. & Sun, Aug 8 & 9, meet at UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, 10 AM Sat, Aug 8
Please let us know if you would like to join any part of this event. We need to know who is coming to plan food and transportation.
Cost $10 to cover food, a donation to Common Ground, and ice cream at the end of the hike.
If you have any questions after reading all the info below, please contact us and we will try to answer your questions.
The Bioregional Group has been talking about gradually walking the circumference of the New Haven-Quinnipiac Bioregion. We will begin with a short piece of that this summer.
For the first leg of this we have been planning a hike that will begin at the New Haven Green and head north through some New Haven neighborhoods. We will walk along the West River, up West Rock and then end on Sat. evening at Common Ground School. We will have a campfire and camp in tents which are provided by Common Ground, with permanent platforms for the night. The next morning we will hike back up to the West Rock Ridge and further north, ultimately coming down and ending at Shepard's Farm. At Shepard's we will have an ice cream treat waiting for us. The entire two day hike will be about 8 miles.
We will be leaving shortly after 10 AM and arriving at Common Ground sometime in the late afternoon. After breakfast on Sunday morning we will head out hiking again around 10 AM.
When we arrive at Common Ground we hope that others who don't feel up to the hike will join us for a potluck supper, and singing and drumming around the campfire, and camping for the overnight. There is space at Common Ground for up to 50 people with tents on platforms. It will be dry and mosquito free inside the tent.
Hikers are asked to bring lunch for Sat, any snack you might like, and water for hiking. Wear good hiking shoes.
We will load our gear into a vehicle at the UU, so we won't have more than a day pack to carry.
If you are staying overnight bring:
Sleeping Bag
Mat
Bug spray
Flashlight
Toiletries
Towel
Musical Instrument
Rain gear
Sunglasses
Hat
Plate, bowl, spoon, knife, fork, cup
Perhaps some food to share
Bring stories to tell around the campfire
Please let us know if you have an interest in joining the hike and/or the overnight. Contact Roger Uihlein 203-773-9510 or mariatupper@gmail.com
*********
Wepawaug River Walkabout
Sat, July 18, 9 AM meet at UU, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
9:30 AM meet at Wepawaug Conservation Area, Orange (walk will last 2 hr)
The Wepawaug River watershed is a beautiful area tucked in the elbow of Rte. 34 and the Merritt Parkway in Orange, only 10 minutes from Westville. The area we will be exploring encompasses several different conservation areas, including Kowal Nature Preserve, the Howard D. Brooks Wepawaug Conservation Area, Camp Cedarcrest (which serves primarily as a day camp for disadvantaged children from New Haven), the Whitney Tract, and the Ravine.
The trail winds over rocky and treed knolls, past the Camp Cedarcrest
buildings, and through a relatively young forest with a few old
stalwarts. The stone walls remind one that this used to be farm
land. At the Whitney Tract there is another hemlock forest, then the
trail along the Wepawaug crosses over into the ravine. In the years
since the last Ice Age the Wepawaug has eroded the overburden to expose
Devonian rocks that are 200 million years old and created a ravine
which could be dammed. Before electricity, this stretch of the Wepawaug
was the industrial center of Orange with a water-power turning grist,
mills and dams along the river.
On the east bank of the river
is the remains of the foundation of an old mill which
manufactured cloth for Union uniforms during the Civil War. The
building burned in the late 1890s. The flume, which cut through solid
rock and directed water to an overshot water wheel, can still be seen.
Our walk will be a leisurely two hours. We will stop to explore the
Ravine halfway through the walk, and at the end we will stop for a
snack by the bridge if people want to stay.
The walk will be relatively flat. Children are welcome.
The area is well-shaded but it may still be warm, so please bring plenty of water, as well as bug repellent and good shoes.
DIRECTIONS
AND PARKING: The Wepawaug Conservation Area parking lot is located on
Mapledale Road which can be accessed either via Derby Road (Route 34)
or Orange Center Road (Route 152). Both roads can be reached via the Wilbur Cross Parkway.
If you are going west on Rte 34 from New Haven, just past Orange Center
Road you will see a sign for Camp Cedarcrest. Turn left there onto
Mapledale Road. Proceed about half a mile to the Conservation Area
parking lot on the right-hand side of Mapledale opposite Cherry Hill Road.
CARPOOLING:
Meet at the First Unitarian Universalist Society, 608 Whitney Ave., at
9 am. If you are interested in carpooling from the Westville area,
please contact Maria Tupper.
QUESTIONS? Contact Aaron at aaron.goode@gmail.com or (510) 207-6310.
******* Nine Squares Walkabout Sat, June 20, 1 - 3 PM Meet at the Flagpole on the New Haven Green
A 2 hour walking tour where history meets the modern day with special stops along the way. Joe Taylor will be sharing historical photos that he has collected over the years. Parking is free on Sunday, so park anywhere around the New Haven Green and meet at the flagpole at 1 PM. We will end the walk at the flag pole. Because this is a loop walk, people can join us for part of the walk if they can't stay the whole time. You will never be that far from your car.
For more info call Roger 203-773-9510 or contact mariatupper@gmail.com
Bicycle Tuneup with the Bike Coop, Potluck, Movie "In Grave Danger of Falling Food"
Sat, June 6, 4:30 PM Bike Tuneup, 6:30 PM Potluck, 7:30 PM Movie
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Come to all or part of the evening!!
BICYCLE TUNEUP--As summer approaches, it's time to get your bicycle out of the garage! Bicycling is a fun, healthy means of recreation and transportation. As the Farmington Canal Trail nears completion and New Haven moves forward with its Complete Streets bike/ped initiative, New Haven is becoming a better and safer place to cycle by the day.
Join the Bioregional Group for a bicycle tune-up day. Experienced mechanics will be on hand with bicycle tools to help us get our bikes in tip-top shape. We'll do a tire-changing demonstration, provide tips for safe cycling and information about local cycling resources such as the New Haven Bike Collective, Elm City Cycling, and the Farmington Canal Trail.
If you need help transporting your bike to the FUUS, let us know (aaron.goode@gmail.com) and we may be able to help.
POTLUCK--Bring something to share with everyone. Label you dish with the ingredients. Good time to sit and chat with others in our community.
MOVIE "IN GRAVE DANGER OF FALLING FOOD"--Bill Mollison, author of the "Permaculture" concept and recipient of the Alternative Nobel Prize believes that the single most destructive force on the planet is modern agriculture. Mollison has proposed a designed system of agriculture which uses the engineering princliples of nature itself, and has taken hold in dozens ofdeveloping countries. He combines hunreds of species-plant and animal- into a fertile self-regulating eco-system. His designs apply to the city as well as to the country, they can work in any sort of climate and once matured, have the potential to provide most of the food for any household.
Transition Study Group #2
Thur, May 21, 6:00-8:00 PM
Bernard & Patty Brennan’s home, 21 Barrett St, Hamden
At the first meeting, the group decided to organize at least the next several sessions around topics rather than going through a particular book. The topic for next week's session is "The End of Cheap Oil."
We are considering reading Future Scenarios by David Holmgren , The Mother of All by Kirkpatrick Sale, and the Transition Timeline.
You can also sign up to order Transition books together at http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cnNsN3N3Z2M3WnVyLUM1aE9SWm01Qnc6MA..
Local Resilience -- http://sites.google.com/site/localresilience/
We are also placing a bulk order for this and other Chelsea Green books (50% discount). To request copies visit
Transition Study Group #1
Mon, May 25, 7:30-9:30 PM (we are meeting in spite of it being the end of a holiday weekend) (with optional potluck dinner at 6:30, open to all)
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven
We are also placing a bulk order for this and other Chelsea Green books (50% discount). To request copies visit
Gazing at the Stars with Bob Carruthers Yale's Bethany Observatory,111 Hilldale Rd, Bethany Fri, April 24, arrive before sunset (about 7:30 PM) 
We have the wonderful opportunity of gazing at the stars at the Yale's Bethany Observatory with Bob Carruthers as our guide.
Directions are a little complicated: Come out Whalley Ave, through Westville to Rt. 63. Take Rt 63 to Bethany. You will pass the old Bethany Fire House, a yellow blinking light, 2 churches, and the Clark Memorial Library. Immediately after the library, turn right on Hilldale Rd. When you come to the diamond shaped sign for a curve, turn left into that driveway and continue to the observatory (which looks like a regular building, not a domed observatory. There should be signs. If you have a problem finding it, call Bob 860-575-9385. This should be great fun. Our Bioregional Sky!!!!!!
Garden Work Sat, April 25, 11 AM - 1 PM
UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven 
Last week our gardeners spread wood chips around our filbert trees, finished the last bed and spread more mulch, and planted potatoes and leeks. Plants are starting to poke their heads above the soil. The rewards of the work are starting to emerge!! This week we will start digging in the area where we will be putting cement wall to prevent the encroaching roots from the trees. Hope you all can join us. Digging in the dirt is good for the soul!! Pictures posted in the album: http://picasaweb.google.com/mariatupper/BioregionalGarden2009#
Movie "Flow" & Potluck Sun, April 26, 6 PM Potluck, 7 PM Movie UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven*
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?" Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. Hope you can join us!!
Learn more about the film here.
*PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE - This film was originally scheduled for Sat., April 25 but the FUUS was already booked at that time.
Transition Study Groups Aim to Foster Local ResilienceIt meets on alternate Monday evenings, beginning with a pot-luck dinner.
This week the 4 people from New Haven who attended the Transition Workshop in Portland, Maine this past weekend will report on their experience and learnings. This will be the basis of future planning for the Transition Study Group.
We're also forming another Transition study group that will run in parallel with the Monday night group because there have been requests for a study group that meets on another night. It will meet on some evening other than Mondays, at a date that will work for most of the people interested in participating. We'll be reading the new book from the Transition Movement, The Transition Timeline: for a local, resilient future, by Shaun Chamberlin.Please contact Terry (203-980-1088) if you'd like to be in on the negotiations of a day and time for this group to meet.
More on the Book: The Transition Handbook-from oil dependency to local resilience shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive outcome. These changes can lead to the rebirth of local communities that will grow more of their own food, generate their own power, and build their own houses using local materials. They can also encourage the development of local currencies to keep money in the local area.
IBUYELMCITY--New Haven Independent Business Network Tue, April 28, 7 PM Jennifer Jane Gallery
838 West Rock Ave (off Whalley Ave), Westville Village, New Haven
What is the New Haven Independent Business Network?
Support local economy Inform local residents about the benefits which come to an area when its people consciously and deliberately support their local businesses, especially the enhanced circulation of money and the increase of relationships and connections among people Develop local sources of capital to support and enable local businesses. Avoid sources of capital that come with strings attached. Capital which remains under the control of powerful outside interests cannot bring real local economic vitality. Cultivate community
A thriving local economy naturally bears fruit in a rich sense of interdependence and in the practice of mutual aid. When each business finds its niche, a living fabric of multiple connections can develop. Those who affiliate with others in the normal course of doing business find friends and support as well as income in a more limited sense, bringing genuine wealth to our region. Encourage bioregional awareness
"If you don't know where you are, you won't know who you are, and you won't know what to do." As we come to know our own life place and begin to ground our lives in it in a conscious way, we will feel more connection to the earth. Our community will naturally evolve from the goodness of earthly life itself. We will want to preserve and protect the water, the air, the land, and the living beings of our region. For more information call 773-9510 or go to www.yourhaven.orgBIOREGIONAL FUN FACT: THE LOGO FOR THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS NETWORK IS SOMEWHERE ON THIS WEBSITE - CAN YOU FIND IT?
GETTING OUTDOORS AND GETTING BIOREGIONAL!
(This is a slide-show -- wait for the pictures to change)
New Haven, CT
Updated Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:53 AM
Clear | 48°F | High: 50°F
Low: 38°F
Wind: 8 mph
Humidity: 29%
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| | HAVE YOU SEEN THIS SIGN?
Our Jan. 9 Bioregional/Transition/Share Haven skill-sharing event was featured on the website of Transition US!
ALSO: Share Haven & Transition New Haven were just featured in the New Haven Advocate.
THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED OUR OPEN SPACE THINK TANK ON NOVEMBER 14!
Read individual session reports here and add comments!
NEW!!!
Thanks to all who visited the Tunnel of Transition at CT Green Expo 2009!
See Maria's photos.
Thank you to everyone who attended the World Premiere of the Transition Road Show!
Read coverage in the New Haven Independent (including sound clips).
Check out the Transition New Haven website.
More pics coming soon.
The 29th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures
Saturday, October 17, 2009, 10am–5pm
Featured Speakers: Bill McKibben, Benjamin Barber
and Alisa Gravitz
Click here for more info.
READ JUNE 2009 NEW HAVEN MAGAZINE ARTICLE ABOUT NEW HAVEN LAND TRUST & URBAN GARDENING IN NEW HAVEN (FEATURING MARIA TUPPER & BIOREGIONAL GROUP)
READ FRED CERVIN'S ARTICLE ON GARDENING & LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE NEW HAVEN REGISTERAnd after that be sure to check out Fred Cervin's BIOREGIONAL READING LIST!  See other writings by Fred Cervin. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING INVOLVED IN OUR NEW "THOUSAND GARDENS" PROJECT?A little background on this project: During discussions in the Bioregional Committee we agreed that it would be highly desirable to grow more food in our own locale both for reasons of food security and also because gardens provide superior quality food and promote relationships among people and build community. Wishing to see more gardens planted this year, we hit on the idea of working through churches to promote gardening. We felt that we could progress more rapidly by working through existing groups and networks than by going to individuals one by one. Also, across the country more and more churches are starting gardens on church property as a part of their mission. See article below: Churches show love for neighbors, planet by planting vegetables
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200903210257/LIFE07/903210314 Thus Fred Cervin of the Unitarian Universalist Society/Bioregional Committee and Richard Walser of Trinity Episcopal Church have been meeting and talking about how to proceed. We are now calling for volunteers to join with us in this effort. If you are a member or participant in a church, synagogue or mosque; and if you also have a strong interest in vegetable gardening and desire to see more gardens in our area, please come and join us.
Read Alan Bisbort's column "The Party's Over" in the New Haven Advocate on peak oil and "breaking the chain of dependency and helplessness." (If this article resonates with you, you should definitely be part of the Bioregional Group!)
Read Aaron's response.
NEW!!!! TERRY'S TRANSITION RESOURCES PAGE
 PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE "TRANSITION HANDBOOK" - WE ARE HOPING TO BUY IN BULK DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLISHER
Our Transition initiatives in New Haven can purchase books from Chelsea Green Publishing at 50% off retail prices if we order in bulk. Please use this form to tell us what you would like to buy.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cnNsN3N3Z2M3WnVyLUM1aE9SWm01Qnc6MA..
Links to information on the books can be found at
http://reps.chelseagreen.com/files/pdf/Transition_LR.pdf
or
http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore
Check out the Connecticut Trails Day brochure, now online and searchable.
How much do you know about the place where you live? You probably know your neighbors, your local schools, the grocery store... but can you describe what your neighborhood looked like before there were houses in it? Can you name the native birds and plants and insects? How much local history can you tell? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, constructing a sense of place. Lessons in the new localism. And, a history of walking. http://www.wpr.org/book/090524A.cfm
Guerrilla gardeners strike!
Read a report prepared by the Connecticut State Legislature on the implications of peak oil for our state.
The Rock to Rock Bike Ride, Apr. 25, was a big success. (The Bioregional Group was a co-sponsor.)
Read coverage in the New Haven Independent.
NEW!!! Share Haven Time Bank All SHARE Haven members and interested non-members are invited to the next potluck dinner. We will be having potlucks the 3rd Saturday of every month. Bring food to share and meet the other members of your time bank. The people who came to the last potluck loved it! This is the best way for all of us to get to know each other and to talk about exchanging services. We also welcome non-member interested folks so they can meet us and become members if they'd like. Questions? Call Terry at 393-1245
ARTICLE IN NEW HAVEN REGISTER
ABOUT SHARE HAVEN
Thank you to Hugh Davis and Chris Fletcher of the Peter's Rock Association for leading us on our Peter's Rock Walkabout, April 18.  See article in the North Haven Courier.
Other news coverage of the Bioregional Group: Fair Haven WalkaboutNorth Hill Walkabout
Transition Open Space9 Squares Walkabout****** Thank you to the New Haven Independent for being so supportive of us! (Please donate to them if you have a few bucks to spare.)
Westwoods Walkabout
Mar. 28
 What a fantastic spring day it was!! The pictures tell the story. But we wish we could send the serenade we got from the wood frogs and the peepers. That was truly wonderful.
A link for the "Transient Gardener"
We are starting a bi-weekly study group focusing on The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience by Rob Hopkins. It will meet on alternate monday evenings, beginning with a pot-luck dinner. The first meeting will be Mon, April 13, at the FUUS Society, 608 Whitney Ave, New Haven; 6:30 PM Potluck, 7:30 PM Discussion Group There is also another Transition study group (led by Terry Halwes) that will run in parallel with the Monday night group. It will meet on some evening other than Mondays, at a date that will work for most of the people interested in participating. We'll be reading the new book from the Transition Movement, The Transition Timeline: for a local, resilient future, by Shaun Chamberlin. Please contact me if you'd like to be in on the negotiations of a day and time for this group to meet. (Terry -- 203-980-1088) And be sure to check out Terry Halwes' new site on resources for local resilience! PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE "TRANSITION HANDBOOK" - WE ARE HOPING TO BUY IN BULK DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLISHER
Our mapping group is currently working on a project that involves mapping the perimeter of our bioregion.  This project will culminate in a circumnavigation on foot of the entire Quinnipiac Bioregion. Pieces of the perimeter walk will be undertaken this summer, so stay tuned.
Maria Tupper's recently closed photography show at Lulu's European Coffeehouse was very successful. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing prints of Maria's bioregional photos. 
Thank you to all who attended our Transition Initiative Open Space in November 2008. We thought it was very successful and hope you did, too.  Check out Maria's photos. Check out the coverage in the New Haven Independent.Check out the Working Groups reports. | |