Greenfield, MA – The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), formerly the Connecticut River Watershed Council, is pleased to recognize Marie Levesque Caduto of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and Adair Mulligan of the Hanover Conservancy with the 2018 Bud Foster Award. This award is given annually by CRC to those who have shown outstanding devotion, service and commitment to our rivers. The award will be given at CRC’s annual River Celebration on Saturday, June 16 at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, VT.
“More good work gets done for our rivers when you work together,” notes CRC executive director Andrew Fisk. “The Bud Foster Award, named after our first executive director who served in the 1950s, is our chance to appreciate our partners and others who are working hard for our rivers. Our rivers are lucky to have people like Marie and Adair on their side.”
Adair Mulligan of Lyme, NH is the Executive Director of the Hanover Conservancy. She also served for 20 years as Conservation Director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, working with valley citizens to create the Connecticut River Management Plan. Marie Levesque Caduto is the Watershed Coordinator for southeastern Vermont with the Watershed Management Division of the Agency of Natural Resources. Marie works with local communities to develop and implement water quality improvement plans for surface waters throughout the region. Past recipients include Andrew French of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Barbara Skuly of the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee, Laurie Sanders – naturalist and former ‘Field Notes’ host, and Margaret Miner of Rivers Alliance of CT.
River Celebration is your chance to get outside for a day of river adventure, learning, and community building. Enjoy live music by River Rhapsody and lunch by Tito’s Taqueria and Vermont Country Deli. Choose from a variety of fun morning excursions including a pontoon cruise on the Connecticut River, a paddling adventure in the Meadows, a freshwater mussel ecology workshop, a fly casting workshop, and more.
Vermont Lt. Governor David Zuckerman will moderate the Farm/River Roundtable: “Doing Right by Our Rivers” which will explore questions like “What are local farmers doing to keep our rivers clean?” and “What are some of the hurdles farmers face trying to implement conservation practices on the ground?” Panelists include Lisa Knapton-NH Farmer, Ron Rhodes-CRC River Steward, Kim Nace-Rich Earth Institute, and Michael Colby-Regeneration Vermont.
Additional River Celebration activities include a kids-only ice cream-making workshop and several demonstrations open all day: a stream table, a soil infiltration table, a water quality testing station, and more. Retreat Farm encompasses 500 acres of conserved forest, farmlands, trails, waterways, and an historic Farmstead. The Farm sits adjacent to downtown Brattleboro, VT.
All who love our rivers, near and far, are encouraged to attend this engaging event on Saturday, June 16. Tickets are $15, kids under 12 free. Please register at ctriver.org/celebration or by contacting Stacey Lennard at 413-772-2020 x211.
Connecticut River Conservancy is the voice for the Connecticut River watershed, from source to sea. We collaborate with partners across four states to protect and advocate for your rivers and educate and engage communities. We bring people together to prevent pollution, improve habitat, and promote enjoyment of your river and its tributary streams. Healthy rivers support healthy economies.
To learn more about CRC, or to join the effort and help protect our rivers, visit ctriver.org.
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