Environmental Club Article in Selectman's Upcoming Event Magazine

  Eleven graduating seniors from Lyme-Old Lyme High School were honored by the Old Lyme Open Space Commission on April 19th for their volunteer work on town conserved land.
   Each student lent a hand on town stewardship projects over their four years at LOLHS, from their freshman through senior year, via the school’s Environmental/Community Service Club.
  The students received certificates signed by First Selectman Tim Griswold and Asst. Principal Jeanne Manfredi, as well as Open Space T-shirts.
The Commission also recognized Environmental Club advisor and faculty member Heather Fried who supervised the students’ site work.
    Nine students, Ms. Fried and Open Space Commission members are shown in the photo.
  Student volunteers recognized were Elsie Arafeh-Hudson, Callie Bass, Livie Bass, Jaimie Bucior, William Danes, Alexis Fenton, Willa Hoerauf, Monique Lavoie, Madeleine Morgado, Lyla Powers and Samantha Tan.
 The club’s work included clearing invasive plant growth, building bridges along trails, spreading mulch around the Barbizon Oak, and clearing sites in Ames Open Space for two viewing areas. The latter were created along a section of the Black Hall River [also called Bucky Brook] so hikers might spend time watching beavers, herons, egrets, wood ducks and other animals while in the nature.
   Other young volunteers assisting the Open Space Commission included college interns who spent last summer working on the town’s Ferry Landing Wildlife Refuge, and high school students who worked with raw wildlife video footage to edit and fashion videos now posted on the town YouTube channel.
   The Commission expects to employ a college intern again this summer and a high school student to complete additional video editing.
   All the students’ contributions are sincerely appreciated by the Commission. As important, the Open Space Commission hopes that these young citizens will find their time spent working in nature to be an inspiration leading to their future involvement as stewards responsible for protecting and preserving Old Lyme’s natural beauty and heritage.