Crowdfunding campaign launched for Chaplin Bicentennial Arboretum
$2,750 crowdfunding goal to receive matching grant from Sustainable CT Community Match Fund
Willimantic, CT (07/17/2020) — The Town of Chaplin is working to establish an Arboretum of 60 native trees. In order to cover the project's costs, the organizers have decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign, through which they are soliciting broad public support and donations. The project is supported through Sustainable CT's Community Match Fund, which is an innovative funding resource that promotes and supports public, community-led sustainability projects.
If the campaign reaches its $2,750 goal by its fundraising deadline of September 10, the project will receive a matching grant of $2,750 from Sustainable CT. For project details and to donate, please visit: www.Patronicity.com/ChaplinArboretum
To celebrate the bicentennial year in 2022, a group of residents has suggested establishing an Arboretum of 60 native trees to be a lasting legacy to the town. This campaign hopes to collect a total of $5,500 to purchase 24 trees for phase 1, which will be arranged over an area of 10 acres of public recreational space known as Garrison Park, and will be planted in such a way as to expand, enhance and educate visitors' understanding of the environment while complementing, rather than intruding on the recreational uses of the park.
"Edward Garrison Recreation Park is the go-to spot for our community to enjoy a wide range of activities from sports to just enjoying the natural beauty of the park," said First Selectman Bill Rose. "The addition of the variety of trees the Arboretum will bring to the park will enhance the tranquility and beauty of that experience."
Sustainable CT is an initiative of the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) at Eastern Connecticut State University that inspires, supports, and recognizes sustainability action by towns and cities statewide. The Community Match Fund, supported by the Smart Seed Fund, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and the Connecticut Green Bank, provides a dollar-for-dollar match to donations raised from the community, doubling local investment in projects.
"Through the Community Match Fund, we aim to put residents at the forefront of creating positive, impactful change," said Abe Hilding-Salorio, community outreach manager for Sustainable CT. "Match Fund projects are community led and community funded, demonstrating the power of people working together to make change in their communities."
Media Contacts
- Abe Hilding-Salorio, community outreach manager, Sustainable CT: hildingsalorioa@easternct.edu; 860-465-0256
- Helen Weingart, project leader, Town of Chaplin: chaplintrees@gmail.com; 860-428-0441
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,000 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 162 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.