Newtown Forest Association Launches Campaign to Expand Internship Program

Willimantic, CT (03/06/2020) — Newtown Forest Association (NFA) is excited to announce a fundraising campaign for a community sustainability project that will train and educate student interns on the importance and benefits of land stewardship and conservation. NFA is seeking broad support from the community to raise $5,094 by the fundraising deadline of May 31, which will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund, raising a total of $10,188 for the project.

In the past, NFA's interns have primarily performed maintenance, but this coming summer, they'd like to expand the program to include improvement projects such as clearing old New England stone fences of invasive plants and building and maintaining new and existing hiking and biking trails.

"Newtown has a rich history of rural and farming life, and it is quickly being overwhelmed by both residential and commercial expansion," said Mike Dylag, NFA board member. "The NFA is doing what it can to preserve our heritage and protect it for our future. Protecting land is good for Newtown, but we also feel that by bringing on more interns to help us in our mission we are also grooming future generations to continue the important mission of land conservation and stewardship."

Sustainable CT is an initiative of the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) at Eastern Connecticut State University meant to assist communities in becoming more resilient and sustainable. The Community Match Fund provides a dollar-for-dollar match to donations raised from the community, doubling local investment in projects.

To learn more about the project and donate, visit https://ioby.org/project/interns-saving-newtowns-forests.

About Sustainable CT and Community Match Fund

Sustainable CT is funded by the Hampshire Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and Connecticut Green Bank. The Sustainable CT Community Match Fund is an innovative funding resource that provides a dollar-for-dollar match to all donations raised from the community, doubling local investment. The program is helping to bring projects across the state to life by providing fast, accessible funding as well as fundraising coaching and support to residents and organizations with great ideas to make their communities more sustainable.

Anyone in a Sustainable CT-registered municipality (more than 50 percent of the state) is eligible to receive this funding, meaning that schools, nonprofits, community groups and individual residents can all propose projects and access the matching funds. To start a Community Match Fund project, visit www.ioby.org/sustainablect or contact Sustainable CT's Abe Hilding-Salorio at hildingsalorioa@easternct.edu or 860-465-0256.

"Through the Community Match Fund, we aim to put residents at the forefront of creating positive, impactful change," said 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."

Sustainable CT, an initiative by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, provides a roadmap of sustainability best practices for towns, technical assistance, funding and recognition through certification. Forty-seven towns and cities across Connecticut have earned the prestigious Sustainable CT certification, demonstrating accomplishments in nine impact categories including inclusive and equitable communities, cleaner transportation, vibrant arts and culture, natural resource stewardship and affordable housing. Find more information at www.sustainablect.org.

###