Litchfield Hills Audubon Society meeting:  Birds, Bugs and Beyond: The Biodiversity and Benefits of Grasslands

Presentation by
Tanya  Bourgoin, Selectman, East Haddam; chair, Sierra Club of CT’s Wildlife Committee; president of the Friends of Machimoodus and Sunrise State Parks (which she founded in 2016); Board member, Friends of CT state Parks.  She serves on the Sustainability Team of her town, East Haddam, and “in her spare time” is also a DJ on WCBI Radio in New London.

Litchfield Community Center, 421 Bantam Road (Rte.202), Litchfield, CT 06759 : 

Definition of a Grassland:  What it IS and what it is NOT.  Grasslands are the fastest disappearing ecosystems in the world.  Bobolinks are the “poster bird” for the greater problem – their worldwide population has declined 75% in the last 40 – 50 years.   Factors that have led to the decline of these critical habitats and the benefits provided by grasslands.  How can this issue be mitigated and what you can do, plus an overview of current best practices and ways to advocate for stronger conservation efforts 

Tanya was born and bred in CT, a lifelong resident except for attending Colorado State University.  She started her first conservation advocacy organization in elementary school, raising funds to donate to national wildlife causes.  At age 6 she helped her grandmother raise an orphaned baby squirrel, and in 1998 attained her wildlife rehabilitation certification.  Tanya is president of the Friends of Machimoodus and Sunrise State Parks, which she founded in 2016, and in September 2022, she was elected to the board of Friends of CT State Parks.  Most recently she was appointed to serve on the Sustainability Team of her town, East Haddam, so she can share her knowledge and opinions about our natural resources and how to protect them.  In her “spare time” she’s been a DJ on WCNI Radio in New London, and when she’s not in a meeting, she likes to be outdoors with her husband, dogs, ducks and goats.   

Free and Open to the Public.  Also on Zoom – go to LHAS website at http://www.lhasct.org to register (closes 5 PM, Sunday, Sept. 8) 

Contact:  Diane Edwards – 860-309-5139