Winchester, CT Conservation Commission

10/21/2026

Join Wi******er Conservation Commission for our Fall 2026 speaker event: 🐀Rats & 🗑️Trash

As you may have seen recently, Wi******er became one of the first towns in the State of CT to adopt a policy banning anticoagulant rodenticides on town properties. Additionally, there have been discussions taking place on how to address dumping issues and promote more sustainable waste management.
We hope this event will help community members make informed decisions on how they can support these initiatives!

Featuring Cassandra McKenna of Save CT Wildlife and Todd Arcelaschi, Mayor of Wi******er and Administrator of Regional Refuse Disposal District #1.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
P. Francis Hicks Room, Town Hall
338 Main Street, Winsted, CT
OR watch live: youtube.com/******er_CT

10/07/2026

Quinnetukut: Our Homeland, Our History

Join the Wi******er Land Trust for a special talk with Traditional Native American Storyteller Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation).

📆 Saturday, November 7, 2026
🕓 4:00 pm (come at 3:30 and enjoy the museum first)
📍 American Museum of Tort Law, 654 Main St, Winsted
💸 Suggested donation: $10

Bring a friend and learn the history of this land through voices of those who have lived here for thousands of years.

10/06/2026

🌿 Wi******er Takes Action to Protect Wildlife & Our Environment

At last night’s meeting, the Wi******er Board of Selectmen adopted a new Anticoagulant Rodenticide Policy on Municipal Properties.

The policy is designed to ensure the Town can continue addressing rodent issues effectively while reducing the unintended risks these products can pose to owls, hawks, foxes, other wildlife, pets, and our environment.

Beginning November 1, 2026, Wi******er will emphasize prevention, Integrated Pest Management, and safer alternatives on Town-owned and Town-maintained properties before turning to anticoagulant rodenticides.

We encourage residents to learn more about the new policy, why it was adopted, and how it will work.

👉 Click the link below to read the full announcement, policy, and presentation on the Town of Wi******er website:

https://www.townofwinchester.org/articles/anticoagulant-rodenticide-policy

🦉🌳 Together, we can protect our community while being responsible stewards of Wi******er’s parks, open spaces, and wildlife.

10/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped with our annual fall cleanup yesterday!

We counted just about 40 large grain bags full of trash (not including bulkier items and recyclables) collected from the streets of Winsted. It feels amazing to know this waste is no longer burdening our town and local nature.

We appreciate everyone staying active in keeping our community and surrounding environment clean by being mindful of consumer habits, holding onto trash until it can be disposed of properly, and encouraging others to do the same. 🌿🙌

06/13/2026

Come see us today at The American Museum of Tort Law Farmers Market! We will be discussing and handing out information about invasive plants and what you can do on a home level to aid in local conservation efforts. See you there!

Connecticut Open House Day at the American Museum of Tort Law! Join us on Saturday, June 13 for a day of history, community, and local shopping! FREE Museum Admission all day as part of Connecticut Open House Day 10 AM - 5:00 PM
• Book Signing with T.C. Morrison at 11:00 AM
featuring his newest book, available for purchase on-site! Farmers Market from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM in the museum parking lot, featuring local vendors, artisans, and fresh products! Bring your family, explore the nation's only museum dedicated to tort law and civil justice, meet a local author, and support local businesses, all in one place!
American Museum of Tort Law
654 Main Street, Winsted, CT
We look forward to seeing you there! ⚖️⚖️⚖️

05/07/2026

A little bit of a late thank you to everyone who came out to help with the 2026 Winsted Earth Day Cleanup hosted by Friends of Main Street Winsted that took place Saturday, April 25!
We were so pleased with the turnout and, as always, it’s truly inspiring to see so many people put effort into keeping our community and the lands we share together healthy and thriving.
Special thanks to Little Red Barn Brewers and Norbrook Farm Brewery for donating the bags that our volunteers used to gather waste. Look at that full truck! You all did that! 💪 👏 That’s one less load of trash sitting on our streets and along our rivers.
We look forward to many more successful cleanups to come, and we appreciate your continued efforts to keep our public spaces clean for the benefit of our community and nature alike. 🫶

04/14/2026

Happy National Gardening Day!
Need plants??

04/14/2026

Growing gardens and supporting your local library are so in.
Happy National Gardening Day!
Go get you some seeds and grab some books to read while you're at it!

Your Garden Seeds are Here!

04/14/2026

Today is National Gardening Day! And how appropriate with the sun shining and temperatures rising.🌞Best wishes for an abundant and enjoyable growing season to all the gardeners out there, as we make our way back into our yards.

Several weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting three awesome speakers at our "Growing a Greener Community" event. Laura, Dan, and Michelle spoke about ways you can create conservation-minded gardens and landscaping with rain and pollinator gardens and by planting natives.

If you would like to learn more, you can check out the event on the Town of Wi******er, CT Youtube page:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYtXXI_Qm1A

The informational slides from their talks will also be available soon under "resources" on the WCC page of the town's website:

https://www.townofwinchester.org/entities/conservation-commission-4

Happy planting season! Let's grow a greener community together! 🌱

02/28/2026

We are looking forward to this event today at The American Museum of Tort Law today! Staying informed on happenings in the natural world even during the winter months when we want to stay cozy in our own homes keeps us attuned to nature and conservation. Hope to see you there!

Reminder to join Ginny Apple, Wildlife Conservationist today at the American Museum of Tort Law, arrive early and enjoy a free tour of the Museum and learn how the law works.⚖️