conservation expo

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in-person programming has been moved to virtual presentations for the coming year.

February 24th, 2021
     Our Conservation Expo
viaZoom, free and open
     to the Community at Large

We had a great lineup of speakers for our second annual Conservation Expo, with the ability to ask questions of each presenter. Speakers represented local conservation organizations and shared information about local resources from composting to the watershed to dealing with invasive plants. Each of us can make a difference for the environment in our own back yards.
To learn more, view the press release for this event.

Representatives from the following groups and others shared their expertise
and answered questions. Logos below have links to organizational websites.

Did you miss the Expo event and want to hear what our presenters had to say? ? click for a recording link
and enter the passcode: Hw7fPP?F (please forgive the tech glitches in the beginning sections)

click for Expo introduction by HWGC, the sponsoring organization.

President Paula Bartlett spoke about how Garden Clubs help conservation efforts within communities. The Hamilton Wenham Garden Club's mission is: To stimulate an interest in the knowledge and love of all phases of gardening, to aid in the protection and conservation of natural resources, and to promote civic beauty.

click for Hamilton-Wenham Garden Club's Expo presentation slides

President Kate Bowditch spoke about land conservation. Greenbelt works in the 34 cities and towns of Essex County to conserve open space, farmland, wildlife habitat and scenic landscapes.

click for Greenbelt's Expo presentation slides

Goats Tp Go is located in Georgetown at Great Rock Farm and brings goats to area homes to eat poison ivy and brush. This year owner Alan Aulson discussed their Solar Grazing operation, which brings sheep to graze at solar arrays across the Northeast.

click for Goats To Go's Expo presentation slides

Liz Green, Executive Director of Three Sisters, a community Farm in Ipswich with a food access mission, discussed farming and agriculture.

click for Three Sisters' Expo presentation slides

Ann McGovern, Compost Specialist for the Mass Dept. of Environmental Protection talked about Composting at Home. MassDEP is the state agency responsible for protecting public health and the environment in Massachusetts.

click for Mass Dept. of Environmental Protection's Expo presentation slides

Joanne Frascella of the Hamilton Wenham Community Garden spoke about how even community members without space at home can use these garden beds to grow produce and flowers.

click for Hamilton Wenham Community Garden's Expo presentation slides

Rachel Schneider, Outreach Manager of Ipswich River Watershed Association, which works to protect nature and water resources for fish, wildlife and future generations, discussed nature-based landscaping practices that protect clean water.

click for Ipswich River Watershed Association's Expo presentation slides

Enest Ashley, Chair of the Town of Wenham Water Commission provided a brief summary of where our water comes from, why we have water restrictions, and what we can all do to conserve water. The Town will provide other materials as well.

click for the Town of Wenham Water Commission's Expo presentation slides

Sandy Rogers of The Manchester Essex Conservation Trust (MECT) Outreach Committee spoke about Staying Resilient: Our Critical Local Forests and Wetlands.