To the Editor:

Many thanks to the speakers and participants who attended the CT Grasslands & Meadows Seminar on April 9 at the Cyrenius Booth Library. Sponsored by the Newtown Forest Association and the Town & Country Garden Club, the seminar featured Audubon Bent of the River Center Director Leslie Kane and Peter Picone, Senior Wildlife Biologist at the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP). Both spoke about the importance of our diminishing grassland and meadow habitats, and shared photos and videos of the birds, animals, and insects that make them home.

The take-home message: Large property owners can nurture meadow habitats; small property owners - or even if you don't own any land - can choose native plants, support local land trusts, protect public open spaces, and educate others about the importance of preserving these special places.

Thanks also go to "Protect Our Pollinators" and "Bees & Trees" for attending and sharing educational materials.

Respectfully,

Ann Astarita

Citizens for Public Commons

PO Box 3552, Newtown, CT 06470          April 12, 2016