Trumbull conservationist named environmental champion
TRUMBULL — The Aquarion Water Company has named the town’s Conservation Commission chair an environmental champion.
Mary Ellen Lemay, also a member of Sustainable Trumbull, was one of five winners and the only adult individual. The Environmental Champion Awards, which were given out June 4, recognize those dedicated to preserving the state’s environmental resources.
“Preserving Connecticut’s beautiful waterways, land, and wildlife is vital to our state’s future,” said Aquarion President Donald Morrissey in a news release. “For over a decade, Aquarion has celebrated the efforts of environmental advocates across Connecticut and we’re proud to congratulate this year’s environmental champions for their exceptional accomplishments.”
Lemay was lauded by Aquarion for, among other things, her work getting municipal funding to support both 1,000 Trees for Trumbull, a tree replacement program, and the expansion of the community garden at Abraham Nichols Park to include vegetable patches for local food banks.
Recently, Lemay helped produce a survey of Trumbull residents that asked which environmental and sustainability issues were most important to them. About 450 people responded to the questionnaire and of those, roughly 80 percent said protection of natural resources should be one of the town’s top priorities, particularly in the areas of water quality and preserving open space.
The other recipients of the Environmental Champion award were East Hartford-based Pratt & Whitney, Nod Hill Brewery in Ridgefield, the Housatonic Valley Association, and Izzy Kaufman, a senior at New Canaan High School.
To learn more about Aquarion’s 2022 Environmental Champions, visit www.aquarionwater. com/2022-champions.