On Monday, Senator Chris Murphy set out on a journey to walk across the state of Connecticut. His goal? To see Connecticut in a new way and speak directly with the people he represents in Washington. On Wednesday, we caught up with the Senator at Shell Beach in Guilford, a favorite recreational clamming spot for residents.
Local shellfish commission officials, environmental advocates, and scientists from DEEP and NOAA emphasized the importance of Guilford’s shellfish populations.
Guilford’s shellfish commission has developed an innovative, self-supporting model for seeding shellfish beds and promoting recreational clamming. Their approach ensures that the local waters have a vibrant population of clams and oysters that filter water and remove excess nutrients, while encouraging shoreline residents to connect with our region’s traditional pastimes.
The scientists emphasized the importance continued strong federal investment in the labs that test our waters to make sure they’re safe for swimming and shellfish harvesting.
On Thursday, our Director of Individual Giving, Heidi Green, spotted the Senator addressing a small crowd on the New Haven Green from our office window.
For more about his journey, head to Senator Murphy’s blog: https://medium.com/@ChrisMurphyCT
He’s also been live-Tweeting the adventure: https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT