Explore a diverse range of opportunities, from webinars hosted by our project experts to engaging volunteer events like rain garden plantings or cleanups—there’s something for everyone! Don’t forget to check this page regularly for updates. Discover the festivals and gatherings where we’ll have a presence, contribute to our cause through fundraisers, and stay tuned for upcoming workshops and collaborative projects.
Connecticut Cleanup Program
August through October
Sign up now!
The Connecticut Cleanup is a state-wide effort hosted by Save the Sound as part of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. This global event, which occurs on International Coastal Cleanup Day in mid-September, has motivated over 11.5 million people around the world to pick up over 210 million pounds of trash from nearly 390,000 miles of shoreline. Let’s stop trash in its tracks! Join us in this effort by registering to cleanup our beaches, rivers, parks, and natural spaces.
Rain Garden Installation
September through October
Volunteer Opportunity
Rain gardens divert water from manmade surfaces into gardens planted with native shrubs, grasses, flowers, layered soil, and sand, which together work to filter out harmful stormwater pollutants.
This year, we are installing residential rain gardens throughout New Haven and Hamden and are looking for volunteers to assist us in this important work.
How’s the Water? 2024 Long Island Sound Report Card Conversation
Tuesday, October 29, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Webinar
Earlier this month, Save the Sound released the 2024 Long Island Sound Report Card, our fourth biennial report on the ecological health of the open waters of the Sound and 57 bay segments around its margins.
Join Peter Linderoth, our director of water quality, along with the Report Card’s science advisors and Unified Water Study partners, for an interactive discussion of the data-driven results. We’ll talk about the ways nitrogen pollution degrades water quality, the impact of nitrogen pollution reduction investments over the decades, and the range of individual and community actions to address this problem. Register here.
Kinneytown Dam Removal Community Meeting
Wednesday, October 30, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Seymour, CT
Join Save the Sound and NVCOG for our second Kinneytown Dam Removal Community Meeting! This meeting will include project updates, discussion of the recent sediment report results, and Q&A session. Food will be provided. Register here.
This event will also be offered virtually as a view-only livestream on Save the Sound’s YouTube page. If it is easier for you to tune in virtually, we encourage you to do so.
Site Walk: Dana Dam Removed!
Sunday, November 17, from 1 to 2 p.m.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 1 to 2 p.m.
Wilton, CT
Dana Dam (aka Strong Pond Dam) was removed in Fall 2023 to reconnect Norwalk River habitats. Come see the restoration site one year later, and learn about dam removal design, implementation, and ecosystem benefits. Alex Krofta from Save the Sound will lead the tour and answer questions. Register here.
Eelgrass Seed Gluing Volunteer Opportunity
Event registration is now closed.
Clinton, CT
Join our Soundkeeper team and coalition partners for hands-on eelgrass restoration! Eelgrass plays a crucial role in marine ecosystems by providing habitat for fish and shellfish. It improves water quality by filtering out excess nutrients, reduces erosion by stabilizing the seabed, and sequesters carbon, helping to combat climate change.
Help us restore eelgrass beds through the SEAS method (Seeds of Eelgrass Attached to Shellfish) in areas of the Sound where it once flourished! This approach employs biomimicry, allowing clams to help bury eelgrass seeds in the seafloor. To ensure their successful deployment in the wild, thousands of eelgrass seeds will need to be carefully glued to live clam shells. Register here.
Community Events
ColleCTive Climate Action Forum
CT State Community College Middlesex
Wednesday, October 23 · 8:30am – 3:30pm
Join policymakers and other stakeholders across Connecticut as we discuss how to collaboratively create implementable climate action plans! The ColleCTive Climate Action Forum will convene public and private sector experts and community-based organizations to identify opportunities for multisector coordination while working to create a more sustainable Connecticut. Notetakers will record input from attendees throughout the event and identify opportunities to incorporate those suggestions into the plans.
Get More Involved
Become a Cleanup Captain!
Connecticut Cleanup Captains are volunteer leaders of local inland and coastal waterway cleanups as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.
Questions? Email Annalisa at apaltauf@savethesound.org.
Event FAQ
How do I watch the recording of a previous webinar, panel, or discussion?
You can view recordings of our previous events in our virtual archive.
I would like to volunteer. How do I sign up?
Thank you for your interest! Click here to learn more.
How do I become a member of Save the Sound?
For just $25 a year, you’ll fuel on-the-ground projects that help your neighborhoods and ecosystems adapt to escalated climate threats, protect your clean water through hands-on science, community collaboration, legislative advocacy, and legal action, and preserve your region’s threatened forests, islands, and riverfronts. Become a member here.
I have a question about an event. Who should I contact?
Please contact Amanda James at ajames@savethesound.org or 203-787-0646 ext. 130.