The Westport Woman’s Club’s Ruegg Committee presented their 2019 Ruegg Grant, in the amount of $10,000, to Aspetuck Land Trust to help sponsor their “Green Corridor: Saugatuck to Shore" program, focusing on "Westport: A Model of Change." This WWC grant will be used to educate and motivate homeowners to take care of their yards in more sustainable ways to increase biodiversity and improve the environment by planting native plants, switching to organic lawn care, and reducing pesticide usage. The land trust is developing two model native landscape demonstration sites in Westport: one at Earthplace, and another at the land trust’s Caryl and Edna Haskins Preserve on Green Acre Lane. This effort to educate Westport residents will involve workshops and partnerships with Westport non-profits, as well as local businesses. Aspetuck Land Trust shares, "Every homeowner can make a difference by taking care of their yards in more sustainable ways."
L-R: Susan Hricik, WWC Community Services Director; Nancy Saipe, Ruegg Grant Committee; David Brant, Aspetuck Land Trust Executive Director; Christina McVaney, WWC President; Jeannette Tewey, Ruegg Grant Committee. Missing from the photo are Ruegg Grant Committee members, Maria Fraile and Donna Richardson. (photo taken by WWC member, Gloria Smithson, at Haskins Preserve on Green Acre Lane, Westport)
Founded in 1966, Aspetuck Land Trust is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is the preservation and conservation of open space, including farm and forestland, and the natural resources located thereon, primarily in the towns of Easton, Weston, Fairfield and Westport, for the benefit and education of the public. Their vision is "to create a healthier community by establishing a Green Corridor that connects and engages our communities and safeguards our land, wildlife and water resources for future generations."To learn more, visit www.aspetucklandtrust.org/Green Corridor.
The Westport Woman’s Club, established in 1907, is a non-profit philanthropic organization dedicated to volunteerism and the raising of funds for charitable purposes. Capital for its Ruegg Grant was provided by a 1995 endowment bequest by member Lea Ruegg, with the stipulation that the WWC annually award the grant to a deserving non-profit or service organization for an important initiative in the arts, education, or health and safety. Past Ruegg Grant beneficiaries include Wakeman Town Farm, Westport Astronomical Society, Project Return, Earthplace, The Westport Police Department, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut, Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services, Nursing and Home Care, Westport Center for Senior Activities, Interfaith Housing Association, Mercy Learning Center, Toquet Hall, Clasp Homes, Westport Weston Family Y, and ITN Coastal CT.
