Residents can help make the Norwalk River a healthier home for trout, turtles, heron and other aquatic animals by donating their Christmas tree to the annual “Trees for Trout” collection of the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Trees can be dropped off at Merwin Meadows Park (52 Lovers Ln.) in Wilton on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A $10 suggested donation is recommended.
All the trees collected will help stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion and create refuge habitats for wildlife. Each summer, volunteers with the Mianus Chapter anchor these pine trees in the river, creating a structure called a “conifer revetment” that helps trap silt in the river, rebuilds eroded banks and develops a narrower, deeper and cooler river that is better for the fish and wildlife living along the river.
Founded in 1973, the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited is a nonprofit, grassroots conservation organization with more than 5,000 members and supporters in the towns of Wilton, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and Ridgefield. The chapter works to protect and restore local river resources through active restoration projects, education initiatives and public advocacy. Learn more on the Mianus Chapter website.