Photos of Villa del Balbiannello – movies “Casino Royals” and “Star Wars” were filmed here

 

Boating on Lake Como.

George Clooney’s home – unfortunately he wasn’t there.

A More “Constructive” Approach For Re-Purposing Fairfield’s Glass Recyclables

Residents Invited to Participate in Money-Saving Town Program To Separate Recyclable Glass for Use in Sustainable Cement Production

Fairfield CT, January 20, 2022 — There’s no question that, for environmentally minded households, being able to toss all kinds of recyclables into the same bin for pick-up – so-called “single stream recycling” – has made recycling even easier.  But the convenience has come with a catch – and Fairfield residents will now have an opportunity to help fix a problem.

More and more, glass mixed with other recyclables is itself becoming a contaminant.  When it breaks in the recycling process, glass can damage recycling equipment, and the fragments can find their way into other recyclables like paper and cardboard, making those materials less valuable or even impossible to recycle – to say nothing of the hazards created for recycling workers.

And when it becomes too difficult or expensive to separate out glass, recyclers often simply send the entire stream to a landfill – where the glass will take an incredible 4,000 to 1 million years to decompose.  Indeed, according to Recycle Across America, more than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year — the equivalent of filling up two Empire State Buildings with glass every three weeks.  In Fairfield’s case, tainted glass doesn’t go to landfills, but is lost nevertheless – it goes to a local incinerator.  Still, glass can be recycled infinitely, without loss of quality or purity – so it’s vital to make the most of the resource.

Aiming to Reduce Recycling Costs and Contamination

Starting in January, the Town of Fairfield will test a new approach for handling glass recyclables.  Under a pilot program designed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Town residents will be able to voluntarily bring their glass recyclables separately to a collection point at the Town Transfer Station on Richard White Way.

From the collection point, the glass will be transported to Urban Mining in Beacon Falls, Conn., where it will be crushed and turned into a substance called pozzolan, an additive for high-end cement that helps reduce its carbon footprint by up to 40 percent.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said, “I hope residents will take advantage of this opportunity which will help save the Town money in recycling costs – but also will help our efforts to be a more environmentally conscious community. I want to thank DPW, and all the volunteers on the Sustainable Fairfield Task Force and Solid Waste & Recycling Commission for working to bring this new initiative forward.”

“We hope that a good number of Town residents will consider taking part in the program and help make the Town recycling effort even more cost efficient – while also helping to ensure that even more of our  recyclable glass actually has a useful next life,” said Becky Bunnell, Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (SFTF) member.  She has been working with Fairfield’s Solid Waste & Recycling Commission and Solid Waste & Recycling Department to initiate the program.

The SFTF provides support for Town practices and projects that can help Fairfield manage its growth to safeguard the health of its environment, ensure the reliability and economical use of its natural resources, and preserve the quality of life of its residents – today and for the future.  For more information, please visit https://www.fairfieldct.org/sftf

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Watch this quick segment from the nightly news about glass recycling and this team using glass in an unexpected way! Inspiring!

WATCH HERE

Hat tip:Leahkay White

Sherry Rago writes: We all made it!!!!! Just finished lunch overlooking beautiful Lake Como. Off to the gardens.

Have fun FGC ladies!

 

If you consider yourself a home chef and regularly cook dinner for yourself and loved ones, maybe it’s time to grow herbs in your kitchen, said Carmichael, who is also author of “Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety.”

It’s an easy way to bring something natural and fragrant into your routine without requiring too much work, she added.
And once dinner is ready, consider moving the meal outside in mild weather.
If you can put some focus into the environment and observe the world going on around you, having a meal in your yard or on a patio is a great way to get your minutes in nature, McEwan said.
Hatip: Virginia Lynch Dean

Annotated Resource List About Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted Legacy

Books by Frederick Law Olmsted:
Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England
The Cotton Kingdom (many editions are available. I recommend one with the intro by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.)
Frederick Law Olmsted: Writings on Landscape, Culture and Society (Library of America, 2015)

Biographies:
FLO.: A Biography of Frederick Law Olmsted by Laura Wood Roper (older volume, and maybe a little hard to come by, but still excellent)
A Clearing in the Distance, by Witold Rybczynski
Genius of Place, by Justin Martin (the most recent)

On Olmsted, Senior and his landscapes:
Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape by Charles Beveridge and Paul Rocheleau. (Seek out a library copy or pre-owned copy of this marvelous volume, available in both large format hardback and in paperback. A new edition was just published by Rizzoli. It is a coffee table book. But it doesn’t just feature beautiful pictures. It is loaded with wonderful content by the “Dean” of Olmsted scholars, Charlies Beveridge.)

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
The first ever full-length biography of Junior/Rick Olmsted, published fall 2021.
Beauty, Efficiency, and Economy: A Life of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Landscape Architect, Planner, and Conservationist by Elizabeth Hope Cushing

John Charles Olmsted:
Greenscapes: Olmsted’s Pacific Northwest, by Joan Hockaday. (Out of print, but used copies are out there.)
The Legacy of the Olmsted Brothers in Portland, Oregon, by William J. Hawkins, III. Buy from Powells Books or direct from the author.
Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City, by Jennifer Ott.

Newly published:
The Power of Scenery: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Origin of National Parks, by Dennis Drabelle
Architects of an American Landscape: Henry Hobson Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted and the Reimagining of America’s Public and Private Spaces, by Hugh Howard

Olmsted and Yosemite: Civil War, Abolition, and the National Park Idea by Rolf Diamant & Ethan Carr.

Before Central Park, by Sara Cedar Miller (forthcoming in May 2022). Sara’s thoroughly researched history will reveal much previously unpublished material covering two and a half centuries of the land that became Central Park. Its residents and events include Indigenous peoples, the early Dutch and English families, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the African American settlement of Seneca Village, Irish and German immigrant farmers, and the Motherhouse of Catholic sisters and students. The book also narrates the two-decades-long struggle to realize Central Park from concept to creation and includes the beginnings of Frederick Law Olmsted’s long and celebrated career.

Films:

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing AmericaProduced and Directed by Lawrence Hott. Laurence Cotton originated this project, served as content provider and Consulting Producer. A production of Florentine Films/Hott Productions and WNED Buffalo/Toronto. On this special website (not the main PBS website), you can stream the original 60-minute PBS film, watch additional video material and select reading material from a list of essays about the Olmsted legacy.

https://www.wned.org/television/wned-productions/wned-history-productions/frederick-law-olmsted-designing-america/

Another fine film about the Olmsted parks:

Olmsted and America’s Urban Parks:

https://www.olmstedfilm.org

There are additional documentaries out there that focus in on the Olmsted park legacies in such places as Upstate New York (Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester) and Louisville.

A (very) short list of recommended resources:

National Association for Olmsted Parks/NAOP: https://www.olmsted.org/

Olmsted Online: https://www.olmstedonline.org/

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site/NPS: https://www.nps.gov/frla/index.htm

Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted/National Archives:
https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/projects/catalog/frederick-olmsted

The Cultural Landscape Foundation: https://www.tclf.org

Library of American Landscape History (LALH: https://lalh.org/

CT ASLA Olmsted Legacy Trail: www.olmstedlegacytrail.com

Plus, please keep in mind that many Olmsted park systems (Buffalo, Boston, Louisville) and individual parks (Central Park, Prospect Park) have well-resourced conservancies with beautiful, content-rich websites that often include information that is far broader than any one park or collection of parks. Plus, many smaller parks and clusters of parks have active “friends” groups (Lake Park, Milwaukee, Seattle, Cadwalader Park, N.J., just by way of a few examples. There are many such groups across the U.S. and in Montreal.) All the friends groups have websites loaded with wonderful content. Always remember to check out those websites…and if you are local, make contact. The personnel often include a mixture of professionals and active volunteers who love their park/portfolio of parks, and work to raise funds to maintain and restore those landscapes. Many are trained horticulturalists, landscape design practitioners and historians, and many actively volunteer time to maintain and restore these parks, and to give tours for these special places. You cannot go wrong by reaching out to these extraordinary park advocates across the nation.

Thanks to Carolyn Stubbs!

Goldenrod

Aaron’s rod; European goldenrod; Solidago canadensis; Solidago virgaurea

Historically, goldenrod (Solidago canadensis or Solidago virgaurea) has been used on the skin to heal wounds. It has also been used as a diuretic, meaning it helps the body get rid of excess fluid. The name solidago means “to make whole.”

Goldenrod has also been used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, gout, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, and arthritis. In folk medicine, it is used as a mouth rinse to treat inflammation of the mouth and throat.

A few animal and test tube studies suggest goldenrod may help reduce inflammation, relieve muscle spasms, fight infections, and lower blood pressure. It does seem to act like a diuretic, and is used in Europe to treat urinary tract inflammation and to prevent or treat kidney stones. In fact, goldenrod is often found in teas to help “flush out” kidney stones and stop inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract.

Goldenrod is often blamed for seasonal allergies. Actually it is another plant, ragweed, which blooms at the same time, that is usually responsible.

Plant Description

Hat tip: Virginia Dean

“Grow” your gardening know-how! Smithsonian Gardens free online gardening program, “Let’s Talk Gardens”, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers.

Click HERE to watch next Thursday’s program

OR

click HERE to peruse the video library.

Hat tip: Deb Keys and Claire Van de Berghe

Olmsted 200 in CT

(As of 3-24-2022)

January 28-May 22, 2022

  • New Britain Museum of American Art
    • Exhibition | The Poetry of Nature: Hudson River School Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society
    • 56 Lexington St, New Britain, CT
    • A stunning array of over 40 paintings created between 1818 and 1886, The Poetry of Nature illustrates America’s scenic splendor as seen through the eyes of over 25 leading Hudson River School artists, including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, John F. Kensett, Albert Bierstadt, as well as lesser-known but important artists Josephine Walters, Christopher Pearse Cranch, and Louisa Davis Minot, among others. Its display at the NBMAA will include the addition of works by Robert S. Duncanson, the first Black artist of the Hudson River School to gain international acclaim. Drawn from the collection of the New-York Historical Society, the exhibition explores the exchange of influence among this group of artists, their favored sketching grounds, and the legacy of Hudson River School painting today.

March 5, 2022

  • The Norfolk Library
    • 4-5:30pm Back to the Future
    • Mental health issues can affect us all, but there are coping mechanisms all around us. Join us we dive deeper into the issue with Dr. Susan A. Masino, Vernon D. Roosa Professor of Applied Science with a joint appointment in Neuroscience and Psychology at Trinity College, as she discusses the relationship between forests and brain health. She will emphasize the benefits of natural ecosystems, ranging from medicines to minds, and with special opportunities for veterans, adolescents, and people with mental ill-health. There will be a reception following the lecture.

April 19, 2022

  • Sacred Heart University Community Theatre
    • 6-8pm Film Showing “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America” and then Lecture by Laurence Cotton
    • Please join The Fairfield Garden Club and the Fairfield Museum and History Center on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 from 6pm – 8pm at the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre, 1420 Post Road, Fairfield, CT for a free screening of the PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America,” followed by a lecture and Q&A with historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton.
    • The event is open to the public, free of charge, but reservations are required. Tickets may be obtained through the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre box office by clicking on “View Event Details” above.

April 20, 2022

  • New Britain Museum of American Art
    • 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Day of Learning/Symposium | The Olmsted Legacy
    • 56 Lexington St, New Britain, CT
    • As we celebrate Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday and the Olmsted landscape design legacy in 2022, we also celebrate the crucial role that the public park experience plays in our lives.

April 22, 2022

April 23, 2022

  • Isham Terry House, Old North Cemetery & Keney Clock Tower
    • 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th: A Hartford Memorial
    • 211 High St, Hartford, CT
    • Frederick Law Olmsted was born, buried and shaped by Hartford, Connecticut – a city that was one of a leading centers of culture, religion, industry and technology throughout the 19th century – during his early years in the 1830s-50s. This program involves lectures by two Olmsted scholars and a pilgrimage from Keney Clock Tower (an Olmsted-designed site) to his burial place in Old North Cemetery

April 26, 2022

  • The Mark Twain House & Museum
    • 7-8:30pm, Architects of An American Landscape: Reimagining America’s Public and Private Spaces, In-Person Discussion with Author Hugh Howard and Donald Poland
    • The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT

April 26, 2022

  • Manchester Land Conservation Trust
    • 5:30PM – 7:30PM, Olmsted’s Legacy in Manchester, CT
    • Fuss & O’Neill 146 Hartford Road Manchester, CT

April 28, 2022

  • TOWN OF EAST HARTFORD LIBRARY
    • 6:30PM – 7:30PM, More than Parks: Frederick Law Olmsted’s American Vision with Bill Hosley

East Hartford Raymond Library, 840 MAIN STREET, EAST HARTFORD, CT

July 7-28, 2022

  • Trinity College- Carillon Concert
    • 7:00 Pm – 8:00 PM, Main Quad At Trinity College Hartford, CT

Documentary honors Mabel Osgood Wright, founder of the Connecticut Audubon Society and The Fairfield Garden Club

Click HERE for the News 12 Video

A new documentary film honors Mabel Osgood Wright, founder of Connecticut Audubon Society and the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary in Fairfield.
Filmmaker Karyl Evans made the film after talking with members of the Fairfield Garden Club who says Wright is also their founding member.  Evans says Wright wrote 30 books on conservation and worked with legislators to pass national laws for bird conservation in the U.S. Evans says Wright was not only a conservationist, but she was a landscape photographer.
Many never-before seen images and literary notes are being shown in the documentary.
The film, Mabel Osgood Wright: Pioneering Conservationist, will premiere at 3 p.m. today at the Fairfield Museum in collaboration with the Fairfield League of Women Voters.
Evans is the owner of Karyl Evans Productions in North Haven, and has produced over 100 historical documentaries over the past 30 years.
Hat tip: Peggy Moore