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Sharon Conservation Commission approves minutes, outlines dark‑sky outreach and native‑plant programs
Summary
On March 18, 2026 the Sharon Conservation Commission unanimously approved the February minutes and discussed outreach and programming including a dark‑skies follow‑up, vernal‑pool education, an invasive‑plant series and plans for a native plant sale and volunteer training.
The Sharon Conservation Commission met on March 18, 2026, and unanimously approved the February 2026 meeting minutes. The meeting, chaired by Bethany Sheffer, opened at 6:30 p.m. and adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Chair Bethany Sheffer reported that the Commission’s revised mission statement had been sent to Casey Flanagan for the selectmen to review and summarized recent and planned outreach. She described a successful initial dark‑skies program on light pollution held in February at Sharon Audubon and said the Commission will consider a follow‑up presentation and a townwide survey of lighting conditions to inform possible education efforts and, potentially, an ordinance modeled on other Connecticut towns.
The Commission also reviewed three upcoming vernal‑pool education programs, including a presentation by ecologist Joe Markow and a field trip to the Welles Preserve in Cornwall; sponsors listed included the Cornwall and Sharon conservation commissions, the Salisbury Association and Sharon Audubon. Members discussed supporting SEEC’s Earth Day outreach through outreach to the Sharon Land Trust, organizing an "adopt‑a‑road" litter pick‑up and posting events on the town website.
The Commission agreed to partner with Sharon Audubon to sponsor a presentation by Elise Howard, author of Plant This, Not That. Commissioners reviewed the "Heroes and Villains" non‑native invasive plant education series: the third program was scheduled for Saturday, March 28, focusing on native alternatives to invasives, and sessions are posted on the Sharon Land Trust YouTube page. A native plant sale is planned for mid‑April.
Bethany Sheffer reported outreach about recruiting trail‑easement volunteers to attend Sharon Land Trust training, and members discussed the potential role of student volunteers in maintenance tasks. Member Carl Chaiet proposed raising the SCC’s public profile and offered to design an SCC logo—possibly featuring stone‑wall imagery—for use on hats or other clothing as an outreach tool.
The meeting record includes a clerk filing timestamp for March 22, 2026. The Commission set its next meeting for 6:30 p.m. on April 15, 2026, at Sharon Town Hall.
"This document is a draft until approved by the Sharon Conservation Commission," the minutes note in the record filed by the Office of the Town Clerk.
