Essex is one of the world’s special places. As residents we are all stewards of its unique natural and architectural landscape. All of us now have the opportunity to make positive decisions about how we will live in a way that will have a beneficial sustainable effect on our community. We need to promote a broad menu of sustainability practices that aim to ensure the health and well-being of current and future residents while respecting the finite capacity of the natural environment.

The Sustainable Essex Committee is comprised of a group of residents concerned about climate change,have worked to ensure a clean, sustainable and cost-effective energy future for Essex. The Sustainable Essex Committee will focus on strategies to balance environmental protection, economic development, and social objectives to meet the needs of today without compromising the quality of life for future generations.

On 5/3/18, the Essex Board of Selectman voted to join Sustainable CT, an exciting new initiative to support Connecticut’s cities and towns. This statewide initiative, created for towns by towns, included a detailed menu of sustainability best practices, tools and resources, peer learning and recognition. On October 28, 2019 the Town of Essex was awarded Bronze Certification, having earned a total of three hundred fifty points in the Sustainable Connecticut certification system. The certification process will repeat each year. The goal of this program is to provide towns with access to the sustainability efforts of other participating towns to allow for improved communication and effectiveness.

Celebrate Earth Day by picking up a free packet of pollinator seeds at the Essex or the Ivoryton post offices! Plant them in your garden and help the Earth, insects, birds, flowers and the crops!

Header and wildlife photos courtesy of Edward McCaffrey.