Kent Conservation Commission

08/24/2026

🔧 Fix it, don’t toss it! ♻️

Have a beloved item that’s broken and in need of a little TLC? Bring it to the HRRA Regional Repair Café, hosted in conjunction with the Town of Kent!

🛠️ Volunteer fixers will be on hand to help repair:
🚲 Bicycles
🧵 Textiles
💍 Jewelry
🔌 Small appliances
💻 Tech issues
…and more!

📅 Saturday, September 26
⏰ 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Kent Community House, 93 N. Main St.

Best of all? It’s FREE! Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.

Let’s keep cherished items out of the waste stream, learn some repair skills, and give our favorite things a second life! 🌎💚



Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority Town of Kent,CT The Kent Dispatch Kent Conservation Commission Kent CT Chamber of Commerce

Get it Fixed at Kent’s First Repair Café

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) in conjunction with the Kent Sustainability Team, the Kent Conservation Commission and the Kent Memorial Library, will be hosting Kent’s first free Regional Repair Café on Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kent Community House.

Residents can bring their broken, but cherished, items to the Repair Café where volunteer fixers will try to repair them. Repair Cafés prolong the life of household items, reduce waste, and help people save money.

Items such as bicycles, textiles, small wooden furniture, jewelry and computers may be brought to the event for the volunteer fixers for repair. Head to www.hrra.org/repaircafe to learn more.

This is the third regional Repair Café offered by HRRA and the first in Kent. This event is open to the residents of the HRRA region.

“We are thrilled to partner with HRRA and other organizations to be able to offer this free service to area residents,” said Lynn Mellis Worthington, selectman and chair of the Kent Sustainability Team. “The town is particularly grateful to Kent residents Judith Tolkow and Lee Woodbury for suggesting this activity and helping make it a reality.”

WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2026

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Kent Community House

93 N Main Street, Kent, CT 06757

REGISTER: www.hrra.org/repaircafe



Questions? Email [email protected] or call (203) 775-4539

08/24/2026

🔋 What do you do with your old batteries? 🔋

Here’s an important reminder from the Kent Conservation Commission: NEVER put batteries in your household trash or recycling!

Batteries can cause dangerous fires in garbage trucks and at recycling facilities. When sorting your household waste for the Kent Transfer Station, ALL batteries should go into the designated battery collection bin near the e-waste container.

And here’s something you may not know: all Kent residents can use certain services at the Transfer Station even without a Transfer Station permit—including battery collection.

You can also bring batteries to Ace Hardware of Kent, CT during regular business hours. They will collect them and bring them to the Transfer Station for proper disposal.

A small action can make a BIG difference in keeping our community, workers, and environment safe. ♻️🌎

Please share this reminder with your neighbors!



Town of Kent,CT Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority The Kent Dispatch Kent CT Chamber of Commerce

08/16/2026

🌳 TREE INCENTIVE PROGRAM🌳

Trees are a vital component of the tree canopy, providing multiple benefits to the community, including improved physical & mental health, reduced energy costs, and cleaner air quality.

Over the last twenty years, the Kent Conservation Commission has sponsored the planting of over 65 trees along the streets of the Kent Village Center, Kent Center School campus grounds, and in the Flanders Historic District. We also recognize that despite this community effort, gaps remain in Kent's Street Tree canopy due to the loss of large shade trees in the village center.

The Commission has created a funding opportunity to fill these gaps in the coming years. This opportunity is made possible through The Kuga Fund - started decades ago with a generous donation by Japanese citizen Shunichi Kuga, to honor Kent resident, tree enthusiast and Arbor Day advocate Birdsey Grant Northrop.

Please see the link below for the Notice of Funding Opportunity, which provides details on the program and how to apply, as well as the short application.

Street Tree Incentive Program Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) https://files.constantcontact.com/29c8d7eb001/4c5033a8-25d3-4254-a505-b925fed2aee5.pdf

Street Tree Incentive Program Applicationhttps://files.constantcontact.com/29c8d7eb001/e4cd5ae2-87f1-4518-a195-fdda9ae4db61.pdf

Interested in learning more about planting trees on your property? The CT DEEP Yard Trees website https://portal.ct.gov/deep/forestry/fpa-and-um/um/yard-trees

is a great resource hub for tree planting including:

CT Tree Owners Manual
A list of CT native perennials, trees and shrubs and growers created by UCONN
"How To's" on tree planting
FAQs caring for your trees

If you missed our Ethan Tapper lecture that we co hosted with Kent Land Trust and Kent Park and Recreation last Thursday it can be seen at:

https://youtu.be/jNWGdYNcQcE?feature=shared

Town of Kent,CT Ethan Tapper The Kent Dispatch Kent CT Chamber of Commerce Northwest Conservation District - NWCD Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)

08/14/2026

We were so glad to be part of this conversation tonight. Ethan Tapper brought an honest and thought-provoking perspective to the room, and we’re grateful to Kent Land Trust and Kent Park and Recreation for co hosting this with us and creating space for this important discussion.

Give the post below a read! 🌿

Town of Kent,CT The Kent Dispatch Kent CT Chamber of Commerce

08/08/2026

You won’t want to miss this opportunity. This Thursday, directly following the concert at Kent Town Hall. Town of Kent,CT Kent Park and Recreation Kent Land Trust Ethan Tapper

🌲 Join us for an inspiring evening of conversation about the future of our forests!

The Kent Conservation Commission is pleased to partner with the Kent Land Trust and the Town of Kent Parks & Recreation Department to welcome renowned forest ecologist and bestselling author Ethan Tapper to Kent.

Drawing on years of experience managing Vermont’s forests, Ethan will share practical insights into forest ecology, responsible land stewardship, and how healthy forests support wildlife, communities, and a changing climate. Whether you’re a woodland owner, conservation enthusiast, hiker, or simply someone who loves the outdoors, this promises to be an engaging and informative presentation.

📅 Thursday, August 13
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Kent Town Hall – Main Meeting Room

This event is FREE, but registration is required. In-person seating is limited, and a Zoom option is available.

👉 Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/Tapper2026

We hope you’ll join us for this special opportunity to learn from one of today’s leading voices in forest stewardship and conservation. See the event flyer below for additional details. 🌳

Kent Land Trust Town of Kent,CT Kent Park and Recreation Ethan Tapper

08/05/2026

https://kentdispatch.org/renowned-forest-ecologist-to-speak-aug-13/

Still time to register!

https://kentct.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29996

Kent Land Trust Town of Kent,CT Kent Park and Recreation Ethan Tapper Northwest Conservation District - NWCD Housatonic Valley Association Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative

Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion about forest conservation and stewardship.

07/21/2026

🌲 Join us for an inspiring evening of conversation about the future of our forests!

The Kent Conservation Commission is pleased to partner with the Kent Land Trust and the Town of Kent Parks & Recreation Department to welcome renowned forest ecologist and bestselling author Ethan Tapper to Kent.

Drawing on years of experience managing Vermont’s forests, Ethan will share practical insights into forest ecology, responsible land stewardship, and how healthy forests support wildlife, communities, and a changing climate. Whether you’re a woodland owner, conservation enthusiast, hiker, or simply someone who loves the outdoors, this promises to be an engaging and informative presentation.

📅 Thursday, August 13
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Kent Town Hall – Main Meeting Room

This event is FREE, but registration is required. In-person seating is limited, and a Zoom option is available.

👉 Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/Tapper2026

We hope you’ll join us for this special opportunity to learn from one of today’s leading voices in forest stewardship and conservation. See the event flyer below for additional details. 🌳

Kent Land Trust Town of Kent,CT Kent Park and Recreation Ethan Tapper

05/24/2026

Thank you The Kent Dispatch for sharing our exciting news! https://kentdispatch.org/conservation-commission-releases-new-trail-guide/

A new copy is out and will be available at the Kent Land Trust Conservation Picnic on Memorial Day. Come see us and buy your fresh and updated copy!

KENT, Conn.—The Kent Conservation Commission announces the release of its newly updated Trails Guide, offering residents and visitors an enhanced resource for exploring Kent’s extensive network of scenic trails, preserves […]

05/21/2026

Did you know?

Learn more at www.HRRA.org

05/08/2026

During Region 1’s spring break, the Kent Conservation Commission partnered with Kent Memorial Library for a hands-on science program all about batteries, electricity, and circuits for children in PreK–3rd grade! Thanks to Commissioner Carol Franken for imagining this program and making it a reality!

Participants explored how electricity works by creating simple circuits, testing conductors and insulators, and using voltmeters to discover whether batteries still had power left. Learning came alive through interactive demonstrations and activities that made science both fun and memorable.

📸 Photo 1: Creating simple circuits
📸 Photo 2: Children passing a symbolic “electron” ball from negative to positive
📸 Photo 3: Carol Franken demonstrates how batteries make things work

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this engaging STEM program at the library!

Kent CT Chamber of Commerce Town of Kent,CT The Kent Dispatch Kent Center School