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aappleton at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 201 He/Him < Back Ansel Appleton Staff Accountant Ansel Appleton joined CRC’s finance department in September of 2023, assisting with accounts payable and general ledger entries. Before working for the river, he pursued stints as a bartender, a bookkeeper, a traveling slam poet, and a chef. When not filling out IRS forms and expense reimbursements, he can be found reading his long-form articles, or watching the neighborhood squirrels. Ansel is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts, a resident of Greenfield, and a proud product of Greenfield Community College. aappleton at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 201 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

criffenburg at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 202 He/Him < Back Chris Riffenburg Director of Finance Christopher Riffenburg joined CRC in November 2022. Before his time here began, he had a successful tenure as the Financial Manager for Westfield State University’s profitable College of Graduate and Continuing Education; having responsibility for a $13 million dollar budget; and service to more than 5,000 students annually. Prior to Westfield State, he spent more than eight years in non-profit Financial Management, providing leadership in organizations committed to service of low to moderate income residents of Hampden County. He has extensive experience in managing grants and budgets (Private, Municipal, State and Federal). He was, at one point, the financial administrator of a grant funded by the Internal Revenue Service, working with a Qualified Tax Attorney to offer representation to citizens in United States Tax Court. Chris is a lifelong golfer, who currently resides in Western Mass with his wife and two cats, Tweety and Hoosier. His hope is to bring his experience in financial management to growing a clean, healthy, and full of life Connecticut River. criffenberg at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 202 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

acunningham at ctriver.org 413-450-8785 She/Her < Back Amara Cunningham Executive Assistant Prior to joining CRC in November 2024, Amara spent a large portion of her career working in admissions and development in educational settings. She has lived in the Connecticut River Valley in three out of four watershed states (New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts). Her curiosity and appreciation for the natural world led her to CRC; she is enthusiastic about doing meaningful work to protect the river, its habitats, and all the species that call the watershed home. Amara lives in Western Massachusetts with her partner Tom, a dog, and two cats. Outside of working hours, she might be exploring Atlantic White Cedar swamps, digging in vinyl record crates at a vintage shop, or playing the flute. acunningham at ctriver.org 413-450-8785 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

nreigle at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 221 She/Her < Back Nicole Reigle Assistant Director of Development Nicole has a background in development, small business administration and marketing. Before joining CRC in 2021 as the Development Coordinator, Nicole served as the Development Assistant for Healing Across the Divides – a nonprofit that provides grants for wellness initiatives for women and children in Gaza and the West Bank. She also created communication materials for Ask Nurses & Doctors, a bipartisan endeavor pushing to elect political representatives who prioritize universal healthcare. Prior to selling the small business she founded and operated with her husband from 2016-2020, Nicole acted as Assistant to the Chief Advancement Officer at Hampshire College. Nicole holds a B.A. in English from UMass Amherst and is also a freelance graphic designer, interior decorator, and copy editor. Her other passions include stroke research and care, women’s issues, and vegan cooking/baking. nreigle at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 221 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

Support the Connecticut River Conservancy's hosting of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival! Become a Sponsor of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Bellows Falls This year marks the Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) inaugural Wild & Scenic Film Festival: On Tour. Attendees will watch a series of short films about environmental stewardship, adventure, and fellowship in the natural world. The festival will be shown at the Bellows Falls Opera House on May 8th starting at 7pm, with time before the films for festival-goers to connect with CRC and partners, try their luck in a raffle, and learn about CRC’s upcoming summer events. There will also be food and beverages for purchase. The Sponsor Packet is available here. Other Ways to Give Sponsor by Mail Please mail your check, made out to Connecticut River Conservancy, to: 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 Sponsor by Phone To donate by phone or to get assistance with your donation, please contact us at 413-772-2020 More Ways to Give Learn about legacy and workplace giving, sponsorships, stock donations and more with more ways to give. For questions about making your gift to support Connecticut River Conservancy, contact Brett at bmorrison - at - ctriver.org or call 413.772.2020 x218.

The Connecticut River Conservancy restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. Privacy, Security, and Terms Privacy Policy Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) takes your privacy seriously. We do not sell our mailing lists and takes steps to protect your privacy. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy. What This Privacy Policy Covers This policy covers how CRC treats personal information that it collects and receives from individuals. Personal information is information about you that is personally identifiable like your name, address, email address, or phone number, and that is not otherwise publicly available. This policy does not apply to the practices of companies or organizations that are members or affiliates of CRC, which CRC does not own or control, or to people that the organization does not employ or manage. Your Consent By using this website, you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to our use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy, please do not provide any information about yourself when you visit this website. Information Sharing and Disclosure CRC does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies or organizations. We may include the names of individuals who make donations to the CRC in our newsletter, annual report or other publications. These listings include names only, without address or other identifying information. At an individual’s request, donations may remain anonymous. You can request that your information be deleted from our mailing list by contacting us by email at crc@ctriver.org or by mail to: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY COLLECT THROUGH THIS WEBSITE? CRC collects only the personal information you knowingly and voluntarily provide to us when you use this website, for example, the personal information you provide when you subscribe to a newsletter or e-blast, add your name to our mailing list, complete a survey, complete an application to volunteer, offer help or register for an event/activity. HOW DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? CRC uses your personal information only for the purposes for which it was provided. For example, if you subscribe to a newsletter, we use your contact information to mail or email the newsletter to you. If you apply to volunteer, we use information about your background, interests and skills to help you find the right volunteer opportunity. If you register for an event or activity, we use the information you provide to process your registration or application. If you complete a poll or survey or send us comments or other information, we use that information to improve our programs, services and communications. We also use your personal information to respond to your questions and comments and to thank you for your donations. CRC also uses personal information to compile statistics about visitors to our website, our donors, volunteers, and other supporters. These statistics do not identify you personally or individually. If you provide us with your name and address, you may receive periodic mailings from us with news and information about CRC and its events or containing requests for your support. You may opt-out or unsubscribe at any time by contacting us. All email messages contain links to quick unsubscribe pages that block re-subscription at later dates. DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH OTHERS? There may be some other, limited circumstances in which we may share or transfer information in our databases to an unrelated third party, for example, to comply with a legal requirement or court order; in the event of a tax audit or other investigation; to investigate a possible crime, such as credit card fraud; to protect the security of our website and the integrity of our databases. We may also share, on a confidential basis, your personally identifiable information, as well as a record of transactions you conduct with us, with third-party analytics partners and related service providers to enable us to better understand demographic information about our supporters and website visitors and to advance our environmental advocacy goals, and for no other purpose. Whenever we share personal information with third parties, we take appropriate steps, by contract or otherwise, to limit the use and prevent the unauthorized disclosure of that personal information. You may opt out of sharing your information with a third party by contacting us at crc@ctriver.org . Otherwise CRC does not share its mailing lists with other organizations. Refund Policy CRC does not offer refunds for donations or gifts made online. Cancellations for registrations for events and activities are based on the specific cancellation policy for that registration. Refunds for goods or services purchased through this website are available upon request by email at crc@ctriver.org or by mail to: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS CRC uses carefully selected service providers to process credit card transactions. When you provide credit card information through this site, your information goes directly from your computer to a server operated by our service provider. Our service provider uses your credit card information only to process your transaction and is bound by contract to treat all of your personal information as confidential. Although our service providers send us the information you provide when you complete a transaction (so that we know, for example, who has registered for an event or activity and how to contact them), for your security, our service providers do not share your credit card information with us. TECHNICAL INFORMATION COLLECTED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE When you access this website, we use standard web server technology to collect technical information, such as the name of your Internet service provider, its IP address, the name of your operating system (such as Windows® or Macintosh®), your browser type (such as Netscape® or Internet Explorer®), the length of time you spend on our site during a visit, the pages you visit, and so on. This information does not identify you personally, and we do not attempt to tie this technical information to any of the personal information you provide. We use this information to improve our website and make it more compatible with the technology used by our visitors. SECURITY Donations, purchases and other financial transactions are secure as noted above. When you provide other, non-financial information through this website, the transmission is not secured or encrypted. You must understand that the Internet is inherently insecure and CRC does not warrant that this website is secure or “hackerproof”; you use this website solely at your own risk. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES This website contains links to websites that are not operated or controlled by CRC. This Privacy Policy applies only to this website, which may be accessed at ctriver.org. It does not apply to personal information collected through other websites owned and operated by third parties. Links to third-party websites are provided as a service and do not imply any endorsement of the activities of these third-party websites nor any association with their operators. CRC does not control these third-party websites and is not responsible for their data practices and policies. You should review the privacy policy posted on each website you visit before using the website or providing any personal information about yourself. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS If you have questions about these Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy or our use of your personal information, please contact us by email at crc@ctriver.org or write to us at: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 Revised and approved by the Board of Trustees, March 11, 2022

The Connecticut River Conservancy restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. Get Involved Whether you want to learn more about the watershed, support our work, or get your feet wet to volunteer for community science, there are many ways to get involved with the Connecticut River Conservancy. The options below change based on the season - with more hands-on volunteer opportunities in April - October. Choose your own adventure below or contact us anytime with questions or ideas. You can also sign up for e-news to get updates in your inbox. Volunteer for Community Science Aquatic invasive plant pulls, migratory fish surveying, tree planting, and more. See the current opportunities to get your feet wet for cleaner, healthier rivers. Volunteer Upcoming Events (in-person & virtual) Events season has begun! Check out CRC's calendar for a range of events throughout the Connecticut River watershed in NH, VT, MA, CT + virtual! Events Calendar Support Our Work for Cleaner Rivers As a nonprofit organization we rely on contributions from donors to conserve and restore the Connecticut River watershed. Thank you! Donate Source to Sea Cleanup Our biggest 4-state volunteer event of the year! Coming up this September, the goal is to remove as much trash as possible from rivers & communities. Join the Cleanup Learn About CRC's Programs Learn about the different ways we accomplish our mission of clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities. Primary Programs Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect River Programs Learn about CRC's focus areas Support Connecticut River Conservancy Today Your contribution will make a lasting impact for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities in the Connecticut River watershed. Donate

mmccaughey at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 She/Her < Back Mary McCaughey Development Coordinator Mary joined CRC in September, 2022. Mary has been living in the Connecticut River Valley in Western MA since 2008 when she began her studies in Plant, Soil, and Insect Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Mary reluctantly worked in retail sales and customer service before being lucky enough to join CRC. She currently lives in Easthampton with her husband and dog. She enjoys art, music, and spending time with family and friends. mmccaughey at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

Event Participant Waiver and Photo Release Form Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. dba Connecticut River Conservancy 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 Please read carefully! This is a legal document that affects your legal rights! This Release and Hold Harmless Agreement, Assumption of Risk, and Photo Release (collectively, the “Release”) must be executed by the Participant in favor of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, dba Connecticut River Conservancy, a nonprofit corporation, its directors, officers, employees, agents, fiscal sponsees, successors and assigns (collectively, “CRC”) as a condition of participating in CRC events and activities (the “Activities”). If Participant is under 18 years of age, the legal guardian of Participant must sign and agree to these terms on Participant’s behalf. The Participant hereby freely, voluntarily, and without duress executes this Release under the following terms: Release and Hold Harmless. Participant hereby releases and forever discharges and holds harmless CRC from any and all liability, claims, and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which arise or may arise from Participant’s Activities with CRC. Participant understands that this Release discharges CRC from any liability or claim that the Participant may have against CRC with respect to any bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death, or property damage that may result from Participant’s Activities with CRC, whether caused by the negligence of CRC or otherwise. Participant also understands that CRC does not assume any responsibility for, or obligation to provide, financial assistance or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health, or disability insurance in the event of injury or illness. Assumption of the Risk. Participant acknowledges that there are inherent risks in participating in the Activities and hereby expressly, specifically assumes the risk of injury or harm in the Activities and releases CRC from all liability for injury, illness, death, or property damage that may result from the Activities. The risks the Participant may be subjected to during their participation with CRC include but are not limited to those from: exposure to non-motorized and/or motorized water and land travel, including collision and capsize; use of hand and power tools; digging, hammering, moving earth, rocks, vegetation, or trash; walking on uneven terrain, including while carrying heavy loads; unpredictable weather; being on, over, in and around deep, cold and fast moving water with obstacles on, over, in and around the water; and all other risks associated with the environment, remote locations and tasks undertaken with others as a volunteer Participant in the Activities. Medical Treatment. Participant does hereby release and forever discharge CRC from any claim whatsoever which arises or may arise on account of any first aid, treatment, or service rendered in connection with the Participant’s Activities with CRC. In the event of illness or injury, the Participant hereby consents to be provided with emergency medical care, hospitalization or other treatment, which may become necessary during participation in the Activities. Insurance. The Participant understands that CRC does not carry or maintain insurance coverage for any Participant, including but not limited to medical and disability insurance coverage. Participant acknowledges that CRC has requested and expects Participant to have their own insurance coverages in connection with any Activities involving CRC. Photographic Release. Participant does hereby grant and convey unto CRC all right, title, and interest in any and all photographic images and video or audio recordings made by CRC during the Participant’s Activities with CRC, including, but not limited to, any royalties, proceeds, or other benefits derived from such photographs or recordings. Other. Participant expressly agrees that this Release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by the relevant law. This Release shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Participant agrees that in the event that any clause or provision of this Release shall be held to be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such clause or provision shall not affect the remaining enforceable provisions of this Release. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Participant has executed this Release as of the day and year submitted. If Participant is under 18 years of age, Guardian hereby agrees to the terms in this Release.

The Connecticut River Conservancy restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. Water Chestnut Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is an invasive, non-native aquatic plant that is spreading throughout New England and the Connecticut River watershed. Rooted in shallow waterbodies such as lakes, ponds and coves, water chestnut can take over the surface if left unchecked. These annual plants reproduce by seeds before dying off in the winter. Seeds drop in August and September, and can lie dormant but viable for up to 12 years. Pulling water chestnut by kayak or canoe before the plants produce seeds is the most efficient control method, and a great way to engage by volunteering! 2025 events are listed on our volunteer registration site in the spring/summer! You can also sign up for email updates to be notified when new volunteer opportunities are added. Read On, or Click Below to Jump to a Specific Section What does water chestnut look like? Why is water chestnut such a problem? Water chestnut infestation interactive map If it's not native, how did water chestnut get here? How does water chestnut reproduce? How does water chestnut spread? Water chestnut removal video Water chestnut management with volunteers What does water chestnut look like? Water chestnuts plant their roots at the bottom of the river, while their leaves float on the water surface. They have rosettes of leaves that float on the water's surface that appear to be radiating from a central point. The leaves are triangular or slightly diamond shaped, toothed on two sides and connected to the stem by a long, flexible submerged stalk. Submerged leaves are feathery. The stem can grow up to 4.6m long, allowing them to colonize a wide range of freshwater habitats — from shallows to deep waters. Plants typically bloom in July. The tiny, white, four-petaled flowers produce characteristic horned seeds. In lightly infested areas you might find a single rosette or plant floating on the water. In heavily infested areas water chestnut forms dense floating mats, covering the surface of the waterbody. Why is water chestnut such a problem? To aquatic plants and animals: Water chestnut is a problem because it takes up space and nutrients. It can crowd out native plants that are food sources for native animals. Not only do they take over our waterways by out-competing other emergent and floating vegetation, but their colonization also negatively impacts the function of the entire aquatic ecosystem. They proliferate profusely on the surface of freshwater. The densely-layered floating mats they form — often as thick as three layers — limit light penetration through the vertical water column. As water chestnut decomposes, it decreases dissolved oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. To humans: Water chestnut infestations also impede fishing, hunting, swimming, and boating as the rosettes cover entire bodies of water with plants up to sixteen feet deep in some extreme cases. They congest streams, block boats, and kill fish. The spiny seeds can cause injury. Management of out-of-control infestations is costly and requires incredible coordination. Water Chestnut Infestations Interactive Map This map shows all reported water chestnut (aka Trapa natans ) infestations within the Connecticut River Watershed. This map is continuously updated as stewards, monitors, and the other river users report new infestations and report on the status of existing ones. Water chestnut infestations have been reported in the four primary states within the watershed – NH, VT, MA & CT. If it's not native, how did it get here? European water chestnut has not always lived in the United States. The water chestnut is a resident of the Old World, native to Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, and Western Africa. In 1877, the species Trapa natans was introduced to the United States from Europe (as suggested by its name) at the Cambridge Botanical Garden at Harvard University (Sculthorpe, 1967; Oliver, 1871; Voroshilov, 1982). It was planted in Collins Lake, MA and other ponds in Massachusetts. In 1879 the plant escaped the cultivated areas and started growing in the Charles River. Since then it has continued to spread all along the east coast as far south as Virginia and Kentucky, as far north as Quebec, invading the Hudson River and, of course, the Connecticut River. Without removal it has the capacity to spread farther. How does water chestnut reproduce? Each plant produces at least one flower annually. These flowers begin to form nut-like fruits in mid-July. Seeds ripen about a month later and start to drop in early-mid August. The seeds, known as water caltrop, are four-horned nut-like structures that develop on the underside of the floating rosette. One seed can produce up to 15 floating rosettes, each rosette producing up to 20 more seeds. Seeds remain viable for up to 12 years! It is important to remove water chestnuts before the seeds mature and drop to the floor of the water body. Though most seeds germinate within the first few years after being dropped, they can be viable for twelve years. A single plant left behind can drop over 20 seeds, restarting a long 12 year cycle of removing and monitoring. If we can prevent plants from dropping new seeds, an infestation can be successfully eliminated. How does water chestnut spread? Seeds can drop directly into the sediment beneath the parent plant or they can hitch rides to new locations. Water chestnuts’ spikes allow them to stick to birds or other wildlife and end up in a new location. Plants can also get caught on boats or other recreation gear allowing them to get carried up/down-stream or to new water bodies. Water Chestnut Removal in the Connecticut River Watershed Water Chestnut Management To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Fortunately, it is easily identifiable and smaller infestations can be managed with trained volunteers hand-pulling the plant. The key to keeping water chestnut from invading new areas is to remove plants before they have a chance to go to seed. Control requires vigilant patrolling and harvesting for many years to ensure a water body is saved. Infested sites should be monitored and controlled every few years to fully remove the invasive species. Most removal is completed by volunteers manually through a series of pulls. Volunteers pull the plants by hand, often depositing the pulled plants into baskets or boats that are brought to shore. Water chestnut can be composted away from the water body. Mechanical harvesters are efficient for removing large infestations of water chestnut. They can remove lots of plants from the surface. However, this method can be quite expensive. It cost the state of Vermont approximately $500,000 to remove water chestnut in 2000. Compared to hand removal, which usually involves many volunteers and few expenses, this method is more expensive but less time consuming. Volunteer to Remove Water Chestnut! Citizens like you help remove these invasive species from our waterways! Volunteers that frequently scout for and remove the invasive plants are the major contributors to preventing heavy infestations. CRC, partners, and other stewards of our rivers collaborate to organize many water chestnut removal events. These community events have been very successful at removing large swaths of water chestnut. In the summer of 2023, 145 volunteers and partners removed 43,000lbs of water chestnuts! You can learn how to identify and report water chestnut as well as when it is appropriate to pull the plants, how to properly pull them, and how to properly dispose of the pulled plants. If you're interested in volunteering visit our volunteer registration site , or sign up for email updates to be notified. For questions related to CRC’s water chestnut program, request a presentation from one of our staff, or to connect about volunteering, contact us at volunteer@ctriver.org or 413.772.2020 207.

< Back Stephen Gephard Trustee, Vice Chair Stephen recently retired from the CT Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection after 42 years as a fisheries biologist, supervising the Diadromous Fish and Habitat Enhancement programs, spending much of his time on the Connecticut River salmon restoration program. Steve currently is a consultant and serves on many regional bodies as well as holding a presidential appointment as a U.S. Commissioner to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (Edinburgh). He has logged over 60 years on the river and is an avid paddler, boater, angler, and explorer as well as a veteran of many river conservation efforts. He co-writes a regular column for Estuary magazine and hosts a radio show for iCRV streaming radio. He lives in Deep River, CT with his partner Leslie MacLise-Kane. CRC@ctriver.org