Manresa Wilds is taking shape!

I was so delighted to talk with Allison and Austin McChord in late March - stewards of a wonderful initiative committed to research, ecological renewal, and a beautiful new place of discovery along the Long Island Sound. A press release describes Manresa Wilds as "a 125-acre publicly accessible community park taking shape on the coast of Norwalk, Connecticut, transforming a long-closed former power plant site into a place for discovery, learning, gathering, and coastal stewardship. The park will reconnect the community to nearly two miles of Long Island Sound shoreline for the first time in decades. Opening in phases beginning with the Northern Forest in 2027, Manresa Wilds will restore coastal ecosystems, create new trails and gathering spaces, and reimagine the former power plant as a year-round hub for education, exploration, and public life." With the new Research & Education Station (R.E.S.A.), launched in May, a consortium with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Wesleyan University, Sacred Heart University, and Norwalk Public Schools, the nonprofit has committed $500,000 in initial grants to support partner-led research, education, public programming, and workforce development related to the future park site. Together, the five founding partners bring expertise across oceanography, marine education, environmental science, the humanities, and K–12 learning, creating a research and education ecosystem rooted in and enabled by the unique conditions of Manresa Wilds. "Manresa Wilds should be a place of discovery, where people can help shape a more resilient future,” said Austin and Allison McChord. “R.E.S.A. brings that vision to life by connecting students, researchers, and the broader community to the site. We’re excited to be supporting partnerships that will make Manresa Wilds a hub for learning and coastal stewardship for generations to come." Some of the initial projects taking shape include: ● Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) activating the site for long-term scientific study and exploring the establishment of a permanent Urban Oceanographic Lab at Manresa Wilds. ● The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk leading shoreline monitoring with local students and shaping on-site educational programming with consortium partners. ● Wesleyan University directing interdisciplinary environmental arts research; conducting analysis of soils, geochemistry, and wildlife populations; and producing the "Manresa Stories" oral history project to document the site's industrial and ecological legacies. ● Sacred Heart University contributing research and developing new marine science coursework focused on Long Island Sound. ● Norwalk Public Schools partnering with Manresa Island Corp. on youth education and discovery opportunities – including recent pollinator-friendly planting events for elementary students, and landscape architecture firm SCAPE’s visits to several local after-school programs to teach students about landscape architecture. Opportunities to support and get involved can be found at ManresaWilds.org!