MORRIS, Conn. — The West Cornwall-based Housatonic Valley Association’s 33rd annual Auction for the Environment, held Saturday, Nov. 23, at South Farms, drew a full house as it reached its fundraising goal and provided attendees with a few unexpected surprises.
In a bittersweet moment, HVA President Tony Zunino announced that the association’s long-time Executive Director, Lynn Werner, will be stepping down from the position she has held since 1995.
“We are saying goodbye to Lynn Werner. Her leadership and vision has made an indelible mark on the Housatonic Valley Association,” Zunino said, eliciting thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the crowd of about 100 supporters, environmentalists and staff.
Another twist to tradition came when auction chair Christine Baranski, who has traditionally greeted the crowd with her trademark humor, was called up to Newport for the filming of the movie “The Gilded Age,” and her daughter, Lily Cowles, stepped in to deliver the keynote address as auction co-chair.
The activist, writer and movie producer did her mother proud during her first HVA auction as she spoke of “this sweet valley” where she grew up as a child and returned to as an adult.
From left, Andrew Stathopoulos and Philippa Durrant of Cornwall Bridge, HVA auction co-chair Elyse Harney Morris and Tony Zunino, president of HVA. Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas
“Our Housatonic Valley is sacred ground, and we gather today to honor that,” Cowles said. “I was born and raised here, and recently swam upstream to return to the home of my ancestors. There is no place sweeter than this valley, and there is so much to learn from this land.”
As if on cue, a phone rang nearby.
“It’s Mother Earth calling,” remarked Cowles. “Are you going to take the call?” she asked, without missing a beat, as the crowd erupted in laughter.
Growing up, Cowles said, HVA was a household name.
“It was like Christmas morning the day after the auction, and mom would get all excited wondering how much was raised,” she recalled.
Orchardist Peter Montgomery of Montgomery Gardens in Warren has been a frequent contributor of auction items over the years.Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas
During his speech, Zunino implored the crowd to “think about why we are here today. I hope it’s because you have a place in your heart for the Housatonic River Valley. It has brought a lot of us up here.”
The HVA president noted that his organization has protected 30,000 acres of important conservation land and has protected and restored 220 miles of the Housatonic River, a 41-mile stretch of which has been deemed “Wild and Scenic” by the federal government.
“It has taught school children and families how to keep the water clean and the turtles safe,” said Zunino.
During the silent auction portion of the event, staunch environmentalists and long-time supporters of HVA mingled with folks new to the area, and the organization, to peruse silent auction items as they sipped wine and nibbled hors d’oeuvres.
Peter Montgomery of Warren perused the items. The orchardist drove to the event in a classic red pick-up truck with a decorated Christmas tree in its bed, which he parked just outside the entry to the auction.
“I was trying to recreate a Hallmark moment,” Montgomery said with a chuckle, noting that he has contributed trees, fruit from his orchard and tutorials on orchards and apples as auction items in the past.
Nearby, Margery Feldberg, board president of the Kent-based Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, had her eye on a Foodie Escape to Mystic, while Cindy Donaldson of Goshen remained in a “competitive hover” over the Exclusive Broadway Experience auction item offering two tickets to the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, “The Book of Mormon.”
Former State Rep. Jim Mahoney and State Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-5), also showed their support for HVA. “They worked very hard on the Housatonic River Wild & Scenic designation,” noted Hayes, who had sponsored the legislation. “I am so deeply committed to the work that they do.”
As of Thursday, Nov. 28, an exact tally of the funds raised from the auction, which drew a near sold-out crowd, was unavailable due to processing difficulties, according to HVA spokeswoman Lara Beckius. However, she noted, “We are thrilled to have hit our goal and for the fantastic attendance,” she said.
Margery Feldberg, far right, board president of the Kent-based Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, was among bidders for the silent auction items.Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas
HVA officials had expected to match or surpass last year’s auction proceeds, which netted a record $205,000.
The next day, Werner reflected on this year’s Auction for the Environment, which was her last auction as executive director of the organization, as “such a heartwarming tribute, and a fantastic day.”
She said she felt the timing was right to step down from her long-held role.
“I let the board know in 2023 that I was considering it. It’s a good time, because we completed our Strategic Plan 2029 in the fall of 2023, and we have a strong set of strategies reaching into every part of the 2,000 square mile tri-state watershed toward achieving a climate ready Housatonic Valley by 2040.”
Werner praised HVA’s “amazing team of environmental scientists and community advocates on staff and a huge network of partners collaborating with us on land and water protection.”
Sharon Audubon Center naturalist and volunteer coordinator Bethany Sheffer shows off Mandala, a red-tailed hawk who lost an eye after being hit by a car more than a decade ago.
“Many of them have flown thousands of miles,” said Bethany Sheffer, naturalist and volunteer coordinator at the Center, noting that the initiative is meant to make the lives of these weary travelers easier – and more secure – as they either settle here for the season or continue northward.
Migrating birds face many dangers in their long journeys, and many of them are human-caused, such as confusion from light pollution or collisions with built structures like windows or moving vehicles. A 2024 study estimated that a billion birds are killed each year by flying into buildings, contributing to the loss of about 25% of the continent’s bird population – about three billion birds – in the last half century.
Sheffer said the point of the annual observance was not only to raise awareness about the risks birds face during migrations, but how people can help mitigate those dangers.
Kent Land Trust Executive Director Connie Manes, who attended the event, said conservation is a regional project, not one defined by human boundaries. “We may have town lines but our birds don’t pay attention to them,” she said.
The stars of the show, inevitably, were the winged residents housed in the aviaries, located a short walk from the main Center building. As the Center’s volunteers will tell you, there is no shortage of personality at the aviaries.
“Norabo is our turkey vulture and he has his moments,” said Kim Champagne, a veteran volunteer raptor curator at the Center, from within an enclosure as a group of about 20 Birdfest goers watched on. As she spoke, Norabo jumped from perch to perch, spreading his impressive wingspan and sometimes obeying Champagne’s commands, sometimes not.
“It’s an amazing privilege to be in here with these guys so close,” she said after the group moved on to watch the highly sociable duo – an American crow and fish crow named Maverick and Mischief, respectively.
Sheffer hosted a live demonstration with some of the facility’s winged residents who must remain under permanent care, either due to debilitating injury or because they “imprinted” on humans at an early age and associate more closely with our species than their own.
She began with Darnell the wood duck. “He’s very fancy,” she said, and the crowd of about 20 fascinated onlookers agreed, murmuring their appreciation for his vibrant plumage.
Sheffer closed by carrying Mandala, a docile, 20-plus red-tailed hawk known affectionately as Mandy, out into the open air on her gloved hand. Mandy has been at the center for more than a decade, and is in permanent care after having lost an eye when she was struck by a car.
“If they aren’t able to keep both eyes on [their prey], they’re going to have much more limited success out in the wild,” she explained.
Shennan Flannery said volunteering for the Center, as she does, is a great way to connect more deeply to wildlife, even if it doesn’t mean feeding the raptors directly – “that takes a special kind of person.”
Regardless of the specific job, “it’s such a good feeling” to volunteer, she said, “because you know you’re doing good.”
Darnell the wood duck strikes a pose for an adoring audience.Alec Linden
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