River Activists Snag $11,000 Grant To Help Document Wildlife In And Along The Naugatuck

Kevin Zak and Sondra Harman

   The Naugatuck River Revival Group has won an $11,000 grant from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that will enable Kevin Zak and Sondra Harman to intensify their astounding effort to document wildlife in and along the Naugatuck River. The NRRG is purchasing a high definition Canon camcorder with lenses, filters and attachments that will better able Zak, Harman, and other group members to capture and share images of Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Osprey, Great Horned Owls, beavers, foxes, coyotes and bears living in the Naugatuck Valley. These two pioneer spirits have accomplished amazing things cleaning and documenting the river on a shoestring budget. The Observer is looking forward to see what Zak and Harman can accomplish now that they have the tools to match their passion. 

   The $11,000 is a Public, Educational and Governmental Programming and Education Technology Investment Account (PEGPETIA) Grant. All the public utilities put money into a fund and the state decides who gets it. 

An Osprey in flight captured by Kevin Zak.

Harman yarding a tire out of the Naugatuck River with a crow bar.

Zak assisting a University of New Haven student in rolling industrial waste to the shore during River Day, sponsored by the Naugatuck River Revival Group and The Waterbury Observer in 2010.