Teresa Gallagher, Shelton’s Natural Resource Manager, shares her journey into conservation and offers advice for municipalities aiming to deepen their conservation efforts. Read on to learn about her impactful work!
A Conversation with Teresa Gallagher
Q: How did you get into conservation work?
I was ‘born’ into the work. When I was a child, I had this plastic pool that I would make miniature ecosystems in there. I would have the water ecosystem, a desert right after, and then a forest on the other side. I remember calling them ‘ecosystems’ when I showed my parents. How many people can say they knew what an ‘ecosystem’ was when they were a child?
I later graduated with a bachelor’s in geology and geophysics and worked for an engineering firm. I then went for my master’s in environmental science and found a job in regulatory compliance for factories. While I learned a lot, I did not feel a sense of accomplishment from the work I was doing. I had previously been a member of the Shelton Conservation Commission, so when I heard they were looking to hire a staff person, I applied. While here, I have seen the impact of the work I am doing; I am outside and doing what I really want to do.
Q: What role do you play as the Natural Resource Manager in Shelton? How do you support the city, its Commission, and broader community?
My role as a manager is varied. I am a liaison for board and commission communications in Shelton. I organize and attend department commission and committee meetings and assist in creating events.
I use the broad knowledge I have built throughout my career to support the management of Shelton’s open space in its flora and fauna to fulfill the needs of the subcommittees. And conveying need-to-know information to the public for their safety around wildlife.
I also manage the social media pages on Facebook and the blogs for the committees. I update the blog posts with news, events, and important information regarding changes or to highlight a story about the work the committee is doing. The community is a large part of the volunteer work we have for our organizations.
Q: What commissions or committees does your department support?
For the Conservation Commission, I support them as a liaison with the other boards and commissions, like the Planning and Zoning Commission.
For the Trails Committee I help keep the trails clear for use for the season. I conduct trail routing for new recreation trails on newly acquired parcels. This work is incredibly involved especially when considering drainage, topography, landmarks, difficulty level, activity type, and if the land abuts another with an existing trail network.
For the Garden Committee, I assist with ensuring people are acclimated to care for their plot. With the Anti-Litter Committee, I assist with organizing the annual Shelton Clean Sweep by creating badges for participants and procuring the materials for registered clean-ups.
Q: What types of activities and events does your department support?
The department supports one commission and three committees. For example, the Trails Committee hosts a variety of hiking events like the annual Trails Hiking Challenge, volunteer-based work parties for trail maintenance, and guided hikes.
The Anti-litter Committee hosts their Shelton Clean Sweep that picks up litter across Shelton to raise awareness of keeping the outdoors clean. It gathers residents, corporations in town, and community groups. Providing as much information on the registration process and areas to clean is crucial to ensure there is not an overlap between groups.
There is a balance for open space for people of different interests and abilities. We have accessible recreation paths, mountain biking trails, hiking, walking, conservation, and preservation spaces. It is about, ‘How can we benefit the most amount of people and the wildlife?’
Q: What advice do you have for other municipalities looking to engage deeper with conservation work?
Make sure your Conservation Commission is administered separately from your Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, so that projects not related to wetland regulatory issues can be prioritized. Create a working Trails Committee to construct and maintain hiking trails on municipal properties, and make sure they have the tools to do their work. It makes a significant difference in the quality of work they do when they have the municipality’s support behind their projects.
Volunteers must have a real sense of ownership in the work they do. Volunteers and staff in Shelton have a deep sense of pride in the town and the benefits they offer through their positions on the committees. It is important to foster and encourage the volunteer spirit to keep committees moving forward as models for residents to take pride in and care for the open space in Shelton.
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