Club Calendar (Grid)

"Pulling Together" is a community plan to teach invasive plant management and other restoration strategies in the town of Weston.

Pulling Together members Lisa Brodlie, Sarah Hutchison, and Mike Aikenhead will discuss the volunteer group's work. The group's goal is to educate neighbors and show them how to respect existing wetlands, identify and remove invasive plants, and encourage the use of native plants to decrease soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat, and protect water quality.

Pulling Together partners with Lachat Farm and Weston Public Schools to host invasive removal workshops. To date, they have accomplished 1,200+ hours of invasive removal work on town property in five years.

Lisa Brodlie
Lisa Brodlie is a retired registered nurse with a botanical background and an interest in invasive plants. Lisa has been a member of CIPWG since its inception and now serves on the steering committee, outreach and education committee, and most recently the advisory board for the invasive plant certificate program.
Lisa has spent the last two decades volunteering with local conservation organizations, like the Nature Conservancy, where she has volunteered her time and expertise on community outreach events, invasive removal sessions, and advocacy opportunities.

Her latest invasive removal project involves restoring the riparian buffer at Lachat Town Farm in Weston, CT.

Sarah Hutchison is a retired cost engineer with a passion for ecological gardening. Born in Scotland UK, Sarah moved to the USA in 2001 and put down roots in the invasive plant community when she participated in the UConn Master Gardener program.

Her interest in native plants inspired her to launch the Weston Pollinator Pathway in 2019, leading to her current partnership with Lachat Town Farm and the Weston Schools to plant pollinator gardens and remove invasive plants on town property.
Sarah was a member of the Town of Weston Sustainability Committee from 2019-2024, where she focused on creating more education and awareness among town residents of land stewardship practices that support wildlife and protect our natural resources.

Mike Aikenhead 
Mike Aikenhead is a passionate educator who has transformed Environmental Science at WHS since joining the school in 2017. In 2023, he launched Sustainable Solutions, an innovative project-based learning class that empowers students to tackle real-world environmental challenges within the school and local community. That same year, Mike was named Weston's Teacher of the Year and honored as a Connecticut State Semi-Finalist.
 
Before coming to Weston, he expanded the Environmental Science program at Staples High School, where he was recognized as Westport's 2010 Teacher of the Year. Beyond the classroom,  Mike served as the original Steward and Executive Director of Westport's Wakeman Town Farm. For the past 17 years, he has also been a dedicated Adult Team Advisor for Builders Beyond Borders, a student leadership program that conducts service trips in Latin America.

Mike's support of Pulling Together reflects his unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and his belief in the power of young people to drive meaningful change.

Weston Kiwanis meets most Saturdays from September through June at Norfield Congregational Church parish hall. Doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and conversation, with the breakfast meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending no later than 10 a.m. After breakfast, we have a speaker or community service activity.

Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental,  is on us.