By Elizabeth Barhydt

Chris Schipper has spent the past decade doing for New Canaan what most people only talk about: conserving open space, restoring natural habitats, and getting others to care. On June 7, at a ceremony held at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, his work earned him a statewide honor as the Adult Winner of the 2025 Aquarion Environmental Champion Awards.

The awards, presented annually by Aquarion Water Company, recognize one individual in each of five categories—large business, mid-size business, non-profit, adult, and student—for outstanding environmental stewardship. Winners in the adult category receive a $5,000 grant to donate to an environmental nonprofit of their choice.

In announcing this year’s winners, Lucy Teixeira, President of Aquarion Company, said, “Chris represents what it means to advocate for our natural resources. We look forward to seeing all they continue to accomplish.”

As a former president of the New Canaan Land Trust, Schipper helped reshape the organization’s mission, pivoting from simple land preservation to active conservation. He created public access trails on protected parcels and expanded the Trust’s holdings to over 400 acres of open space. Under his leadership, the Land Trust acquired 56 acres of bird sanctuaries and secured funding to acquire land for the New Canaan Firefly Sanctuary.

On warm summer evenings, that meadow glows—literally. In a town known for its tidy stone walls and historic homes, the Firefly Sanctuary offers something older: bioluminescent flashes from a species whose nightly rhythm hasn’t changed in thousands of years. It’s one of the few places in Fairfield County where people can sit quietly and watch the woods light up.

Schipper also brought environmental education into the daily rhythm of the town. As chair of the New Canaan Conservation Commission, he launched a water testing program that involves high school students in monitoring the quality of local rivers. This combination of scientific monitoring and student engagement brings a level of community ownership to the town’s waterways.

His work has also focused on spaces that hold both ecological and historical value. Schipper led the revitalization of Bristow Park, a century-old bird sanctuary adjacent to Mead Park, and helped establish a public-private partnership between the Conservation Commission and the Land Trust for its ongoing care.

Most recently, a long-running effort by the Land Trust, which he helped lead, resulted in the successful acquisition and permanent preservation of the Grupes House and its surrounding acreage, a property that adds both cultural and natural value to New Canaan’s landscape.

Aquarion’s recognition of Schipper places him alongside a small, selective group of statewide winners, but the footprint of his work is entirely local. From fireflies to forest trails, water quality to wetlands, he has helped turn abstract environmental ideals into tangible results—visible on a map, accessible to students, and walkable by anyone with a good pair of boots.

To learn more about the 2025 Aquarion Environmental Champion Award winners, visit www.aquarionwater.com/awards.