The Stamford that was…

In 1640, the land beneath what's now Stamford, Connecticut was known as Rippowam — the name given to it by the Siwanoy, the people who lived here first, fished its river, and hunted the animals still native to this ground today. Even the first English settlers kept the name at first — they organized as "The Rippowam Company" before founding the town. In 1642, the settlement itself was renamed Stamford. The river never was — it's still called the Rippowam today, running straight through the middle of the city.

We brought the name back. Not because we're from here — we're not. But sometimes you find a place that finds you back. The seasons that actually mean something. The wildlife you catch glimpses of if you slow down. The Stamford Nature Center, the pinetum in October, fireflies lighting up the evening in summer. It's a feeling worth protecting, and worth doing whatever we can to make sure it's still here for the people and wildlife that come after us.

It started here, but the idea travels. Wherever an animal's home needs protecting, we want to help.

"We can't fix everything. But we can leave it a little better than we found it. That's enough to start."