Fairfield Resident and Conservationist Joins Connecticut Audubon as Director of Fairfield and Milford Operations

Rick Boucher

For immediate release

Fairfield, January 19, 2017 – The Connecticut Audubon Society has named longtime Fairfield resident Rick Boucher to lead its two busiest centers, in Fairfield and Milford, as well as its historic Birdcraft Sanctuary in Fairfield.

Boucher, an outdoorsman with a long career in packaging, takes over in Fairfield from Nelson North, who was named executive director of Connecticut Audubon last year. Boucher replaces Cathy Hagadorn at the Milford Point Coastal Center. Connecticut Audubon will be making an announcement about a new assignment for Hagadorn soon.

As director of Fairfield and Milford operations, Boucher will oversee a staff of approximately 10, in addition to seasonal camp and education workers, at the Center at Fairfield and the Milford Point Coastal Center. He will also be involved in plans for renovating and reopening Birdcraft Museum.

“Rick is well-known in the community, he has a hard-working staff of professionals to rely on, and he’ll be a wonderful ambassador to our members and visitors,” North said. “On top of that, he knows his birds and he has a long record as a conservationist. We couldn’t have made a better choice.”

The Center at Fairfield and the Milford Point Coastal Center serve as gateways to two of Connecticut Audubon’s most popular sanctuaries, the Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary at 2325 Burr Street, Fairfield, and the Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, at 1 Milford Point Road, Milford.

The centers themselves are key locations for Connecticut Audubon’s award-winning Science in Nature outdoor education program, as well as for busy summer day camps, bird walks, lectures and other events.

Birdcraft, in downtown Fairfield, was the first private bird sanctuary in the country and is a National Historic Landmark.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the staff here at Connecticut Audubon,” Boucher said. “To pick up where Nelson and Cathy left off is an honor and a responsibility. I’m looking forward to meeting as many of our supporters and visitors as possible over the next few months.”

Boucher’s career most recently includes positions as national sales manager/eastern region for Artistic Carton and national sales manager for Keenpac North America LLC. He is past president and current vice president of the Connecticut Waterfowl Association, is on the Connecticut Migratory Bird Stamp Committee, and was a founding member of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s “Turn in Poachers” program.

The Connecticut Audubon Society is the state’s original, independent Audubon. Based in Fairfield, it operates centers in Pomfret, Glastonbury, Old Lyme, Milford and Fairfield; an EcoTravel program, in Essex; Trail Wood, the former home of Pulitzer-prize winning writer Edwin Way Teale, in Hampton; and 19 sanctuaries covering 2,600 acres.