NPS Joins Research + Education Station (R.E.S.A.), Coastal Research and Education Partnership at Manresa Wilds

On Friday, June 4, Norwalk Public Schools was proud to join Manresa Island Corp. for the announcement of its new Research & Education Station at Manresa Wilds (R.E.S.A.).

Norwalk Public Schools joins a consortium with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Wesleyan University, and Sacred Heart University that brings together expertise in oceanography, marine education, environmental science, the humanities, and K-12 learning to create a research and education ecosystem rooted in and enabled by the unique conditions of Manresa Wilds.

“Our students are the future stewards of Norwalk’s coastal environment, and R.E.S.A. provides them with invaluable hands-on education and discovery opportunities,” said Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools. “We’re already seeing the impact of this partnership in action. From elementary school students practicing environmental stewardship by planting pollinator gardens at the site gates, to high schoolers learning directly from the SCAPE team, this initiative is exposing students of all ages to real-world science and design careers right in their own backyard.”

Learn more about R.E.S.A. in the press release from Manresa Island Corp. below.

Manresa Island Corp. Announces Research + Education Station (R.E.S.A.), Coastal Research and Education Partnership at Manresa Wilds

The flagship initiative brings together Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Wesleyan University, Sacred Heart University, and Norwalk Public Schools 

Manresa Island Corp. has committed $500,000 in initial grants for institutional partners to develop research, education, public programming, and workforce development opportunities at the future park site

WHOI research vessel R/V Tioga docks in Norwalk to mark the launch

Norwalk, CT – [May 29, 2026] – Manresa Island Corp. today formally announced the Research & Education Station at Manresa Wilds (R.E.S.A.), a consortium with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Wesleyan University, Sacred Heart University, and Norwalk Public Schools. The nonprofit has committed $500,000 in initial grants to support partner-led research, education, public programming, and workforce development related to the future park site. Together, the five founding partners bring expertise across oceanography, marine education, environmental science, the humanities, and K–12 learning, creating a research and education ecosystem rooted in and enabled by the unique conditions of Manresa Wilds. 

Already underway, R.E.S.A. is a major investment in Connecticut’s coastal future—expanding environmental learning and scientific research along Long Island Sound while cultivating the next generation of researchers and environmental stewards. Ongoing initiatives range from WHOI’s installation of water sensors in Norwalk Harbor and Wesleyan University’s “Manresa Stories” oral history project to shoreline monitoring led by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk with local students. Like Manresa Wilds itself, designed by SCAPE as a climate-resilient public landscape, R.E.S.A. will strengthen the region’s capacity to understand and respond to the climate challenges reshaping Connecticut’s coastline.

To mark the announcement, R.E.S.A. partners, students, and public officials— including Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff, Norwalk Mayor Barbara Smyth, and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Dan O’Keefe—gathered at Veteran's Memorial Park and Marina where WHOI's 60-foot coastal research vessel, RV Tioga, was docked to mark the launch. The vessel's docking signals the consortium’s commitment to bringing sustained, world-class research directly to the Long Island Sound shoreline and supporting workforce development for Norwalk and the region. 

R.E.S.A. is a core component of Manresa Wilds’ broader education and workforce development mission, which includes a growing internship program that gives students hands-on experience in the many disciplines involved in bringing the park to life. Interns are working alongside Manresa Island Corp. staff and R.E.S.A. partners as the park advances through remediation, restoration, and phased opening, beginning with the Northern Forest in 2027.

"Manresa Wilds should be a place of discovery, where people can help shape a more resilient future,” said Austin and Allison McChord. “R.E.S.A. brings that vision to life by connecting students, researchers, and the broader community to the site. We’re excited to be supporting partnerships that will make Manresa Wilds a hub for learning and coastal stewardship for generations to come."

“R.E.S.A. is about making research and education something the whole community can see, touch, and be part of,” said Jessica Vonashek, Executive Director of Manresa Island Corp. “These partnerships are helping us build Manresa Wilds as a place where students can learn by doing, connecting classroom knowledge to the real work of studying, restoring, and activating a coastal public space. We’re creating pathways for students to explore coastal science, environmental stewardship, and the kinds of careers that will help build a more resilient Connecticut.”

See additional quotes from R.E.S.A. partners and public officials HERE.

About The Consortium

R.E.S.A.'s founding partners are advancing research, education, and workforce development initiatives that connect students and the public to Manresa Wilds’ coastal ecology, industrial history, and future as a publicly accessible park. 

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is activating the site for long-term scientific study and exploring the establishment of a permanent Urban Oceanographic Lab at Manresa Wilds.
• The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is leading shoreline monitoring with local students and shaping on-site educational programming with consortium partners.
• Wesleyan University is directing interdisciplinary environmental arts research; conducting analysis of soils, geochemistry, and wildlife populations; and producing the "Manresa Stories" oral history project to document the site's industrial and ecological legacies.
• Sacred Heart University is contributing research and developing new marine science coursework focused on Long Island Sound.
• Norwalk Public Schools is partnering with Manresa Island Corp. on youth education and discovery opportunities – including recent pollinator-friendly planting events for elementary students, and landscape architecture firm SCAPE’s visits to several local after-school programs to teach students about landscape architecture.

See more details about ongoing R.E.S.A. initiatives HERE.

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About Manresa Wilds

Manresa Wilds is a 125-acre publicly accessible community park taking shape on the coast of Norwalk, Connecticut, transforming a long-closed former power plant site into a place for discovery, learning, gathering, and coastal stewardship. The park will reconnect the community to nearly two miles of Long Island Sound shoreline for the first time in decades. Opening in phases beginning with the Northern Forest in 2027, Manresa Wilds will restore coastal ecosystems, create new trails and gathering spaces, and reimagine the former power plant as a year-round hub for education, exploration, and public life.

About Manresa Island Corp.

Manresa Island Corp. is the nonprofit organization founded to build and operate Manresa Wilds. The organization is committed to creating a park that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, restoring coastal ecosystems into a healthy and vibrant landscape, establishing a community hub for year-round learning and discovery, and serving as a model of climate-resilient design for the region. Fully funded through private philanthropy, Manresa Wilds will be stewarded by the organization in perpetuity.