Projects

To support the Safe Grounds Campaign which helps reduce non-point source pollution from lawn pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in the Quinnipiac River watershed.

To support consultant/professional work required to support the definition and granting of land easements from private property owners along the river where the intended route of the trail is located.

To support the Biodiversity and Impacts of Drift Algae in the New Haven Harbor study, which will continue to assess habitat structure and species diversity in New Haven Harbor, and to investigate the dynamics and potential impacts of extensive drift algal mats that have been found in portions of the harbor.

To continue to educate fishers on safe consumption of fish by volunteers, bilingual safe fishing signage posted at river locales and by building grassroots support for a new state ban on lead fishing weights in the interest of fishers' and wildlife well-being.

To support the continuation of homeowner workshops which will initiate educational outreach on organic land care to inland/wetland and conservation commissions, including installation and assisting in the development and related outreach of an online turf forum geared towards Connecticut school groundskeepers.

To support a two-day training program for local land use leaders to educate them on the scope of their jurisdiction, the flexibility they have under the law, tools for natural resource and watershed protection and collaborative techniques including consensus building, facilitated decision-making, community participation and effective meetings management.

To educate fishers on the safe consumption of fish from the Quinnipiac River and to work with the State Department of Environmental Protection to ensure fish signage is posted in fishing areas in common languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Kmer, Lao and Vietnamese.

To support homeowner workshops and outreach and to initiate data analysis and focus group research to design a program to best serve homeowners who want organic land care for their properties.

To support a study to characterize the fate of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) in the watershed areas of the Quinnipiac and Mill Rivers which empty into Long Island Sound in an effort to study the fate of BBP on the behavior of aquatic organisms.

To support the assessment of the condition of macrofaunal communities in New Haven Harbor relative to selected environmental factors and the structure of the Harbor's benthic habitats. A comparison of the results will be made to available previous information to assess any long-term changes.