Projects

Funds are requested to support the organization and implementation of "Consider the Qunnipiac" photo-based awareness campaign" motivationg people to consider the consequences of poor stewardship. The campaign will include photo exhibits, and web-based gallery including information about the specific threats, pollutants, and damages to the river.

To support the implementation of a short course in river processes for environmental activists and decision-makers.

Funds will be used to support the improvement of of water diversion and instream flow policy on the Quinnipiac River through advocacy and public education.

To support the development and adoption of an intermunicipal agreement with the lower river towns regarding land use guidelines and tax sharing.

To support the salaries for two part-time Student Conservation Assocation interns who will work on improvement of water quality through community outreach.

To support the creation and development of the Organic Land and Turf Handbook for school, municipal, and commercial groundskeepsers to manage lawns and turf without the use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

To support the work of the Freedom Lawn Campaign to educate users of 'traditional'  chemical lawn care about the harmful environmental and health effects of pesticides and fertilizers, and encourage a switch to organic lawn care methods that are safe for the natural environment and people.

To support a graduate student that will work with the PI and others (e.g. at the RGP) to maintain the QRW (Quinniipiac River Watershed) GIS(Georgraphic Information System) and the related website and to conduct GIS based analyses that focus on the lower river and its surroundings.

To support the grassroots organization identified in the Quinnipac Watershed Action Plan and continue to organize volunteers toward implementaing the plan's actions.  To harness the combined efforts of a large pool of citizen volunteers, clubs, civic roups, shcools and businesses, which hav eparticipated at least one year in a QRWA river activity.  To use our conservation, recreation and education events and programs to increase our volunteer ranks.  To continue to train and guide these volunteers toward reducing the point source and nonpoint source pollution that enters our waterways.  These volunteers will educate landowners and builders whose activities have a direct impact on water quality and habitat health in tributaries and main rivers.

To support a short course in river processes to local environmental activists and municipal officials that will cover the basic hydrologic, geomorphic, chemical and biological processes that govern stream ecosystems and how they are perturbed by human activities.