Pollution

To support a study about the impacts of wastewater from municipal waste water treatment plants on fish health in the Quinnipiac River.

To support the Safe Grounds Campaign to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of toxic lawn pesticides in the Quinnipiac River watershed and throughout Connecticut.

To support the education of fishers on safe consumption of fish from the Quinnipiac River and work with the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to ensure fish signage is posted in the area in appropriate languages as well as support an exchange program where Quinnipiac River fishers can trade their lead weights for non-lead weights.

To raise awareness among legislators, homeowners, and the general public about ways to reduce both non-point and point sources of pollution and to improve habitat for birds and other wildlife within the Quinnipiac River Watershed.

To measure the quantity of bioavailable toxic forms of dissolved heavy metals in the QR seasonally and during storm events.

To continue monitoring vegetation change and mudflat development in the Quinnipiac River brackish marshes, and begin to test hypothesized causes for the observed wetland loss.  To complete a nitrogen and trace metal analyses and begin to assess how marsh loss has affected the load of pollutants to the river.

To educate New Haven's youth about the natural and social systems that affect the Quinnipiac River.  To design and execute a community service action project that addresses an issue for youth to identify and teach what they have learned and accomplished to others; thereby building a constituency of urban advocates for the Quinnipiac River.  This project is called Kids Explore!, Kids Do!, Kids Teach!

To measure contamination along the Quinnipiac River and in oysters of the New Haven Harbor and evaluate the extent of mercury pollution and  identify sources and hotspots.

To support the measurement of methyl mercury contamination in the Quinnipiac River and the Oysters in New Haven Harbor. The study will evaluate the extent of methylmercury pollution and  help to identify sources and hotspots.

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.