Pollution

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.

To support the continuing and extension of the successful 2005 Safe Grounds Campaign reducing non-point source pollution from lawn pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Funds are requested to support the continuation of measuring elevation change and water levels in the Quinnipiac River marshes in efforts to understand the rate and causes  of marsh drowning (conversion to mudflat) that has been observed there.

Funds are requested to continue support for the Safe Grounds Campaign to reduce non-point source pollution from lawn pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.