Category: Uncategorized

Deadline to Apply for Funding is January 17, 2014

The Quinnipiac River Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, announces that grants are available for projects designed to benefit the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River, the New Haven Harbor, and surrounding watersheds. Approximately $100,000 in grants is awarded each Spring from the Fund, which was established in 1990 as a result of a legal settlement between the National Resources Defense Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and the Upjohn Corporation. The Quinnipiac River Fund serves as Connecticut’s only permanent endowment working solely to protect and preserve the Quinnipiac River and its watersheds.

The Committee will consider those grant proposals that address one or more of the following:
1.    Research what pollutants are in the Quinnipiac River
2.    Research methods of reducing pollution, or otherwise improving the Quinnipiac River’s environmental health
3.    Address means of reducing both non-point and point sources of pollution to the River
4.    Research the permitting process and look at the permits themselves
5.    Study the ecology of the Quinnipiac River and the New Haven Harbor
6.    Provide public education about the Quinnipiac River and its watershed
7.    Purchase land on the Quinnipiac River for conservation purposes, or to reduce pollution and improve public access to the River.

Contact Denise Canning at dcanning@cfgnh.org or 203-777-7076 for more information.

A New Generation of Chemical Pollution

The days of factories discharging heavy metals and homes flushing untreated waste directly into the Quinnipiac River are thankfully a thing of the past. But as industries and lifestyles have changed, so have their toxic byproducts. A new generation of chemical pollution is making its way into the river and surrounding watershed. By measuring these pollutants and tracking their effects on the ecosystem, local researchers are gathering the data needed to help create water protections for the 21st Century with support from The Quinnipiac River Fund.

Read more about their research on Phthalaltes,  Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and Nitrogen in the River.

Calling researchers and environmental advocates

Volunteers clear invasive plants from Quinnipiac Meadows

A preserve within a preserve

From 1-91, the strip of land looks like a golden wild island in the River. Although it is actually connected to land, the 35-acre Quinnipiac Meadows/ Eugene B. Fargegorge Preserve serves as an island of sorts: a serene oasis of plant life and wildlife amid the surrounding bustle of houses and highways, billboards, condos and shopping centers.

With ospreys and owls, herons, fox and terapin, wildlife abounds in the preserve, but the land’s true potential is being compromised by threat that many never notice: invasive plant species. Aggressive, weedy trees and shrubs have created a dense thicket in areas of the preserve. In the upland portion in particular, three invasive shrubs — bush honeysuckle, buckthorn, and autumn olive — dominate the land,  smothering the native trees, such as eastern red cedar, winged sumac, and eastern cottonwood, that make the area unique.

The New Haven Land Trust is working to create a preserve within the preserve, clearing and suppressing the invasives so the coastal riparian plant community can thrive. On October 13 and Oct. 20, dedicated groups of volunteers rose to the labor-intensive occasion. Donning long pants, close-toed shoes and work gloves, they wielded chainsaws and machetes to clear an overgrown 1.2 acre area near the bird blind overlooking the salt marsh and river.

“In an urban environment, preserving the few natural places that we do have is critical,” said JR Logan, volunteer and board president for the New Haven Land Trust. “These volunteers have chosen to put their efforts into creating an environment where we can have a greater biodiversity, a space where those in New Haven can have an experience with nature.”

The Land Trust plans to mow an additional five acres overrun with invasive grasses and, when the weather warms, add new plantings of native species to help the preserve thrive as a wildlife habitat.

In line with its mission to promote the appreciation and preservation of natural resources in New Haven, the New Haven Land Trust has been working in the Quinnipiac Meadows preserve for more than a decade. In 2009, The Quinnipiac River Fund supported a Land Trust program to promote public education and access in the Preserve. Volunteers fuel the current invasive-clearing work, with support by the National Resources Conservation Service for the project’s management.

There are many ways communities abutting the Quinnipiac River can help keep it and the surrounding environs clean.

This past spring, Save the Sound installed nine rain gardens in Southington as part of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment’s Quinnipiac River Watershed Project. Rain gardens look like any other garden on the surface, but their science is impressive. The Southington rain gardens were designed to capture rain water from rooftops, collect it within the soil of each garden and slowly release it into the ground, recharging groundwater supplies with clean water. The project was supported by a community of volunteers who turned out to help and have become a voice for green infrastructure and clean water resources on the Quinnipiac River.

“We’re always on the lookout for volunteers who like to help out with rain gardens or installing native plantings as part of our habitat restoration projects,” says Chris Cryder, Special Projects Coordinator for Save the Sound (a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment).

For more information about how to build your own rain garden, visit www.reducerunoff.org.

photos by Ian Christmann

Plant lupine, hollyhock or phlox and you may find iridescent-feathered hummingbirds frequenting your yard. Cultivating wild grape vines or crabapple trees can entice cardinals and bluebirds.

Fueled by a grant from the Quinnipiac River Fund, Audubon CT is teaming up with Urban Resources Initiative to demonstrate that, with just a little forethought, everyday plants chosen to beautify yards and parks near the Quinnipiac River can have added benefits for birds and other wildlife.

A surprisingly diverse variety of beloved bird species call the Quinnipiac area home, including great blue herons, robins, mockingbirds, cardinals, blue jays, golden finches, eagles, monk parakeets and more.

“Many birds, especially migratory birds are losing habitat and becoming threatened,” said Chris Ozyck, associate director of Urban Resources Initiative.“ Urban areas are critical, especially near rivers or estuaries.”

Common plants provide birds with food in the form of fruits, berries or nectar, and nesting places and materials. Equally important are plants that attract pollinators, such as bees, beetles, ants and butterflies, which bring their own winged beauty to the area.

To introduce the community to bird-friendly plants, Audubon and URI conducted public workshops: one with a public space focus, held at Dover Beach, and another geared towards people’s private yards and gardens. A pocket-guide to bird-friendly plantings was also made available in both English and Spanish.

The Audubon/URI partnership supplemented these education efforts with a hands-on planting day on September 13, 2013. As part of a 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, more than a dozen volunteers from Americorps Vista, Americorps Alums and Peace Corps came out to make Dover Beach Park even more attractive for birds and people alike. New plantings included an oak, maple, crab apples and a plethora of shrubs and perennials.

If these fish could talk…

…they might say, “caution.”

The lower Quinnipiac River offers a bounty of fin-laden delights, such as bluefish and bass – tempting possibilities for a low-cost, high-protein family dinner, but eating these fish too often can be a serious health hazard.

To shed light on Quinnipiac’s fish contamination and consumption risks, the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), with support from the Quinnipiac River Fund, launched a safe fishing project from 2010 – 2012. Through casual one-on-one conversations, brochure distribution and multi-lingual signage, the CCEJ helped hundreds of fishers on the Quinnipiac River understand the hidden dangers they may be ingesting.

Even when pollution is miles away or many years past, fish can harbor levels of cancer-causing chemicals – such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – thousands of times higher than the water. Chemical spills can elevate PCB levels in fish for years after the spill has ceased, and mercury in air pollution can travel long distances before being deposited into the river.

In Meriden, north of the Quinnipiac River Gorge, a history of heavy pollution makes eating any caught fish (other than stocked trout) ill advised. In the lower Quinnipiac, tidal waters help lessen some pollution, but fish consumption risks still remain high. The CCEJ focused its education efforts on this area, where the river’s proximity to highly populated urban areas and low-income neighborhoods makes fishing for food a popular activity.

To lead the education efforts, CCEJ brought on lifelong fisherman Robert Hudson, who brought an angler’s attitude to the task. Donning casual clothes and often carrying a fishing pole, he spoke with nearly 170 fishers, most of whom said they were not aware of the safe fishing guidelines.

Tidal in nature, the lower Quinnipiac bears the same fish-eating cautions as the Long Island sound: most saltwater fish are safe to eat, except for bluefish longer than 25 inches and striped bass, which should not be eaten by pregnant women, women who plan to become pregnant or children under the age of six. For everyone else, the Department of Public Health recommends no more than one meal a month of these large fish.

Hudson provided fishermen with pamphlets explaining the guidelines, and also explained a practical and simple way they could help reduce contamination of the river and river-caught fish: by switching their lead weights to alloy-encased ones.

Hudson’s education work helped inform CCEJ’s effort to promote a state bill to restrict lead fishing weights, similar to measures that have passed in Maine and New Hampshire. CCEJ also worked with the State Department of Environmental Protection to ensure fish signage is posted in fishing areas in English and Spanish.

The Quinnipiac River Fund has granted $27,000 to the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice for its safe fishing project and broader activities building environmental awareness and safeguarding the health of residents who use the Quinnipiac River.

Ideas for keeping your corner of the planet clean and green

Did you know that the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection offers some ideas you can use at home, work, in your community or play, including healthier alternatives to toxic cleaning and pest management?

Some of their resources include:

• Hmm, don’t know what to do with all those packing peanuts, unwanted prescription medication or those burned out CFLs? A guide to find out how to manage those not-so-common household items in the most environmentally preferable way.
• Everyone has to clean sometime! Check out some healthier alternatives to toxic cleaning products and breathe easier in every room of the house.
• Planning a building or renovation project? Information for using green building products and techniques.

Visit them on the web.

Quinnipiac River photographs by Ian Christmann

LULA empowers unified effort to protect the Quinnipiac

“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.” ― David Brower

When it comes to the Quinnipiac, or any river for that matter, what happens in one town, doesn’t stay in that town. With a 165 square mile watershed reaching 14 municipalities, the Quinnipiac River flows 38 miles from Farmington’s Deadwood swamp to the New Haven Harbor, taking with it all the health or harm imparted along the way. Water-polluting problems, from sewer overflows to pesticide run-off, in any one area can undo water improvement strides made by towns or groups further downstream or upstream.

Recognizing that lasting water quality improvements require a uniform effort, the Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) brings together local land use leaders – such as those serving on planning and zoning commissions – and empowers them to protect the Quinnipiac through appropriate regulations.

“Many of the leaders of the planning and zoning commissioners are volunteers with diverse backgrounds that may or may not have informed them of the relationship between development and watershed,“ explained Marjorie Shansky, a LULA law trainer and Quinnipiac River community resident. “LULA gives them the tools necessary for knowledgeable administration of land use laws for environmentally appropriate outcomes.”

LULA originated at Pace University Law School in 1996, with a goal to give land use leaders the technical and process tools they need to make decisions for creating sustainable and conservation-minded communities. In 2004, LULA piloted programs in Connecticut, where the – obstacles of 169 independent municipalities, lack of county government, underfunded and understaffed regions, and volunteer boards often with two-year turnover, makes LULA’s leadership empowerment and education all the more important.

In 2008, assisted by a grant from the Quinnipiac River Fund, LULA began its focus on the Quinnipiac River, a waterway whose history includes Connecticut’s first recorded pollution control legislation – a measure that prohibited Meriden from discharging raw sewage into the river and resulted in the construction of the state’s first sewage treatment plant.

Diving into current regulations, LULA conducted a regulatory review in 2008 to determine, town by town, what measures were currently in place to protect the watershed; the results pointed to a significant disparity in municipalities’ approaches to the river.

From 2009 – 2011, additional Quinnipiac River Fund grants enabled LULA to respond to this disparity by conducting multi-day training events that have empowered more than 75 of the watershed’s land use leaders with greater understanding of the scope of their jurisdiction and the laws related to natural resource and watershed protection.

Outcomes of the trainings include regulation amendment, creation of a natural resources inventory where none had previously existed, formation of a conservation commission where one had previously not existed, and adoption of collaborative processes by the municipalities in their approach to large-scale development. While these results are encouraging, LULA knows that ongoing training is a perpetual need, as commission leadership changes frequently, as do regulations.

In 2012, further support from the Quinnipiac River Fund supported LULA in conducting a second regulatory review to determine water protection progress and provide a more current, comprehensive regulation overview – one that, upon completion at the end of the summer 2013, will help municipalities get on the same page, share resources where possible, and avoid redundancies.

Since 2008, the Land Use Leadership Alliance has received $60,500 from the Quinnipiac River Fund. For more information about LULA, visit http://www.easternrcd-ct.org/lula.htm.

“Go where it flows…”
QRWA’s 33rd annual Quinnipiac Downriver Classic

Read the Record Journal article here.  http://www.erecordjournal.com/ee/recordjournal/publink.php?shareid=0ea064b37#.UZoHi6EXFO0.facebook

Photos by Diego