Climate Change is an Issue for all

By Beth Sullivan

Most of the readers of this blog have a deep respect and love for our natural resources. You love the forests and meadows and coastal vistas, marshes, beaches, and waterways. And most of you are aware that our coastlines are imperiled by changes in our environment and rising sea levels.

The marshes along our coast protect us now, but will be inundates in the future. Photograph by David Young.

As climate changes, storms increase and waters are already rising in areas that have never seen such flooding. People who live along the coast are constantly made aware of the dangers and responsibilities of living in a threatened area. There is insurance. There are ways to raise houses and roads.

But what about our land? What about the marshes that naturally protect our neighborhoods and infrastructure? What about the plants that are being drowned by rising water, and plants that are being killed by slowly increasing salinity in ground water? What about the wildlife that resides only in these habitats? Birds that nest on the ground on low beaches or in salt marsh grasses are in danger of losing the only habitats where they can survive.

As marshes retreat, the salt water will begin to impact the edges of the upland woodland.

Big hunks of peat fall off the marsh edge and the land recedes.

Many towns along the CT coast have already begun to develop plans, to map out vulnerable areas, and seek out advice and grant monies to help deal with the enormous expenses of protecting our homes, “our habitats”.

The beautiful meadows at Knox Preserve are mostly dry now...

...but rising tides and storms have increased the wetland areas.

Dodge Paddock was forever changed by Hurricane Sandy. Photograph by Roger Wolfe.

Restoration at Dodge Paddock had to include plans for resiliency and higher water levels.

The towns of Stonington and Westerly are working on public awareness programs to discuss resiliency in the face of rising water, both along the coast and along the Wood-Pawcatuck River. Please take time to attend one or more of these upcoming events.

Stonington will present the first of its public information sessions on October 20 at 6pm at Mystic Aquarium. Visit www.Stonington-CT.gov for more information. That same day, at 10am in the morning, the Wood-Pawcatuck River resiliency plan will be discussed at the Westerly Library. Visit the Wood-Pawcatuk Watershed Association's web page here for more information.

We need to be fully aware of the impacts of climate change, not just in the next century, not the next decade, but in the next year. We were lucky to have missed the most recent hurricane, or we would have been experiencing those impacts today.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless otherwise noted.

An Update from Dodge Paddock/Beal Preserve

By Beth Sullivan

We are in full summer mode now, and the best place to spend a day is at the shore, right? Well that’s where several of us have spent a LOT of time over the last month or so.

Juncus, a native marsh grass, has grown up in once empty areas.

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant restoration project on Dodge Paddock is forging ahead. We watched and waited to see what native plants came back on their own after the Phragmites were eradicated. The land was so degraded by years of Phragmites overload, that it is pretty barren and the seed bank is not strong. But looking closely there are signs of hope: some grasses, annual “weeds,” and best of all native shrubs have sprung up in the bare areas. The green is creeping in from the edges as the native marsh grasses are recovering and getting stronger and filling in.

We have had several work parties to rake out debris, some remaining from as far back as Storm Sandy. We have hauled out truckloads of the woody matter and have created compost piles that we can use for planting.

Several work parties have cleared debris and made fast work of planting

Help from Mystic Aquarium

We have an Intern from the Mystic Aquarium working with us, who has jumped, boots and all, into the project doing soil testing, water testing, studying the areas, and making data charts. We put together an order of plants that formed our base plan. We knew it would be experimental. The site is so very complex: fresh water, salt water, wet soil, dry soil, hot sun exposure and storm tides and wind. The first plants were distributed in the wettest, bare areas to see what would survive best. Other plants were put up onto the dune/berm that was created when Sandy pushed it up. The plants there will help contribute to stabilizing the bank.

The viburnums seem to like where they were planted.

We also planted about 300 grass plugs! Our team of volunteers made 2 inch holes and popped in native marsh grasses in areas we believed they would thrive. So far the grasses have survived rain and tides and heat but not the CROWS! The local crows have discovered that if they pull out the plugs, there are plenty of tasty invertebrates in the holes! Several of us have spent countless hours replanting what the crows have pulled. The good news: while there are some losses, many of the grasses have rooted well and resist tugging.

A clump of Spartina alternifloria has taken root.

Crows continue to pull out the plugs.

High water problems

We did lose a few shrubs, probably due to drowning when the water was just too much for them after a heavy rain. That soil doesn’t drain well. We will not plant any more of those. But we have been very encouraged by several species of natives that have not only survived, but seem to be thriving in their designated spots.

It is  a complex site and not every plant is happy.

The planning for the next phase has begun. We assessed our efforts so far, will do more testing, and plan an order for fall planting. We have more work parties on the calendar, to clean the next areas, and we will have a DEEP professional come in to help us eradicate more invasives. We will also attack the poison ivy that seems exceptionally lush this year.

Our goal, a natural, beautiful marsh preserve.

Come down and enjoy the cooling breezes and check out the restoration.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.