Sanford approaches crucial moment in conservation planning
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-06-17
The Wells Reserve Coastal Training Program (CTP) team has been hard at work helping the Town of Sanford to outline goals and strategies for achieving open space and resource protection in the town’s natural areas and working landscapes.
In 2008, the Coastal Training Program assisted the town with a series of workshops designed to bring community stakeholders together, to share their visions for the future of Sanford, and to craft a plan for realizing those visions.
The draft Conservation Plan is now available. The plan highlights the importance of green infrastructure—the values that natural places and open space provide—such as clean water, farmland, wildlife habitat, flood control, and natural beauty. It also addresses conservation goals identified in the Sanford Comprehensive Plan.
Dr. Christine Feurt, coordinator of the Coastal Training Program, reports…
This plan represents a tremendous effort by Sanford residents and town staff working in partnership with the Wells Reserve. Sanford is becoming a regional leader in water quality protection with their work to clean brownfields, protect stormwater at the airport, and conserve special places like McDougal Orchards. The Sanford Conservation Plan includes a regional focus and links to efforts in neighboring towns.
The next step is for the Sanford Planning Board to determine if the plan meets the needs of the community. A positive outcome depends upon broad support for the work of the Sanford residents who helped create the plan. The larger the voice for conservation at the meeting the better.
The Sanford Planning Board will hold its public hearing on the draft Conservation Plan on July 1 at 7:30 pm.
Questions regarding the plan can be addressed by:
- Chris Feurt at 646-1555 ext 111
- Zack Steele at 646-1555 ext 157
- Tin Smith at 646-1555 ext 119
Mousam River fish survey covered in Coast Star
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-05-28
May 21 and 22 were fish sampling days on the Mousam River estuary. Wells Reserve research staff were joined by volunteers from Maine Rivers and AmeriCorps to form a team that set fyke nets and fished on two tides, one by night and another by day. Steve Bodnar from the York County Coast Star tagged along and his article is in today’s paper. You can read it at seacoastonline.com
Salt marsh surveying gets more precise
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-05-26
Salt marshes provide the first defense against storm energy and sea level rise, so measuring land elevations accurately in intertidal areas is essential to effective decisionmaking in the coastal zone.
Small changes in the elevation of salt marshes can dramatically affect coastal areas, but monitoring changes has been problematic with the tools available. A new technique, real-time kinematic (RTK) surveying, promises to improve the accuracy of surveying in salt marshes.
Last week, more than a dozen scientists gathered at the Wells Reserve to learn how to use RTK and leveling survey methods for high-precision elevation measurements. National Estuarine Research Reserves from Maine to North Carolina participated in the training, which was done by the National Geodetic Survey.
The RTK equipment remains with the Wells Reserve over the next month so it can be used in restored salt marshes from Kittery to Scarborough.
TV crew explores vernal pools with Kate
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-05-04
Controlled burn blackens field, enhances habitat
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-04-22
April 17 was warm and dry with a light breeze, a Friday at the end of a dry week. Early in the morning, a fire crew from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service judged the conditions were just right for burning the 2-acre grassland just beyond the Wells Reserve flagpole.
Around 10 o’clock they began working and by noon the job was essentially done, the prescribed burn effectively complete. For more than an hour, the sky was frighteningly filled with smoke. But the team, intently focused on safety, was always in control. The fire never inched past the lines they protected.
Prescribed fire is a cost-effective tool for managing grassland habitats, which are increasingly rare in our region. The Wells Reserve has supported several controlled burns over the years, but this was the first burn of the “Lord field,” which only recently came under Reserve control.
Warm and WILD
Scott Richardson ~ 2009-04-10
Here’s a sight for sore eyes: Occupied picnic tables! For the first time in months, it’s warm enough for many people to sit outside at lunch time.
Taking advantage of the sunny (if breezy) day are more than two dozen participants in a Project WILD workshop being hosted by the Wells Reserve. Project WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. The Wells Reserve is an excellent site for preparing educators to link students to the wonders of wildlife.