Watershed Habitat Information Shared

MAS Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary recognizes the importance of providing long-term habitat information within a watershed model. Thanks to generous grant support from a Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge Challenge Grant, they have been able to reach all Conservation Commission Members from twelve towns in the Connecticut River Valley with information critical to the health of their watershed and their communities.

Tony Symasko and Cyndee Frere created a program based on one used at the MAS Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary in Worcester. Information on the basic natural history of a watershed, the significance of watershed health to the health of a community, and of the vital importance of cooperation between towns on watershed issues was provided for the towns of Northampton, Southampton, Westhampton, Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, Whately, Hatfield, Williamsburg, Hadley, Amherst, and Deerfield.

The Arcadia staff reached the towns in two ways:

1. Providing three workshops on the basic natural history of a watershed. These were hands-on workshops using the watershed model borrowed from Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary; the video, "The Power to Protect;" group brainstorming sessions for questions and concerns for each town; and questions from the groups participating to the Arcadia staff leading the programs, Tony Symasko and Cyndee Frere. These workshops were offered in the spring of 1999.
2. Visiting each town's Conservation Commission at one of their monthly meetings with more hand-outs, and providing an opportunity to talk about their individual issues.

One theme heard over and over was the need for open space plans in the smaller towns. The larger towns have already addressed this problem, but the smaller ones are just recognizing the need for a plan. Their next problem was always how to proceed. We were able to direct them to the various agencies that can help, including the Massachusetts Audubon Society Advocacy Office.

The larger towns, Holyoke and Northampton, seized the opportunity to invite their Planning Boards, Boards of Health, and Select Boards to these meetings. With local citizens also in attendance, we reached many more residents, answering questions from all levels of town and city government: the voter to the boards elected to serve. This forum gave the "non" environment-related boards (Boards of Health, Select Boards, etc.) the chance to get the same information as the Conservation Commission. Their response was one of unanimous support for more education in this area. We were told that often these boards never have the opportunity to meet together, get to know each other, and really work together on important issues.

Another positive aspect of the meetings with the Conservation Commissions was that often there were townspeople in attendance, so that we also reached landowners with this vital information.

Again, without the Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge and the Massachusetts Audubon Society providing a 50% match in funding, these programs would not have happened. Arcadia is most grateful for this opportunity to develop this program, deliver it, and make contact with the towns in our region.