Project Summaries
Project Summaries
Phragmites Adaptive Management Plan
The goal of the Phragmites Adaptive Management Plan is to maintain and enhance a healthy competitive advantage for indigenous plant communities through adaptive invasive species management techniques which include Phragmites Cutbacks and Hot Spot Treatments. Phragmites control is a primary management consideration because the site is located in the heart of a 1,300-acre estuary. If the woody seedling were not maintained, it is certain that Phragmites would out-compete the establishing seedling in it’s early development.
Passerine Forage Management Plan
The Passerine Forage Management Plan is a compressive urban forestry management tool developed at the site. The success of the plan has prompted other land managers to review the plan for other locations around the region. The plan’s goals are to increase the wild forage productivity for migrating song birds while stimulating desirable growth responses in establishing woody seedlings.
Gamebird Enhancement Management Plan
The Gamebird Enhancement Management Plan is a collaborative effort to enhance the site’s habitats to increase the existing Ring-necked Pheasant population, prepare for Wild Turkey expansions to the site, and the reintroduction of the Northern Bob White Quail. The collective goals for this enhancement plant are to increase cover to abate predator mortalities, it increase preferred food species through selected species recruitment, and increase potential nesting areas for the three targeted species.
Waybright Elementary School Initiative
The forth grade class of the Waybright Elementary School in Saugus, Massachusetts is a partner in the Gamebird Enhancement Management Plan that has been in place a the site since 1998. The Gamebird Enhancement Management Plan is a collaborative effort to enhance the site habitats to increase the existing Ring-necked Pheasant population, prepare for Wild Turkey expansion into the site, and the reintroduction of Northern Bob White Quail.
Northern Bobwhite Quail Reintroduction Initiative
The Northern Bob White Quail Reintroduction Initiative is essentially a component of the Gamebird Enhancement Management Plan. However, because the species has be absent from Essex County for more than 60 years, the reintroduction fo the species at the site has required correspondence with the Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife Department since 2005. As such, the efforts required to reintroduce this species is a spate project of it’s own.
Apiary Program
The Apiary Program was established at the site in 2001 at the suggestion of one of Wheelabrator’s long-time technical consultant, Mr. Jay Falcone, who is a passionate beekeeper. The program currently consists of approximately 10 hives at thee site, producing over 200 pounds of honey annually. This honey is jarred and distributed to all site employees and visitors.
Christmas Bird Count
Each December, the site and National Audubon Society volunteers conduct a winter resident bird species survey at the site. These results are combined with other regional and national surveys to estimate the North American winter resident bird population for each year. These results are then compared to past surveys to track the bird population status in North America.
Grassland Bird Survey
Each summer, the site associates and National Audubon Society volunteers conduct a grassland bird species survey at the site. These results are combined with other regional and national surveys to estimate the North American grassland bird population for each year. These results are then compared to past surveys to track the bird population status in North America.
Essex Agricultural and Technical High School
The Essex Agricultural and Technical High School (EATHS ) of Danvers, Massachusetts is involved at the site as part of a collaborative monitoring agreement. Each season, advanced-placement senior from EATHS visit the sit to learn about ecological restoration and conduct vegetation monitoring within the site’s restored habitats.
Project YES
Project YES (Youth Empowerment and Success) is a non-profit "At-Risk Youth" program that serves the Lynn, Massachusetts area. Project YES is a gang prevention program for 5th, 6th and 7th grade students from Lynn. The program encourages its participant to progress to the next education stage as well as to acquire the skills and values modeled by mentors who support them in various service experiences. Project YES if funded by state, local, and national community enrichment grants and is sponsored and managed by North Shore Community College.
Endangered Plant Species Establishment Program
The endangered plant species establishment program is a long-term plant introduction program that focuses effort on introducing Massachusetts state-listed endangered grassland species to portions of the site that are not capped with geomembrane. In these areas of the site, the soils are in a management cycle that leaches or depletes nutrients from the soil to create the appropriate soil characteristics for the targeted plant species.
2005 Facility Entrance Swale Restoration
This project involved the restoration of a drainage swale along the facility entrance. Stormwater runoff through this tidally influenced swale had become restricted due to several decades of Phragmites austrialis encroachment. Approximately 500 linear feet of invasive species removal and water embankment restoration was preformed.
