GUILFORD, Conn. — Greater than half of Connecticut’s salt marshes have been misplaced after tons of of years of human intervention, however there’s a rising motion to revive these habitats for the long run. The Nationwide Audubon Society in Connecticut is prioritizing this work throughout the Lengthy Island Sound and has simply obtained a $460,917 grant from the Connecticut Division of Vitality and Environmental Safety (DEEP) to develop a restoration design plan for the Guilford Salt Meadows Audubon Sanctuary.
The Guilford Sanctuary is an important section of the East River Marsh, a brackish and salt tidal marsh presently discovered to have ~40% of its beforehand vegetated marsh space burdened, degraded, or misplaced. The restoration design plan will give attention to restoring native vegetation and creating restricted excessive marsh habitat to strengthen the marsh’s resiliency to sea stage rise.
The area people could have the chance to take part because the design plan strikes in direction of completion. Venture companions will host two public conferences for group suggestions, and college students from Bridgeport, Stratford, and West Haven will likely be invited on discipline journeys to the location the place they are going to carry out small-scale conservation work like invasive species management and knowledge assortment.
A spotlight for Audubon is the chance to supply habitat for marsh birds experiencing inhabitants declines, just like the Saltmarsh Sparrow. “Baseline level rely surveys in 2025 detected solely Clapper Rail and Marsh Wren on the Guilford Salt Meadows Audubon Sanctuary, however we count on the habitat to have the potential to assist a set of tidal marsh-dependent birds together with the Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, and Willet,” stated Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, director of chook conservation for Audubon in Connecticut.
Restoring the Guilford part of the East River Marsh may even present extra pure sandy creeks for blue mussel, spawning Horseshoe Crabs, and doubtlessly Jap Oyster. The marsh can also be an vital fish run for Alewife and Sea Lamprey, and Northern Diamond-backed Terrapin are generally noticed all through. Every of those species would profit from the improved water high quality and hydrology.
“The East River Marsh is without doubt one of the largest and most vital salt marsh complexes within the state, offering important advantages to wildlife and the encompassing group. Audubon is happy to work with our companions and native stakeholders to guard and restore this invaluable pure useful resource,” stated Jack Matthias, coastal resilience supervisor for Audubon in Connecticut.
By way of their newly created Lengthy Island Sound Ecosystems Grant Program, DEEP has awarded a complete of over $7.8 million to eighteen Connecticut municipalities and non-profits centered on enhancing water high quality, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and enhancing fish passage inside the Lengthy Island Sound watershed.
Media Contact: Sharon Bruce, sharon.bruce@audubon.org
ABOUT AUDUBON
The Nationwide Audubon Society is a number one nonprofit conservation group with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impression, devoted to defending birds and the locations they want, right now and tomorrow. Birds are highly effective indicators of our planet’s well being, performing as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and encourage motion. Audubon works throughout the Western Hemisphere, pushed by the understanding that what is sweet for birds is sweet for the planet. By way of a collaborative, bipartisan method throughout habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives significant and lasting conservation outcomes. Be taught extra about our work domestically at audubon.org/connecticut.
