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COURSE INFO PROVIDER: SWSPCP Webinar
COURSE TITLE: Assessing Vegetative Species Re-colonization of Commercial Cranberry Bogs

INSTRUCTORS Kathleen McPherson

COURSE DESCRIPTION Assessing Vegetative Species Re-colonization of Commercial Cranberry Bogs
by Kate McPherson
SWS Webinar presented on 02/18/2021

Abstract:
Mill Brook Bogs, a 100-acre retired commercial cranberry farm that has been inactive for approximately 6 years, has degraded wetland habitats due to the legacy of agricultural practices. Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration was interested in evaluating the condition of the wetlands onsite and to track wetland response over time post-restoration. Save the Bay's Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper used Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) on former cranberry growing areas within the farm as well as wetlands impacted by the farm's manipulated hydrology to evaluate the pre-restoration quality of the plant communities. This presentation will discuss methods used and findings, as well as comment on FQA as an efficient method to gauge wetland response to restoration efforts.

McPherson Bio:
Kate McPherson is Save The Bay's Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper. She's a Professional Wetland Scientist who's passionate about wetland and river restoration, engaging community members to take steps to improve watershed health, and using sound science to inform policy. Kate holds an B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Management from the University of Rhode Island. Before joining Save The Bay, she spent fourteen years working in the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's Office of Water Resources, Freshwater Wetlands Permitting Program where she reviewed potential impacts of proposed projects on wetland resources.

Credit Points: 0.06

SYLLABUS/TOPICAL OUTLINE 1) Introduction to Mill Brook Bogs (10 min), 2) Participation by Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration interests in evaluating the condition of the wetlands onsite and to track wetland response over time post-restoration (5 min.), 3) Save the Bay's Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) methods to evaluate the pre-restoration quality of the plant communities (30 min.) 4) Questions and answers (15 min.).

COURSE CONTACT

Louis Mantini
9225 CR49, Live Oak, FL 32060
lfm@srwmd.org
P: 386.647.3144
F: 386.362.1057

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