Thanks to a grant from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Committee, the Farmington Land Trust (FLT) is undertaking ecological restoration on its Cowles Property. 

 

The presence of invasive species lowers biological diversity and ecosystem services. FLT is removing woody and herbaceous invasives and replacing them with appropriate native species. The goal is to restore the Cowles parcel to a more natural state. FLT's multi-pronged approach includes involving private landscapers, community groups, and volunteers over several years. 

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Phase 1 of this ambitious project focuses on the removal of two invasive species: Bittersweet and Mugwort.

 

To complete this project, FLT hopes to acquire a Connecticut Land Conservation Council Climate Smart grant to pay for a private consultant and landscaper to replace the invasive Reed Canary Grass in the meadow with warm, native grassland species and to repopulate the streambank with native species that will support greater bank stabilization.

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Students from Miss Porter’s School have begun the fieldwork required to document the location and size of the Mugwort patches, and have covered the largest of these patches with a thick plastic tarp that will remain in place for up to three years. During the fall season, students will count and cut Bittersweet vines. Students will also document the efficacy of the treatment over the next three years. FLT Board Member, Dr. Barbara Nicholson, is overseeing the project.