The project will implement post-construction adaptive management techniques at the great meadows marsh unit of the S.B. Mckinney national wildlife refuge

The National Audubon Society Inc. will receive $390,000 through a Cooperative Agreement award from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5 to implement post-construction adaptive management techniques at the Great Meadows Marsh Unit of the S.B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge from April 29, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

Funded activities under the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Activities program (CFDA 15.677) include invasive species control through herbicide application, planting and seeding of native marsh and coastal plant species, upgrading trails and viewing platforms with gravel and ADA accessible ramps, employing urban youth as salt marsh stewards, and monitoring restoration results. The project aims to increase coastal resiliency and vulnerable species habitat in Bridgeport and Stratford, Connecticut while engaging surrounding environmental justice communities through education and recreation opportunities.

Specific techniques will include invasive species control through the use of herbicides, planting and seeding of native marsh and coastal plant species, application of gravel to trails and building ADA accessible ramps for the viewing platforms, employing urban youth to act as salt marsh stewards, and monitoring the results of the restoration. The immediate population centers that the project will serve are the cities of bridgeport and stratford, connecticut. The larger community includes members of the population who enjoy passive recreational activates in southwestern coastal connecticut. The impacts will be positive and include an increase in coastal resiliency, improvement in habitat for vulnerable coastal species, engagement with the public from nearby urban environmental justice communities, increased access for disabled citizens, and increased knowledge that can be applied to future coastal restoration projects.