Scituate High School Students Address Local Water Quality Issues

Impervious surfaces like roads, buildings, and parking lots create a big challenge in keeping our watersheds healthy. As rainwater runs over these surfaces, it picks up pollutants including petroleum products, fertilizers, animal feces, and pesticides, and deposits them into streams and lakes. If these surfaces were not sealed off by pavement, the rainwater would be allowed to percolate through the soil and recharge the ground water beneath while at the same time being naturally filtered to remove some of the contaminants found at the surface. For these reasons, students are focusing on projects that address runoff related problems.

A group of students from Scituate High School's Environmental Science course are making an effort to control a soil erosion problem discovered in their community. In late October, two asphalt swales were installed to divert storm water off of Rockland Road, but the construction disturbed nearby vegetation, leaving two sections of 20'x50' exposed soil. Grass seed was spread on the areas but the grass did not take root due to the lateness in the season.

The asphalt swales diverted the storm water collected into a small tributary that leads to the Scituate Reservoir. Due to the exposed soil at the sight of the asphalt swales, soil erosion is likely to occur and enter into the tributary. This is a concerned because water entering the tributaries can have a major influence on the overall water quality.

The students have recognized this problem and are currently working to prevent the soil erosion and also prevent the spread of invasive plant species in the area. By securing biodegradable jute paper on the area, the group will be able to cease the erosion occurring and prevent invasive species from taking root. In the spring, the students plan to advance from the temporary relief that the jute paper provides and plant native vegetation.

Collaborators on the project include the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, Providence Water, Fuss and O?Neil, and the RI DOT, the organization that originally installed the storm water system and has embraced the project. The students involved will be exercising the knowledge they learned in class by identifying the invasive species at the site and working to help correct the impairments to the natural environment.

What is being picked up by rainwater that runs over your property? Help protect the quality of our watershed. Give careful consideration to what you put on your lawn. Clean up after your pets. Check your automobile for leaks. Help us preserve the native biodiversity by identifying and removing invasive species on your property.

Bryant University Water Film

This Monday, Bryant University will be showing a film on global water issues. The presentation is free of charge. All that is required is to sign up at www.audubonflow.eventbrite.com. Doing so will reserve you at seat.

Lawton Farm Walk

Just a reminder that the annual Scituate Con Com Lawton Farm walk is on Sat, Nov 1 at 9am... Kate Giorgi, Paul Dolan and Chris Modisette will be with us... Hope to see you...

New Species!

This is a picture that we took on the first visit to the Providence water site with Mike and Chris. We didn't know what it was at the time but took the picture because it was pretty wide spread at this spot and looked interesting. It turned out to be Garlic Mustard, a very important invasive. If people see it, they should remove it right away because it spready rapidly be vegetative reporduction.

Purple loostrife and Japanese knotweed

Purple Loosetrife (Lythrum salicaria)

http://www.ipaw.org/invaders/loosestrife/PurpleLoosestrifeFlower_lg.jpg

-square woody stem, opposite leaves(lance shaped, stalkless, heart shaped or rounded at base)
grows from 4-10' high, magenta colored flower spikes through summer- have 5-7 petals
-outcompetes native grasses and flowering plants that provide nutrition for wildlife
-reduces habitat for endangered orchids and waterfowl
-found in all states except Florida
-invades wet meadows, marshes, river and stream banks, ponds, reservoirs, and ditches



Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)

http://www.co.stevens.wa.us/weedboard/other%20weeds/jk1.jpg

-shrublike, can grow to 10' tall, stems are short, smooth, and swollen at leaf joints
leaves normally 6'' long and 3-4'' wide and are broad oval to triangular in shape-pointed at tip. flowers are tiny & greenish white in color and appear in summer. Flowers are followed by small winged fruits; seed 1/10'' long, triangular, and shiny
-designated as a noxious weed in the state of Washington
-spreads quickly, forms dense thickets, and greatly alters natural ecosystems
-can survive severe floods-extremely persistent
-can also endure full shade, high temperatures, and drought
-found in 36 states, not including Hawaii
-also known as crimson beauty, Mexican bamboo, Japanese fleece flower, and reynoutria

Autumn Olive

Autumn Olive

http://leslieland.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/autumn-olive-closeup.jpg
Autumn olive is a medium to large shrub that will often reach a height of twenty feet. The leaves are born alternately on the stems and they are, for the most part, in an oval shape form that are usually 1-3 inches long. The top of the leaves are green and the bottom side of the leaves are silver. Autumn olive is native to Japan and Korea within this, woodland areas. They can be found in high, disturbed areas such as road sides etc.

Mutiflora Rose

Multiflora Rose.


http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/photos/multiflora_rose1.jpg
Multiflora rose is a thorny, perennial shrub with arched stems and with leaves that are divided into five to eleven sharply toothed leaflets. This shrub is native to Japan, Korea and eastern China. In our area, it has become invasive. This plant flowers in May or June and the flowers are white with red berries that develop in the summer. It grows in open woodland or fields that have been disturbed by humans and likes to overcrowded native plants.