Progress and Protection in the Chesapeake Bay

At Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge in Smith Island, Maryland, construction of a 21,000 foot living shoreline consisting of protective sand and rock structures has been underway for three months in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. This $9 million project, funded by the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, will help protect nearly 9,000 feet of shoreline and nearby communities from the effects of intense storms and sea-level rise, reduce erosion, provide habitat for aquatic species and help protect 1,200 acres of interior tidal high marsh against future storms. The barriers will also enhance the natural defenses of saltwater habitats important to the island’s soft crab fishery, a resource which the local residents of Smith Island depend on for their livelihoods.

Matt Whitbeck, supervisory wildlife biologist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, explains the living shoreline under construction at Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Margie Brenner/USFWS

On a recent tour of the project site and surrounding islands during a clear day in August, several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff hopped on a 30 minute boat ride from Crisfield, Maryland to survey the construction progress. Upon arrival, there were several barges in view, anchored immediately offshore holding sand and rock material. Smaller barges with tugs brought materials closer to shore, while a shallow draft barge held excavators that continued building the massive rock structures. Where the water was too shallow for barge access, articulated dump trucks moved rock and sand along the shoreline that were placed by excavators. Later that afternoon, the group spoke with local Smith Islanders who shared personal stories and expressed appreciation for the living shoreline project benefits that support their way of life as fishermen and crabbers.

“The project is coming along quickly. There are about 12-15 workers on site each day and two biotechs living on Smith Island to monitor work. We are 75% completed with placement of the rock and sand. This part of the project should be done by November 2015. We expect to plant wetland vegetation next Spring.” – Matt Whitbeck, supervisory wildlife biologist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Fog Point in Smith Island, Maryland, where 21,000 feet of living shoreline planned for the site will protect near by communities and coastline. Credit: Keith Shannon/USFWS

Marshes are home a wide variety of species at Smith Island. The living shorline project will ensure marshland habitat protection. Credit: John Sauer/USFWS

High tide at Fog Point, Smith Island, Maryland. Credit: John Sauer/USFWS

Smith Island coastline, Pre-breakwater construction. Credit: John Sauer/USFWS

Fog Point living shoreline – rock breakwater excavators on a barge. Credit: Lia McLaughlin/USFWS

Fog Point living shoreline – land-based construction moving sand and rock. Credit: Lia McLaughlin/USFWS

Staff surveying elevations during living shorline construction. Credit: Matt Whitbeck/USFWS

Fog Point sand placement on the Smith Island shoreline. Credit: Margie Brenner/USFWS

Learn more

Read more about the Fog Point living shoreline project

News Release 

Blog Post on Sandy-funded living shorelines 

More Photos (opens flickr website)

Students Meet Birds: Curiosity Takes Flight

Dr. Randy Dettmers, wildlife biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has been working on conservation of neotropical migrant bird populations for 20 years. Several times a year, Dettmers and Dr. Mitch Hartley, wildlife biologist, teach youth and adults about wildlife techniques to conserve bird populations. Last month, they led nine girls on an hour-long workshop teaching avian wildlife conservation skills including “mist-netting” birds to capture and band them, in support of research and monitoring efforts.  

Dr. Randy Dettmers, wildlife biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, places a black-capped chickadee ready for release into the gentle hands of a curious high school student from Flying Cloud Institute’s Young Women in Science program. Credit: Margie Brenner/USFWS

The ninth through eleventh graders were attending a week-long science camp themed “Young Women in Science” through Flying Cloud Institute. The students came from schools in Massachusetts and New York including: Great Barrington (Monument Mountain Regional High School), Sheffield (Mount Everett Regional High School), Lee (Lee Middle and High School), Pittsfield (Miss Hall’s, a private school)and one from Hawthorne Valley, a private Waldorf school in Hillsdale, New York. Here are Dettmers’ field notes from the training experience:

Dr. Mitch Hartley, wildlife biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (pictured far right), teaches young high school students about bird conservation techniques at Conte Refuge this past summer. Credit: Margie Brenner/USFWS

On a sunny summer day at Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge along the Fort River in Hadley, Massachusetts, myself and fellow wildlife biologist Mitch Hartley led nine girls from the Flying Cloud Institute under instructor Susan Cooper into the 260 acres of grasslands and forest of a former dairy farm. Our goal was to introduce these curious students to the skills of safely capturing birds to record data that will be used later to understand bird movements, survival rates, and life histories. Fortunately, we were able to lure and capture two birds in the nets by playing a series of bird calls by portable speaker nearby — which attracted a mature female yellow warbler and black-capped chickadee, common species native to the area. We then showed the girls how to measure and record necessary data on each bird, attaching bands to their legs, and allowed the students to release them back into their natural habitat.  

Dr. Randy Dettmers demonstrates bird monitoring techniques to high school girls at Conte Refuge. Credit: Margie Brenner/USFWS

Within the Service, the Migratory Bird Program works to track the status of migratory birds, identify species in need of conservation attention, and coordinate actions to protect and restore those species.  Banding and other monitoring techniques are important tools for understanding the population trends and status of migratory birds.  It is always valuable to share this part of our work with young biologists so that they can see, first-hand, what this work entails and have opportunities for direct interaction with some of the wildlife we strive to conserve for the benefit of the American people.  Making those connections is an important part of what we do, and we are always looking for opportunities to provide demonstrations or talk about what we do, whether it be talking to early elementary school groups about how birds build nests and why robins eat worms, to banding demonstrations such as with this high school group, or teaching bird monitoring techniques as part of college courses.  Reaching out to these different groups of young people to share the work we do and why we do it helps the next generation to understand that there are science-based career options in wildlife biology and conservation.

It’s exciting to share the field of wildlife biology with young minds, especially curious high school girls, showing them the tools we as biologists use for bird conservation such as mist netting, banding, taking measurements, and monitoring.  It’s rewarding to see the interest and enthusiasm they show when we take them into the field, handle equipment like mist nests, and give them an opportunity to hold a live bird.  It is a great experience for all of us.  – Randy Dettmers, wildlife biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Pulling the Pernicious Pepperweed Plant

Last month, 4th through 6th graders from the River Valley Charter School helped pull invasive pepperweed plants from the salt marsh at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Credit: Frances Rodriguez/USFWS

The pernicious perennial pepperweed plant is a fun tongue twister (repeat it 10 times), yet this coastal invader is no laughing matter. Native to Europe and Asia, it is classified as a noxious, invasive weed in 15 states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, and outcompetes native salt marsh grasses, which help to filter stormwater pollutants, buffer against storm damage, provide habitat to fish and wildlife and support recreational and commercial activities for local towns.

Since 2006, The Great Marsh Perennial Pepperweed Eradication Project has worked with numerous volunteers who have pulled thousands of pounds of pepperweed, or Lepidium latifolium, from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas. With the help of many local partners such as Mass Audubon and local schools, more than 70 sites have been restored and counting.

Two students from the River Valley Charter School fill a garbage bag with invasive pepperweed plants, allowing native salt marsh grasses a chance to regenerate and create a more resilient salt marsh at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Frances Rodriguez/USFWS

Nancy Pau, wildlife biologist at the refuge, says supplemental recovery funds from Hurricane Sandy cover treatment of almost 100 percent of the pepperweed, where past funds only covered between 60 to 70 percent of the treatment needed.

For the past two years, the River Valley Charter School has helped Parker River National Wildlife Refuge staff battle dense stands of this aggressive mustard family plant, pulling pepperweed from 4.7 acres along the Plum Island Turnpike and along Plum Bush Down, a small residential area along the Great Marsh in Newburyport.

Lauren Healey (pictured above) and several other team members from Gulf of Maine Institute and Newburyport High School removed 14 bags full of invasive pepperweed from the Great Marsh last month. Credit: Lauren Healey/Gulf of Maine Institute

Last month, nearly two dozen 4th, 5th and 6th graders from the school held a repeat performance from the year before, pulling 15 large garbage bags full of plants from six areas where pepperweed control is badly needed.

“While the kids are having a good time and learning how to identify and properly pull the weeds, they are also turning the Great Marsh into a more resilient natural barrier that will help sustain wildlife and their own communities from future storms.” – Frances Toledo Rodriguez, Invasive Species Coordinator at Parker River Refuge

And that’s a perfectly good reason to publicize the peeps pulling pepperweed.

Related blog post: Restoring the Great Marsh

More about the Sandy-funded Great Marsh restoration project

More about the Great Marsh Pepperweed Eradication project