Projects and Research

1) Tern Monitoring Project - participate in a range-wide research project focused on the endangered roseate tern that encourages the collection of productivity, provisioning, and tern movement data.

2) Salt Marsh Integrity Study - a region-wide program to asses the health of our salt marshes

3) Shorebird Monitoring - annual surveys of nesting shorebirds on the refuge - species include piping plover, American oystercatcher, and least tern

4) Invasive Plant Mapping - we are currently mapping all of our Units for priority invasive plant species so we have a better idea of the density, location, and management options for these populations

5) Long-term Bee Monitoring - in partnership with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, we are sampling the bees at the Salt Meadow Unit to contribute to baseline data on these populations for the state

6) Stratford-Great Meadows Restoration – in partnership with NOAA, CTDEEP, Audubon Connecticut and several others – this project has restored over 40 acres of salt marsh habitat so that at-risk species like salt marsh sparrows can survive and nuisance species like mosquitoes are reduced

7) Kirtland Landing Improvement Project – in partnership with the Town of Westbrook, USDOT, CTDOT and others – this project provided major improvements so visitors can more easily access the Menunketesuck River and the water portion of the refuge’s Salt Meadow Unit for non-motorized watercraft and small boats