A student team from The Conway School conducted a broad-scale ecological assessment of the Fort River Watershed in spring of 2020. Using geospatial data, feedback collected during community meetings, and one-one one interviews they:

  • determined whether there are areas of vulnerability within the watershed and map them;
  • investigated the impact of land use on water quality;
  • identified current conservation efforts and where they overlap; and
  • identified areas for future conservation that could improve water quality of the Fort River, increase ecological connectivity, support wildlife habitat, and provide recreational access to the community.

A copy of their final report can be accessed here.

We are so grateful to the student team that prepared this report! Their hard work and expertise have equipped us to address real, data-driven challenges and opportunities in the watershed and we look forward to carrying this report forward in to work on the ground in support of our mission.

The Conway School is a small, ten-month graduate program in ecological landscape design and planning. The school’s mission is to explore, develop, practice, and teach design of the land that is ecologically and socially sustainable. Students work on real projects over the course of the program, gaining practical experience and serving residential clients, municipal agencies, non-profit organizations, and communities primarily in the northeast. Incoming students typically have a range of educational, professional, and other life experiences. Upon graduating, they enter a variety of fields, such as landscape design and landscape architecture, city and regional planning, conservation, ecological restoration, environmental consulting, and more. For more information, visit csld.edu, give us a call (413-369-4044), or send us an email (info@csld.edu).