Mitchell Beach Botanical Garden
National Estuary Program Community-based Restoration Partnership
Proposal
I.
Applicant Information
1. Organization - Mitchell College
2. Address of Organization - 437 Pequot Ave New London, CT 06320
3. Organization Web Page Address - www.mitchell.edu
II.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Project Contact
Project Manager and Title - Dr. Kristen M. Lester, Assistant Professor
Address of Contact (if different from above) - As above
Phone number - (860) 701-5012
Fax number - (860) 701-5090
Email address - Lester_k@mitchell.edu
Contact web page address - n/a
Congressional District - Connecticut 2nd Congressional District
III.
Project Information
1.
Project name - Mitchell Beach Botanical Garden
2.
Project start date - March 1st, 2009
3.
Project end date - December 31st, 2009
4.
Project location - New London, New London County, CT
5.
Land Ownership (public/private) - Private
6.
Type(s) of habitat - Coastal Habitat
7.
NOAA Trust Resource(s) to benefit from restoration - Coastal Beach Habitat
8.
Partners involved
o Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
o Natural Resources Conservation Service
o Connecticut Sea Grant
o United States Coast Guard Academy
o Science & Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut
o Dension Pequotsepos Nature Center
9.
IV.
Federal, state or local permits required - None required
Project Abstract
1. Project objectives: The Mitchell Beach Botanical Garden is part of the overall
Mitchell Beach Restoration Project. The objectives of the botanical garden are to:
1) educate visitors about native coastal plants and their importance to coastal
ecosystems, allowing visitors to gain a sense of the final outcome of the Mitchell
Beach Restoration Project even as the project is underway and 2) serve as a
continuing educational tool upon completion of the overall restoration project by
educating visitors about the herbaceous plants present elsewhere on the dune
that are inaccessible due to dune fencing and signs discouraging cross dune foot
traffic.
2. Description of project: The Mitchell Beach Botanical Garden will be an
important part of the Mitchell Beach Restoration Project, a project that seeks to
restore native habitat along the Thames River in New London, CT. The Mitchell
Beach Botanical Garden will educate visitors about native coastal plants in
Connecticut. The section to be planted is approximately 80 feet square, and
traverses the dune (Figure 1). The garden will therefore be highly visible from
the parking lot, the beach, and from the main access path to the beach.
Currently, the area is a dense thicket of Japanese Knotweed, a common invasive
plant in Connecticut. Our goal is the remove the invasive plants from that area
and reestablish native plants that were present in the early part of the century.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Herbaceous specimens we intend to showcase include: American Beachgrass
(Ammophila breviligulata) , Beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus), Sandwort
(Honckenya peploides), Dusty Miller (Artemisia stelleriana), Switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum), Beach plum (Prunus maritime), Bayberry (Morella
pensylvanica), Virginia rose (Rosa virginiana), Blazing star (Liatris scariosa) and
Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens). Two of these species (Blazing Star
and Sandwort) are species of special concern in Connecticut. The plan includes
an ADA compliant wooden walkway, visual/braille plant identification signs, and a
larger sign at the entrance that will show the location of plants within the garden
(Figure 3). Take-along flyers describing the area will also be available at the map
center.
Larger regional local effort: The Mitchell Beach Restoration Project (MBRP) is
an important habitat restoration project on the Thames River in New London.
The 600 foot long, 1.5 acre parcel is the last remaining beach of significant size
on that water body. The MBRP aims to 1) restore Mitchell Beach through erosion
control, invasive plant removal, and native plant replanting, and 2) educate the
public about native Long Island Sound habitats. The Mitchell Beach Botanical
Garden is an important component of the overall project being undertaken at
Mitchell Beach.
On-the-ground activities: These activities include:
o Removal of invasive Japanese Knotweed using hand tools
o Tilling of soil to remove Japanese knotweed rhizomes and root systems
o Grading of site
o Planting of native plants
o Laying out of wooden walkway
o Installation of benches
o Installation of signs.
Describe project partners and their contribution:
o Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Natural
Resources Conservation Service and Connecticut Sea Grant have
already provided us with significant expertise. We will continue to
rely on their experience for guidance throughout the duration of
this project.
o United States Coast Guard Academy will provide significant
manpower as part of their Officer Candidate Community Service
component.
o Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern
Connecticut – manpower through volunteer service.
Community involvement: A lesson plan on native plants in Connecticut will be
developed as part of this effort, and will be distributed to local school districts.
We anticipate that the botanical garden will be used as a resource by multiple
educational institutions. Volunteer involvement will include members of the New
London community from various educational institutions.
V.
Budget
a. A total of $21,510 is being requested from the National Estuary Program
Community-based Restoration Partnership. These funds will be used for hand
tools such as clippers and shovels, native plants, a modular based, ADA
compliant, sustainably harvested Teak/Ipe wooden walkway, plant identification
signs that will contain visual and Braille text, a larger map sign approximately 4
x 5 feet in size for the entrance to the garden, and printing of curriculum
materials for local schools. Matching contributions of $23,672 include in kind
labor from Coast Guard Cadets and Officer Candidates, volunteer hours of
Mitchell College students, Project Leader hours, memorial benches, and the
development and printing of take-away flyers/maps. Total of requested
NEP/CRP funds and matching funds has been attached as an appendix.
Appendix 1
Mitchell Beach Botanical Garden
National Estuary Program Community-based Restoration Partnership Proposal
Amount Requested from the National Estuary Program Community-based Restoration Partnership
Native plants
Hand tools
Educational Signage/plant labels
Wooden Rollout Walkway
Curriculum Development and Printing
Cell Phone Tour
5250.00
500.00
3000.00
9360.00
1000.00
2400.00
$21,510.00
Amount of Matching to be provided by Mitchell College
Community Volunteers 60 @ 4 hrs. @$20 per hour
Mitchell College students 30 @ 16 hrs. @ $20 per hour
Project Leader 60 hours @ $69.54/hour
Granite Benches (2) Memorial Gifts
Native Plants (Earth Day Auction)
Design and printing of take-away flyers/maps of garden
4800.00
9600.00
4172.40
1600.00
3000.00
500.00
$23,672.40
Total cost of project, including in-kind donations:
$45,182.40