Student Conservation Association

Upper Connecticut River Basin

SCA Interns from 2006 processing bats at Quechee Gorge (above). SCA Intern removes a bat from the net (below).

Bat Surveys

Bat netting is performed at US Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Interns gain experience handling the bats, collecting data, and putting on bands. The data gathered is used by US Army Corps projects in their management plans and is used by the states of Vermont and New Hampshire in their bat database.

SCA Intern performing a transect survey for birds
on a foggy morning.

Bird Surveys

Bird surveys are performed by SCA Interns on all seven Upper Connecticut River basin projects. Surveys performed include: point counts, transects, waterfowl broods counts, and nighttime bird surveys. The information obtained from bird surveys is used in the management plans of the projects and helps to identify good areas for the public to go for birdwatching.

Booth set up at 2006 Big Spalsh River Festival
about invasive plants occuring in Vermont and New Hampshire (above). Tree planting with 5th and 6th graders at
North Springfield Lake (below).

Interpretation/Public Outreach

SCA Interns have the opportunity to attend and participate in public outreach and interpretive programs aimed at expanding knowledge of natural resource management. Previous events that interns have participated in include: attending invasive plant workshops, creating an informative display for the New Hampshire Big Splash River Festival, assisting with school programs for grades K-8, and helping students plant trees to reclaim a field.

Pulling Eurasian watermilfoil in Dewey's Pond, Quechee, Vermont.

Invasive Plant Removal

SCA Interns work hard to monitor and remove a variety of invasive plants that are creeping onto US Army Corps of Engineers land. Eurasian watermilfoil is controlled through snorkeling to hand pull the weed. Water chestnut is monitored and controlled with the use of canoes and hand pulling. Purple Loosestrife is controlled through lopping of the flowering heads. Autumn Olive, Honeysuckle, and Buckthorn are cut with the use of hand saws and loppers. An SCA high school crew is hired for 3 - 4 weeks of the summer to perform a large majority of the invasive plant removal work.

SCA Intern checking small mammal traps (above). A small mammal trap set and ready (below).

Small Mammal Surveys

Small Mammal surveys are performed by SCA Interns every summer to determine species types and abundances on all seven Upper Connecticut River basin projects. Traps are set in wooded areas and fields to compare differences in habitat types and observe how mowing and flooding may affect population abundance. The data collected from these studies is used in the management plans of each project.

GIS

Interns work with ArcGIS to create maps and layers for use by all seven Upper Connecticut River Basin projects.

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