Pioneering StewardShiP Plan

Pioneer Valley Regional School

Northfield, MA

endorSed by

Adopted by the School CommitteeDecember 19, 2013

John C. LeporeRestoration Ecologist & Designer

When John completed his rigorous graduate program, he approached me with a proposal – that we develop a land management plan for Pioneer based on the principles of stewardship, sustainability and resilience with the goal of supporting Pioneer’s educational mission. Coincidentally, the school was in the process of reviewing and revising its mission statement into a statement of core values and learning expectations. In it stewardship and sustainability continued to be central. In fact, one of our learning expectations reads: “Build environmental stewardship as a means to a sustainable future.” It seemed like a natural fit that we would put these words into action.

William Wehrli, Principal, Pioneer Valley Regional School

To see what the easy talk of ecological, resilient design looks like detailed on the ground, get a copy of John Lepore’s Pioneering Stewardship Plan for the Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield, Mass. Lepore combines his intimate understanding of the site and of the school’s mission and mechanics (he was a science teacher there for 28 years) with his advanced degree in sustainable design, his unyielding work ethic, and his passion for place to create a document that has already gained widespread endorsements and assuredly with little delay will inspire actions toward its implementation. Its remarkable thoroughness from inventory through assessment to recommendations make it a worthy prototype for humane ecological design anywhere.

Peter Monro, ASLA, principal of Monro Associates Landscape Architects

Summary edition

An early 1700’s foundation on the south end of PVRS property reminds us of the landscape’s long, rich agricultural past.

DEDICATIONTo Pioneer Valley Regional School students of the past, present and future. May you continue to learn Nature’s Ways.

Pioneering StewardShiP Plan

Pioneer Valley Regional SchoolNorthfield, MA

John C. lePorereStoration eCologiSt & deSign ProfeSSional

© 2013 John C Lepore, All Rights ReservedISBN

Open Air Education & Recreation

Susta

inable Land Use Practices

Pioneer Stewardship Plan

GOALS & ACTIONS

Foster Thriving

Biodiversity

Localize Food Security

Incorporate Engaging

Destinations

Raise Runoff Water Quality

Ra

i s e R u n o f f W a t e R Q u a l i ty

Green Roof Water CatchmentNative Plant

Rain Gardens

i n

c o R p o R a t e e n g a g i n g D e s t i n a t i o

ns

sc

ot

t H

oW

aR

D D

es

ign

s

Outdoor Classrooms

Observation Areas

Hig

H 5

aD

ve

nt

uR

es

Confidence & Leadership

Well Designed Trails

Address Climate Change

l o c a l i z e f o o D s e c u R i t y

Student Gardens

Permaculture

fos t e R t H R i v i n g B i o D i v e R s i t y

Re-establish Healthy Habitats

2 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Goals, Actions, & Design Inspirations 3

goalS, aCtionS, & deSign inSPirationS

4 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Executive Summary 5

exeCutive Summary

The major goal of the Pioneering Stewardship Plan (PSP) is to provide opportunities for students to become immersed in environmental stewardship while employing ecologically sustainable

management of the school’s highly diverse landscape. The PSP must complement existing programs and offerings; outside funding and a sustainability coordinator would ensure successful implementation. To address community interests and to gather valuable input, several stakeholder meetings were held with students, teachers, and community members in order to achieve the following:

k Establish objectives and specific actions; and

k Identify key ecological concerns and identify potential open-air destinations and features.

To better understand site conditions, a number of professionals and state agencies acted as resources, state-of-the-art scientific references provided up-to-date information, and extensive site analyses provided the key information listed below:

k Pioneer Valley Regional School has the largest public school land holding in Massachusetts;

k PVRS borders highly-valued BioMap2 Core Habitats and Critical Natural Landscapes;

k Ecosystem services perform functions at little expense but are threatened by a lack sustainable management;

k Clean drinking water is dependent on land use activities since the soil quickly drains surface water vertically into a regional aquifer;

k Highly permeable soils allow the accumulation of organic debris in certain forests while fire suppression increases the risk of uncontrollable conditions;

k Excessive runoff from impervious surfaces drains directly into important habitats;

k Exotic invasive plants have taken advantage of the site’s landscape and threaten biodiversity as well as the future of ecosystem services;

k The school contains several “priority habitats” in need of protection and management to improve resilience during climate change;

k Much of the land is unprotected from sale and subdivision;

k Refuge and a “sense of place” in Nature have become less and less available in the recent past;

k Land donated on the west side of property lacks clear boundaries for neighbors who continue to use it;

k Access and circulation around the school is safe and efficient; several trails cut across contour lines and into ecologically sensitive areas, causing damaging erosion;

k Nine engaging destinations and features fit within the framework of sustainability and ecologic functionality;

k Sustainable land use practices would recapture ecological health and become an educational model; and

k Three designs offer a number of options in addressing the plans goals and actions.

The PSP details the rationale behind these important efforts throughout the core of the plan while the Appendix provides valuable management strategies. Meeting the program goals will involve commitment and involvement by concerned and informed citizens. By being prudent now, we can preserve the beauty and viability of our local environment and a stewardship-centered educational setting.

John Lepore

FUTURE LANDS - Ecological by Designask@future-lands.com

413.512.0644

forward

When I became principal of Pioneer Valley Regional School in 2007, John Lepore and I began a conversation about what sustainability means in a public secondary school. It is a word

that has been part of the Pioneer mission for many years, but it has had varying degrees of impact on our actions.

While we enjoyed our discussions, John is also a man of action. During my first year, John helped found a composting and recycling effort that has reduced our waste stream by 85%. He used this waste as a project in his classrooms by examining what we were sending to landfill. He also used the natural habitat around the school as his classroom by taking his students into the wetlands to conduct primary watershed research.

John and I share some fundamental beliefs about learning and education. We agree that the most meaningful learning is constructed by the learner, rather than imparted by the “sage on the stage.” We also share a deep concern about the future of our environment and of our youth. Three years ago John retired from teaching and moved on to pursue a degree in ecological landscape design. During that time, we continued to talk about the central issues of sustainability, resilience, stewardship and the challenges of changing our relationship to the world around us.

When he completed his rigorous graduate program, John approached me with a proposal – that we develop a land management plan for Pioneer based on the principles of stewardship, sustainability and resilience with the goal of supporting Pioneer’s educational mission. Coincidentally, the school was in the process of reviewing and revising its mission statement into a statement of core values and learning expectations. In it stewardship and sustainability

continued to be central. In fact, one of our learning expectations reads: “Build environmental stewardship as a means to a sustainable future.” It seemed like a natural fit that we would put these words into action. Over the last two years John has shepherded this idea through a rigorous process. He has read and researched deeply into the core concepts of this document: sustainability, resilience and stewardship. He has researched the history of the land and environment around the school site. He has engaged the stakeholders including students, families, staff, the school committee, the community, as well as numerous public and private agencies in the area that have an interest in this effort. His is a plan designed to meet the needs of the entire community, while at the same time rousing/spurring us to action to change our practices and habits so that we can preserve opportunities for future generations of Pioneer students.

Through John’s expertise and hard work, we now have a blueprint for the future to preserve and maintain the land and facilities at Pioneer while enhancing student (and adult) learning. Whether one believes we are on the precipice of a new environmental age or just continuing down the same road we humans have traveled for millennia, it is time for us to rethink and reorganize our human/environmental interconnectedness. We need a language and a framework for living in a world of expanding need and limited resources. The core concepts of sustainability, resilience and stewardship can guide us in the right direction and give us hope for the future. This document is a practical application of this hope. It gives us concrete and meaningful steps we can take to move towards a more sustainable future.

It is without reservation that I endorse the Pioneering Stewardship Plan.

William Wehrli, Principal March 4, 2012

6 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Context 7

goalS

A community-centered process was used to generate meaningful and action-oriented goals for the Pioneering Stewardship Plan. (Please see the PSP Full Edition

for comprehensive details.) Two open community meetings, an assembly with juniors and seniors followed by a mentor activity plus a faculty meeting provided two focused goals:

k Identify open-air educational and recreational opportunities; and

k Develop sustainable land use practices.

To address these two goals, the Pioneering Stewardship Plan (PSP) recommends the following:

k Involve students in Pioneer’s landscape management to instill environmental stewardship through a wide variety of activities including local food production education, engaging open space destinations, ongoing habitat assessment to identify the school’s biodiversity and a community service component including managing the landscape over a period of time; k Create ways to mitigate excessive water runoff via rain gardens near drains, reduction in mowing in prescribed areas, rain ‘catchment’ from rooftops and redirecting trails more appropriately; and k Increase natural biodiversity through a realistic plan that assesses exotic invasive plant management priorities, protection of priority habitats, and a forest management plan that considers the variety of needs for each habitat.

Specific actions identified in meeting these goals include the following:

k Incorporating educational destinations;

k Raising water runoff quality;

k Fostering a thriving biodiversity; and

k Localizing food security education.

coRe values

The PSP supports three PVRS Core Values (PVRS website, 2012):

civic expectation

k “Build environmental stewardship as a means to a sustainable future identified by PVRS.”

lifelong leaRning & caReeR expectations

k “Obtain and interpret available health information and services to make health and safety decisions;” and

k “Evaluate changing roles, job responsibilities and priorities in complex 21st century life and work environments.”

The PSP emphasizes the development of l i felong understanding for environmental stewardship through direct experiences with on-site management, interdisciplinary learning activit ies and recreational experiences. Such opportunities lend themselves to healthier l i festyles and informed decision-making related to the environment and the quality of students’ future l ives. By having direct contact with their surroundings, students develop values for their natural community.

As a result of numerous meeting involving the community, teachers, and student meetings, two major goals emerged.

NORTHFIELD

GILL

BERNARDSTON

LegendConnecticut River

PVRS

Core Habitat

Critical Natural Landscape

Major Roads

Railroad ¯0 1 20.5Miles

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oad

Bennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

Northfield is located in a very rural area of Massachusetts, where open space continues to be a high priority. (CT River Watershed Source: USGS)

Pioneer Valley Regional School (PVRS) is surrounded by BioMap2 Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape, open space, and wetlands making it home for many plants and animals critical to the resiliency under the uncertain effects of climate change.

PVRS is about 65% forested and has a 200 foot elevation change between the high and low points.

Northfield CT River Watershed CT River

N

Context

Pioneer Valley Regional School, located in Northfield, Massachusetts, is the largest public school land holder in the state, rests in the heart of the Connecticut River Watershed and is largely surrounded by exemplary natural community as recognized in the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and the Nature Conservancy’s BioMap2.

access & ciRculation

lanD use

vegetation &coveR

topogRapHy &DRainage

suRficialgeology

soils

WateR ResouRces

site analysis oveRvieW 9 8 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design

Site analySiS overview

Water resources, soils, surficial geology, topography/drainage, vegetation/cover, land use and access circulation were analyzed then developed into the two Site Analysis Summaries: Sustainable Land Use and Engaging Destinations and Functions that follow. (Please refer to the PSP Full Edition for details.)

“If I had Influence wIth the good faIry who Is supposed to presIde over the chrIstenIng of all chIldren I should ask that her gIft to each chIld In the world be a sense of wonder so IndestructIble that It would last throughout lIfe, as an unfaIlIng antIdote agaInst the boredom and dIsenchantments of later years, the sterIle preoccupatIon wIth thIngs artIfIcIal, the alIenatIon from the sources of our strength.”

― Rachel caRson, The sense of WondeR

PVRS has some of the most bio-diverse habitat areas in Massachusetts (Lattrell, 2012). Unfortunately many of these areas face a variety of threats including bank erosion near wetlands, increasing dominance by exotic, invasive species, and rapid, heated rain runoff. The absence of habitat management will eventually lead to reduction in biodiversity and decreasing resilience as climate change brings new and unpredictable challenges. The summary table below identifies specific concerns and solutions.

conceRns solutions

The Potential Vernal Pool is most likely the home of Natural Heritage Species.

Certification would secure permanent protection and increase the value of a conservation restriction (French, NHESP, 2012; Rasku, 2012).

Four Unsustainable Trails cut too close to spring seeps cause bank erosion and threaten priority habitat. These trails also enable illegal and damaging use by ATV’s.

Re-route up and over the bank to reduces erosion;old trails should be remediated after consulting with the Northfield Conservation Commission(Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

Runoff from Impervious Surfaces flows into Critical Natural Landscape and eventually into Core Habitat (Savetherain.com, 2013).

Rain gardens coupled with different mowing practices would significantly reduce this problem (Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

Thin Till Bedrock on the high point allows accumulation of dry plant material, making it prone to forest fire and creating a safety threat to students and the community.

Routine prescribed burns would reduce fuel loads and improve the oak stand with a healthier forest edge and floor (Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

The decrease in forest-field transition meadows from Heavy Invasive Plants diminishes important habitat and biodiversity as well as opportunities for aquifer recharge (Sauer 1998).

Prioritize forest-field transition meadows and Priority Habitat Areas for invasive plant management. See “Appendix: Invasive Plant Locations and Replacements.” in the Full Edition

The East Pasture Pine Forest offer safe, accessible, and inviting recreational and educational opportunities; the West Pasture Pine Forest has reached maturity.

The East Pasture Pine Forest would be an ideal location for a ropes course. Harvesting West Pasture Pine Forest would supply materials for outdoor classrooms and release an understory of oaks (Johnson, DCR, 2012; Paulson, 2012).

The Red Pine Planting Forest is old and being overtaken by exotic invasive plants.

The area should be cleared for an outdoor classroom constructed with harvested trees from this site (Johnson, DCR, 2012).

Only one Meadow remains and is a valuable nesting and feeding habitat for many native species.

Meadows should be reinstated in several locations because they offer valuable ecological resilience during climate change and slow water movement during violent storms, while improving infiltration (Walker, 2012).

The Flat Early Woodland extends over three acres away from priority habitat areas and has good southern exposure.

This hidden area would provide needed space for photovoltaics to power the school.

B

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oad

Bennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

ThreaTening CondiTions

Impervious Surface Runoff

Most Threatening Invasive Plants

Unsustainable Trail

Red Pine Planting Forest

oTher areas

Pasture Pine Forest

Early Woodland

PrioriTy habiTaT areas

Spring Seeps

Potential Vernal Pool

BioMap2 Critical Landscape

Thin Till Bedrock

Meadow

B

C

A

B

C

A

A

A

10 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Site Analysis Summary I: Sustainable Land Use 11

site analysis summaRy i: Sustainable Land Use

Site analySiS Summary i: Sustainable Land Use

Engaging destinations are places for students, teachers and community members to experience authentic educational environment and recreational opportunities. Some can be accessed near the building (rain gardens, for example), while others will need trails that are clearly marked with informational signs. Their use will be defined by their location and natural resources while considering minimal negative impact to each site’s ecology. A few destinations will

require radical changes; the photovoltaic array location, for example, will require forest removal to create an uninterrupted southern exposure.

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oad

Bennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

Outdoor Classrooms Student Gardens

18th Century Farm Foundation Rain Gardens

Field-Forest Transitions Confi dence Ropes Course

“Wild View” Wetland Viewing Photovoltaic Array

Trail Head Kiosks

2

3

3

3

34

5

5

5

6

6

1

1

1

7

6

2

3

4

5

1

7

8

8

9

9

site analysis summaRy ii: Engaging Destinations & Functions

12 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Site Analysis Summary II: Engaging Destinations & Functions 13

Destination/functions location RationaleoutDooR classRoom sites High Point offers shed of Connecticut Valley and school.

Red Pine Planting provides site sourced materials in desperate need of management; School Side provides quick access (Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

Three locations: High Point, Red Pine Planting and School Side.

18tH centuRy founDationVery unique, one-of-a-kind site for cross-disciplinary curricula connects the role of agriculture to our daily lives.Offers a glimpse of our relevant agricultural

heritage.

fielD/foRest tRansition zones Reduces mowing and helps management of invasive plants with native plant competition; re-establishes important habitat for students to investigate and value (Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

Provide water runoff mitigation and important forest-field transition habitat for many birds and other important wildlife.

WetlanD/WilDlife vieWing aRea Creates an engaging destination for interdisciplinary activities and wildlife observation in a very unique location (Lattrelle, 2012).

A raised viewing platform and walkway in a very rich and diverse wetland.

tRail HeaD KiosKs Engage visitors by offering information and direction while providing visual accessibility (Monro, 2012).Three locations; near south entry way, close to

parking lot and off Route 142.

stuDent gaRDens Located near the building for easy access to open courtyard near middle school and senior lobby for high school.

Give students an opportunity to raise food and create links to a healthy lifestyle.

Rain gaRDen aReasSited close to building for easy accessibility for while offering functionality where runoff can be most dramatic.

Reduce runoff and provide valuable pollinator habitat and visitor seating around the school building.

confiDence Ropes couRse Provides a safe, readily-accessible location for students in an area that requires little management and has privacy for multiple stations (Paulson, 2012).

Develops leadership, cooperation and team problem solving in a noncompetitive setting.

pHotovoltaic aRRay Location is large enough to create full electrical support while being out of major viewing areas; highly accessible for management and near power lines for interconnection needs (Hawthorne, DFW, 2012).

Generates enough electricity to fully power the school, save money, and reduce dependency on unsustainable resources.

Site analySiS Summary ii: Engaging Destinations & Functions

14 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design site analysis summaRy ii: engaging Destinations & functions 15

Building environmental stewardship as a means to a sustainable future is an important Core Value.

One preferred and two alternative designs have been developed through a community process, professional consultation, and extensive “best practices” research from the most recent scientific resources.

Each design identifies a more resilient landscape through sustainable land use practices. Open-air education and recreation provide students with places to study and observe Nature.

Design oveRvieW

Preferred Design Alternative Design I Alternative Design II

Resilience steWaRDsHip open-aiR

pRoviDes engaging

Destinations

High Moderate High

Raises Runoff Quality

High Moderate None

localizes fooD

secuRity

High High None

fosteRs tHRiving

BioDiveRsity

High Moderate Moderate

Uses / manages entire site; well balanced

Emphasis close to building for quick access

Destinations for education and recreation away from building

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oadBennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oad

Bennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Sumner

Turner Road

BiologyPond

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oad

Bennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

deSignS: Preferred & Alternatives Overview

a TeacheR Who WanTs To use The PioneeR landscaPes foR exPeRienTial leaRning faces mulTiPle challenges.”

(TeacheR suRvey, 2013)

Feet

0 250 500

N

Low Point

HighPoint

Route

142 Rail R

oadBennett Brook Road

Old Bernardston Road

F. Su

mner Turner Road

BiologyPond

pRefeRReD Design: ResilienceThis design addresses an important Core Value and Student Expectation to build environmental stewardship in a variety of practical ways. It clearly addresses climate change by improving water run off, renewable energy sources, biodiversity and local food security while providing engaging destinations for student use.

pRos

k Trail re-routing away from steep slopes reduces erosion and siltation;

k Trail Kiosks welcome visitors and provide clear direction;

k Outdoor Classrooms with green roofs create structured places for lessons;

k Wetland Wild View encourages ecologically sound access to the wetlands for research and creative activities;

k Prescribed Burn would reduces the risk of unmanaged forest fires;

k Universal Access Trail encourages access to a wider range of visitors;

k Field-Forest Transition Zones reduce mowing, decrease water runoff, increase edge habitat, and further protects the WPZ;

k Regenerative Forestry improves forest health and provides educational tree-to-lumber processing skills;

k Photovoltaic Array reduces the growing utility bill and carbon footprint;

k Native Planting creates natural habitat which encourages local species, creates aesthetic additions from hard building lines and eliminates exotic invasive plants;

k Leadership Ropes Course develops student confidence and cohesion;

k Student Gardens encourage healthier eating, could involve community support, and extend conventional thinking about local food production;

k Living Green Roof provides irrigation for gardens, improves water quality and significantly reduces heating and cooling costs; and

k Rain Gardens reduce rapid drainage, improve aquifer recharge, and provide native plant pollinator vegetation.

cons

k Trails can interfere with some animal migration patterns, hindering the search for food, and reducing genetic diversity by restricting breeding;

k Construction of a Wetland Wild View within wetland resource areas require special permits;

k Field-Forest Transition Zones need pathways mowed to control black-legged ticks;

k Time frame for exotic invasive plant control in Field- Forest Transition Zones is not in sync with the school calendar;

k Clearing for ground mounted Photovoltaic Array would eliminate habitat and could interfere with athletic practice area;

k Community support will be required to maintain summer Student Gardens;

k Addition of Native Planting requires careful planning for snow management; and

k Newly cleared and disturbed areas create opportunities for exotic invasive plant colonization and require routine management.

Two other Alternative Designs are included in the PSP Full Edition.

16 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design Preferred Design: Resilience 17

Trails Universal Access Trail

Leadership Ropes Course

Kiosks Field-Forest Transition Student Gardens

Outdoor Classrooms

Regenerative Forestry Living Green Roof

Wetland Wild View Photovoltaic Array Rain Gardens

Prescribed Burn Native Planting

Preferred deSign: Resilience

Much of the PSP can be implemented with little expense once the school has formally adopted the identified concepts and strategies into management practices and incorporated them

into the curricula as a sustainable vision for the future. The District will need to seek funding from public and private agencies.

step 1 - HiRe a cooRDinatoR A key component to project adoption will be a full or part-time Sustainability Coordinator who oversees the plan’s forward movement. The job description should include, but not be limited to, grant writing, training management staff, working hand-in-hand with teachers on curricula, and scheduling community events.

step 2 - invest in loW cost/ no cost pRojects

k Redirect and design trails to run parallel or diagonally to contour lines instead of perpendicular;

k Apply for Northfield’s Community Preservation Act monies (over $90,000) by November. One-third of the use of this money must be used for open space preservation;

k Certify the Potential Vernal Pool on the west side certified; see http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/ vernal_pools/vernal_pool_cert.htm;

k Implement the forest management plan developed in 2013;

k Reduce mowing to establish healthy field to forest transitions and improve pollinator habitat areas with managed native plants. Manage woody invasive exotics by pulling and re-planting with eco-regional natives and/or cut and paint with herbicides after prioritizing and carefully reviewing the best practices associated with invasive plant management;

k Contact the Northfield Planning Board about the steps necessary for becoming part of the town’s Solar Overlay District for the photovoltaic array;

k Begin the process of acquiring a leased, full- photovoltaic system or budgeting for direct ownership to reduce electrical costs. Savings will be between 40 to 60% (~ $60,000) per year;

k Reduce siltation into drains by keeping plow piles away from drains;

k Replace the use of road salt on sidewalks;

k Remove parking lot sweepings from winter sand accumulations from drains and clean storm drains annually;

k Consult a forest fire management professional for details on reducing fire risk on Hitchcock Island Forest; and

k Collaborate with a local land trust in obtaining assistance from an AmeriCorp volunteer to assist the Coordinator.

step 3 - apply foR gRants Many of the items listed below are eligible for grants now that the school has the PSP.

k Establish raised - bed garden plots for the community with easy access to ample water; purchase the necessary gardening tools and provide a storage shed;

k Remove managed burning bush shrubs from the four areas on the school grounds and replace with native plants;

k Design water mitigating ‘rain gardens’ at strategic locations around the school;

k Establish habitat monitoring stations;

k Protect the vernal pool;

k Monitor and protect wetland;

k Monitor and protect pollinator habitats; and

k Monitor and protect turtle nesting areas.

k Offer teachers curriculum development stipends to integrate the PSP into existing curricula;

k Design outdoor classrooms and wildlife viewing areas using site source materials and hiring students during the summer to work with a logger, forester, sawyer, and contractor; and

k Develop an entrepreneur program with middle school students that utilizes site resources (e.g. cord wood harvesting, mushroom cultivation, and production gardens).

getting staRteD 19 18 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design

Co n t e n t S o f t h e fu l l ed i t i o n

Forward 7Executive Summary 9Preface 11Introduction 12

Inset: What Is BioMap? 13Goals 14Community Process 16Context 18History 21Existing Conditions 28

Inset: Adopt-a-Habitat 29Site Analysis Overview 31 Water Resources 32 Surficial Geology 34 Soils 36 Topography & Drainage 38 Vegetation & Cover 40 Inset: Invasive Species 42 Wildlife & Natural Heritage 44 Land Use 48 Existing Access & Circulation 50Case Study: Art Unites Outdoor Uses 53 Summary I: Sustainable Land Use 54 Summary II: Engaging Destinations & Functions 56

Goals, Actions, & Design Inspirations 58

Designs: Preferred & Alternatives Overview 61 Preferred Design: Resilience 62 Alternative Design I: Stewardship 64 Alternative Design II: Open-Air 66

Getting Started 68Resources, Grants & Partnerships 70

Appendices Community Input 73 Historic Details 75 Soil Test Results 79 Invasive Plants - Guidelines for Managers 81 Invasive Plants Management Details at PVRS 82 Invasive Plant Locations/Replacements at PVRS 86 NHESP Management at PVRS 88 Forest Management Strategies 100 Photovoltaics - Buy or Lease? 103 Grants & Foundations 105 Developing A Trail System 108 Ecosystem Services 116 Building Resilient Communities 118 Climate Change Report 2011 120 Overlaps with Northfield’s Open Space Plan 121 Endorsements 123Bibliography 128

© 2013 FUTURE LANDS, LLC: No portion of the publication may be reproduced without written permission from the designer, EXCEPT for educational purposes by the staff and students at Pioneer Valley Regional School. Additional copies are available of the Full or Summary Additional copies can be downloaded free or purchased in book form from www.lulu.com/PVRS. The full version is also available at the PVRS website.

getting Started