The Restoration Ecology Program is in the midst of a very exciting wetland restoration project on campus!
The era of restoration ecology is here and we are digging in, designing experiments, answering questions, monitoring progress, and taking the lead in reversing ecosystem degradation and damage. The project aims to remove invasive species, put the Project Stream site on a trajectory toward dominance by native species, and filter excess nutrients flowing into Upper Lake, and is the result of 3 years
of preparation and planning by Kate Ballantine and her Restoration Ecology courses. Numerous REP students have been a part of collecting data and planning the wetland restoration project, creating a real-world solution to real ecological problems right here on campus. As you may know, Upper and Lower lake are suffering from eutrophication, mainly associated with runoff from nearby establishments. By diverting the flow of incoming streams into restored wetlands, we hope to mitigate run-off pollution and keep our lakes healthy. We are hoping to incorporate you all into our project through community service, questionnaires, and 5-college course collaboration, so if you or a professor you know is interested, please feel free to contact Kate Ballantine at [email protected]
Whether you are at Mount Holyoke, another of the 5-colleges, or just an interested friend, we appreciate your support!