pvrs pioneering stewardship plan
DESCRIPTION
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. William Wehrli, Principal March 4, 2012TRANSCRIPT
Pioneering StewardShiP Plan
An Ac t i o n in s p i r e d de s i g n
Pioneer Valley Regional School
Northfield, MA
September 2013
Pioneering StewardShiP Plan iS endorSed by
s u m m A r y e d i t i o n
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.
“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
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
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
4 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
goalS, actionS, & deSign inSPirationS
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
fos t e R t h R i v i n g B i o d i v e R s i t y
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
Goals, Actions, & Design Inspirations 5
goalS, actionS, & deSign inSPirationS
6 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
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
Executive Summary 7
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.
8 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
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.
Context 9
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.
10 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
access & ciRculation
land use
vegetation &coveR
topogRaphy &dRainage
suRficialgeology
soils
WateR ResouRces
Site Analysis Overview 11
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.)
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).
An initial clear mowing and herbicide application would stimulate the area (Deely, 2011).
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
12 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
Site analySiS Summary i: Sustainable Land Use
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
Thin Till Bedrock
Heavy Invasive Plants
Pasture Pine Forest
Red Pine Planting Forest
Meadow
Early Woodland
Spring Seeps
Potential Vernal Pool
BioMap2 Critical Lanscape
Unsustainable Trail
Impervious Surface Runoff
B
C
A
B
C
A
A
A
Site Analysis Summary I: Sustainable Land Use 13
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.
14 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
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
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
Site Analysis Summary II: Engaging Destinations & Functions 15
Site analySiS Summary ii: Engaging Destinations & Functions
16 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
site analysis summaRy ii: engaging destinations & functions 17
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
This 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.
18 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
PreFerred deSign: Resilience
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: Resilience
Preferred Design: Resilience 19
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
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 - the Key to success 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).
20 Pioneering Stewardship Plan FUTURE LANDS - Ecological By Design
getting Started
getting staRted 21
co n t e n t S o F t h e Fu l l ed i t i o n
Forward 9ExEcutivE Summary 11PrEFacE 13introduction 14
inSEt: what iS BiomaP? 15GoalS 16community ProcESS 18contExt 20hiStory 23ExiStinG conditionS 30
inSEt: adoPt-a-haBitat 31SitE analySiS ovErviEw 33SitE analySiS: Water Resources 34SitE analySiS: Surficial Geology 36SitE analySiS: Soils 38SitE analySiS: Topography & Drainage 40SitE analySiS: Vegetation & Cover 42
inSEt: Invasive Species 44SitE analySiS: Wildlife & Natural Heritage 46SitE analySiS: Land Use 50SitE analySiS: Existing Access & Circulation 52
caSE Study: art unitES outdoor uSES...thiS could BE PionEEr! 55SitE analySiS Summary i: Sustainable Land Use 56SitE analySiS Summary ii: Engaging Destinations & Functions 58action inSPirEd dESiGn imaGES 60dESiGnS: Preferred & Alternatives Overview 63PrEFErrEd dESiGn: Resilience 64altErnativE dESiGn i: Stewardship 66altErnativE dESiGn ii: Open-Air 68GEttinG StartEd 70rESourcES, GrantS & PartnErShiPS 72Appendix A: Building Resilient Communities 74Appendix B: Community Input 77Appendix C: Historic Details 79Appendix B History 79Appendix d: Soil Test Results 83Appendix e: eCosystem serviCes 84Appendix F: invAsive plAnts - Guidelines for Managers 87Appendix G: Invasive Plants Details 88Appendix H: invAsive plAnt loCAtions & replACements 92Appendix i: nHesp Management at pvrs 94Appendix J: Endorsements 107Appendix K: Forest Management Strategies 112Appendix l: Photovoltaics - Buy or Lease? 115Appendix m: Grants & Foundations 117Appendix n: Developing A Trail System 120Appendix o: Climate Change Report 2011 128Appendix p: psp’s Overlaps with Northfield’s OSRP 129BiBlioGrApHy 130© 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 Additions can be downloaded free or purchased in book form from www.lulu.com/PVRS. The full version is also available at the PVRS website.