Featured Projects

Volunteer River Herring Monitoring at Beaver Dam Brook and Manomet Brook

River herring are an important part of our coastal streams, acting as a bridge between the ecology of the ocean and freshwater environments. Volunteers have helped monitor river herring each spring in Beaver Dam Brook since 2018 and Manomet Brook since 2021. Each volunteer spends ten minutes observing any herring moving upstream and also documents any that might be schooling below the count locations, as well as water temperature, air temperature, and weather conditions. This raw count allows the Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries to extrapolate a population estimate, provided there are enough counts and enough fish have been documented.

Windswept Bog, Nantucket Island MA: Watershed-scale Wetland Restoration and Research

Restoration of Windswept Bog, a retired cranberry Bog, to functional wetland status will provide large scale ecological benefits. This project provides opportunities for research, education, and deeper understanding of wetland and upland habitat restoration at former cranberry bog sites. Phase 1 of construction for this project took place in January-March 2024. Phase 2 (the final phase) began in November 2024 and will wrap up by the end of March 2025.

The Hydrologic Understory

This project explores groundwater flowpaths, surface water mixing, underground thermal regimes and soil moisture monitoring to map out the interconnected web of hydrology and ecology beneath the surface ultimately helping guide management of the forests, including desirable native species, cold water fish habitat and optimal water quality. It takes place in a cranberry-bog-turned-restored-freshwater-wetland, the largest in Massachusetts. Now part of the MassDER program dedicated to cranberry bog to wetland restorations in Massachusetts, measurable metrics and tools to assess the success of such efforts are especially critical and timely.

Upper Coonamessett River Wetlands Complex Restoration Project

The Coonamessett River, the third largest groundwater fed stream on Cape Cod, flows approximately three miles from Coonamessett Pond to the two mile long Great Pond estuary and farther out into Vineyard Sound. In 2020, the Town of Falmouth applied to DER to designate the Upper Coonamessett as a priority project. It selected an area about one mile north of the CRRP for the first project to actively restore 11 acres of former bogs (Baptiste Bogs) containing 0.5 mile of stream channel, and passively restore 3.5 acres of Broad River. Total increase in stream length will be from 1500 lf to 4000 lf. The Baptiste Bogs were purchased by the Town in 1978, and as in the lower river, were initially used for cranberry agriculture. Again the Town with the support of DER, T3C (land trust), the Coonamessett River Trust, and the Wampanoag tribe began restoration design. Funding for this project will also include Mass Audubon (NOAA), USFWS, and CPA.

All Projects

An Environmental and Economic Systems Analysis of Land Use Decisions in the Massachusetts Cranberry Industry

This project uses a systems approach to explore environmental and economic trade-offs and synergies connected to land use decisions in the Massachusetts cranberry industry. Building upon ongoing research on the science of cranberry bog restoration, this work integrates socioeconomic data with environmental impact modeling, and presents the results in a web-based decision-support tool that allows stakeholders to interact with and explore the impacts of different land use scenarios.

Bird Monitoring at Select Cranberry Bog Restoration Sites in Southeastern Massachusetts

This project involves using area search and audio broadcast survey techniques to document bird populations at cranberry bog restoration sites in SE Massachusetts. Initial surveys began in May 2022, with priority sites including Indian Brook Cranberry Bogs, Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Foothills Preserve, South Meadow, and Pinnacle Watercourse.

COSMOS: Landscape-Scale Soil Moisture

This project explores the use of a COSMOS sensor to measure landscape-scale soil moisture. COSMOS measures the cosmic rays that penetrate and bounce off the top 15-cm of the land surface in a radius of 500-meters. The signal is changed by the presence of water: standing water, soil water, and plant water – and returns an integrated signal of all water in the root zone, both above and below the shallow surface. As the landscape surface is transformed into a wetland, we hope the COSMOS data will document the increasing moisture at and near the land surface needed for the survival of wetland plants.

Distributed Temperature Sensing in the Hydrologic Understory

This project explores groundwater flowpaths, surface water mixing, underground thermal regimes and soil moisture monitoring. We use distributed temperature sensing (DTS) along fiber optic cables at multiple depths beneath the ground to map out the interconnected web of hydrology and ecology beneath the surface.

Ecological Restoration Masterclass: Engaging, Educating, and Connecting Diverse Stakeholders

This project involves research and development of a web-based education program designed to help stakeholders learn about wetland restoration in a way that is relevant to them. The primary goal of the restoration masterclass is to blend findings from the latest research with voices from a variety of perspectives and expertise to help people from a range of backgrounds learn what ecological restoration is, how and why we do it, and what we can expect after a site is restored. The program will include specific guidance to help landowners evaluate their options after farm retirement, including an action plan and connections for pursuing ecological restoration. In short, the restoration masterclass will weave voices together with current research findings on the science, practice, economics, and policy of cranberry farm restoration, to create a curriculum that is widely accessible, engaging, and useful.

Fear to Hope Atlantic White Cedar Research at Plymouth South H.S.

Ms. Conroy's AP Biology class at Plymouth South HS is participating in a reciprocal citizen science study to understand how temperature regime of seed source locations may affect growth of AWC seedings. The project designed by Rob Atkinson, faculty at Christopher Newport College, the project seeks to replace fear of climate change with hope through meaningful engagement in research. In 2023, Ms. Conroy's class planted and is measuring 10 AWC seedlings grown in Virginia and 10 AWC seedlings grown at Living Observatory's Native Plant Nursery. Monitoring will continue in 2024 and beyond.

Growing Atlantic White Cedars for Wetland Restoration Sites

In this project, we share information about raising AWC trees from seed with the goal of providing this species to wetland restoration projects in Southeastern Ma. Updates include best practice for stratifying, germinating, and transplanting, as well as updates about survival and growth rates of young trees once they have been planted.

Living Observatory Community Platform

Living Observatory Sensor Network

The Living Observatory Sensor Network explores how low-power wireless sensor networks can be used to learn from, share, and improve the process of wetland restoration.

Long-Term Development and Ecosystem Functions of Restored Cranberry Bogs

This group of research projects investigates how key soil features and ecosystem functions change over time in sites that are developing under different management scenarios. Specifically, we compare the development of soil properties and functions associated with nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas flux across sites that fall along a restoration trajectory across active cranberry farms, young retired farms, old retired farms, flooded former farms, ecologically restored former farms, and natural reference wetlands with no history of cranberry farming. Results of this work inform not only our understanding of how ecosystems develop and function over time under different hydrologic and management scenarios, but also informs the practice of restoration.

Making Meaning at Tidmarsh

Seven years post restoration, 51 people from 21 organizations assembled at Tidmarsh to explore and learn how the site has responded to the restoration intervention. The event was co-hosted by Mass Audubon and Living Observatory.

Making Space: Restoring Cranberry Bogs for Marsh Migration

Coastal ecosystems and communities are under direct threat from climate change and sea level rise. Meanwhile, low-lying cranberry farmland with no viable economic future presents an opportunity to create more resilient and adaptable coastlines. Massachusetts has the means to leverage this opportunity, with rich expertise and experience in ecological restoration for these unique sites, and a thriving network of partners to protect and manage public open space. The first goal of this project is to protect and restore coastal wetland habitats within the grant period - and invite future inland marsh migration on retired low-lying cranberry farmland. This project also will provide valuable co-benefits less common in habitat restoration projects.

Marks Cove Wetland Restoration Project

Ecological restoration of approximately 20-acres of abandoned cranberry farmland, adjacent uplands, and downstream tidal creek and salt marsh. The project is a pilot for low-lying cranberry bogs, marsh migration, and community engagement for the 2023 NOAA award to Mass Audubon and partners entitled “Making Space: The Southeastern Massachusetts Marsh Migration Initiative.”

Mattapoisett Bogs Wetland Restoration

This project has restored approximately 43 acres of freshwater wetlands, benefitting natural vegetation and habitats, improving fish and wildlife passage along Tripps Mill Brook (a tributary of the Mattapoisett River), improving turtle nesting habitat, and restoring floodplain connectivity with the Mattapoisett River.

Monitoring Biological Responses to restoration: temporal and spatial shifts in the community structure of amphibians and reptiles in restored and retired cranberry bogs.

This project seeks to understand how amphibian and reptile communities respond to ecological restoration. We conduct a comprehensive survey on herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) at restored and retired former cranberry bogs using a combination of passive and active sampling techniques. We survey both wetland and upland habitats to document and ultimately, understand (1) how different amphibian and reptile species colonize restored wetland complexes; (2) how the community structure of amphibians and reptiles change before and after restoration; and (3) how the habitat structure and community composition change with time after the active restoration intervention.

Monitoring Plan for the DER Cranberry Bog Restoration Program

This project involves development of a standardized monitoring plan for physical, chemical, and biological monitoring of cranberry bog wetland restoration projects in DER’s Cranberry Bog Program.

Potential Nitrogen Removal by Restoring Wetlands on Retired Cranberry Bogs

This project seeks to better understand the sources and movement of nitrogen in wetlands. We are primarily interested in how much nitrogen is delivered to wetlands and how much nitrogen is potentially removed by ecological restoration of wetlands. We use a combination of field measurements and computer modeling to answer these questions.

Quantifying Nutrient Transport and Transformation in Stream Channels Associated with Active, Retired, and Restored Cranberry Farms

This project quantifies the impact of wetland restoration on water quality through evaluating nutrient uptake capacity of streams associated with active, retired, and restored cranberry farms. Effects of stream structure, water chemistry, sediment characteristics, and biota on nutrient removal and hydrology are explored.

Soil Moisture in the Wetland

This project explores the hydrology of the land surface that has been intensively farmed, and the implications of this hydrology on future plant and animal communities. Historical application of sand, ditching, berming, and channel deepening all affect how surface and groundwater move through these areas. Thoroughly understanding the hydrologic function is the first step toward returning this land surface to tis former wetland condition. Piezometer measurements of water level in the bog and stream channels as well as stream flow and rainfall monitoring all contribute to this understanding.

Soundscapes to Monitor Habitat Development on Restored Cranberry Farmland

This work aims to understand the relationship between the acoustic diversity of restored cranberry bog sites and habitat conditions measured through remote sensing.

Stuart Bogs Restoration Project

Buzzards Bay Coalition is working with MA Division of Ecological Restoration and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to permanently protect and restore natural wetlands at the formerly farmed Stuart Bog in Rochester. The project involves the protection of approximately 240 acres of land, which includes wetlands that had been converted to farmed cranberry bogs for decades. Engineering design is currently underway to restore approximately 60 acres of retired cranberry farmland back to natural wetlands, including expansion of existing Atlantic White Cedar swamp at the site.

Student-driven Restoration Research: Learning about ecosystem health through surveys of ant and plant biodiversity on restored cranberry bogs in Plymouth, MA

The Anthropogenic Aquifer

The Effect of Ecological Restoration on the Structure and Function of Soil Microbial Communities in Cranberry Bogs

Ecological restoration seeks to improve degraded ecosystem functions such as carbon storage, removal of nutrient pollution, and regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. These functions are primarily governed by microbes living in the soil, yet these microbial communities are not explicitly considered or monitored as a part of most restoration efforts. This group of research projects seeks to understand the impact of ecological restoration of cranberry bogs on the structure and function soil microbial communities in restored cranberry bogs. Using genetic and genomic techniques, we can survey the thousands of microbial species residing in the soil; we can monitor how they change over time; and we can associate those changes with functions of interest to understand which restoration methodologies produce the best outcomes.