Successful Applicant:
Hillsborough River Association Inc.
Award:
$3,836
Project Title:
Improving Bat Over-Wintering Habitat and Enhancing Wildlife Habitat
Project Gallery:
Project Summary:
This project was implemented in Clark's Creek mainstream, Dromore, Marshfield, Tannery Creek, Tracadie Cross and Fort Augustus. The goals for this project were to enhance native plant diversity and riparian zone structure along Clark's Creek, improve fish habitat cover and rearing habitat, conserve bat over-wintering habitat, improve multi-species fish passage and finfish spawning habitat on Clark's Creek and another tributary of the Hillsborough River, create additional nesting habitat for tree swallows in Marshfield and adjacent communities, and document our wildlife improvement actions.
The results of this project were as follows: brush mats were constructed that trapped silt out of the stream and cover structures were installed to provide cover for all sizes and age classes of fish species in the area; a bat well cover was researched and designed to allow bats to access these walls for over-wintering in the winter and three well covers were constructed; and 593 native trees and shrubs of three deciduous and five coniferous tree species and four species of shrubs were planted to improve species biodiversity and eventually modify riparian zone vertical structure. In addition, patch cuts were created in which a combination of brush piles, native tree and shrub plantings, and natural regeneration augmented plant and animal diversity. Beaver damns were removed on Mill Dam Brook, Tannery Creek, and Black Brook to allow Atlantic smelt and trout to reach places further upstream than what they could do when the beaver dams were in place. Twenty-five Tree Swallow nest boxes were built and installed in areas in and around Marshfield. Three community events were developed and held, namely, Pigot’s Trial Interpretive Hike, A Family Cycling Event, and Music Around the River. HRA also partnered with the Wright’s Creek Watershed Environmental Committee for a Fishing Derby which was held at Andrew’s Pond. A total of 189 people attended these four events.