Connecticut Week 3- The Environment

         Since I’ve been here I’ve clearly been doing a lot of geology, but I’ve also been learning a lot about the surrounding environment. Peter, one of our professors, is, as far as I can tell, an expert on almost everything. As a result I’ve heard stories ranging from the history of local homes and legendary restaurants to the breakdown of the community’s favorite endangered species and despised invasive ones. Here are a few of the things I’ve seen on and around the river…

This wetland grass, phragmites, is an invasive species that is taking over the banks of the Connecticut River. Phragmites is used to thatch roofs in Europe, but in the United States, it has become a pest. Because it thrives in water contaminated by fertilizers, it is spreading quickly in the U.S., preventing cattails, an important food source in wetland ecosystems, from growing in their rightful habitat. 

 I've always thought of swans as beautiful, if somewhat aggressive, birds and was surprised to learn that these mute swans are an invasive species in Connecticut. Because they are very territorial and share common food sources with the native waterfowl, they are becoming a threat to the natives. Their beauty often leads to humans feeding them and resisting removal efforts, making the mute swan a particularly difficult nuisance to get rid of.

This bank of sand is an old dump site for spoils collected as the channel of the Connecticut River was dredged to keep it deep enough for boat navigation. As evidence (our group is working on this!) is emerging that the bottom sediment contains high levels of mercury and other toxic chemicals, the question of where to dispose of dredged sediment is being asked. While it has not been dumped on the banks of the river for years, since it is detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem, sands with detectable levels of toxic substances from the Hudson Bay and Long Island Sound are rumored to have been used in public parks and school playgrounds. 

When my group was invited to a party at Peter’s house (built in 1760 and absolutely gorgeous!) to celebrate one of the professors getting tenure, we had the privilege of seeing and exploring his beautiful garden. Growing vegetables that are a summer staple as well as canned and dried to last through the winter, Peter and his wife are creating and using a food source that’s about as local as you can get. This is good for the environment, saves money, and is a beautiful form of landscaping- not to mention the fact that the kids at the party couldn’t have been happier picking sugar snap peas and eating them on the spot. 

Brownstone Quarry, opened in 1690, was once a prominent building stone supplier in New England. It now functions as waterpark, kayaking and canoeing facility, and scuba diving center (the highlight being an old plane wreck a few dozen meters below the surface). While I’m not sure that this technically qualifies as an environmental issue, I thought that it was interesting that the site is classified as a National Historic Landmark while simultaneously being used as a waterpark. In terms of geology, the Brownstone Quarry is also famous for its amazing fossils. Several schools and museums in the area boast impressive collections of dinosaur footprints found quarry. The stone itself is a dark brown, relatively soft stone that was used to build many of the buildings on Wesleyan’s campus as well as in many New England cities and others scattered around the country. 

Last weekend I went to Miya’s sushi in New Haven, CT for a friend’s birthday dinner. I can’t say I was overly impressed by the food, although it has won countless national awards from food critics with much finer palates than mine, I loved the effort that they are making to be environmentally friendly. Miya’s sushi is sustainable, refusing to use fish that are overfished or whose harvest has negative environmental impacts. Rather than using traditional sushi ingredients such as tuna, snapper, sea urchin, or octopus, Miya’s focuses on vegetables and species that can be raised in a healthy and sustainable manner, such as catfish. A unique twist on the usual sushi roll, Miya's mixes everything from dried cranberries and papaya to broccoli and potatoes to brie and goat cheese, creating a confusing but exciting culinary experience. I must commend this restaurant on it’s trailblazing (hopefully!) eco-friendly attitude, wonderful atmosphere, and creative menu (which the adventurous eaters of the group loved).

Picture from: http://www.mynameisyeh.com/2010/05/week-18-miyas-sushi-and-caseus-cheese.html