CONSULTANT BEGINS LORDSHIP BLUFFS RESTORATION STUDY

At Wednesday night’s LIA (Lordship Improvement Association) Annual Membership Meeting, State Rep. Joseph Gresko officially notified membership about the awarding of a $6,000 grant from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council to the LIA toward creating a plan for restoration of the nature habitat at the Lordship Bluffs. (In photo, l-r, LIA President Jim Warren, State Rep. Joe Gresko, LIA Environmental/Education Chair Christine Griffin).

And the very next morning, that planning began as Senior Environmental Analyst Anthony Zemba (in photo, wearing blue shirt) led LIA officers and committee chairs on a two hour tour of the habitat. Zemba is a Certified Soil Scientist/Ecologist with LANDTECH, a multi-service engineering and environmental science firm based in Westport.

The initial phase of the study is identifying areas of native and invasive plant species to determine which to keep and encourage, and which to eradicate or contain.

An immediate decision was to restrict mowing of the Bluffs’ expansive lawn to several feet from the edge of the ridge. This is to protect the growth of desirable plants and shrubs at the edge, and to help prevent erosion there. Also, growth on the edge will be trimmed to allow scenic views of Long Island Sound.

Zemba noted the Lordship Bluffs as being among only a few such coastal habitats on the Connecticut shore. Progress reports will be published during the study and multi-year restoration project.

Financed by annual member donations, the all-volunteer LIA is a land trust that maintains the Lordship Bluffs (nearly 10-acre parcel along Park Blvd. between Lordship Road and Spruce Street), Russian Beach, and eight community gardens. To help, please visit: www.LordshipCT.org. Thanks for your support!