Event Archive
Biodiversity In the Suburbs
April 16, 2019
Dr. Michael Rubbo presented this year at Teatown Lake Reservation for the annual Spring Meeting. He presented his findings on habitat identification and mapping within the watershed- 90% of the Pocantico River Watershed is upland habitat, there are 70.4 miles of stream, and 8% of the watershed is comprised of wetlands. This information gathered helps identify Priority Conservation Areas (PCA) that may be unique in flood storage, soil quality, or porosity. Threats to the watershed include: habitat fragmentation, dogs off leash, deer overabundance, humans going off trail, and invasive species. Next steps in his research will be to refine the PCAs, conduct water quality studies, conduct riparian assessments, and eventually create a watershed management plan.
Micropollutants
September 12, 2018
The Pocantico River Watershed Alliance (PRWA) held its community meeting at Pace University’s Pleasantville campus, where Jen Epstein (pictured above), water quality scientist for Riverkeeper, presented results of a study monitoring for sewage contamination and micropollutants in the Hudson River Estuary and the Pocantico River. The monitoring shows that levels of Enterococcus (fecal-indicator bacteria) are much higher in the tributaries of the lower Hudson Valley, including the Pocantico River, than they are in tributaries further north, in the Catskill region. It also shows that within the Hudson River, bacteria levels are higher near the Pocantico River than in the mid-channel nearby.
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Click here for the full blog: Pace University ESS Blog
Lawn Care
April 25, 2018
The PRWA forum featured a discussion by panelists Manna Jo Greene of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Patti Wood of Grassroots Environmental Education, Edwina von Gal of Perfect Earth Project, and Matt Ceplo of Rockland Country Club. Phil Zegarelli, Village Manager of Briarcliff Manor spoke on local government initiatives and David Avrin, of the PRWA’s leadership team moderated the discussion. The panelists spoke on the health of the watershed and human impact, human health effects of synthetic chemicals, the basics of toxic-free practice and how to overcome resistance and embed new perceptions of healthy landscapes.