An egret wades in the river at the Quinnipiac River Tidal Marsh.

Peabody exhibit highlights life in a local tidal marsh

Surrounded by railroad yards, housing developments, shopping centers and landfills, the Quinnipiac River Tidal Marsh often goes unnoticed. It is, however, a valuable resource, where there can be found more than 150 species of birds (some endangered); mammals such as muskrats, coyotes, raccoon and opossum; endangered plants; and many kinds of fish. Last year, the Connecticut Audubon Society selected the tidal marsh as one of its "important bird areas." The biodiversity and significance of the area will be explored in "The Muskrat & The Osprey: The Hidden Quinnipiac Marsh," a small exhibit opening on Friday, April 20, at the Peabody Museum of Natural History. The exhibit will highlight the flora of the tidal marsh as well as the animals which make the marsh their permanent, seasonal or temporary home. In addition, human use of the tidal marsh will also be explored. Connecticut's fourth largest salt marsh, the Quinnipiac River Tidal Marsh is a 1,000-acre area located where the Quinnipiac River joins Long Island Sound. The Quinnipiac (which means 'long water land' in Algonquin) River originates in Deadwood Swamp in Farmington, Connecticut, and flows 38 miles to join Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean at New Haven Harbor. Marshes are wetlands where tidal cycles move salt water through the ecosystem twice daily. The tidal cycle redistributes organic carbon and mineral nutrients in large quantities and consequently attracts organisms ranging from bacteria to fish. Tidal marshes also act as sieves, filtering out sediments and toxic materials from the watershed. By storing excess water, they provide protection against flooding. For several thousand years, humans have been an active part of the marsh's complex ecosystem. Artifacts recovered over the years testify to early Indian settlement of the marsh, and as early as 1639 English colonists used marsh grasses for cattle feed and bedding, mulch and thatch. Brickmaking, fishing and transportation all took place on or near the marsh in the 18th century. Recent uses of the marsh and surrounding area include fishing, hunting, birding and canoeing, but it has also been used as a depository for toxic wastes, industrial discharge and the accumulation of other byproducts of urbanization, such as landfills and sewage treatment. Organizations such as the Tidal Marsh Work Group of the Quinnipiac Watershed Partnership are now working with government agencies to preserve and improve wildlife habitat in the marsh, promote site cleanup and appropriate land use policies around it, improve its water quality and open up access for recreational purposes. In celebration of the exhibit opening, the Peabody Museum will serve as the New Haven staging area for the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association's 15th annual Source to Sound River Clean-up on Saturday, April 21 (see Bulletin Board, page 12). "The Muskrat & The Osprey: The Hidden Quinnipiac Marsh" will be on view indefinitely. The exhibit was developed in collaboration with the Tidal Marsh Work Group of the Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership. Located at 170 Whitney Ave., the Peabody Museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults;$3 for children ages 3-15 and senior citizens. For information, call the InfoTape at (203) 432-5050 or visit the museum's website at www.peabody.yale.edu. 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