Nipmuc Suitability Study + Master Plan

NIPMUC COMMUNITY & EDUCATION CENTER SUITABILITY STUDY AND MASTER PLAN West Brookfield, MA

ANNA FIALKOFF • NOAH ZIMMERMAN THE CONWAY SCHOOL SPRING 2013

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN SUSTAINABLE PLANNING & DESIGN

INDEX 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

NIPMUC HISTORY & CULTURE GOALS CONTEXT EXISTING CONDITIONS EXISTING CONDITIONS: WETLANDS ANALYSES: ... DRAINAGE & SOILS ... SLOPES & PRIORITY HABITAT ... LEGAL & ECOLOGICAL ... SUMMARY ... PROGRAM COMPONENTS DESIGN ALTERNATIVES: ... CONCENTRIC CIRCLES ... FRESHWATER ... NARRATIVE LANDSCAPE ... SELF-RELIANCE FINAL DESIGN FINAL DESIGN: DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER DESIGN ILLUSTRATIONS COST ESTIMATE & PHASING PLANTING PALETTE: ... DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER ... CEREMONIAL GROUNDS RENEWABLE ENERGY EVALUATION GREEN TECHNOLOGY PRECEDENTS: ... A LIVING BUILDING ... AGROFORESTRY & EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS

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The Nipmuc people are the original inhabitants of an area that is now in southern New England and trace their ancestry back 15,000-20,000 years. Their original home territory comprised over 2,000 square miles in central Massachusetts, northeastern Connecticut, and northern Rhode Island. They migrated seasonally within a hilly landscape with many ponds, lakes, and streams, which are headwaters to the Connecticut and Blackstone Rivers.

Thus, they are known as the freshwater people.

Spring 2013

the freshwater people

The Conway School

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

There is an opportunity for the various clans of the Nipmuc Tribe to create a unified community center in West Brookfield, Massachusetts; a place to practice and teach their culture, as well as steward 42 acres in the heart of their ancestral lands. This is a suitability study and master plan of that property, created with and on behalf of the Nipmuc Tribe.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

nipmuc history & culture

The Hassanamisco Nipmuc clan at a gathering in Worcester, Mass., in 1948.

From: http://nipmucmuseum.org/photo_archive

From “We shall Remain”

Nipmuc Tribe Today

Their story is not just events of the past. Today, the Nipmuc people are alive and strong with a population of about 3,000, comprising many family clans spread across their ancestral lands. However, there is currently no single community center that all the clans can call their own, a place for the whole Nipmuc Tribe to practice and teach their contemporary culture.

Project overview A

N.T.S.

A’

Source: “The Indian of the Nipmuck Country in Southern New England, 1630-1750: An Historical Geography” by Dennis A. Cannole.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

The Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services has given grant money to the Conservation Commission of the town of West Brookfield to fund this suitability study and master plan for the Nipmuc Tribe. The property being considered is privately owned and was identified by the East Quabbin Land Trust, which has an interest in purchasing a conservation restriction on part of the land.

This plan will help inform the Nipmuc Tribe’s decision to purchase the property for use as the Nipmuc Community and Education Center.

West Brookfield, MA

“I am Nipmuc and I exist”

suitability study & master plan

Deadly epidemics resulting from encounters with early European explorers significantly reduced the Nipmucs’ population. During King Philip’s War in 1675-1676, between 500 and 1,000 Nipmucs were forcibly removed from their lands and marched to Boston where many died during the winter, lacking sufficient food, shelter, and clothing.

nipmuc community & Education center

Disease and displacement

West Brookfield

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Nipmuc people of today.

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Educate both tribal members and the general public about historical, traditional, and contemporary Nipmuc culture.

Provide space to meet our present tribal needs and practice our traditions.

a place to host community meetings and ceremonies.

Steward the land.

Tribal members teach by creating three sisters gardens with children.

a place to pass on language and stories.

a place to demonstrate ecological and cultural land management.

community center features:

Program developed by the Nipmuc Tribe

A group of men from the Nipmuc Tribe practices ceremonial drumming.

PRACTICE teaching

TEACH practicing

Nipmuc traditions

the general public

case studies

Existing centers for native peoples cover a spectrum from serving as places to teach the public about an historical culture, to providing places for people to practice their cultural traditions. At the teaching end of the spectrum, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut, holds exhibits and collections and does research. A re-created Algonkian Indian Village presents a snapshot of how various Algonkian tribes might have lived pre-European contact. On the practicing end of the spectrum, the Intertribal Friendship House is a small center where tribes from various clans from near Oakland, California, can come together to be with other native peoples. It was created in the early 1950s for displaced tribes to reclaim their cultures and create a place to “encourage multigenerational healing.”

INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES Washington, CT

COMMUNITY building CEreMONIAL GROUNDS

INTERTRIBAL FRIENDSHIP HOUSE Oakland, CA

LONG HOUSE AGRICULTURE RESIDENCE FOR CARETAKER AND GUESTS

A place for Algonkian exhibits, collections and research

interpretive TRAILS OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

“ ... a place to build community, to maintain connection with traditional values, and to be with other native peoples.”

-From http://www.ifhurbanrez.org/index.php

features

• • • • A girl dressed up for powwow dancing.

Spring 2013

a place to produce our own food and energy.

The Conway School

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Create greater self-reliance.

West Brookfield, MA

a place for our archives.

suitability study & master plan

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

Preserve our collective history.

The Nipmuc Tribe’s goals lie in the middle of a spectrum between teaching their culture to the public and practicing their traditions. For example, they would like to bring school groups to interact with the landscape through story telling and to host powwows open to the public, while also holding tribal meetings and having private ceremonies.

nipmuc community & Education center

NIPMUC TRIBE’S GOALS

For a Community and Education Center in West Brookfield

Goals

Three Sisters garden Educational and interpretive trails Exhibits, research and collections Recreated Algonkian Indian Village with long house and wigwams

features

• Elders’ luncheons • Ceremonies, powwows • Language classes, traditional gardening, food cooking classes, beading circles • Youth development and positive support groups

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Ecological Landscape

Ware

The site lies within a matrix of forest and wetlands, with a few large patches of Priority Habitat (designated by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program) and many patches of protected open space. Because of the property’s proximity to sensitive habitats and protected open space, it is well situated to connect the Nipmuc community to the broader ecological landscape.

A Whortleberry Hill

Wigwam Hill

West Brookfield

Wickaboag Pond

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West Brookfield

il Tra

Spr

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Project Area

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A three-mile radius around the property with approximate locations of old Indian trails.

West Brookfield, MA

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suitability study & master plan

Wickaboag Pond is about 1.5 miles southwest of the project area, and used to be the site of a major confluence of old Indian trails, such as the Bay Path, Springfield Road, and the Nashaway Trail. These paths run from the Connecticut River to Boston. Wigwam Hill is about a half mile east of the project area, and its name suggests that it was historically used by the Tribe. Because of the property’s proximity to significant cultural features and protected open space, it is well situated to connect to the broader cultural and historic landscape.

New Braintree

nipmuc community & Education center

Nipmuc Historic Landscape

Sucker Brook

Ba

Spring 2013

While located in the town of West Brookfield, the project area lies within three miles of four small town centers: New Braintree (population >1,000), North Brookfield (4,626), West Brookfield (3,294), and Ware (9,872). Worcester, the second largest city in Massachusetts (181,045) and where the Nipmuc Tribe currently holds many of its meetings, is about twenty miles east of the property. Because of the property’s proximity to four town centers and a major city, it is well situated to act as a Native American educational center for the greater public.

The Conway School

Nearby Towns and a City

North Brookfield

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Centrally located within the Nipmuc’s ancestral lands, the cultural, ecological, and historic context in which the property lies make it well suited for the Nipmuc Community and Education Center.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

context

N Whortleberry Hill

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Sucker Brook Wetland

Project Area

Wigwam Hill

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The property is located in a valley between Wigwam Hill and Whortleberry Hill and is adjacent to the Sucker Brook Wetland. N.T.S Source: “The Indian of the Nipmuck Country in Southern New England, 1630-1750: An Historical Geography” by Dennis A. Cannole.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

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B

C

road

Sucker Brook

ontin

ued

Entrance to trail off Shea Road.

Disc

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C Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

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oa aR

Brain

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Horse farm

Road

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Road

New

She

Log landing

Log landing

Shea

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E

Log landing

Discontinued road off Shea Road is now a dirt path.

A horse farm with wetlands east of the property.

E

Existing Trails

A discontinued road off Shea Road is part of a milelong trail loop that circumnavigates the parcel, weaving on and off the property. It runs parallel to an intermittent stream in the south of the site. These trails were probably used for logging, along with a few log landings. The Tribe is interested in developing interpretive trails to educate both the public and its members about its culture and its connection with the land.

The Neighbors

The property lies in a rural residential district on quiet rural roads. The surrounding neighbors enter their properties from the busier New Braintree Road, so the project area is adjacent to these residents’ backyards.

Developing this property will affect these residents, so maintaining a positive relationship with them will be important. The Tribe would like to keep the noisier and more private components of their program away from the neighbors.

To the south and west of the project area is West Brookfield State Forest, with a grand vista of Sucker Brook Flood Control Area to the west. With permission from the state, there is a possibility to site some of the components of the program, such as ceremonial grounds and overflow parking, on the adjacent public lands.

Spring 2013

The Conway School

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Due to the most recent clearing and thinning 10-20 years ago, there are white pine saplings growing in this old log landing, and black birch saplings growing in the shady understory of the eighty-foot-tall white pines.

The stone walls along the roads and the dominant white pine forest indicate that the property was likely cleared for pasture, probably in the early 1800s. Since then it appears to have been selectively logged and is currently in Chapter 61 Forest Management. The Tribe is interested in continuing forest management for building, food, energy, and crafts.

West Brookfield, MA

Forest Management

suitability study & master plan

The property is about 42 forested acres located in a rural residential area, on the corner of Shea Road and Birch Hill Road.

nipmuc community & Education center

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Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

existing conditions

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Looking west from the property toward the Sucker Brook Flood Control Area.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

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Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Shea Ro

ad

bordering vegetated wetland

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A bordering vegetated wetland runs south to north in the center of the property. It is composed of two forested swampy areas connected by a small intermittent stream.

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An isolated wetland is located on the east side of the property, adjacent to Shea Road. It is a forested swamp, with some standing water observed in spring, making it a potential vernal pool.

Road

aR

Brain

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Birc

Intermittent stream

An intermittent stream flows east to west, from the neighboring residences, across the property, and out to the Sucker Brook.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Spring 2013

New

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tree

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The Conway School

Two pools at the north end of the property are identified as potential vernal pools through the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). However, through observation, it is believed the water level of both pools might stay high enough year-round to support fish, making them, by definition, not vernal pools. Fish are predators to many vernal pool species, so the lack of fish is what allows this special type of habitat to thrive.

oa

isolated wetland

Two pools

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

The existing one-mile trail moves north of the property and this view opens up to a large beaver pond and marsh, off the site, that are part of the Sucker Brook perennial stream and wetland system.

West Brookfield, MA

sucker brook

suitability study & master plan

Sucker Brook

nipmuc community & Education center

The variation in wetlands and the habitats associated with them can provide educational opportunities to describe the relationship of the Nipmuc Tribe — who are known as the freshwater people — to the land.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

existing conditions: wetlands

Beaver pond

A small beaver pond is part of an intermittent stream in the southeastern corner of the property. The size and shape of this pond will fluctuate over time with change in beaver activity.

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• The pooling in the northern point of observed flooding could either be a sign of poor drainage, which could be engineered to improve, or a high water table, which might make this area of the site unsuitable for development.

• Climate change, along with increased development and impervious surfaces on and off the site, could exacerbate flooding in areas that already flood.

• Construction can disturb soils, increasing erosion and sedimentation of water bodies.

Using best management practices, such as vegetated buffers, can help to alleviate degradation of water bodies by slowing and infiltrating runoff. Agriculture should also not be placed next to the roads without a vegetated buffer.

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Road

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Brain

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Road

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Shea

three major soil types on the site:

• Hinckley sandy loam

Excessively drained

Somewhat excessively drained Designated as prime farmland

Well drained

• Merrimac fine sandy loam

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Spring 2013

• More than 80 inches to a restrictive feature such as ledge or bedrock.

• More than 80 inches to the water table.

The Conway School

all soils on site have:

• Brookfield fine sandy loam Soil Tests

Soil tests were conducted on three areas of the site and submitted to the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab. The tests indicated that the site generally has a low pH, ranging from 4.6-4.8 (typical of New England forests), and is low in macronutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The site tends to be low in micronutrients such as boran, manganese, and zinc, but high in micronutrients like iron and sulphur.

Implications

• According to the NRCS soil survey, the soils are well suited for development.

• With soil amendments, agriculture could succeed anywhere on this site (excluding wetlands), especially in Merrimac fine sandy loam. But due to the well draining soils, to protect water quality agriculture should be kept away from wetlands or buffered by vegetation to avoid nutrient runoff.

• The excessively drained soils may not filter pollutants well, so using best management practices in construction may help protect sensitive habitats.

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Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

ill R hH Birc Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

The NRCS soil survey indicates:

West Brookfield, MA

Implications

soils

suitability study & master plan

There are two main high points. The northern one is part of a plateau in the middle of the site.

There are two areas of observed flooding after heavy rains (June 2013). The northern one has shallow pooling. The southern one was a small rivulet, moving west out of the isolated wetland into the trail where it ponded.

Drainage is generally moving from east to west across the site. Water moving off the site affects Sucker Brook, Wickaboag Pond, and beyond. Water draining off adjacent roads and rural residential properties may contain pollutants, salt and silt.

nipmuc community & Education center

drAINAGE

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

Well-drained soils with a relatively deep water table and depth to restrictive feature are ideal for siting buildings, especially on positively drained high points.

There are two high points with positive drainage that might be suitable for development. However, because soils are well-drained, development may still be possible in the two lower areas away from wetlands.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

drainage & soils analysis

Project Area

Shea Road

Residential Neighbors

N.T.S.

Drainage is generally moving from east to west across the site. Water moving off the site affects Sucker Brook, Wickaboag Pond, and beyond. Water draining off adjacent roads and rural residential properties may contain pollutants, salt and silt.

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Implications

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Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Shea

Development should stay out of Priority Habitat to avoid legal review and to protect sensitive species, especially if other alternatives are available.

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Road

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New

Log landing

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(Potential overflow parking)

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Looking toward a steep slope on the west edge of the site from Sucker Brook Flood Control Area in West Brookfield State Forest.

priority habitat

Road

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(Potential ceremonial grounds)

The northern portion of the property is part of a 780-acre patch of Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) Priority Habitat, possibly for the wood turtle, a species of concern. (NHESP does not reveal the names of species of concern, only the location.) The property hosts 8.5 acres of this Priority Habitat.

Implications

Spring 2013

The Conway School

B

• NHESP reviews any development within Priority Habitat to ensure that state-listed species are not adversely affected, and after designs are reviewed the plan could require a redesign. Before developing or managing land within Priority Habitat, the Nipmuc Tribe should contact NHESP. • Knowledge of where Priority Habitat is located on the site could help make the case that the placement of a conservation restriction on the northern portion is appropriate. A conservation restriction would keep in perpetuity this portion of the site from being developed, and also would maintain connectivity to the protected open space of West Brookfield State Forest to the north and west of the property.

The Eastern wood turtle is an NHESP species of concern. Its habitat is often in and around large beaver ponds with sandy soils and may be found on the site. Photo by Mike Jones: www.nhesp.org

West Brookfield, MA

• Developing the flatter areas that are accessible from the road would be cheaper and have less impact on the site.

• Steep slopes pose challenges to barrier-free access.

Many of the existing trails in the northwest portion of the site are not currently universally accessible, but could be made so.

• The southern portion of the trail and the discontinued road may only need minor modifications to the substrate to have barrier-free access since they are relatively flat (<5% slope).

• It would be challenging to have barrier-free access to the Sucker Brook Flood Control Area if it were used as the ceremonial grounds because of the 15% slope on the west edge of the site (see photo B).

• Steep slopes accelerate runoff, so care should be taken with any site changes, such as development or trail creation in steep areas.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Undulating topography in the north of the site.

suitability study & master plan

• The steepest slopes line the south and west edge of the property and bisect the northern portion of the property (13 acres of the site is >15% slope).

• The northern portion of the property has an undulating terrain.

• The southeast and central parts of the property make up the largest contiguous flat area (18 acres are <10% slope), and there is a relatively flat (<10% slope) plateau in the middle of the property that is about 1.5 acres.

A

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

Steep slopes on the west and north may indicate that development is most suitable in the southeast and central part of the property where access and construction would be least expensive and easiest to make barrier-free.

nipmuc community & Education center

slopes

slopes & priority habitat analysis

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implications

• Within a Rural Residential District, certain implications activities and features of development of • It would be difficult to access the west side of home sites may require a special permit and the property without crossing wetland buffers. there are specific dimensional requirements, • Most disturbances (including developing and which could be amended with a permit. (See clearing) are restricted within these buffers, but tables below.) However, the Nipmuc Tribe may an Order of Conditions could be issued by the be exempt from some of these restrictions as an Conservation Commission if they are shown to educational and/or religious organization. not adversely affect the wetlands or riparian habitat.

• The buffers are legal requirements, but they Rural Residential Dimensional Requirements also maintain the ecological health of the Minimum Lot Size 90,000 sq. ft. wetlands. Thus any development that does Minimum Lot Frontage 225 feet occur within the buffers would need to be Minimum Front Yard Setback 70 feet ecologically sensitive and avoid or mitigate runoff, silting, and loss of riparian habitat.

Minimum Side Yard Setback 50 feet

Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Shea

Road

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50 feet

Maximum Stories in Height

2-1\2

Maximum Building Height

35 feet

Permitted Uses in Rural Residential District

Special Permit Required?

Farm - agricultural, orchard, plant or tree nursery, livestock and/or poultry

No

Sale of agricultural or horticultural products

No

Commercial greenhouses

No

Two-family dwelling

Yes

Renting of one or two rooms by a resident family to not more than three non-transient persons

No

Use of up to three rooms for "Bed and Breakfast" facilities for not more than six persons

Yes

Craft, consumer, or commercial service establishment dealing directly with the general public

Yes

Church or other place of worship

No

Family campground

Yes

A

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Brain

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Road

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B

(Potential ceremonial grounds)

Minimum Rear Yard Setback

Spring 2013

New

Log landing

The Conway School

• All wetlands on the site, except the isolated wetland, have 100-foot legal buffers regulated by the Wetlands Protection Act. • Though the isolated wetland has no legal buffer, the wetland itself is still protected by the Wetlands Protection Act.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Wetlands

West Brookfield, MA

• The property is a corner lot within a Rural Residential District. Permanent buildings are not allowed within these legal setbacks:

70 ft. on street frontage

50 ft. on side yards

suitability study & master plan

Zoning

nipmuc community & Education center

In general, there is adequate space (16.5 acres or 40% of the property) for the program components to be built outside of the buffers and setbacks, but in some cases the design may require development within buffers and setbacks, and legal variances may be needed. Developing within the wetland buffers must demonstrate ecological consideration and use best management practices.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

legal & ecological analysis

(Potential overflow parking)

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Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Use of state lands

Permission would be required from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to use the Sucker Brook Flood Control Area for ceremonial grounds, or to use the log landing on Shea Road for overflow parking. Both of these areas in West Brookfield State Forest are adjacent to the site. A conversation has been started with DCR concerning the use of these lands by the Nipmuc Tribe and it appears to be a possibility. A long-term agreement or memorandum of understanding would be needed to secure the use of these properties into the future.

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Pros • • • •

Pros Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

1 2

Shea

1.9 Acres Road

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tree

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Road

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(Potential ceremonial grounds)

Brain

(Potential overflow parking)

oad ill R hH Birc

• Close proximity to neighboring residents and their backyards.

• Clearing trees for solar gain within the wetland buffers to the west for photovoltaic potential would require permitting. May not be able to clear to the east due to the proximity of the property boundary.

• This is a lower point on the site and some parts could flood/pool seasonally (potentially for high water table).

• Limited views from this lower point.

Spring 2013

• On high point with positive drainage.

• Good view of open meadow to northwest.

• Easy access from Shea Road.

1.7 Acres

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Cons

Pros

New

Log landing

• Short and easy access from the east end of Shea Road.

• North-south alignment could provide solar gain for passive solar in the winter.

• Doesn’t disrupt the habitat connectivity of undeveloped land to the west.

West Brookfield, MA

• Because it is distant from the roads, it would have the most expensive access, the longest driveway, have a greater impact, and require permitting to put a driveway through a wetland buffer.

• Disrupts the habitat connectivity of undeveloped land.

suitability study & master plan

1

Cons

nipmuc community & Education center

3.8 Acres

Opportunity for passive solar gain and photovoltaic panels.

On high point with positive drainage.

Good views of open meadow to the west.

Largest area of the three, and the only one that is large enough for the 1.5-acre ceremonial grounds.

The Conway School

Three Possible development areas

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Out of the 42-acre property there are three areas, totaling 7.4 acres, that are accessible and are not limited by buffers, setbacks, priority habitat or excessive slopes (>10%). They each appear to be appropriate for siting the community building and other components of the community center. Only the western site appears to be large enough to site the ceremonial grounds.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

summary analysis

3

Cons

• Isolated by the stream from the rest of the property, so any expansion of development would require a bridge or additional driveways entering from different areas of the site.

• Limited solar gain for passive solar and photovoltaic because of the hill to the south in West Brookfield State Forest (but may be able to clear for solar gain on State lands with permission).

N

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2

NOTES

CRITERIA

144’ radius - 1.5 acre

Accessible by car

Powwows with up to 700 people a few times a year

Barrier-free access

Activities include dancing, drumming, and selling crafts

Cleared, flat (≤5%) and even-surfaced grassland Open to public access Greatest possible sound/visual disturbance to/from rural residential neighbors Located on a high and dry area

Community Building

4,500 ft

2

38’ radius

Direct barrier-free access with long house/residence/parking

1,500 ft2 Meeting space for 100 people @ 15-20 ft2 per person

Meetings, education, exhibits, and storage

At least 6 hours of solar gain during the winter for passive solar

2

- Classroom uses meeting space @ 20 ft per person

Entered from the east

2

Circular building

2

Open to public access

2

Close access from the road (<300 ft.)

150 ft Office for one person 350 ft Kitchen space – 1/4 – 1/3 size of dining area which is the meeting space 100 ft Storage for tables and chairs 2

180 ft Bathrooms ? Archives - temperature controlled ? Exhibit Space - minimal UV exposure

Residence for Caretaker and Guests

900 ft

2

2

2

30'x30' - 450 ft for caretaker plus three extra rooms @ 150 ft each

Direct barrier-free access with community building/parking At least 6 hours of solar gain during the winter for passive solar View of the entrance to the property to provide security

1000 ft2

Long House

50’x20’ east-west axis

Direct barrier-free access with community building

Smaller private ceremonies and some education

Semi-private 7,800 ft

Parking Lot

2

65’x120’ for 24-car lot

Accessible by car (with universally accessible parking) Direct barrier-free access with community building/residence

10,000 ft

Preferably to the south of buildings to take advantage of clearing

2

100’x100’ - .25 acre

At least 6 hours of solar gain during the equinoxes and summer

Demonstration gardens and possible production

Close to vehicle access (<50 ft.)

Open to public access Preferably to the south of buildings to take advantage of clearing

Outdoor Classroom

600 ft

2

24'x24' - 30 people at 20 ft2 per person

Integration of education with the landscape

Comfortable microclimate Direct barrier-free access with parking Close to educational opportunities including agriculture, wetlands, etc.

2

Septic and Leach Field

3,700 ft Community building without composting toilets 2

1,850 ft Community building with composting toilets 2

800 ft Residence without composting toilet 2

400 ft Residence with composting toilet ? May be smaller if using greywater cleaning alternative

Well

?

Cleared area (any groundcover must have shallow root system) >4' above groundwater Accessible by machinery for pumping Should have minimal foot traffic to avoid compaction Preferably to the south of buildings to take advantage of clearing for solar gain

Special regulations may apply because it is supplying

Accessible by machinery for drilling

a community building and may be considered public water supply

>100' from leach field

Alternatives The alternatives on the following sheets explore development within the three different areas identified in the summary analysis. In all of the alternatives, the longhouse, the community building, parking, and residence are clustered for barrier-free accessibility, minimizing ecological disturbance and cost. Ceremonial grounds are sited either on or off site.

West Brookfield, MA

Agriculture

suitability study & master plan

This concept diagram illustrates the spatial relationships between the components, including the type of accessibility, directional-specific entrances, and need for solar gain.

Entered from the east by men and from the west by women

Spring 2013

65,150 ft

The Conway School

SIZE

Ceremonial Grounds

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

COMPONENT

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

program components

criteria

nipmuc community & Education center

Concept Diagram

Development cluster

N

Ceremonial grounds

Summary Analysis (Sheet 9)

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Concentric Circles (Sheet 11)

Fresh Water (Sheet 12)

Narrative Landscape (Sheet 13)

Self Reliance (Sheet 14)

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Parking:

24 development cluster spaces

24 south spaces

80 overflow spaces Driveway: 750 ft.

Clearing: 2.7 acres New Trails: .5 mile Ceremonial Grounds: .6 acres

Spring 2013

The Conway School

Specs

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Concentric circles are layered in order from public outside to private inside, with the most sacred spaces at the center. One enters a parking lot at the southern end of the property on Shea Road, takes a wooded trail that passes over a stream, and then chooses to continue on a trail that loops around the property or to enter into the cleared and developed inner circle, the heart of the Community and Education Center.

From the community building, the exit outside north opens into a sacred circle courtyard formed by the U-shaped community building, the long house and forest edge. Lastly, from the long house one can travel an accessible and sacred loop in solitude.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

concentric circles

concept

Road

Pros

oad

Camping

Birc

hH

ill R

oad

New

Overflow parking

tree

aR

Brain

She

Road

She

aR

oa

d

Shea

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

0’

100’

Development Cluster

• Combining parking and agriculture south of the buildings creates optimum solar gain (photovoltaic and passive solar) for the community building, and residence year-round, as well as for agriculture in the summer and equinoxes.

• Tribe can control public access to long house and inner trail loop, so there is a clear delineation of public/private spaces.

• Doesn’t require clearing/grubbing of ceremonial grounds because the site is already a field.

• Agriculture frames the outdoor classroom and is a central feature in the development cluster.

• Minimal sound/visual disturbance to/from residential neighbors because it is away from Shea Road.

West Brookfield, MA

Ceremonial grounds

suitability study & master plan

Development cluster

nipmuc community & Education center

Sacred loop

Cons

• Construction and/or disturbance (driveway, clearing) in wetland buffers.

• With the second longest driveway of the alternatives and development in the middle of the site, creates larger ecological impact than clustering development near a road.

• Need to ask permission from DCR for ceremonial grounds and overflow parking use.

• Ceremonial grounds not on a high area.

• Since the driveway is used year-round to get to the buildings, it may have ecological impact because it requires snow and ice management within wetland buffers.

N

11/24

Inner trail loop

Camping Ceremonial grounds

Development cluster

Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Shea

d

Development Cluster

oa

Pros

She

Road

aR

Unpaved road

Isolated wetland

Road

She

tree

aR

New

Brain

oad

oad ill R hH Birc

100’

• Development clustered towards the road and residential neighborhood creates the least ecological impact.

• Having the ceremonial grounds located on site allows the Nipmuc Tribe more self reliance since they don’t need to ask permission to use them.

• Ceremonial grounds on high/dry area.

• The unpaved driveway to the ceremonial grounds is long (750 feet), but does not require winter maintenance since it is for powwows that happen in the spring or summer.

• Adequate solar gain for the buildings for passive solar in the winter.

Cons

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

0’

• Limited solar gain for photovoltaic. (Clearing trees for solar gain within the wetland buffers to the west for photovoltaic potential would require permitting. May not be able to clear to the east due to the proximity of the property boundary.)

• Potential for sound/visual disturbance to/from neighbors from the cluster, but not from the ceremonial grounds.

• Potential ecological impact on isolated wetland.

• Requires clearing/grubbing, management, and mowing of ceremonial grounds, as well as maintaining the unpaved road to them.

Spring 2013

The Conway School

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

West Brookfield, MA

Parking: 24 spaces Driveway: 50 feet Clearing: 3.7 acres New Trails: .6 miles Ceremonial Grounds: 1.4 acres

suitability study & master plan

Specs

nipmuc community & Education center

Water is highlighted in the landscape with a water feature central to the developed cluster, and by bringing trails to existing wetlands. There is a strong linear axis (roughly northeast-southwest, which avoids buffers and is generally flat) created by the community building and long house arrangement. An accessible loop begins from the development cluster, runs south to the beaver pond, crosses a stream channel (that connects two forested swamps) at the center of the site, and winds down to the community building from the north, with a spur to a kidney-shaped pool.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

freshwater

concept

N

12/24

Basket making

Recreated village with wetus Ceremonial grounds

Inner trail loop

Medicinal walk

Views to ceremonial grounds

oa

tree

aR

Road

She

Development Cluster

She

Development cluster

Road

aR

Creation story told at beaver pond

d

Shea

Brain

oad

Birc

hH

ill R

oad

New

Overflow parking

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Pros

0’

100’

• Compact and clustered development by the road creates less ecological impact than the other alternatives. Because of this it also may be the least expensive alternative.

• Little sound/visual disturbance of cluster to/from neighbors.

• Doesn’t require clearing/grubbing of ceremonial grounds because it is already a field.

• Close proximity of the development cluster, ceremonial grounds, and overflow parking.

Spring 2013

The Conway School

Parking:

24 development cluster spaces

80 overflow spaces Driveway: 30 feet Clearing: 2.3 acres (least of the three) New Trails: .5 miles Ceremonial Grounds: 1.3 acres

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Specs

West Brookfield, MA

Mashoon (dugout canoe) launch & fishing

suitability study & master plan

This design narrates Nipmuc culture by highlighting significant land features through trail interpretation. It invites visitors to actively engage in Nipmuc crafts and learn about their past. One might begin by stopping at a trail node on the southeast beaver pond, where one learns about the beaver’s role in the Nipmuc creation story. Farther north, the trail opens up to a pond edge that is disturbed and has invasive plants, and where basket making may be done with non-traditional plants like oriental bittersweet. A recreated village of wetus (small dome-shaped structures made of saplings) farther south has interpretation that explains historical social structure of the Nipmuc clans.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

narrative landscape

nipmuc community & Education center

concept

Cons

• The hill south of the property in West Brookfield State Forest blocks some of the buildings’ solar gain.

• Need to ask permission from DCR for ceremonial grounds and overflow parking use.

• Since it is visible from the road, there is not a strong delineation between public and private for the development cluster.

• The development cluster is somewhat isolated from the rest of the site since one must cross a footbridge to get to the rest of the site and there is no vehicle access across the intermittent stream.

N

13/24

Outdoor classroom

Ceremonial grounds & development cluster

Inner trail loop

Ceremonial grounds

Camping

Development Cluster

Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Road

Pros

d

Shea

Overflow parking She

tree

aR

Road

She

aR

oa

Agriculture

Brain

oad

Birc

hH

ill R

oad

New

Overflow parking

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

0’

• Placing parking and ceremonial grounds south of the buildings creates optimum solar gain (photovoltaic and passive solar) for the community building, and residence year-round, as well as for agriculture in the summer and equinoxes.

• Having the ceremonial grounds located on site allows the Nipmuc Tribe more self reliance since they don’t need to ask permission to use them.

• Ceremonial grounds on high/dry area.

• Least potential for sound/visual disturbance to/from neighbors.

• Greatest amount of parking on site of all the alternatives, accommodating the most people.

100’

Spring 2013

The Conway School

West Brookfield, MA

Parking:

18 development cluster spaces

24 south spaces

24 east spaces

80 overflow spaces Driveway: 950 feet (most of the three) Clearing: 4.5 acres (most of the three) New Trails: .8 miles Ceremonial Grounds: 1.8 acres

suitability study & master plan

Specs

nipmuc community & Education center

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

In this design the Nipmuc Tribe can depend more fully on itself for energy, food, emergency shelter, and meeting and ceremonial spaces. Ceremonial grounds are the central feature that all the other components circle around. This 1.5-acre clearing opens up light for solar gain that can support photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the community and residential buildings. Agriculture is more extensive than the other alternatives, so the Tribe can focus more on production than just demonstration of traditional agriculture.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

self-reliance

concept

Cons

• Requires clearing/grubbing, management and mowing of ceremonial grounds.

• Potentially, the largest ecological impact of all the alternatives because it has the greatest clearing and driveway length. The driveway is used year-round to get to the buildings and may have a greater ecological impact because it requires snow and ice management within wetland buffers.

• May be the most expensive alternative because it requires the greatest land clearing and maintenance.

• Requires the most income and staff to maintain of all the alternatives.

• Agriculture is far from the development cluster (though has easy access from the road).

N

14/24

Small openings are interspersed within the landscape with interpretive signs, such as rocks with engravings or wood with burnings, that blend in with the surrounding forest. Some of these openings are used to tell traditional stories and demonstrate crafting and other practices. These openings alongside relevant ecological features tell the story of the Nipmuc people’s relationship to the land.

The long house is on a spur trail, surrounded by forest to maintain privacy. Signs are used to inform visitors of proper behavior in this special area.

Barrier-free trails connect to the long house from the north and south of the Community Building, creating a universally accessible loop.

The ceremonial grounds are cleared and managed as a grass and wildflower meadow with a mowed path through the center. Mowing and fire help to minimize the growth of woody shrubs and trees, and provide habitat for ground-nesting birds. There is a barrier-free path along the west side of the meadow with a beautiful view of a mowed field and wetland on the Sucker Brook Flood Control Area to the west. Composting toilets are northwest of the ceremonial grounds, outside of the watershed of the central wetland and intermittent stream to protect water quality.

An unpaved road, connected to the main parking lot, offers vehicle and pedestrian access to the ceremonial grounds. This road is built up with swales on either side to keep it from being inundated by the rivulet, which overflows from the isolated wetland during heavy rains. A barrier at the parking lot keeps cars from using this road during winter (to avoid plowing) and during the mud season (to avoid erosion). This also helps to protect the nearby wetlands from sedimentation.

Development cluster

A’

A

Ceremonial grounds

Specs

Wetu village

Parking:

24 development cluster spaces

24 south spaces

80 in south overflow Driveway: 300 feet Clearing: 3 acres New Trails: .6 miles Ceremonial Grounds: 1.5 acres

Overflow parking

Beaver pond

Spring 2013

The Conway School

From: Theresa S. Smith, Jill M. Fiore “Landscape as Narrative, Narrative as Landscape.” Studies in American Indian Literatures Volume 22, Number 4, Winter 2010

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Sucker Brook

West Brookfield, MA

“Seeing the land with a Native eye means learning to dwell in community. Safely travelling that land signals reclamation of identity in a natural world that can be described but never defined by directions and distance. And listening to that land teaches one to hear and eventually to retell the stories embedded therein.”

suitability study & master plan

The final design places development near Shea Road next to the rural residential neighborhood, maintaining contiguous undeveloped land to the west, adjacent to the state forest. The landscape tells a story of a dynamic historical and contemporary culture by highlighting natural fluctuating processes, embedding stories and events in the landscape, and blurring the line between managed and “wild” lands.

nipmuc community & Education center

summary

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

final design

Overflow parking

N A’ A

Ceremonial grounds Sucker Brook Flood Control Area

Property boundary

Bordering vegetated wetland

Development cluster

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Residential neighbors Property boundary

0’

100’

15/24

The outdoor classroom is a simple covered structure that can be used in inclement weather.

It is surrounded by a multi-layered forest garden and is oriented with a view to the east across the agricultural area, circular rain garden, and a seating area backed by shrubs that create a visual barrier from the parking.

An area of shrubs bordered to the east by a living willow fence provides edibles, crafting materials, and flowers. The shrubs also provide a visual barrier between the parking lot and a circular seating area that is within the agriculture area.

Bordering the agricultural area to the west is a multi-layered forest garden comprising trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. The forest garden provides edibles, medicinals, and crafting materials.

The vegetation is structured from lowest in the east to highest in the west, which helps to blur the line between the agricultural area and the lightly managed forest.

The .14-acre agriculture area is used as demonstration gardens and provides food for the resident and community; some produce and plants may be sold on site. Small paths through this area provide access to different gardens. To the northwest is a shed for gardening tools and a mower.

The mower is used for maintaining the ceremonial grounds, mowed paths, and leach field, which is north of the residence and infiltrates greywater during the winter months.

Kiosks are placed at major entrances to the trails to provide visitors with information about wayfinding and how the Nipmuc culture is represented in the landscape.

Wetus used for education are arranged in a semicircle bordering the beaver pond with a central area that can be used for crafting and canoe building.

The wetus are made of bent pine saplings and all the structures can be moved and arranged as the beaver pond rises and recedes. When the leaves are on the trees the location feels private and enclosed, even though it is close to the road and easily accessible.

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

A meandering forest path moves through an area planted with wild medicinal and edible shrubs and managed by coppicing for biomass. The path extends to the isolated wetland to support ecological education and has a boardwalk to maintain accessibility during heavy rains. The path has a view to the south from a raised log landing down to the wetus along the banks of the beaver pond. The log landing also provides school bus parking with access to the path, which provides an engaging entrance into the site.

As a car approaches the site along Shea Road, the first view is a glimpse of wetus and canoes along the banks of a beaver pond. Then a sign welcomes visitors at the bend in the road, directing them to continue onto the driveway. Views quickly open up to the west of the agricultural area, a central pond, and a large community building with a clear entrance in the east.

Spring 2013

The Conway School

The driveway uses the discontinued road and creates an entrance view of the community building and the agricultural area as a car turns into an unpaved parking lot. On the north side of the lot is a place to drop off passengers alongside an area with an entrance kiosk and seating. A rain garden, built along an existing trail, abuts the south end of the parking lot to minimize runoff into the isolated wetland. (If using the discontinued road turns out not to be feasible, then the driveway design from the freshwater alternative could be substituted.)

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Outdoor classroom

West Brookfield, MA

Community building Residence

The community building is oriented with views to the south of the central pond and agriculture. The building is entered from the east by the largest pedestrian pathway in the focus area, identifiable by a welcoming archway of bent saplings, stones on the sides of the path, and a large entry trellis. There is also an exit, with a smaller trellis, to the south for visitors and an entrance in the west for the resident and guests.

suitability study & master plan

Pathways that are 4’-6’ wide and barrier-free radiate out from the central pool water feature, which is fed by the filtered greywater of the buildings. The filtered water overflows from the pool into a planted runnel, which bisects the central path, to a circular rain garden, where water is collected for infiltration. The pond edge is raised above ground level so that the sides can act as seating and be utilized to educate about the use and processes of water. It can also act as a place to tell about the Nipmuc people’s relationship to water, which can be reinforced with sculptural elements such as a turtle with the characters of the creation story on its back in the pond’s center.

final design: Development cluster Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

The residence has a mowed gathering area to the south with a view of the agricultural area. To the north of the residence is a private deck and an open meadow, which is the leach field.

nipmuc community & Education center

The Nipmuc people’s relationship to water is central to the final design. The development cluster emphasizes the use of water and the relationship to the surrounding wetlands for purposes of education, beauty, and maintaining ecological functions.

N

16/24

Entrance view from the driveway to the development cluster.

A’ B

2

A

East-West Section

Outdoor Classroom

Circular rain garden

Entrance archway

0’

10’

20’

A’

1

Spring 2013

West Brookfield, MA

A

suitability study & master plan

B’’

nipmuc community & Education center

Entrance view From Shea Road to the wetu village at the edge of the beaver pond.

The Conway School

2

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

1

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

design illustrations

N

North-South Section Rain garden near isolated wetland B Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Circular rain garden

Central pond water feature

Community building

0’

10’

20’

17/24 B’

Community building

$1,552,500

sq.ft.

4500

$300

$1,350,000

$202,500

cost estimate & phasing

Residence building

$207,000

sq.ft.

900

$200

$180,000

$27,000

Long house

$57,500

sq.ft.

1000

$50

$50,000

$7,500

Outdoor classroom (arbor)

$27,600

sq.ft.

600

$40

$24,000

$3,600

$4,313

sq.ft.

150

$25

$3,750

$563

Parking lot - main (trap rock gravel)

$26,910

sq.ft.

7800

$3

$23,400

$3,510

Parking lot - south (trap rock gravel)

$26,910

sq.ft.

7800

$3

$23,400

$3,510

Gravel driveway on discontinued road (15' wide)

$15,525

linear ft.

300

$45

$13,500

$2,025

Gravel road to ceremonial grounds (8' wide)

$17,969

linear ft.

625

$25

$15,625

$2,344

Cut and chip trees (development cluster)

$8,970

acre

1.3

$6,000

$7,800

$1,170

Grub stumps and remove

$5,980

acre

1.3

$4,000

$5,200

$780

Rough grading

$2,990

acre

1.3

$2,000

$2,600

$390

$10,350

acre

1.5

$6,000

$9,000

$1,350

Grub stumps and remove

$6,900

acre

1.5

$4,000

$6,000

$900

Rough grading

$3,450

acre

1.5

$2,000

$3,000

$450

Community building

Cut and chip trees (south parking lot)

$2,070

acre

0.3

$6,000

$1,800

$270

Parking lot - main

$26,910

Grub stumps and remove

$1,380

acre

0.3

$4,000

$1,200

$180

$690

acre

0.3

$2,000

$600

$90

Gravel driveway on discontinued road

$15,525

Site preparation (development cluster)

$17,940

Septic tank and leach field

$46,000

lump sum

1

$40,000

$40,000

$6,000

Alternative greywater treatment system

$287,500

Well

$34,500

lump sum

1

$30,000

$30,000

$4,500

Utilities

$146,912

Electric

$27,600

linear foot

800

$30

$24,000

$3,600

$4,313

linear foot

150

$25

$3,750

$563

Outdoor lighting (development cluster)

$23,000

Propane tank

$23,000

lump sum

1

$20,000

$20,000

$3,000

Central pond water feature

$23,000

Water storage/catchment

$11,500

lump sum

1

$10,000

$10,000

$1,500

?

lump sum

$0

$0

Tool shed Infrastructure

Site Preparation

Cut and chip trees (ceremonial grounds)

Rough grading Utilities

Burying electric line

Renewable energy Amenities Welcoming street signs

This is an estimation of the elements and associated costs that are present in the final design. Costs can be lowered by using materials from on-site and volunteer labor from the community. The initial investment can be reduced by phasing the implementation, though the total project cost may be more expensive because the construction process is less efficient and costs may rise. The sample phasing plan below concentrates on developing the community building and focus area before the ceremonial grounds.

(Example does not account for the costs of design, permitting, grant preparation, and construction administration) Phase 1 - community building

Welcoming street signs Entrance archway Rain garden

$1,552,500

$2,300 $1,150 $31,050

$2,300

ea.

2

$1,000

$2,000

$300

$18,400

ea.

4

$4,000

$16,000

$2,400

Bench

$7,360

ea.

8

$800

$6,400

$960

Trash receptacle

$2,300

ea.

8

$250

$2,000

$300

Phase 2 - trails and agriculture

Picnic table

$6,900

ea.

8

$750

$6,000

$900

Trail signs

$1,840

ea.

8

$200

$1,600

$240

Residence building

Outdoor lighting (development cluster)

$23,000

lump sum

1

$20,000

$20,000

$3,000

Long house

$57,500

Outdoor lighting (south parking lot and trail)

$11,500

lump sum

1

$10,000

$10,000

$1,500

Outdoor classroom (arbor)

$27,600

Central pond water feature

$23,000

lump sum

1

$20,000

$20,000

$3,000

Tool shed

Composting toilet outhouse (ceremonial grounds)

$24,150

ea.

3

$7,000

$21,000

$3,150

$287,500

lump sum

1

$250,000

$250,000

$37,500

$1,150

ea.

1

$1,000

$1,000

$150

Accessible (granular stone about 4-6' width)

$57,500

linear foot

2500

$20

$50,000

$7,500

Natural paths (native soil about 3' width)

$12,880

linear foot

1400

$8

$11,200

$1,680

Boardwalk (4' wide)

$11,500

linear foot

40

$250

$10,000

$1,500

Foot bridge (4' wide)

$15,525

linear foot

30

$450

$13,500

$2,025

Kiosk

Alternative greywater treatment system Entrance archway Trails

TOTAL

$2,127,787

$207,000

$4,313

Kiosks

$18,400

Site Amenities

$18,400

Trails, bridges, and boardwalk

$97,405

Trees and shrubs

$32,200

Agriculture (amendments, compost, mulch) TOTAL

$10,350 $473,168

Landscaping Meadow planting

$6,900

acre

1.5

$4,000

$6,000

$900

$31,050

sq.ft.

1800

$15

$27,000

$4,050

Small tree

$3,450

ea.

20

$150

$3,000

$450

Large tree

$5,750

ea.

10

$500

$5,000

$750

Rain garden

Phase 3 - ceremonial grounds Site preparation (ceremonial grounds)

$20,700

Site preparation (south parking lot)

$4,140

Shrub

$23,000

ea.

500

$40

$20,000

$3,000

Meadow planting

$6,900

Agriculture (amendments, compost, mulch)

$10,350

sq.ft.

6000

$1.50

$9,000

$1,350

Parking lot - south

$26,910

Gravel road to ceremonial grounds

$17,969

Outdoor lighting (south parking lot and trail)

$11,500

Composting toilet outhouse (ceremonial grounds)

$24,150

Subtotal Sales tax @ 8% (exempt?)

Design, permitting, grant preparation, and construction administration @ 25% Total project cost

$2,713,224

$678,306 $3,391,530

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Spring 2013

CONTINGENCY @ 15%

The Conway School

SUBTOTAL

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

UNIT COST

West Brookfield, MA

QTY.

suitability study & master plan

UNIT

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

TOTAL ITEM COST

Buildings

nipmuc community & Education center

ELEMENT

TOTAL

$112,269

N

18/24

Rain gardens

(Adapted from: “Applied Ecological Services”, Inc., Brodhead, WI. http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/GWQ037.pdf)

botanical name full sun

common name

Human/Wildlife Value/Notes

height

Allium cernuum

nodding onion

edible

1'-2'

Asclepias incarnata

swamp milkweed

attracts pollinators

3'-5'

Aster novae-angliae

New England aster

attracts butterfies

3'-6'

Carex vulpinoidea

fox sedge

Iris versicolor

blue flag iris

Penstemon digitalis

foxglove penstemon

attracts pollinators

2'-3'

Vernonia novaboracensis

New York ironweed

attracts pollinators

7'

1'-3'

medicinal

4'-6'

black chokeberry

edible antioxident berries

3'-6'

Carex comosa

bottlebrush sedge

Cephalanthus occidentalis

button bush

shrub attracts butterflies

5'-12'

Eupatorium perfoliatum

boneset

history of medicinal use

3'-5'

Juncus torreyi

Torrey's rush

Lindera benzoin

spicebush

spicebush swallowtail

6'-12'

Lobelia siphilitica

great blue lobelia

tolerates dense shade

2'-3'

Monarda fistulosa

wild bee balm

medicinal/edible

2'-5'

Panicum virgatum

switch grass

attracts birds

3'-6'

Pycnanthemum virginianum

mountain mint

attracts pollinators

2'-3'

2'-4'

2'-3'

Edible Forest Garden (See sheet 24, “Precedents: Agroforestry & Edible Forest Gardens” for plant palette.)

Around Buildings and Parking Lot botanical name common name Between Agricultural Area and Parking lot

Human/Wildlife Value/ Notes

height

Ceanothus americana

New Jersey tea, red root

low shrub, medicinal

Arisaema triphyllum

Jack-in-the-pulpit

showy flowers

1'-2'

Comptonia peregrina

sweetfern

low shrub, medicinal

2'-3' 2'-3'

Campanula americana

tall bellflower

attracts humming birds

2'-5'

Kalmia latifolia

mountain laurel

evergreen

4'-15'

Carex grayi

bur sedge

2'-3'

Rhododendron maximum

rosebay rhododendron

evergreen

6'-10'

Carex lupulina

hop sedge

4'

Salix glabra 'Blackskin'

willow

basketry, living structures

6'-10'

Carpinus caroliniana

musclewood

20'-35'

Elymus virginica

Virginia wild rye

2.5'-4'

Amelanchier stolonifera

running serviceberry

edible berries

4'-5'

Eutrochium purpureum

Joe-pye weed

attracts pollinators

4'-8'

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

bearberry, kinnick-kinnick

smoking herb

6"-1'

Lobelia cardinalis

cardinal flower

attracts humming birds

2'-4'

Aronia melanocarpa

black chokeberry

shrub

4'-6'

Mertensia virginica

Virginia bluebells

showy flowers

18"-24"

Asclepias tuberosa

butterflyweed, pluerisy root

medicinal herb

1'-2.5'

Osmunda claytonia

interupted fern

3.5'-4'

Ceanothus americana

New Jersey tea, red root

medicinal herb

2'-3'

Phlox divaricata

woodland phlox

attacts hummingbirds

1'

Comptonia peregrina

sweetfern

medicinal herb

2'-3'

Sambucus canadensis

common elderberry

edible berries

5'-12'

Monarda didyma

scarlet beebalm, Oswego tea

2'-4'

Solidago flexicaulis

zig zag goldenrod

6"-1.5'

Between Parking lot and Driveway

medcinal herb

2'-8'

Acer pensylvanicum

striped maple, moosewood

nice fall color

15'-25'

6'-12'

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

hay-scented fern

aromatic, tolerates compaction

1'-3'

1'-3'

Sassafras albidum

sassafras

edible/medicinal leaves

30'-60'

Full to Partial Shade

purple-stemmed aster

Vaccinium corymbosum

highbush blueberry

Zizia aurea

golden Alexander

edible berries attracts butterflies

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Front of Community Building

West Brookfield, MA

purple angelica

Aronia melanocarpa

Leach Field (See sheet 20, “Planting Palette: Ceremonial Grounds” for “CenterMain Meadow” section of plant palette.)

suitability study & master plan

Angelica atropurpurea

Agricultural Area (Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, Squash)

nipmuc community & Education center

2'-3'

full to partial sun

Symphyotrichum puniceum

Spring 2013

willow-hedges.html

The Conway School

A living fence at the Botanical Gardens of Wales. From: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/living-

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

planting palette: Development cluster

The planting palette in the development cluster concentrates on plants that define spaces and have visual interest, while providing wildlife value and edible, medicinal, and craft resources when possible. A living willow fence, woven into the earth, acts as a visual screen between the parking lot and the agriculture area, and provides material for fine basketry. The shrubs on the west side of the willow fence frame a circular seating area and the agricultural area. A long rain garden that wraps around the southwest edge of the focus area buffers the parking lot and agricultural runoff from the isolated wetland.

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height

Agrostis scabra

rough bent grass

native, responds well to burning

6"-2'

Agrostis perrenans

autumn bent grass

native, responds well to burning

1'-2'

Anntenaria plantaginifolia

pussy-toes

spring blooming

6"-1'

Bouteloua curtipendula

sideoats gamma

clumping grass, but sod forming

1.5'-2.5'

Festuca ovina

sheep fescue

cannot tolertate a lot of burning

6"

Festuca rubra

creeping red fescue

cannot tolerate a lot of burning

1"-3"

Fragaria virginiana

wild strawberry

herbaceous groundcover

3"-6"

Monarda punctata

spotted bee balm

soft stemmed herb

6"-3'

Hedoma pulegioide

American pennyroyal

annual that self-sows

4"-12"

Juncus tenuis

path rush

can tolerate compactions

6"-24"

Potentilla canadensis

dwarf cinquefoil

herbaceous groundcover

2"-4"

Solidago nemoralis

gray goldenrod

soft stemmed herb

1.5'-2'

Trifolium repens

white clover

herbaceous groundcover

3"-6"

Clinopodium vulgare

wild basil

soft stemmed aromatic herb

10"-18"

Zizia aurea

golden Alexander

soft stemmed herb

1'-3'

Shady South Edge sedge, spreading groundcover

6"-1'

Carex appalachica

Appalachian sedge

from on site or plugs

6"-1'

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

hay-scented fern

colonizing fern

1'-3'

Tridens flava

purple-top

forms tufts

4'-6'

Andropogon gerardii

big bluestem

clumping grass

6'-7'

Pycnanthemum incanum

hoary mountain mint

tall aromatic herb

3'-6'

Aronia melanocarpa

black chokeberry

shrub

4'-6'

Ceanothus americana

New Jersey tea, red root

low shrub

2'-3'

Comptonia peregrina

sweetfern

low shrub

2'-3'

Eragrostis spectabilis

purple love grass

clumping grass

2'-5'

Lupinus perennus

sundial lupine

flowering

1'-2'

Panicum virgatum

switchgrass

clumping grass

3'-6'

Schizachyrium scoparium

little bluestem

clumping grass

2'-5'

Sorghastrum nutans

Indian grass

clumping grass

4'

Salix bebbiana

Bebb's willow

small tree, shrub, coppicing

up to 25' (if not coppiced)

Salix nigra

black willow

biomass, coppicing

over 100' (if not coppiced)

Sambucus canadensis

common elderberry

edible berries

8'-10'

Vaccinium corymbosum

highbush blueberry

edible berries

6'-12'

Avena sativa

oats

annual

1'-5'

Chamaecrista fasciculata

partridge pea

annual, nitrogen-fixer

6"-2'

Lolium multiflorum

annual rye

annual

2.5'

Triofolium repens

white clover

perennial groundcover

3"-6"

North & West Edges

A’

A

1'-2'

East Edge Bordering Wetland

first year cover crop

Meadow Species and Management

West edge plantings

Meadow in foreground & Long house in background

ANot for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

East edge shrubs bordering wetland 0’

50’

A’

The ceremonial grounds are 1.5 acres of grassy meadow that get mowed or burned once a year.

The central meadow plant selection features grasses, herbaceous ground covers, and a rush that can tolerate trampling once a year during large ceremonies like powwows or the Strawberry Moon Ceremony. These species colonize rather than form tufts, so the main meadow can be as smooth of a surface as possible for walking and dancing, but still be a functional and diverse habitat for early successional species. The meadow edge species are a mixture of short and clump-forming native grasses, sedges, herbaceous perennials, low shrubs, tall shrubs, and small trees that frame the meadow and progress in height up to the forest edge. Since the ceremonial grounds require clearing in the wetland buffer, appropriate and ecologically beneficial native shrubs can be planted on that edge that will also provide coppicing, berries, and wildlife value. Cover crops should be seeded in after clearing, grubbing, and discing of the meadow space. They will stabilize and enrich the soil and shade out weeds in preparation for the perennial species to be planted the following year.

West Brookfield, MA

Pennsylvania sedge

suitability study & master plan

hairbell

Carex pennsylvanica

nipmuc community & Education center

Campanula rotundifolia

Spring 2013

notes

The Conway School

common name

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

botanical name Center- Main Meadow

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

Planting palette: ceremonial grounds

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Geothermal

The project area is identified as having wind speeds less than 4 meters per second at a 30-meter height, making it unsuitable for a small wind project.

The U.S. Department of Energy (http:// www.windpoweringamerica.gov) designates “areas with good exposure to prevailing winds and annual average wind speeds around 4 meters per second and greater at a 30-m height... generally considered to have a suitable wind resource for small wind projects.”

The east side of the property is bordered by a neighboring resident and the west side by a wetland. The solar clearing map below is a rough estimate of the clearing needed (assuming an average of 80-foot-tall trees) to make photovoltaic suitable but fails to take into account topography due to a lack of data. More information is needed to properly assess the solar potential.

Another option is placing panels in the larger clearing of the ceremonial grounds or the Sucker Brook Flood Control Area with permission from the DCR.

A general estimate is that 1/2 cord of wood can be sustainably harvested from 1 acre of forest per year. After the implementation of the final design there will be about 7.6 acres of whitepine-dominated forest that are easily accessible, outside of wetland buffers, and not on slopes >15%. That would be about 3.8 cords of white pine a year which is equivalent to about 10 tons. The National Association of Conservation Districts (http://www. nacdnet.org) estimates 1 ton of dry wood = 1 MWH (megawatt hour) which would total about 10,000 KWH per year.

(White pine is not an ideal wood for stoves or fireplaces, due to creosote build-up in chimneys and stove-pipes.)

Using information from StreamStats (http://streamstats.usgs.gov/ massachusetts.html), the intermittent stream is estimated to have a low yearly flow rate of 3.1 GPM (gallons per minute) and a head (number of feet the water drops in elevation) of 40 feet over a length of 740 feet.

RockyHydros micro-hydro calculator (www.rockyhydro.com/Free_MicroHydro_Calculator.php) estimates that a micro-hydro system here would only produce 108 KWH (kilowatt hours) in a year and according to U.S. Energy Information Administration the average residential utility customer uses 11,280 kWh per year.

According to the National Institute of Building Sciences (http://www.wbdg. org/resources/geothermalheatpumps. php), “Geothermal heat pumps use 25% to 50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems. Relative to air-source heat pumps, they are quieter, last longer, need little maintenance, and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air.” Though there is some data about soils, more information is needed about depth to bedrock and the height of the water table to determine if geothermal is suitable.

Geothermal may be suitable for the property but has a higher initial investment than conventional heating/ cooling systems and requires constant energy input for pumping.

The intermittent stream drops 40’ in elevation over a length of 740’.

Wind speeds at 30m.

The proximity of wetland and property boundary prevent the optimal amount of clearing for photovoltaic.

After the implementation of the final design there are about 7.6 forested acres (outlined above) easily accessible, outside wetland buffers, and not on slopes >15%, that can be sustainably harvested.

The intermittent stream on the property is not substantial enough to make micro-hydro suitable.

Large commercial buildings and schools often use vertical systems because the land area required for horizontal loops would be prohibitive. Vertical loops are also used where the soil is too shallow for trenching, and they minimize the disturbance to existing landscaping. For a vertical system, holes (approximately four inches in diameter) are drilled about 20 feet apart and 100 to 400 feet deep. Into these holes go two pipes that are connected at the bottom with a U-bend to form a loop. The vertical loops are connected with horizontal pipe (i.e., manifold), placed in trenches, and connected to the heat pump in the building. (http://energy.gov/energysaver/ articles/geothermal-heat-pumps)

West Brookfield, MA

suitability study & master plan

The intermittent stream on the project area does not appear suitable for micro-hydro.

Spring 2013

MICRO-HYDRO

Using wood as a renewable energy source would be suitable for the site.

The Conway School

BIOMASS

The focus area may be too narrow to make photovoltaic panels suitable.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

SOLAR

The site does not appear suitable for wind energy.

nipmuc community & Education center

WIND

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

Renewable energy evaluation

N

21/24 Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

in gard

en Circular rain garden

Sustainable practices Other practices that can be implemented to help create a sustainable design that is adaptable to future global change.

GREEN ROOF • • • •

Moderates temperature extremes.

Provides habitat for flora and fauna.

Cools by transpiration.

Provides protection for roofing material.

PASSIVE SOLAR

• Creates comfortable well-lit building that needs less energy and money to maintain.

Shade

Reduces water use (by 20-50%).

Produces fertilizer.

Allows for a smaller leach field.

Does not rely on heavy machinery for pumping.

Is a simple technology.

SOLAR POWERED well PUMP • Is not at the mercy of the grid.

• Does not rely on fuel.

• Provides greater water security.

INSULATION & AIRTIGHT CONSTRUCTION • Reduces energy consumption.

COMPOSTING TOILET • • • • •

Long rain garden with walking paths on either side.

SHADE

• Keeps the building from overheating. Most important on the western side of the building when average temperatures are greater than 70º (May-September).

Passive solar

LOCAL AND NATURAL MATERIALS

• Maintains healthier indoor air.

• Minimizes transportation and manufacturing.

• Provides greater energy independence

SOLAR HOT WATER

N

• Is a simple technology.

• Does not rely on fuel.

Composting toilet

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Spring 2013

Long ra

The Conway School

Central pond water feature

West Brookfield, MA

Interior aerated lagoon and holding tank

suitability study & master plan

Metal grate

nipmuc community & Education center

The greywater from the buildings is filtered by an interior aerated lagoon before reaching a holding tank which flushes the water out once full either to a leach field (north of the resident building) or the central pond water feature (see image to right). The water that overflows from the pond enters a long planted rain garden bisected by a curving path of larger rocks that mimic the movement of water even when the pond is not overflowing. The long rain garden is bordered by stone curbs with breaks to allow in runoff from the walking paths and the agricultural area. Visitors can cross the rain garden on a metal grate and have a view of its length, from where the pond overflows to where the long rain garden lets out into a circular more heavily planted rain garden where the remaining water is absorbed into the earth.

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

alternative greywater treatment system

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Green Technology

Long planted rain garden with metal grate in plan view.

22/24

http://www2.aiatopten.org/hpb/overview.cfm?ProjectID=1691

Overview

“The Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) is a purposeful building and site, designed to clean water, return the clean water to the local systems, and educate users about the process. The decisions to use engineered biological wastewater treatment system technologies, renewable energy, and efficient building strategies are central to the mission of the organization. The decision to embrace those strategies, LEED Platinum certification, and the Living Building Challenge was approached without cost analysis—it was just the right thing to do.”

Indoor Environment

“Daylight, natural ventilation, and views are achieved through a system of operable, fixed, and solar-tracking fenestration. Operable windows are provided in each occupied space for both the health and enjoyment of guests, in addition to being part of the passive heating and cooling strategy for the building. Plants in the engineered biological wastewater treatment system remove carbon dioxide and other gases while producing oxygen—indoors and outdoors.”

These diagrams show the “layers of design,” that go into making a living building. From: http://www2.aiatopten.org/hpb/ overview.cfm?ProjectID=1691

“The OCSL facility is a showcase for salvaged materials and demonstrates how easily any building can take advantage of material reuse.”

WATER Annual water use: Estimated total water use per capita:

Harvested onsite: Rainwater cistern size: Collection strategies: Systems fed: Greywater: Systems fed: Blackwater: Systems fed:

16,476 gal 30 visitors/day for 231 days/year 6 visitors/day for 134 days/year 2.525 gal/visitor/yr 16,476 gal/yr (calculated) 16,476 gal 1,800 gal Rain, ground well Ground well: lavatories, drinking fountain, sinks Rain: toilets, washdown functions Eco Machine Dispersal field that recharges groundwater Eco Machine Dispersal field that recharges groundwater

West Brookfield, MA

week; and 350 visitors per week, 1 hour per visitor per week

Total project cost (excluding land): $2,800,000

suitability study & master plan

Materials

Rhinebeck, NY Building type(s): Interpretive Center, Laboratory Building Size: 6,200 ft2 (576 m2) Visitors: Typically occupied by 2 people, 20 hours per person per

nipmuc community & Education center

Biological wastewater treatment system, or a Eco Machine, inside the building.

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shjohns2/3766617139/

Water

“Water supply is provided directly from the groundwater via wells on campus.

Prior to construction, water was drawn from the wells, used for multiple human activities, then piped to a septic/leach field system. The new engineered biological wastewater treatment system now returns a higher quality of water back to the earth using natural systems that see our waste as food. Aerated lagoons, one component of the system, are on display for all to see, carrying gray water through the reclamation process.”

Spring 2013

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

A profile created by the American Institute of Architects

The Conway School

Omega center for sustainable living

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Precedents: a living building

N

ENERGY Annual Energy Use: Energy use intensity: Annual electricity generated:

Actual: 37,190 kWh/yr Simulated/designed: 48,460 kWh/yr 28.3 kWh/sq ft 38,994 kWh From: http://www2.aiatopten.org/hpb/overview.cfm?ProjectID=1691

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

23/24

“The Edible Forest Garden at Roger Williams Park demonstrates ecological urban landscape management and produces market-viable fruits, nuts, fuel, fiber and vegetables. The edible forest garden will grow to be a diverse, highly productive addition to the forested landscape in Roger Williams Park, and will meet the needs of humans and wildlife.”

Note: The hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) is the only plant on this list that should be strongly considered to be excluded from the Nipmuc Community and Education Center’s edible forest garden. It has been observed to be aggressive on a number of sites in Massachusetts, including a Trustees of Reservations site in Stockbridge.

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden Plant List_last updated August 22, 2012_short list Latin Name Actinidia arguta Amelanchier canadensis Asimina triloba Caragana arborescens Castanea dentata Corylus americana Fragaria virginiana Helianthus tuberosus Pycnanthemum muticum Sambucus canadensis Solidago odara Viburnum trilobum Achillea millefolium Allium canadense Apios americana Asparagus oficinalis Ceanothus americanus Diospyros virginiana Gaultheria procumbens Matteuccia struthiopteris Polygonatum pubescens Rheum spp.

Stachys affinis Stellaria media Symphytum officinale Urtica dioica Vaccinium corymbosum KEY:

Common Name Hardy Kiwifruit Juneberry / Shadbush Pawpaw Siberian Pea Shrub American Chestnut American Hazelnut Wild Strawberry Jerusalem artichoke Clustered Mountain Mint Common Elderberry Sweet Goldenrod Cranberry Viburnum

Type 0 -­‐ Vine 3 -­‐ Large shrub 2 -­‐ Small Tree 3 -­‐ Large shrub 1 -­‐ Large Tree 3 -­‐ Large shrub 7 -­‐ Groundcover 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 3 -­‐ Large shrub 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 3 -­‐ Large shrub

Mature Height

Mature Width

20'-­‐100' 6' 20'-­‐35' 8-­‐20' 75-­‐100'+ 6-­‐12' 4-­‐12" 6' 2-­‐3' 6-­‐12' 2-­‐4' 8-­‐10'

20'-­‐100' 9' 20'-­‐35' 12-­‐18' 50-­‐75' 6-­‐20' indef indef indef 6-­‐12' 2-­‐4' 8-­‐10'

Nativity Asia RI ENA ASIA ENA RI RI ENA RI ENA ENA RI

Yarrow Wild Garlic Ground nut Asparagus New Jersey tea American persimmon Wintergreen Ostrich fern Hairy Solomon's seal Rhubarb Chinese artichoke Chickweed Boneset Stinging nettle Highbush blueberry

6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 0 -­‐ Vine 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 1 -­‐ Large Tree 7 -­‐ Groundcover 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 5 -­‐ Tall herbaceous 6 -­‐ Small herbaceous 3 -­‐ Large shrub

18-­‐36" 6-­‐24" 4'-­‐8' 3-­‐5' 3-­‐4' 50'-­‐75' 2-­‐6" 2-­‐6' 1-­‐3' 3-­‐5' 1-­‐2' 6-­‐12" 3-­‐5' 1-­‐5' 6-­‐12'

indef 12" indef 18-­‐36" 3-­‐6' 35'-­‐50' indef indef 2'+ 3-­‐5' indef 1-­‐2' 3-­‐5' indef 6-­‐12'

EURA RI WNA EURA RI ENA RI RI RI ASIA ASIA EURA EURA RI RI N=NONE

EDIBILITY/ MEDICINAL

E=EXCELLENT

G=GOOD

F=FAIR

P=POOR

FUNCTION:

G=GENERALIST

S=SPECIALIST

Y=YES

N=NO

Not for construction. This drawing is part of a student project and is not based on a legal survey.

Edible Value

Medicinal Value

Nectary Value

E E E F E E E E

S S F S

G G G G S

G G

E E

S S

S G G G G G

E E

E S F G E G F None F E F E E E E

Y=YES

S=SUPER FOOD

G E E E E E E F E E E

Dynamic Accumulator

Coppice N Fixer

S F F

NA=NOT AVAILABLE

Yes Yes Yes

Moisture Mesic

Mesic Mesic Xeric, Mesic Mesic

Full sun to part shade Full to partial sun

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

G

G G

Light Full Sun Full to partial sun Full to partial sun Full Sun Full to partial sun Full Sun Full sun Full sun

Yes Yes Yes

Full to partial sun Full to partial sun Full sun Full sun Full to partial sun Full Sun Part to full shade Part to full shade Full sun Full sun Full sun Full to partial sun Full to partial sun Full to partial sun Full Sun

Xeric, Mesic Mesic Xeric, Hydric Mesic Mesic Xeric, Mesic

Xeric, Mesic Mesic

Mesic

Have 3 5 5 1 5 7 20 3 20 6 20 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

Total Needed

Priority

0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1

2012

First phase: Predominantly native understory thrives while canopy layer grows up in the Urban and Edible Forest 3 Garden at3Roger Williams Park.

3

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Spring 2013

The Conway School

The early seventeenth century northeast Native American diet was diverse and shifted seasonally.

A variety of land management strategies helped create an edible landscape, from planting agricultural crops to burning for wild fruit and nut trees, which also created good conditions for hunting.

Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design

Understanding the Historical Diet

“The Roger Williams Park Community Garden is a hub for on-site training on sustainable practices and gardening education. It features 12 teaching plots where...Master Gardeners (MGs) demonstrate a number of sustainable and organic gardening methods, including succession planting, Three Sisters, square foot and vertical gardening for small spaces. The garden also features a pollinator garden composed of native plants propagated through the Rhody Native Initiative, and 4 Children's Garden plots tended by URI Master Gardeners and utilized in youth programming.

West Brookfield, MA

From: http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc/urban_ag.html

suitability study & master plan

Community and Edible Forest Garden Urban Agriculture at Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI

nipmuc community & Education center

Anna Fialkoff & noah zimmerman

precedents: Agroforestry & edible forest gardens

2013

From: http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc/urban_ag.html Second phase: American chestnut, American persimmon, and pawpaw canopy layer thrives.

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