A Resilient Future for Thompson-Mazzarella Park by The Conway School

A Resilient Future for Thompson-Mazzarella Park: Strategies for Humans, Pollinators, and Educating Rhinebeckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next Generation of Climate Stewards

PREPARED FOR THE TOWN OF RHINEBECK BY ROBERT EASTMAN, BORIS KERZNER, AND CALEB NUSBAUM THE CONWAY SCHOOL SPRING 2020

A NOTE ON PLANT LANGUAGE Historically, the term “invasive” has often been used to describe species, especially plants, that are able to spread in an area outside their native ecosystem and deprive native species of resources. While this is certainly an issue, it is problematic to use such charged and anthropomorphizing language. In the context of the United States’ deep history of racism and xenophobia, using the term “invasive” perpetuates the idea of a homeland that must be protected from the other. Plants do not have an agenda to “invade”; they simply behave in accordance with their natural tendencies to seek resources and propagate their genes. In light of this, in this document the term “nonnative opportunistic” is used to describe these plant species.

Appendix A: Community Survey Results 30 Appendix B: Solar Energy in Thompson-Mazzarella Park 31 Works Cited 32

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Spring 2020 42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Language adapted from Stephanie Morningstar, Oneida, Turtle Clan & Co-Coordinator of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

We acknowledge that Thompson-Mazzarella Park occupies the traditional lands of the Sepasco. As a step towards reconciliation with the Indigenous nations of the Hudson Valley, we honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous people—past and present—who have stewarded it through the generations. This calls us to commit to a continual process of learning and improving our stewardship of the land we inhabit.

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Index

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Introduction & Goals Existing Conditions What is Climate Resilience? Why Design for Native Bees? Water and Where it Goes Slopes Sun & Shade Habitat: Forest Habitat: Meadows & Grasslands Non-native, Opportunistic Plants Wildlife Activity Access & Circulation Views Soils Park Maintenance Climate Change Analysis Resilient Strategies Pollinator Habitat Trees & Shade Community Garden Additions Stormwater Management Trail Enhancements Renewable Energy Natural Playscapes Regenerative Agriculture Design: Northeast Corner Design Detail: Northeast Corner Design: Pollinator Demonstration Garden Design Detail: Pollinator Demonstration Garden Design: Silvopasture Design: Accessible Woodland Trail

Index

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Most of the planning from the last two decades has focused on the built environment, such as buildings, ball fields, roads, and parking. Seeing the ecological potential of the park, Susan Sie, founder of Backyard to Table—an organization which aims to address food insecurity in the Hudson Valley— and a resident of the Town of Rhinebeck, reached out to the Conway School to help develop an ecological vision for the park focused on the unbuilt environment. Susan Sie is one of two primary contacts for this project; Josh Pulver, who sits on the town board, is the second one. Additional stakeholders include the Winnakee Land Trust, the Thompson-Mazzarella Park Development Committee, the Rhinebeck Climate Smart Community Task Force, Boatbuilders, and all the residents of the Town of Rhinebeck. Agriculture has occurred on land that is now the park for at least a century—aerial photos show it has been farmed since at least 1936 (Aerial Access, Dutchess County NY). For the past several decades, the owners of Scholldorf Farm, which abuts the park to the west, have been growing feed in the park—such as corn and hay—for their dairy herd. This dairy farm is the last one in Rhinebeck, down from more than thirty dairy farms operating in the 1960s (Bentley Scholldorf “The Dairyman”). The community treasures its agricultural heritage and does not want to introduce any changes to the park that would negatively impact the farm’s viability and income. Furthermore, without the management provided by the farmer, the open fields would soon transition to forest, as is typical of fallow fields in the region. If farming stopped, and if the Town wanted to preserve this area as open field, it would need to take on this maintenance. Allowable uses of the land specified in the conservation easement for the park, held by the Winnakee Land Trust, include active and passive recreation and agriculture.

A community garden was started in 2010.

SEPASCO NATIVE AMERICANS The earliest inhabitants of the northern Dutchess County region were the Mohicans, whose nation extended from northern Dutchess County to the southern tip of Lake Champlain, and from the Catskill Mountains to the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. The Mohican tribe was made up of many smaller communities, one of which was the Sepasco. Sepasco may have originated from the word sepuus, meaning little river or stream, and is believed to have referred to the Landsman Kill, which defines part of Thompson-Mazzarella Park’s eastern boundary.

An aerial photo from 1936 shows the vast majority of park as farmland. Approximate locations of archaeological sites 1 and 2 within Thompson-Mazzarella Park.

New York State Route 308, which borders the north of ThompsonMazzarella Park, was formerly a trail used by the Sepasco which extended from the Hudson River eastward, through modern-day Rhinebeck (then Sepasco or Sepascoot) to Sepasco Lake. This trail remained until 1802 when New York Route 308 was chartered. The estimated population of the Sepasco was 8,000 during the time of first contact with European settlers but only 800 are thought to have remained after the American Revolution, which ended in 1783.

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The land where the park is located has hosted humans for millenia. In 20062007, in response to a proposal for new facilities in the northeast portion of the park, Professor Christopher Lindner, Director of the Bard Archaeology Field School, performed an archaeological site evaluation of the park for the Town of Rhinebeck. The final report from 2008 is on file with the Town of Rhinebeck and the New York State Historic Preservation Office. The report documented multiple prehistoric sites in the park, the most significant of which (Site 2) is located just south of the existing community garden. Most of the artifacts at this site were dated to a span of a few centuries during the Vosburg phase (5,200 to 4,500 years ago). Items from subsequent time periods were also present on this site, but in significantly smaller quantities. The report notes that these “artifacts number among the highest counts of any site in the Hudson Valley from this period.” Changes which disturb the ground in any of the ten prehistoric sites should be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office. In a letter to the Town Board from 2016, the State Historic Preservation Office recommended that soil disturbances in Sites 1 and 2 not exceed eight inches in depth. If the community garden were expanded just south of its present location, raised beds might need to be used so as not to disturb the ground below eight inches (Michael Decola, pers. comm.). Furthermore, educational materials could highlight the extensive historical Native American presence in the park.

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The goal of this project is to develop an ecologically-informed vision for the park—with climate change projections in mind—that reflects the needs of both the community and the landscape in the coming decades. Particular focus should be paid to: 1. Increasing pollinator habitat in the park, 2. Exploring ways to increase shade in the park, 3. Considering the addition of educational materials, including the placement of signs, to educate the community about pollinators and other ecological matters, and 4. Assessing whether additional community garden plots are feasible given site conditions.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

In 1975, the Town of Rhinebeck received a donation of approximately fifteen acres just west of the Village of Rhinebeck and soon thereafter the Town built a library, a pool, and tennis courts on this land. This formed the northwestern nucleus of what is now Thompson-Mazzarella Park. In 2000, after a proposal to build a large mixed-use development on adjacent land caused an outcry, a multitude of stakeholders came together to purchase approximately seventy acres of this land to expand the park. A comprehensive planning process for the newly expanded park, with significant community input, followed. Some of the plans emerging from this process, such as walking trails, have been implemented, whereas others—such as a community center and additional ball fields—await funding. The park is conserved, and the local Winnakee Land Trust holds the conservation easement for the park. The conservation easement allows for the construction of one more building. A community garden was begun in 2010. In the last few years, the Town updated some of the roads and parking areas and built a trailhead pavilion with bathrooms and a concession stand.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Indigenous History

Goals

Introduction & Goals

Introduction

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Village of Rhinebeck West M a

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Library

Pool Parking Lot Basketball and Volleyball Courts

Community Garden Meadow

Playground Tennis Courts

Meadow/ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Great Lawn

Active recreation is concentrated in the northwest portion of the park. Much of the northeast portion is unused. The southern portion of the park is devoted to agricultural fields ringed with walking trails.

Survey question: Which park areas do you use?

Agricultural Fields/ Cultivated Grasslands

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Trails

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Ball fields/tennis courts

Existing Conditions

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Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground

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Community garden

Pool

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Starr Library

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Trailhead Pavilion and Rain Garden

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Baseball Field

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Lawn

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The park is approximately 86 acres and includes a mixture of community buildings, active recreation, passive recreation, and agricultural fields. Much of the park is open and sunny, with forest along the property boundaries. Buildings and active recreation are clustered in the northwest portion of the park with a library, a pool with ancillary buildings, a playground, a basketball court, volleyball courts, two pavilions with picnic tables, tennis courts, and a baseball field. The northeast portion of the park is less developed with a mostly flat area covered in lawn, a community garden, and a large meadow composed of grasses, forbs, and wildflowers. The southernmost portion of the park is devoted primarily to agriculture, with corn and hay being grown for the dairy herd of the abutting dairy farmer to the west. Walking trails ring the agricultural fields, forming the bulk of the walking trail system in the park. A recently built trailhead pavilion with bathrooms and a concession stand sits just north of the agricultural fields.

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Existing Conditions

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100-year floodplain 500-year floodplain

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

The effects of climate change are already being felt in the Hudson Valley and will intensify over the next century. By year 2100, the Hudson Valley is projected to experience increased air temperatures, precipitation, heat waves, and flooding (Figure 01). This change in weather patterns will have a profound effect on our environment including the hydrological cycle and vegetation. Increased flooding could threaten the agricultural fields in the southernmost portion of the park, which is within the floodplain of the Landsman Kill and Rhinebeck Kill (Figure 02). More intense storms may lead to power outages and an increase in stormwater runoff, which could lead to the pollution of waterbodies. Earlier springs and warmer temperatures are already affecting the bloom times of plants, which may no longer match the foraging pattern of pollinators (ex. bumble bees), exacerbating population

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declines already occuring due to pesticide use, habitat fragmentation, and agricultural mono-cropping (Figure 03), and this could affect the productivity of agricultural crops. Warmer temperatures are also projected to cause the native ranges of plants and wildlife to shift northward, introducing more southern species to the Hudson Valley with unknown consequences for the region’s ecosystems (Bellemare 74).

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Figure 01. Climate change projections for Dutchess County, New York. Annual air temperatures, days above 90 and 95 degrees, and frequency and duration of heat waves are all projected to increase significantly over the next century.

Climate resilience planning is ongoing in Rhinebeck. The Rhinebeck Climate Smart Task Force, formed by Mayor Bassett and the Rhinebeck Village Board, “is working to encourage, implement, and quantify the village’s efforts to address the climate crisis...by coordinating [their] participation in [New York] State’s Climate Smart Communities Program (CSC), which provides helpful tools and frameworks and opens [the town] up to the potential for greater State funding around...sustainability efforts” (“About Us”). This document, which aims to complement the work being done by the Climate Smart Task Force, focuses on the ecological and social aspects of climate resilience within Thompson-Mazzarella Park by assessing the ability of the park’s ecosystems to adapt to the future impacts of climate change. Thompson-Mazzarella Park, however, is part of a larger system that includes the town of Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck Village, the greater Hudson Valley, and the northeastern United States region.

Source: Hudson River Estuary Program

What is Climate Resilience?

According the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate resilience is the “capacity of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance, responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain their essential function, identity, and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation” (IPCC 5). In other words, climate resilience describes the capacity for socio-ecological systems to withstand and maintain their function in response to external stressors imposed by the impacts of climate change. For example, the ability to withstand flooding as the intensity and frequency of storms increases due to climate change.

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What is Climate Resilience?

Figure 03. The range of bumble bees native to Dutchess County including Bombus affinis (top left) and Bombus terricola (top right) have declined (Cameron et al 2011). The dash lined indicates their historical range and the green, their range today. The American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) (bottom) has likely been extirpated from much of its former northern range including Dutchess County.

Figure 02. FEMA identified 100- and 500-year floodplains cover the southernmost portions of Thompson-Mazzarella Park. The frequency and intensity of flooding in this area is expected to increase as the severity and frequency of storms increases.

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Osmia spp.

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Papilio spp.

Source: USDA

Sphingidae spp.

Syrphidae spp.

The number of insects has drastically declined since I was a child in the area, and we need to support many different native insect species. -Anonymous survey response

Trochilidae spp.

Formicidae spp.

Cantharidae spp.

Left and above left: pollinator taxa found in Dutchess County.

A mason bee nesting in a pithy stem.

Native bees need flowering plants for forage and varying habitat elements for nesting and rearing young. For example, mason bees (Osmia spp.) nest in pithy plant stems or dead wood, and mining bees (Andrena spp.) dig underground nests in bare soil, while leaf-cutter bees (Megachile spp.) use all of these nesting site types (Abramson et al 2020). A consequence of climate change is fragmentation of these habitats, leading to a decline in native bee populations. Specialist bees (those that feed on and pollinate a limited range of plants) are more susceptible to habitat fragmentation than generalist bees (Ashworth et al 2004). This means that selecting plants pollinated by specialist bees may have the highest ecological value in the face of habitat fragmentation. Generally speaking, to cover the needs of a wide range of native bee taxa, a site should contain bare soil, logs and standing snags, plants with pithy stems and/or man made bee boxes, and water to drink. Among organizations such as the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the consensus is that conserving or creating bee habitat with these elements will by extension expand habitat for other pollinator taxa as well. Therefore this plan set will focus on habitat for native bees with the assumption that other pollinator taxa can ride on their coattails.

A mining bee emerging from its nest.

A NOTE ON PESTICIDE USE: While pesticides are not used within Town-managed parts of Thompson-Mazzarella Park, community members reported that pesticides are seasonally used along Market Street just north of the park (circled in image at right). This should be investigated further as pesticides could be windblown into the park and harm pollinators. Communities across the U.S. have stopped the use of pesticides, such as the Village of Garden City in New York State, and the Town of Rhinebeck could explore this too, especially before implementing new pollinator habitat in Thompson-Mazzarella Park.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

sects:

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42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Yes

The vast majority of pollinating animals are insects, and these are also the majority of pollinator taxa found in Dutchess County; hummingbirds (Trochilidae spp.) are also present. In addition to being a critical element of natural ecosystems, pollinators are necessary for growing many human food crops. From a plant reproduction perspective, native bees are the most efficient pollinators because they exhibit flower constancy, meaning that they only visit one species of flowering plant per foraging trip, and are more efficient at pollinating native plants and some food crops than European honey bees.

Survey Question: Would you bring your children to the park to

Survey question: would learn about you bring your pollinators? children to the park to learn about pollinators?

Why Design for Native Bees?

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Water and Where it Goes

Hudson R iver

Hudson R iv

V V

The Hudson River has become warmer over the last 60 years; scientists have suggested a correlation between increased river temperature and a decrease in certain fish species such as tomcod and rainbow smelt (Scenic Hudson, 1).

A rain garden collects sheet runoff from the roof of the Trailhead Pavilion in Thompson-Mazzarella Park.

Figure 01. Thompson-Mazzarella Park is in the Landsman Kill watershed, a sub-basin of the Hudson River watershed.

In a paved area used for storage between the tennis courts and baseball fields, a four-inch diameter metal pipe directs stormwater through a tall, asphalt curb before it travels down a ridge, eventually reaching the Rhinebeck Kill. Dried sediment and detritus blocking the pipe indicate that during heavy rainfall, water may be pooling in this area before it has a chance to pass through the pipe. A bioswale in this area could capture and filter stormwater in place, removing pollutants and cooling the water before it reaches Rhinebeck Kill.

Spring Spring 20202020

V Figure 02. Drainage patterns in Thompson-Mazzarella Park.

Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, 42 Traver42Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572NY 12572

these streams, their wetlands, and eventually the Hudson River. Stormwater flowing over impervious surfaces such as roofs, roads, and sidewalks can carry car oil, salt, and other pollutants. Some of these pollutants may be deposited, together with the stormwater, into Landsman and Rhinebeck Kills. These pollutants, coupled with the fact that the stormwater may be hotter than the water in the Kills due to its having flowed over sun-warmed impervious surfaces, can harm aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers can also harm aquatic ecosystems. Whether or not the farmer is using pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer on the agricultural fields has yet to be confirmed. No pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers are used in the

Water Where it Goes Pageand Title Thompson-Mazzarella Thompson-Mazzarella Park Park

Designed by: Robert Eastman, Kerzner, and Caleb Nusbaum Designed by: Robert Eastman, BorisBoris Kerzner, and Caleb Nusbaum

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maintenance of vegetated areas north of the agricultural fields. The amount and intensity of rainfall in this region is expected to increase due to climate Thompson-Mazzarella Park sits at the confluence of two streams: Rhinebeck change (Climate Change in the Hudson Valley), so stormwater runoff may become a bigger issue in the future. Kill on the west and Landsman Kill on the east join just south of the park. The water then flows south for approximately one-and-a-half miles before The Town of Rhinebeck is water-rich—the average annual rainfall in it meets the Hudson River. Vegetated wetlands border the streams and Dutchess County is 51 inches (Climate Projections in the Hudson River their confluence. The park is part of the Hudson-Landsman Kill watershed (Figure 01). The EPA requires states to have management plans in place for Estuary). Storing and using this water for irrigation needs would utilize a free resource and provide a redundant backup for the municipal water supply polluted water bodies. The Hudson-Landsman Kill watershed contains no currently used to irrigate the community garden, thus enhancing resilience. water bodies requiring such a management plan (2016 Section 303(d) List Furthermore, municipal water—obtained from Hudson River surface water— of Impaired Waters). is pumped as part of its journey to the community garden. If the energy used The north to south slope of the park directs stormwater runoff towards both to pump the water is obtained from fossil fuels, then replacing a portion of the park’s water use with rainwater would lessen the park’s contribution to the Landsman and Rhinebeck Kills and their adjacent wetlands (Figure 02), climate change. so land use in the park has the potential to impact water quality in both of

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The park slopes downwards gently from north to south, with a high elevation of approximately 220 feet above sea level and a low elevation of approximately 120 feet above sea level. Most of the park sits on a ridge with steep downward slopes to the west and east (Figure 01). A gentler slope at the southern end of the ridge leads to a relatively flat section of the park nestled between the two perennial streams (Figure 02).

High Point +

Section A-A’

A slope >20% intersects walking trails.

Low Point +

B’

Figure 01. Thompson-Mazzarella Park sits on a ridge top with steep slopes dropping off to the west and east.

The approximate high point in the park is in the north; the approximate low point is in the south, near the confluence of Rhinebeck and Landsman Kills.

Section B-B’ A slope >20% intersects walking trails.

Figure 02. Gentler slopes define the park’s terrain from north to south, but some steep slopes intersect with walking trails, making them inaccessible to some.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

A’

Slopes

There are several sections of the trail network within the park with slopes that exceed 5%, the maximum slope allowable in ADA accessibility standards. In fact, some trail sections exceed 20% (Figure 01), making them inaccessible to some park visitors. Additionally, most of the trails within the park are not paved. Rerouting the trail network to traverse gentler slopes may make them more accessible, but regrading may be necessary in some locations.

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Slopes

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Community Garden

Pool P

Playground

Baseball Field

Trailhead Pavilion

A In 2019, a row of spruce trees that provided shade to the tennis courts was removed, exposing them to direct sun throughout the day. The trees were removed because their sap was damaging the playing surface of the tennis courts. This is one place where planting shade trees will have a high impact, by mitigating the heat island effect caused by the court surface and providing a cooler and safer environment for park visitors to play tennis. Replacing the row of spruces with deciduous trees that do not drop sap would provide shade in the summer, allow sun to reach the courts and melt ice in winter, and protect the playing surface of the tennis courts. While many deciduous trees drop leaves and seeds, they are easily swept away and would not cause permanent damage to the playing surface like sap does.

American basswood (Tilia americana), also known as the “bee tree,” is a fast growing shade tree that is prized by bees for its sweet nectar, and butterflies and moths for its leaves. Basswood also provides overwintering habitat for pollinators.

N 0 150 300

600 feet

One of the only shady places to rest in the park is under the Trailhead Pavilion, which has two benches.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Heat Island

Tennis

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Picnic Pavilions

Sun & Shade

According to climate change proSurvey question: would jections for the region, the number you use the park more if it had more shade? of heat waves and days above 90 degrees fahrenheit are expected to increase. Currently, Dutchess County, New York, experiences apYes - 80% No proximately 26 to 31 days per year when air temperatures exceed 90 degrees. If a northern red oak tree (Quercus rubra) were planted today, by the time it reached 60 feet tall in 2080, the number of days in a year that exceed 90 degrees will have more than doubled to 44 to 76 (Hudson River Estuary Program). More frequent and longer heat waves will cause drier conditions, placing stress on the park and region’s ecosystems and potentially altering their composition and function. High exposure to sun also makes a leisurely stroll through the park almost unbearable on the hottest days and can be dangerous for those participating in active recreation. Immediately planting shade trees–which can take decades to reach maturity–is crucial for mitigating the impacts of rising temperatures on the park’s ecosystems and to ensure comfortable and safe use of the park in the future. In the meantime, taking advantage of small patches of existing shade by making them inviting places to rest and gather could provide immediate relief.

Starr Library

Thompson-Mazzarella Park’s open, sunny conditions coupled a southern aspect make it an ideal site for solar power. Solar energy could reduce or potentially replace demand of less sustainable energy sources and could provide power if it goes out during a storm or other climate crisis. Installing solar panels on roofs or above parking lots take advantage of already developed areas, while solar panels installed in fields or cleared forest may disrupt wildlife habitat. Solar panels installed above parking lots have the added benefit of providing a shady area to park. See Appendix X for a break down of energy use in the park.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park is extremely sunny; while open, sunny conditions are ideal for agriculture and pollinator habitat, exposure to the sun is nearly unavoidable for visitors of the park, particularly when walking the trails. Figure 01 shows the intensity of the sun in kilowatts per hour on the summer solstice when the sun is at its strongest. Areas in red, which cover most of the park, experience the highest levels of solar radiation, or insolation. Except for the shaded woodland edges of the park and a couple of benches under the Trailhead Pavilion, there are very few places one can escape the intensity of the sun. The structures and paving in the north end of the park may also be contributing to a heat island effect, where the built environment contributes to a hotter air temperature when compared to rural or vegetated areas. Heat islands “increase summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water pollution” (“Heat Island Effects”). Planting large trees that will thrive in a warmer climate is one way to provide shade throughout the park that not only makes visiting the park a more comfortable experience but also provides habitat and forage for pollinators and sequesters atmospheric carbon, mitigating carbon’s contribution to climate change. Trees cast shade to the north and northeast, so they should be planted to the south-southwest of the desired shade location. Other strategies for cooling the park could include green roofs, and cool roofs and pavement that reflect sunlight and do not absorb heat.

SOLAR ENERGY

Sun & Shade

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UNDERSTORY The forest understory is composed of a diversity of native and non-native, opportunistic plants ranging from approximately three feet to twenty feet in height. Small trees reaching up to twenty feet, including oak (Quercus spp.), maple (Acer spp.), poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and beech (Fagus americana), are the tallest plants making up the understory layer. Wild

GROUNDCOVER The groundcover layer of the forest contains a high diversity of herbaceous, perennial plants both native and non-native. Although garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a non-native, opportunistic plant, has become the dominant species in some areas, many native species are prevalent including red trillium, trout lily, skunk cabbage, bloodroot, poison ivy, sensitive fern, wild geranium, and violets. Many of these plants are spring ephemerals, adapted to bloom in early spring when the bare trees of winter allow enough light to reach the forest floor. Native spring ephemerals blossoms provide a nutrient-rich source of nectar in early spring before many other plants have yet to emerge from dormancy.

TMMP

CONNECTIVITY Contiguous forest not only provides habitat for wildlife with large ranges, but also plays an important role in the migration of plants and wildlife in the face of climate change. Human development has severely fragmented habitats throughout the world, altering the function of ecosystems and threatening biodiversity by isolating plants and wildlife. The patch of forest found within and around the park is small, less than 100 acres, but acts as a connection to two >1000 acre forest patches in Rhinebeck (Reinmann 24). Strengthening the park’s connection to these larger patches of forest by preserving and expanding the current forest could make it more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Trail signs along forested trails could educate park visitors about how the park’s landscape fits into regional ecosystems.

Figure 02. Thompson-Mazzarella Park’s forest provides a connection between larger patches of forest in Rhinebeck (Significant Habitats in Rhinebeck” 24).

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Figure 01. Major habitat types in and surrounding Thompson-Mazzarella Park. Adapted from Significant Habitats in Rhinebeck, p. 17). Deciduous forest shown in dark green.

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Thompson-Mazzarella Park

The overstory is approximately 60 to 70 feet in height and is composed of a high diversity of mature, native trees including a variety of oaks (Quercus spp.), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), beech (Fagus grandifolia), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) among others. While no particular tree species is dominant throughout the park, there is localized dominance, including a mix of northern red oaks (Quercus rubrum) and a stand of tulip poplar along the western edge of the park, and American beech (Fagus grandifolia) along the eastern edge. Although the forest’s trees are mostly native, tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), a non-native, opportunistic tree, is pervasive. Native oak trees, prized by moths and butterflies, provide winter shelter and habitat for more than 500 species of pollinators (“Why Native Plants Matter”). Their flowers also provide early spring forage and acorns provide a nutrient-rich food source for wildlife. The fleshy fruit of sassafras (Sassafras albidum) are a valuable food source for some mammals, including bear, fox, and opossum (Martin, 7). Preserving the forest would not only benefit pollinators and wildlife, but the large trees that compose it also sequester carbon–a major greenhouse gas contributing to climate change–and provide shade, cooling the park, its bordering streams, and the people who visit it.

Understory trees and shrubs are important for pollinators and other wildlife because they provide forage and habitat. For example, elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) flowers are buzzing with bees and other pollinators midsummer; nutritious berries feed birds and small mammals; and the woody, hollow stems left behind at season’s end provide winter habitat for solitary bees. Thickets of thorny shrubs and vines also provide cover and escape for wildlife.

OVERSTORY

Stream Open Water Upland Hardwood Forest Upland Meadow/Grassland Wet Meadow Calcareous Wet Meadow Marsh Vernal Pool Managed Turf Upland Mixed Forest Red Cedar Woodland Waste Ground

A continuous stretch of mixed, deciduous forest–shown in dark green in Figure 01–wraps around most of Thompson-Mazzarella Park, except for the north-northwest corner where the forest becomes fragmented and opens to agricultural land to the west. The mature forest, which contains some trees with diameters reaching 3.5 feet, is located along the sides of a ridge upon which the park sits; it is likely that these sloped sides–which exceed 25% in some areas–were historically too steep tobuild on or use for agriculture, leading to the forest’s preservation and the resulting old growth present today. This forest offers substantial ecological value to the park and surrounding region, including carbon sequestration, habitat and forage for pollinators and other wildlife, shade, and a sense of refuge for visitors to the park.

species of apple (Malus spp.) are also prevalent. Along the western perimeter of the park, the understory is composed of a moderately-dense shrub layer dominated by native spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and other shadetolerant shrubs that are non-native opportunistic plants such as morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), common Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). The forest understory on the eastern side of the park predominantly consists of a dense patch of beech saplings. The forest understory of the southernmost forest includes a high diversity of small trees and shrubs suited to wetter conditions such as sassafras (Sassafras albidum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). The forest edges throughout the park, where conditions are sunnier, the understory transitions to a thicket of multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Japanese bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), and brambles (Rhus spp.).

Habitat: Upland Forest

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BEST MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR HAYFIELDS: • Approach 1: Cut only once annually and as late as possible, but before the first frost in order to get one crop of hay. • Approach 2: Cut after all ground-nesting birds have fledged their young. Mid-July will allow the majority of birds to fledge their young, although late nesting or re-nesting birds may not have fledged young by this time. Fields may be cut earlier in the season if no nesting birds are present. Managers and/or regional ecologists should walk the fields to determine nesting status. • Approach 3a: Set aside 50% of the field from cutting until mid-July, or until the field is clear of birds. The unrestricted half can be cut anytime. Second cuttings could take place at the farmer’s discretion on both the restricted and unrestricted halves. • Approach 3b: Set aside 25% of the field from cutting until mid-July or until bird nesting is complete and continue as described in Approach 3a. • Approach 4: In some cases (as with certain small fields), fields may not support species that are affected by early cutting and hay can be cut at any time. However, the fields should be monitored for grassland birds annually and managed accordingly if they are present. It is also important to note that several animals (e.g., wild turkeys, snakes, and butterflies) may use the tall grass in smaller fields for cover or food and will therefore be affected by early cutting.

Figure 02. Succession of meadow to forest.

BEST MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR MOWED FIELDS: Mowed fields are non-agricultural grasslands or meadows being maintained by mowing. • Mow as little as possible; mowing once every 1 to 3 years will maintain critical habitat and keep the establishment of woody or non-native, opportunisitc plants at bay. • When mowing, leave a minimum of 8 to 10 inches of grass to provide habitat for small mammals and pollinators such as butterflies. • Mow only a portion of fields on a rotating schedule to keep woody and non-native, opportunistic plants in check. Unmowed portions will benefit butterflies by providing flowers for adult butterflies throughout the growing season as well as allowing larvae and pupae time to develop.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Spring 2020

Figure 01. Major habitat types in and surrounding ThompsonMazzarella Park. Adapted from Significant Habitats in Rhinebeck, p. 17). Meadows and cultivated grasslands are shown in light yellow.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Grasslands are critical yet threatened habitat for pollinators and many other wildlife, including ground-nesting birds like bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), which “require taller grasses like those grown in hayfields” (The Trustees of Reservations 2). Cool season grasses and forbs flower early in the year before many wildflowers bloom, providing vital, early-season forage for pollinators. Grasses also provide cover for ground-nesting birds and their seeds provide a food source for many other types of birds. Some species, like the upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), whose breeding range includes the Hudson Valley, require up to 100 acres per breeding pair (“The Trustees of Reservations 2). With the decline of agriculture in the northeast and across the country, grasslands have given way to forest and have been fragmented by increased development and changes in land use. Agriculture plays a critical role in managing and maintaining the grasslands; without regular cultivation, mowing, or other disturbances, grasslands undergo a natural process called succession, or the change in species composition of

Cultivated Grasslands

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

The grasslands in Thompson-Mazzarella Park, when not being cultivated for corn, are predominantly composed of European, cool-season grasses and forbs and wildflowers typically found in agricultural fields including: • sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) • alfalfa (Medicago spp.) • white clover (Trifolium repens) • dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) • bitter wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) • bedstraw (Galium aparine) • goldenrod (Solidago spp.) • ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), and • artemisia (Artemisia vulgaris).

However, certain agricultural practices such as cultivation and mowing at the wrong time can be disruptive to the life cycles of pollinators and wildlife. The adverse effects of pesticides and herbicides on pollinators is well documented but certain fungicides, which are often applied to crops such as fruit trees and corn, are also “emerging as being harmful to bee health” by increasing bee mortality and altering foraging behavior (“Fungicide”). Additionally, fertilizers and other chemicals applied to farm fields can be picked up by stormwater, end up in streams and wetlands, and potentially cause eutrophication, the process by which excessive nutrients cause an overgrowth of algae, resulting in oxygen depletion and the die off of aquatic life. The following guidelines, published by the Trustees of Reservations in a report titled Ecological Management of Grasslands: Guidelines for Managers, provide a framework for managing grasslands sensitive to the needs of pollinators and ground-nesting birds.

Meadows

In the southern end of Thompson-Mazzarella Park, a network of walking trails surrounds open, sunny meadows and grasslands used on a rotational basis for cultivation of corn and hay for the dairy farm that neighbors the park to the west. Walking along the trails, visitors have expansive views of rolling hills and open, blue sky. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius spp.), butterflies, moths, and bees flutter across fields of grasses, forbs, and wildflowers foraging for seeds and nectar. Meadows and grasslands are similar yet distinct types of habitat defined by the composition of the plants they support; meadows tend to be open fields vegetated by grasses, wildflower, and other herbaceous plants while grasslands are composed of mostly grasses and grass-like species. While there are two meadows in the northern section of the park, where a community center and ball fields were proposed in the previous park master plan, most of the park is covered in cultivated grasslands (Figure 01).The two terms are used interchangeably in this section.

an ecological community over time. As grasslands mature, sun-loving woody plants like shrubs and trees begin to establish, eventually transforming grasslands to forest (Figure 02). In Thompson-Mazzarella Park, the active cultivation of open space not only preserves grasslands but also prevents non-native, opportunistic plants from establishing and ultimately diminishing the biodiversity of plants and animals that these grasslands currently support.

Stream Open Water Upland Hardwood Forest Upland Meadow/Grassland Wet Meadow Calcareous Wet Meadow Marsh Vernal Pool Managed Turf Upland Mixed Forest Red Cedar Woodland Waste Ground

Habitat: Meadows & Grasslands

Habitat: Meadows & Cultivated Grasslands

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BIODIVERSITY & CLIMATE CHANGE Ecosystems with higher amounts of biodiversity are more resilient in the face of climate change. The ability of non-native, opportunistic plants to spread and reproduce quickly makes them highly competitive against native

Although non-native, opportunistic plants pose a threat to biodiversity, they offer significant ecological value in some cases. For example, the flowers of multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), which is found throughout the park, provide nectar to pollinators; the persistent, fleshy rose hips feed wildlife even into the winter; and the thorny, dense coverage its form provides cover and escape for small mammals and birds. If multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) were to be removed from the park, a selection of native plants that fulfills each of these functions would be necessary to replace the ecological value it provides. A plan for managing non-native, opportunistic plants in the park should include an in-depth habitat assessment and inventory of the functions plants targeted for removal offer. CHEMICAL VS. NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL The use of chemicals such as glyphosate (commercially available as Roundup) and aminomethlyphophonic acid (AMPA) is the prevalent method for managing non-native, opportunistic plants because “it is always more labor-efficient (hence cost-effective) than manual or mechanical control, and often more successful, at least in the short term” (Travis 3). However, the environmental and human health costs of herbicide use are well documented. Glyphosate, in particular, has been found to alter bees’ gut

microbiota, making them more susceptible to infection by opportunistic pathogens, leading to population decline. Through a process called pesticide or herbicide drift, the unintentional diffusion of herbicides to non-target plants, soil and waterbodies, glyphosate and other herbicides are known to contaminate crops, processed foods, livestock feed, altering ecosystems and causing health problems in humans (Travis 4). Even with the use of herbicides, successful eradication of non-native, opportunistic plants can take several years, just as with mechanical methods which can be just as successful as management with chemicals. Both methods require a longterm, multi-year commitment to removal of undesired plants, restoration of native plants, and monitoring to prevent future establishment of nonnative, opportunists (Travis 4). Because Thompson-Mazzarella Park already contains significant valuable habitat for pollinators and wildlife, chemical control of non-native plants is not recommended. However, if herbicides are used, a management plan should be in place before future efforts to increase pollinator habitat in the park are undertaken. For more information about non-chemical control methods, please refer to Hudsonia Ltd.’s report Best Management Practices for Priority Invasive Plants in the Lower Hudson Valley, referenced in Works Cited on sheet 32.

Spring 2020 42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Despite the high abundance and diversity of non-native, opportunistic plants in the park, there is also a high abundance of native plants, especially in the park’s forest (see sheet 9), including northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and elderberry (Sambucus americana). These plants would be good selections for future planting or native restoration of forests in the park. Because the park’s forests closely resemble native habitat, there is a better chance of success in native restoration (Travis 2). However, because the forest is located on a steep slope, making access difficult, and includes wetlands, the removal of non-native plants will be costly and require special permitting from the Rhinebeck Conservation Commission.

ECOLOGICAL VALUE

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), is a non-native, opportunistic tree found widespread throughout ThompsonMazzarella Park, particularly along woodland edges and other open, sunny areas such as the parking lot and patches of shrubby vegetation that divide the southern agricultural fields.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morowii) Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) Mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata)

Dense coverage of multiflora rose, bittersweet, Morrow’s honeysuckle and tree of heaven.

• • • • • • • •

In Thompson-Mazzarella Park, there is a medium to high abundance of non-native, opportunistic plants growing along the perimeter of the park, in its forests and forest edges (Figure 01). The forest edge, which is sunny and escapes mowing by protection of trees, has the highest abundance and diversity of non-native, opportunistic species than anywhere else in the park. This includes some shrubby thickets in the center of the park that are almost entirely composed of non-native, opportunists plants (Figure 02). Most of the park, which is covered by grasslands and meadows, has a low abundance of invasive species due to regular cultivation and mowing of the agricultural fields and meadows, which prevents them from spreading as aggressively. The following non-native, opportunistic species were observed in abundance within the park:

species for space and resources, forming spreading patches so dense they become almost a monoculture. In some cases, they not only threaten native plants through competition, but can also change “soil chemistry, soil microbiota, nutrient cycling, vegetation structure, or plant community composition of native habitat...making their environment more friendly to themselves” (Travis 2). This poses a threat to pollinators because some depend on particular native plant species–or host plants–to lay their eggs. One of the most well known examples of this phenomenon is the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), which requires milkweed (Asclepias spp.) to lay its eggs. If native plants that pollinators have co-evolved with disappear, so too will the pollinators and those that depend on them, including humans. The dramatic decline in bee populations over the past several years due to agricultural mono-cropping and pesticide use illustrates this point well. Human food systems rely on bees to pollinate most agricultural crops and without them, the entirety of our global food system is in jeopardy of collapsing. This is only one example of the many ecological services provided by the environment upon which human economies depend. Global warming already threatens the survival of many native plant species that are not adapted to warmer temperatures or drought, or may be prevented by habitat fragmentation from migrating as their ranges shift. Together with the threat of invasive species, “rapid climate change is predicted to be one of the top threats to biodiversity in the 21st century” (Bellemare 73).

Non-native Opportunistic Plants

Non-native, opportunistic plants are whose introduction in a landscape “causes or has the potential to cause harm to the environment, economy or human health” (“Invasive Species”). These species are opportunistic in the sense that they spread quickly and aggressively because they reproduce rapidly and lack natural predators that keep them in check, as they would in their native environments.

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Non-native, Opportunistic Plants

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It is likely that animals are using the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wooded areas as a travel corridor. Expanding forested area in the park could enhance travel corridor activity (Lattrell, pers. comm.). At a shorter timescale, installing educational features highlighting these wildlife species could help to demonstrate the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s habitat value to the public.

Hairy woodpecker resting near the forest floor

Coyote nocturnally active.

WILDLIFE DOCUMENTED BY CAMERA LOCATION Location 1: Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Hairy woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) Coyote (Canis latrans) Several unknown songbird species Location 2:

White-tailed deer seen diurnally and nocturnally active.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Coyote (Canis latrans)

Wildlife cameras active in three locations in the park from May 15 to May 30, 2020, recorded evidence that Thompson-Mazzarella park supports a diversity of avian and mammalian fauna. A small number of reptiles were also documented. Some representative photos are included.

Spring 2020

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Wildlife Activity

Family of Canada geese.

Cameras placed by Scout Pronto Breslin.

Turtles basking on an exposed log.

Great blue heron, likely hunting for aquatic prey.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

River otter with unknown prey.

Wildlife Activity

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Turtles (Emydidae - unknown species) Several unknown songbird species

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Location 3:

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V Benches along the trails are few and far between.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

V V Some community members report that the benches near the playground are not comfortable to sit on.

Access & Circulation

V V

Left: the mowed area to the north of the pool. Right: the mowed area to the south of the pool. Some community meeting attendees and survey respondents indicated that they use these areas for sunbathing.

V V V

A sidewalk along West Market Street connects the Village of Rhinebeck to the park and a sidewalk lines Traver Lane between the park entrance and the main parking lot. The sidewalk ends there, however, and there are few safe, pedestrian-friendly options for accessing the playground and ball fields beyond. As a result, visitors to the playground and ball fields may choose to drive instead of walk. Improving walkability in the park could decrease carbon emmissions released by cars in the park. Pedestrians circulate through the northern built portion of the park on sidewalks and street crossings. The lawn areas are open to visitors and sometimes these are used for recreation as well (according to the results of a survey distributed in spring 2020). In particular, community members indicated that they like to set up towels and sunbathe on the mowed areas to the north and south of the pool. Around the agricultural fields are a series of 10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; wide mowed trails that provide pedestrian access to the rest of the park. These trails provide a boundary between the fields and woodlands and have amenities (benches, dog waste containers) spaced along them. The southernmost trail loop is on less well-draining soil and sometimes has wet spots, perhaps resulting in its lighter foot traffic. There are some desire paths branching off the trails into the woodlands, reflecting park visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desire for views of the surrounding landscape, including farms and the Landsman and Rhinebeck Kills. Views are discussed in more detail on the following page.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Car circulation is restricted to the northern section of the park. There are several parking areas in a ring around Starr Library and a parking lot between the community garden and pool, with plans to build more pariing in the future. Despite ample parking, it does not always provide easy access to the facilities within the park. Cars occasionally drive onto the grass south of the community garden to drop off garden supplies. The limited parking around the library means visitors have to park in the main lot in the center of the park and walk uphill to get to the library. The only vehicle traffic in the southern portions of the park is regular mowing of the trails in summer and an informal path for the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tractor to access the fields; this portion has no asphalt infrastructure.

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Access & Circulation

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88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Views The parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topography significantly shapes its views. Owing to the north-south slope, the longest views are looking south. Where vegetation is low, it is possible to see a large portion of the park looking south, while the rows of mature trees separating the fields block views beyond them. Looking in the opposite direction, the topography tends to truncate south to north views. The dense woodlands on the perimeter tend to block views into and out of the park, lending the park a feel of privacy and distinction from surrounding properties. Some survey respondents expressed interest in views to the kills and wetlands within the park, and expanded views of the farms and Catskills to the west.

Spring 2020 42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Views

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Currently park maintenance is performed by a few Town employees, whose methods vary throughout the seasons. The most intense maintenance period is from late April to mid-October, when mowing is done on a weekly basis. This includes larger mowed areas in the north portion, the area around the Trailhead Pavilion, and the trails around the fields. The ball fields are raked and scuffed for weeds by hand, and mulched with a mower every spring. The woodland trails are not heavily maintainedâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;live trees are not touched and dead trees are only removed if they fall on the trail. No pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer are used in any park maintenance process. However, whether the farmer is using one or more of these in his cornfields is unknown. There are currently no maintenance practices specifically to address nonnative opportunistic plant species (discussed in more detail in on sheet 11). Maintenance of the agricultural fields is the purview of the farmer rather than the Town. If that land is used for a purpose other than private agriculture in the future this would increase the land area that the Town is responsible for maintaining.

Excepting the southernmost field, the soils of the fields would likely be able to support alternative forms of agriculture. Additionally, most of the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soil area (that covered by Dutchess-Cardigan, Haven, and Knickerbocker) would be suitable for additional community garden plots.

Fall and winter maintenance is minimal, with only some raking of leaves and plowing of parking areas. Agricultural fields, sports fields, and trails are not used in the winter.

Spring/Summer Maintenance in Thompson-Mazzarella Park Regular mowing (approx. weekly) Regular flail mowing Occasional flail mowing

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Five soil types are present in the park. Three of these, Dutchess-Cardigan, Haven, and Knickerbocker, are classified as prime farmland in their natural state, and are well-drained. The Raynham silt loam in the southern field is less well-draining but is considered prime farmland if intentionally drained. The steeper slopes on the edges of the park are Wayland silt loam. Wayland silt loam is a hydric soil, meaning that it is saturated with water for long enough to develop anaerobic conditionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a key trait of wetlands. This soil is not prime farmland.

Spring 2020

Park Maintenance

Soils

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Soils; Maintenance

Hand-scuffing

Note: Soil testing was not available during the time frame of this project, so this information is based only on existing soil survey data, which may not be accurate at a fine scale. Soil tests should be part of any future planting efforts in the park.

The northern lawn is mowed regularly.

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A major climate-resilient asset of the park is its areas of diverse, mature forest. These forests support a diversity of wildlife, sequester carbon, and cool their surroundings through shading and evapotranspiration. Restoring a portion of the fields to forest would bolster these effects.

Data from Hudson River Estuary Program. CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLLINATOR GARDENS Climate change has led to changes in the phenology (seasonal timing of life history events) of some flowering plants (Richardson et al 2013). For example, flower emergence of apple trees (Malus spp.) has advanced by up to one week in the Northeastern U.S. (Wolfe et al 2005). If the phenologies of flowering plants become out of sync with their pollinatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; life cycles, this can lead to plant-pollinator mismatch (Forrest 2014). This is a loss to both parties, with plants producing fewer seeds and pollinators getting less food. However, high plant biodiversity has been shown to buffer this effect. The more diversity of plant phenologies an area has, the smaller the effect on pollinators of a phenological shift in one or some plant species. This is in line with the pollinator garden design practice of including plants with a range of bloom times. Pollinator demonstration gardens in Thompson-Mazzarella Park could demonstrate to visitors how to support pollinators as the climate shifts, and encourage them to create similar habitat on their own properties. They would also benefit insect-pollinated plants in the community garden.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Extreme temperatures have detrimental effects on corn yields; models estimate that with every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature corn yields may decrease by as much as 10% (Hatfield and Dold 2018). This could destabilize the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing dairy farming model in the coming decades.

Climate Change Analysis

More frequent and intense storms also increase stress on power grids. Faced with the high likelihood of more frequent power outages, it would be advantageous for Thompson-Mazzarella park to partially or fully transition to onsiterenewable power generation. The north section of the park is well-suited to solar power due to its north to south sloping topography, full sun exposure, and concentration of building roofs.

Climate change is also predicted to cause more frequent and intense storms. Higher precipitation in Thompson-Mazzarella Park may increase runoff into the Landsman and Rhinebeck Kills and their nearby wetlands.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

In Dutchess County, the Hudson River Estuary Program predicts more frequent days of extreme heat and more frequent and longer heat waves as a result of climate change. This will only increase Rhinebeck residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need for shaded outdoor gathering spaces, which Thompson-Mazzarella Park is currently lacking. Heat islands in the developed portions of the park may discourage park use if there is not enough shade for park users to move to.

Spring 2020

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Climate Change Summary Analysis

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Managing stormwater runoff through green infrastructure and rainwater catchment can help improve the water quality of the Rhinebeck and Landsman Kills and the Hudson River by filtering, cleaning, and cooling water before it reaches these waterbodies. Rainwater catchment systems can be used to irrigate the community garden and reduce demand on groundwater aquifers.

RENEWABLE ENERGY Harnessing the sunny conditions of the park, solar panels could be installed above parking lots to provide shade or on building rooftops, providing the energy needed to power the park.

TREES & SHADE Planting trees throughout the park could increase shade, provide habitat and forage for pollinators, sequester carbon, or increase food production.

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

NATURAL PLAYSCAPES

Regenerative agriculture preserves the agricultural heritage of the park while incorporating practices that build soil health, such as silvopasture.

Natural play areas foster an early connection between children and the landscape, promote creative and imaginative play, and are low cost to install.

Spring 2020

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Installing accessible trails within the park could open the southern end of the park to a diversity of visitors; provide viewpoints of landscape features currently hidden from view such as the Landsman Kill or the mountains to the west of the park; and beautify the park entrance. Accessible trails increase social resilience by ensuring that all park visitors, regardless of physical ability, are able to enjoy this important community resource. Signage could educate visitors about the ecology and habitats found within and surrounding the park.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Pollinator habitat can take different forms including demonstration gardens, artificial habitat like bee houses, wildflower meadows, and pollinator strips. Providing habitat for declining populations of pollinators can increase agricultural productivity, provide scenic views, and educate visitors on the importance of pollinators and the detrimental effects of using pesticides.

TRAIL ENHANCEMENTS & SIGNAGE

Resilient Strategies

POLLINATOR HABITAT

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Resilient Strategies Toolkit

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MEADOWS Pollinator meadows can be established intentionally using seed mixes that mimic native plant communities found in a region. Pollinator meadows provide forage to pollinators, and native grasses should be included as nesting and overwintering habitat for insects as well. Despite the name, pollinator meadows need not take up as much land area as is usually associated with a meadow. They can also be installed in smaller areas like yards and roadsides (Lee-Mäder et al 2013). Seldom-used grassy areas in Thompson-Mazzarella Park could accommodate pollinator meadows. Establishing a pollinator meadow is fairly maintenance-intensive. First existing plants must be removed before the native seed mix is spread. Once the seed mix is in the soil, for the first 1 to 3 years weeds must be prevented from germinating or removed if they do germinate (Lee-Mäder et al 2013); this is especially an issue in proximity to non-native, opportunistic plants. However, once established, maintenance is minimal. An established pollinator meadow does not need watering, and it can be partially mowed or burned, but this is not necessary. Some non-native opportunistic plant removal may be necessary, and this could be accomplished by volunteer groups or local students.

A pollinator strip is a linear mass of pollinator-friendly plants, effectively a narrowed meadow, often following the edge of an agricultural field. Pollinator strips have several benefits: providing food to pollinators, bringing pollinators close to crops, and increasing visual variety for human visitors. Establishment of a pollinator strip is similar to establishment of a pollinator meadow. At Thompson-Mazzarella Park, pollinator strips could be installed around the borders of the agricultural fields.

A pollinator strip lines a potato field in Northampton, MA.

Spring 2020

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

POLLINATOR STRIPS

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Connexus Solar Farm, Ramsey, MN.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

A commonly used method of public pollinator education is the pollinator demonstration garden. These tend to be gardens on the more manicured, showy side focused on plants that provide food and nesting resources to pollinators throughout the year. Pollinator plants vary in bloom time and duration. As a rule of thumb, the Xerces Society recommends choosing at least three plant species for spring blooms, early summer blooms, and late summer/autumn blooms, for a minimum of nine plant species, in order to provide food to pollinators for the maximum amount of time each year. Pollinator demonstration gardens frequently contain educational signs with information about plant species, pollinator life histories, and the importance of pollinators in relation to humans.

POLLINATOR DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

While Thompson-Mazzarella Park does contain all the recommended components of native bee habitat, adding artificial habitat could demonstrate to visitors how they can be proactive in creating bee habitat themselves. Bee “hotels” for mason bees (Osmia spp.) can be made in a wide range of sizes from a variety of materials, including salvaged materials such as bricks and palettes. Bee hotels could be built from locally salvaged materials at very low cost. They could either be prominently displayed, with accompanying educational signs, or more subtly integrated into the landscape.

Pollinator Habitat

ARTIFICIAL HABITAT

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American basswood leaves and flowers.

Tulip tree leaves and flower.

SPECIES TO CONSIDER Species to consider include native oak trees, tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), and American basswood (Tilia americana). All three types of trees are already present in the wooded sections of the park (Stevens et al. 9). Oak trees provide excellent wildlife habitat and food. Per Tallamy, in his Bringing Nature Home, oaks are hosts to more than five hundred different species of butterflies and moths. More insects means more birds and animals higher up the food chain. More oaks means more wildlife in general. Furthermore, oaks produce copious acorns every few years, food for all sorts of animals. Tulip trees—with their distinct yellow flowers—and American basswood are popular with both honeybees and some native pollinators. Tulip trees bloom in mid-spring, whereas American basswood blooms in early summer. (See table on next page for a list of fast growing tree species ideal for shade and pollinators.) A small food forest in Sydney, Australia

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Trees & Shade

FRUIT TREES A small orchard could be planted just uphill of the community garden, near the existing water hook-up. Ground cover options include typical turf mowed not lower than 6 inches only a few times a year, or an installed pollinator meadow. Both of these options would add to already existing pollinator habitat in the park and would aid the pollination of the orchard’s fruit and vegetables grown in the adjacent community garden. Many fruit trees come in dwarf varieties—planting a few next to the playground could be fun for children and provide them with some shade. FOOD FOREST Forest gardening is a technique which tries to mimic natural forest processes and incorporates edible plants at multiple vertical levels. For example, a small orchard with a low cover of wildflowers can be thought of as a food forest with two vertical levels, but many more levels are possible. Edible Forest Gardens, by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier, develops this concept for the northeastern United States. A small “concept” garden with informative signs could educate park visitors about this technique.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

• south of the tennis courts where a row of evergreens was recently cut down • around the proposed future ball fields just north of the current agricultural fields • around current, partially built, and planned parking lots • around the existing baseball field • near the trailhead pavilion where people will probably concentrate

Trees can provide many benefits, such as shade, insect habitat, food for pollinators, fruits and nuts for humans, and carbon sequestration. Areas in the park which could benefit from the planting of new trees include:

Spring 2020

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Trees & Shade

An orchard can have a meadow understory with mown paths, thus providing human food and pollinator habitat in the same space.

The same food forest—with a walking path through the middle—eighteen months later.

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EXISTING TREES NEW TREE (50’ CANOPY) APPLE TREES Figure 01. Potential shade tree planting plan for the northern end of the park.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

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Although trees can take decades to reach full maturity, there is an immediate need for shade, particularly in the developed, northern end of the park where impervious surfaces may be contributing to a heat island effect and where active recreation is located. Figure 01 shows a potential shade-tree planting program showing mature canopy sizes for existing and future trees of approximately 50 feet. Table 01 lists five fast growing, native shade trees that also benefit pollinators that, if planted immediately, could provide a significant amount of shade within the next ten to twenty years. Purchasing nursery grade, bare root whips–small, unbranched tree saplings–as opposed to small trees, will be the most cost effective. Small trees are more likely to be root bound or pruned incorrectly, leading to growth problems in the future. Although whips start small, their growth will catch up with that of a small tree within 3 to 5 years, though they will need to be protected from damage by deer, rabbits, and other herbivores.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Expanding the community garden could enable more community members to grow food, thus enhancing the community’s resilience. Soils throughout the park—except for the bottom-most field—are well-draining. Most of the park lacks shade and the ground slopes gently southward, so sunlight—a prerequisite for growing many common types of vegetables—is not a constraining factor. Almost any unbuilt part of the park would be a suitable location to add more plots. It would probably be easiest to add more plots near the existing community garden because that's where the tool shed and the water hookup are located. Note that a sensitive archaeological site sits just south of the community garden, and in a 2016 letter to the Town Board, the New York State Historic Preservation Office recommended that soil disturbance in this area not exceed eight inches in depth. The New York State Historic Preservation Office can provide more specific guidance. Building raised beds in this location could potentially circumvent this depth restriction on digging and provide a more accessible alternative for mobility-challenged community members if built sufficiently tall. The Hudson Valley is heavily forested. Building raised beds using locally-harvested timber may decrease the amount of greenhouse gases emitted when transporting the wood to the park.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

SHADE TREE PLANTING GUIDE

Community Garden Additions

Trees & Shade (cont.)

Trees & Shade (Continued)

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88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

A diagram from Harvesting Rainwater (82) shows the basic components of a cistern system.

Rain gardens are specially-constructed gardens with well-draining soils and moisture-tolerant vegetation which clean stormwater runoff and help it infiltrate into the ground. Rain gardens also provide wildlife habitat and beauty.

10,000-gallon steel cistern and mural at Children’s museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?

Wooden cisterns have an attractive, natural look to them.

A rain garden edges a parking lot in Portland, Oregon.

A rain garden adjacent to Crane Library in Buffalo, New York.

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Rain gardens can also be placed near existing buildings to help manage stormwater runoff from the roofs. In this case, if not already present, gutters and downspouts need to be installed. Such a rain garden already exists just southeast of the recently-built Trailhead Pavilion (Fig 01). An educational sign could be added to this rain garden, and more rain gardens with educational signs—could be added throughout the park.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

The potentially negative ecological impacts of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces described on sheet 17 could increase if new parking is built in the park. Installing green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens within and adjacent to existing, in-progress, and future parking lots can help clean and infiltrate stormwater, provide shelter and food for pollinators, song birds, and other wildlife, and enhance beauty in the park. Tree can also be planted in rain gardens, providing more shade.

Collecting and using rainwater for irrigation needs would utilize a free resource and provide an alternative to the municipal water supply currently used to irrigate the community garden. Rhinebeck’s municipal water supply is drawn from the Hudson River so decreasing demand on that supply can help improve water quality, particularly in the face of climate change when prolonged droughts may lower river levels. A cistern, also known as a rain barrel or rain tank, can be purchased and installed near any roof. Gutters and downspouts on the roof direct rainwater into the cistern. Placing the cistern higher up in the landscape than the area needing irrigation allows the water to flow downhill via gravity and may provide sufficient water pressure so no pump needs to be installed. Systems which use timers and drip irrigation can be particularly water-conserving as they deliver water directly to the roots of the plants. Adding a new pavilion with large adjacent cistern just north and uphill of the community garden could provide a portion of the community garden’s water needs. (See design on sheet 24.)

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

RAINWATER CATCHMENT AND IRRIGATION

Stormwater Management

Rain collection systems can also look more functional and be cheap.

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Based on current energy usage, Thompson-Mazzarella Park would require about 6,000 square feet of solar panels (roughly 1/7 acre) to power itself. See Appendix B for calculations of this figure. Together, Starr Library and buildings around the pool have a combined roof area of about 16,300 square feet. However, only a fraction of this is south-facing and roof shapes may restrict the number of panels that can be placed there. A more detailed study of building roofs will be necessary to determine if existing roofs can fit enough solar panels to power the park.

Trail signs should be designed and built with consistent materials to provide a sense of coherence and connection throughout the park and should include the following information so that trail users of all abilities can determine whether the trails are navigable and how long it may take to walk the trail: • • • • •

Length of trail Surface type Typical and minimum tread width Typical and maximum running slope Typical and maximum cross slope

Crushed gravel has an attractive, natural quality that meets accessibility standards and is cost-effective. Fort River Walk, Hadley, MA.

Adding railings along trails provides support to trail users of all abilities and prevents trail users from entering sensitive habitat. Fort River Trail, Hadley, MA.

Edging with “critter crossings” provide gaps for small mammals and wildlife to cross the trail. Fort River Walk, Hadley, MA.

There are additional solar options that could be implemented if roof area is not sufficient, or in addition for their own benefits. A solar canopy could be added to the southern parking lot, which would also shade cars and could charge electric cars. Additionally, solar panels could be groundmounted amidst vegetation; plants can cool solar panels, allowing them to function more efficiently. Solar panels can also be combined with pollinator meadows, which has the added benefit of providing bird nesting habitat.

Roof of Chelmsford Public Library, in Chelmsford, MA— projected to save $122,000 in power costs over 25 years.

Parking lot covered by solar panels and inter-planted with shade trees at Wayland High School in Wayland, MA.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

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A wetland boardwalk keeps pedestrians on trails and out of sensitive habitat. A covered resting area provides a shady place to take in a view. Fort River Trail, Hadley, MA.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Climate change is predicted to increase stresses on power grids such as extreme storms and flooding, causing more frequent power outages. Therefore, an important aspect of climate resilience for a park is the ability to generate on-site power to reduce dependence on (and lessen the load on) the grid. Owing to Thompson-Mazzarella Park’s topography and large areas of full sun exposure, it is well-suited to solar power.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Enhancements to the current trail network in Thompson-Mazzarella Park that meet ADA accessibility standards could increase accessibility and minimize negative impacts such as erosion on sensitive habitat by keeping pedestrians on well-marked and defined trails. Education signs along trails could teach visitors about the park and region’s ecosystems. A larger sign at the entrance to the trail network on West Market Street would provide a welcome invitation from the sidewalk for pedestrians who may be unaware of the trails within the park.

Renewable Energy

Trails; Renewable Energy

Trail Enhancements

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SILVOPASTURE Silvopasture is a farming practice that combines trees and pasture for grazing livestock on the same parcel of land. This can refer either to pasturing livestock in existing woodlands or designing pasture landscapes that include trees. Due to the steeper slopes and proximity to wetlands in Thompson-Mazzarella Park’s existing woodlands, the latter method would be better suited to this site.

In a silvopasture system livestock must be rotated between pastures to allow plants to replenish and avoid damage to trees; this is well-suited to the multiple fields in Thompson-Mazzarella Park. If silvopasture were implemented here, as livestock were rotated through the fields, human visitors could use the unoccupied fields for shade and food harvesting.

Sheep grazing in a New York woodland

Cattle grazing at Gray Dog’s Farm, Huntington, MA

MICRO-FARMING Given the large amount of farmland in the park, a small amount could be set off for experimental micro-farms. Grow Food Northampton, a community garden in Florence, MA, provides a precedent with its section of one-acre micro-farms. To help build long-term resilience in Rhinebeck, micro-farms at Thompson-Mazzarella Park could prioritize grant funding to young farmers, especially those of marginalized backgrounds, using regenerative agricultural practices.

Trees benefit livestock by providing shade in hot weather and windbreaks in cold weather. They can also diversify farm output by producing fruit, nuts, or timber. Additionally, silvopasture systems can benefit pollinators by allowing native forbs to flower before being grazed, and trees that strongly attract pollinators such as basswood (Tilia americana) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron spp.)—already present in the park—can be used (Leurck 2016).

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Agricultural Alternatives

Natural play area at Terrace Oaks Parks in Burnsville, MN

A potential ecological benefit of silvopasture for Thompson-Mazzarella Park is that grazing livestock can prevent the spread of non-native opportunistic plants. However, more active maintenance would be required before the converted fields were ready to be grazed.

Children play at Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, OH

In the interest of preserving Rhinebeck’s dairy farming culture, silvopasture is compatible with several milk-producing livestock species, including cows, goats, and sheep. Furthermore, silvopasture has been shown to increase milk production by up to 20% (Angima 2009). Goats or sheep may be better for the landscape in the long term because of their relatively low weight; they are less prone to trampling plants and compacting soil.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

While traditional dairy farming is a major cultural touchstone in Rhinebeck, the current model of growing corn for cattle silage is not climate resilient due to corn’s depletion of soil nutrients and high water requirements. However, increasing climate resilience does not necessarily mean a complete break from that way of life. There are long-term opportunities for the fields in Thompson-Mazzarella Park to transition to more sustainable, regenerative forms of agriculture that could preserve some aspects of dairy farming.

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As an alternative to the conventional playground, the park could create a natural play area that blends with the landscape and uses sustainable materials. Unstructured play in nature that allows children to manipulate the environment leads to increased environmental awareness (Marris 2014). Considering the importance of Rhinebeck’s future generations being environmental stewards, installing a natural play area could be an investment in future resilience.

New York State includes silvopasture in its agricultural assessment program (Munzer 2012) in order to incentivize farmers to convert their land to the practice, so the park might qualify for grants to offset costs.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Regenerative Agriculture

Natural Playscapes

Song Sparrow Farm, a micro-farm at Grow Food Northampton.

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ORCHARD An orchard sits on a slope just north of the community garden. A groundcover of native wildflowers and grasses underneath the fruit trees—with a few mown paths for walking—provides additional pollinator habitat.

7 6

2 3 4

RAIN BARREL FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN SHED A rain barrel collects rainwater from the roof of the community garden’s shed and supplements the irrigation provided by the larger cistern uphill.

PATH FROM PAVILION TO EXISTING TRAILS The pavilion connects to the existing trail system via a path flanked by views of a pollinator meadow through pollinator-friendly shade trees on one side and an orchard on the other.

POLLINATOR MEADOW NEAR PARK ENTRANCE A pollinator meadow replaces lawn on the site of a proposed community center and adds to the park’s scenic value. Meadows are easily mowed and would not pose an obstacle to future construction if maintained as such.

PAVILION WITH SOLAR PANELS AND RAINWATER CATCHMENT High up in the park a pavilion, with benches for resting and solar panels on the roof, provides panoramic views and shade. A large cistern near the pavilion collects rainwater runoff from the pavilion’s roof, which is gravity-fed to the orchard and community garden downhill for irrigation. This cistern has the potential to provide a significant portion of the community garden’s annual water needs. Educational signs introduce the park and its Native American history and explain the benefits of solar energy and rainwater harvesting.

The parking lot previously approved for this area is constructed with porous paving. Rain gardens adjacent to the parking lot and inside it clean and infiltrate stormwater runoff.

An orchard sits on a hill north of the community garden. A pavilion provides shade and expansive views. Rain from the pavilion’s roof is stored in a cistern and used for irrigating the orchard and community garden downhill.

* Due to COVID-19, restaurants in the Village of Rhinebeck are setting up tables outdoors, displacing parking spots in the process. Community members have reported that the mayor wants to add a parking lot here in response. A parking lot at this location has already been approved as part of an earlier master plan.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

PATH TO PAVILION

PLANNED PARKING LOT * Designed by: Robert Eastman, Boris Kerzner, and Caleb Nusbaum

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A line of fruit trees west of the existing trail provides shade and buffers the trail from a proposed parking lot.

An ADA-accessible path flanked by a pollinator meadow with educational signage and a grove of trees leads to a pavilion from the sidewalk along Travel Lane, just opposite Starr Library. A sign at the path’s beginning introduces the park’s trail system. The pollinator meadow provides forage and habitat for pollinators and other insects.

FRUIT TREES ALONG EXISTING TRAIL

Design: Northeast Corner

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

A new pedestrian-friendly entrance to the park’s trail system opposite the library leads past a pollinator meadow, a pavilion with roof rainwater catchment, and an orchard, to connect to existing trails. New connecting paths combine with existing trails and sidewalks lining West Market Street and Traver Lane to create an approximately quarter-mile walking loop in the northeastern corner of the park.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Design: Northeast Corner

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Keep roof gutters free of debris. Perform regular checks to ensure that the cistern has no leaks, the inlet screens aren’t broken, and that sediment hasn’t built up at the bottom of the cistern to the level of the outlet pipe (Lancaster 86).

A view of the northeast corner of the park. A path leads from Traver Lane to a pavilion. The path also connects to existing trails. A rain cistern collects rainwater from the pavilion’s roof which is used to help irrigate a new orchard and the community garden downhill. A pollinator meadow can be seen in the distance.

COST ESTIMATE - CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

CISTERNS

Design Detail: Northeast Corner

After planting, mulch from the tree trunks out to trees’ driplines to retain moisture and prevent weed growth, which can prevent healthy establishment. Water the newly-planted trees regularly until they are established. The overall irrigation needs of bare-root trees are fewer compared to container grown or ball-and-burlap trees. Reapply mulch around trees as needed to prevent weed growth and reduce the amount of water evaporating from the soil. Prune fruit trees as needed in late winter, before they emerge from dormancy.

TREES

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

MAINTENANCE

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88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Design Detail: Northeast Corner

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A’

C B

D E

COST ESTIMATE E

Stormwater flows along the edge of the hill to a rain garden, which provides additional pollinator resources and beauty as well as stormwater infiltration. The existing stormwater drain is preserved in case of overflow.

Note: exact locations of trees in the woodland patch were not available; that

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

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Section A-A’

B The existing walkway is extended underneath the canopy of the existing trees, where benches provide shady places for visitors to sit and rest while taking in the beauty of the garden.

portion of the walkway may need to be adjusted accordingly.

Educational signs are placed at each entrance to the walkway and along the sides of the gardens.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

A plaque added to the large rock at the base of the hill directs visitors up the stairs to a winding walkway that passes through a shady patch of mature trees and opens onto the demonstration garden. Non-native, opportunistic plant removal has opened up the space for this walkway.

A row of flowering dogwoods supplementing the existing maple trees provides a sense of separation from the road. Seaside goldenrod planted between the trees is salt spray tolerant and buffers other plants from road spray. Designed by: Robert Eastman, Boris Kerzner, and Caleb Nusbaum

Design: Pollinator Demo Garden

A pollinator garden with all native plants provides a point of interest and education for park visitors. The walkway to Starr Library passes through a colorful garden with patches of butterfly weed, asters, bee balm, and purple coneflower. A rain garden is included, catching and filtering stormwater runoff and a muchneeded shaded benches line this walkway, where visitors can stop to rest amid the buzz of native bees. A sign invites visitors up the hill to a shady patch of mature trees and beyond to a sinuous path through the demonstration garden. Educational signs at several points inspire visitors to bring pollinator habitat to their own homes and communities.

“I’d love to see a pollinator garden at the Park.” -Anonymous survey response

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Design: Pollinator Demonstration Garden

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40 feet * Plant removal can be done by volunteers and artificial bee habitat could be built with salvaged materials.

N 0

40 feet Cornus florida

NOTES ON PLANT SELECTION: Of all the known specialist bee species in New York, by far the largest group are specialists on the plant family Asteraceae, with 26 species broadly dependent on the family and the longhorned bee Melissodes desponsus dependent on the genus Cirsium (thistles) (Great Pollinator Project 2014). This is why a variety of asters are recommended for the late-blooming group. Three species of mining bee (Andrena spp.) are dependent on dogwoods (Cornus spp.), so these are recommended for screening the garden. Note that these specialist bee species are not conclusively known to exist in Thompson-Mazzarella Park, and these plants are being recommended on a â&#x20AC;&#x153;just in caseâ&#x20AC;? basis, as generalist pollinators can also make use of them. A study of specialist bees in Thompson-Mazzarella Park should be conducted in a similar vein to the 2013 Biodiversity Assessment (Stevens et al) to further refine plant selection. All plants in this design are native to Dutchess County.

Spring 2020 42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Monarda punctata

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Design: Pollinator Demo Garden

Solidago sempervirens

Asclepias tuberosa

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Pollinator Demonstration Garden: Planting Detail

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Accessible Woodland Trail

The existing access road connecting the park to the Scholldorf Farm is maintained as a path to guide livestock from the farm to the silvopasture fields.

An area of open space around the Trailhead Pavilion affords a long southern view of the silvopasture fields and space for play and relaxation.

F Existing barn

Next to the enhanced trail, benches line the fence along the field. Here trail users can stop to rest and observe animals in the paddocks.

C B Precedent: cattle graze at Good Life Farm in Ithaca, NY. Apple silvopasture has been successfully established there.

Pollinator strips line the fences on the outer edges of the fields out of reach of animals. These add beauty for people walking along the trails and increase pollinator habitat in the park.

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Trailhead Pavilion

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

A The southernmost field has been allowed to return to forest through the natural process of succession. Animals are grazed here during the transition period in order to keep non-native, opportunistic plants down.

The larger field contains five paddocks with orchards of apple trees, where animals graze legumes and grasses between rows of trees. The close proximity of pollinator habitat to orchard trees could enhance productivity and lead to bigger harvests. Since livestock are only grazing in one paddock at a given time, park visitors can visit the other paddocks for shade and to pick apples.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

The field to the north of the restored forest contains thinner patches of native nut-producing trees such as walnuts and butternut hickories that shade grazing areas of native grasses. These trees may naturally arrive with succession or could be planted. The lower density of trees allows this field to serve as a smooth transition between the forest and the apple orchards, and the nuts are edible for humans.

Design: Silvopasture

In Thompson-Mazzarella Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resilient future, corn mono-cropping has gradually transitioned to a regenerative system of silvopasture, where apples are grown and animals are grazed in the same fields. In the summer and fall, park visitors pick apples in one paddock while sheep graze in an adjacent one. The enhanced accessible woodland trail (see sheet 29) runs alongside the upper field, including a rest area. Restored forest in the south increases wildlife habitat, slows runoff, and sequesters more carbon.

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Design: Silvopasture

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Trailhead Pavilion

Proposed accessible trail; max. 5% slope

30 feet

N 1 The rail is five feet wide and graded at a maximum slope of 5%.

The average slope of the trail is 3.5% as laid out in Figure 01. The trail could be constructed using crushed gravel, a cost-effective yet attractive material, and would allow park visitors of different ages and mobility levels to traverse this area of the park, which may have previously been inaccessible due to steep slopes and the turf that covers the current trail network. Hand rails could be added for further assistance, particularly on the uphill return from the outlook.

Raised outlook of Landsman Kill

Shaded seating along the trail provides a shady place to rest. Openings are left between the trees to provide views of rolling hills and farmland to the south-southwest. These areas could be bordered by large boulders for children to climb.

Native trees with a smaller canopy such as quaking aspen, tulip poplar, and paper birch are planted along the trail, providing shade and habitat to pollinators. Flowering, woodland understory trees such as serviceberry and dogwood could line the trails, providing forage for pollinators and edible fruit for walkers to snack on.

To the east of the trail, larger shade trees are planted, connecting the woodland trail to the forest on the east side of the park. See page 20 for a table of suitable trees.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Desing: Accessible Woodland Trail Thompson-Mazzarella Park

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A quarter-mile, universally accessible trail zig-zags along the forested eastern edge of the park. Native, fast-growing trees planted around the trail extend the reach of the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forest, providing a shady place to walk and take in views of rolling hills and farm fields to the south. The five-foot-wide trail is graded at a maximum slope of 5% according to ADA accessibility standards and includes resting areas along the way. Providing a platform with a view of the Landsman Kill minimizes trampling in sensitive wetland habitat and offers an opportunity to educate visitors about stream ecology and park habitat.

88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

Design: Accessible Woodland Trail

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Designed by: Robert Eastman, Boris Kerzner, and Caleb Nusbaum 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu

This survey was available online from 5/14/2020 to 6/5/2020. It received 220 responses.

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

Appendix A: Survey Results

Other

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• ~$25,000 to power pool, park, and library last year (personal communication with Josh Pulver)

• 125,000 / 365 = ~342 kWh used in park per average day • 5 average hours of sun per day in United States • 342 / 5 = ~68 kW of AC output required per average day • 0.8 = rate at which AC is converted to DC • 68 / 0.8 = ~86 kW of DC output required per average day • 250 watts produced by representative modern solar panel • 86 kW = 86,000 watts • 86,000 / 250 = ~344. This is the number of solar panels required to supply the park’s energy needs. • 65 = typical length (in inches) of residential solar panel • 39 = typical width (in inches) of residential solar panel • 65 * 39 = 2535 = typical size (in square inches) of residential solar panel • 2535 / 144 = ~18 = typical size (in square feet) of residential solar panel • 18 * 344 = 6192 = square feet of solar panel required to supply the park’s energy needs. This is ~1/7 of an acre.

Thompson-Mazzarella Park

• 25,000 / 0.20 = 125,000 kWh used in park anually

Appendix B: Solar Energy

tricity/Monthly-Avg-Electricity-Residential)

• ~$0.20 = cost per kWh in NY state (based on https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Researchers-and-Policymakers/Energy-Prices/Elec-

42 Traver Lane, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

These rough calculations are based on https://understandsolar.com/calculating-kilowatt-hours-solar-panels-produce/:

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Appendix B: How many solar panels would provide all the park’s energy needs?

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Lindner, Christopher. “Site Evaluation Archaeology for the Thomas Thompson/Sally Mazzarella Park, Phase 2 Report for the Rhinebeck Town Board and Park Committee.” 2008.

Bartomeus, Ignasi, et al. “Biodiversity Ensures Plant–Pollinator Phenological Synchrony against Climate Change.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd, 22 Aug. 2013, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ele.12170.

Marris, Emma. “Let Kids Run Wild in the Woods.” Slate. 2014. Accessed at: https://slate.com/ technology/2014/05/kid-play-zones-in-parks-leave-no-trace-inhibits-fun-and-bonding-with-nature.html

Bellemare, Jesse, et al. “Climate Change, Managed Relocation, Andthe Risk of Intra-Continental Plant Invasions: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration Relative To the Flora of New England.” Rhodora, New England Botanical Club, bioone. org/journals/rhodora/volume-119/issue-978/16-10/Climate-Change-Managed-Relocation-andthe-Risk-of-Intra-ContinentalPlant/10.3119/16-10.full.

Martin, Alexander C., et al. American Wildlife & Plants: a Guide to Wildlife Food Habits. Dover Publications, 1961.

“Bentley Scholldorf ‘The Dairyman.’” Hudson Valley Oral History Project. YouTube, 13 Dec. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1hXMnHtxQ_Q. Cameron, Sydney; Lozier, Jeffrey; Strange, James; Koch, Jonathan; Cordes, Nils; Solter, Leellen; and Terry Griswold. “Patterns of widespread decline in North American bumle bees.” PNAS 108 (2): 662-667. 2011. “Climate Projections in the Hudson River Estuary.” Hudson River Estuary Program | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/cphv.pdf. Accessed 24 June 2020.

Munzer, Aaron. “Experts suggest grazing cows, sheep, ducks in forests”. Cornell Chronicle. 2012. Accessed at: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2012/04/experts-suggest-grazing-cows-sheep-ducks-forests New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2016 Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Requiring a TMDL/Other Strategy. 2016, http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/303dListfinal2016.pdf. Reinmann, Andy and Stevens, Gretchen. 2007. “Significant Habitats in the Town of Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York: Report to the Town of Rhinebeck and the Dyson Foundation.” Hudsonia Ltd. https:// hudsonia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Significant-Habitats-in-the-Town-of-Rhinebeck_optimzed.pdf

“Ecological Management of Grasslands: Guidelines for Managers.” The Trustees of Reservations. Dec. 2009. Accessed at: thetrustees.org/assets/documents/what-we-care-about/Grassland-Guidelines-2009.pdf

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