Birds, Beadgrass, and Biodiversity: A Look Inside an Airport Rare-Species Protection Project

So much of New England, and other parts of the country, have in recent decades seen forests steadily reclaim grasslands once cleared for farms and pastures back in the 19th Century. That means that in many places airports have become some of the prime, remaining habitat for rare grasses and grassland plants and the birds, pollinators, and other wildlife that depend on them.

What that means for airport managers: A strong chance you’ll be required to conduct a rare species assessment and implement a protection plan before future major construction work like repaving, extending, or adding runways and taxiways.

In this article for Aviation Pros, Erin Haugh, Robin Casioppo and Susanna Sousa discuss innovative approaches to rare species assessments at the Groton-New London Airport.