News: Buffer on the Boulevard: Farmington River Watershed Association’s Largest Planting to Date Yields Benefits for Park Users and Wildlife

Date Published	Author
5/21/2026 12:00:00 AM

Buffer on the Boulevard: Farmington River Watershed Association’s Largest
Planting to Date Yields Benefits for Park Users and Wildlife

Bristol, CT – [May 21, 2026] – The City of Bristol’s Department of Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services (BPRYCS) is pleased to partner with the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA) for the establishment of a 13,500 square foot riparian buffer on Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

“The project is funded by a River Smart Grant, a stormwater management and green infrastructure initiative operated by the Farmington River Watershed Association. The riparian buffer will help improve the water quality and provide habitat for birds and pollinators. The project is also expected to disrupt the environment for the local geese population, a critical step in the Bristol Board of Park Commissioners endorsed Geese Management Plan”, explained Joshua Medeiros, Superintendent of Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services. “In addition to its benefits to the local wildlife and water quality, the buffer will also serve as an aesthetic improvement to the Boulevard.”

Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, commented, “The Veterans Memorial Park along the Boulevard is a central point of community focus – it is here that we remember our veterans, it is a gateway to downtown, as well as a walking route for many. Controlling the geese is an important part of ensuring that everyone can enjoy the boulevard and the school fields free of geese and what they leave behind.”

Two community panting days were held last week and nearly 40 volunteers joined in on the efforts to construct the buffer. Twelve Bristol Arts Innovation and Magnet School (BAIMS) students, three BAIMS teachers, three volunteers, twelve BPRYCS staff, and nine FRWA staff members worked to plant 250 native trees and shrubs and 1,200 native grasses and perennials as part of the community planting day. Volunteers continued the work by transporting and laying 13,500 square feet of mulch.

FRWA Conservation Director, Laura Hart shared, “This is our biggest riparian buffer planting to date. The buffer runs along the banks of the stream and pond located in the southeast area of Veterans Memorial Boulevard. Our River Smart program is all about reducing stormwater pollution and using nature-based solutions such as riparian buffers, rain gardens and bioswale. As the native plants take root and fill out, this buffer will help reduce stormwater runoff, protect against streamside erosion, and provide wildlife habitat. Working with BPRYCS has been a great partnership and we look forward to continued collaboration.”

Project support provided by the Long Island Sound Study and the Farmington River Watershed Association.

The project is the last step of a Geese Management Plan adopted in 2025; designed to mitigate resident Canadian Geese populations in Bristol’s parks. The plantings and vegetation will act as a buffer by making it more difficult for geese to fly into and out of the water, thereby making it a less desirable location to inhabit long-term. Other current efforts outlined in the plan include the posting of educational signage and continued consultation with experts at the USDA Wildlife Services.