2nd Graders Help Restore Long Island Sound with Salt Marsh Grass Planting

Story from The Maritime Aquarium

From our Life in the Grasses exhibit—which showcases the beauty of salt marshes and the diverse species that inhabit them—to the extensive research led by our Conservation team, salt marshes are a vital habitat within Long Island Sound and a major focus of The Maritime Aquarium.

As part of our effort to develop engaging educational programs centered on these unique ecosystems, we are creating a hands-on initiative where students grow salt marsh grass (Spartina) in their classrooms throughout the school year. This experience culminates with the students planting their grasses at a local restoration site in the spring.

Over the past two years, the aquarium has been cultivating Spartina to determine best practices and design a straightforward, classroom-friendly method for teachers to follow. Although the first year was a learning curve and yielded no viable plants, this year we successfully raised 35 healthy specimens!

Thanks to our partnership with the Norwalk River Watershed Association, we identified Woodward Avenue Park as a suitable planting site. On June 6, with the help of Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School second graders, we planted the grasses together—marking a rewarding milestone in this growing project.

Now that we’ve successfully refined the process for growing Spartina, we’re excited to expand the program next year with additional Jefferson students and an look forward to engaging them  in cultivating and planting salt marsh grasses right from their own classrooms.