Avoided Deforestation (Conversion) in St. Lawrence County, NY
Project Description & Co-Benefits:
In 2022-2023, Clarkson University students and faculty worked to ensure the preservation of a piece of land in the Adirondack Mountains called the Bowdish property, named after the family that donated it to conservation. Clarkson contributed financially to the establishment of a conservation easement on the property and the development of an avoided conversion carbon offset project. The Bowdish property sits in an important ecological space known as the Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) Corridor, serving as an important link between Canada and the U.S for migratory fauna.
The project involved the appraisal and conservation of the property, and then an inventory of the above-ground biomass in the forested areas of the Bowdish land. Students from environmental studies as well as mathematics and business departments were engaged in the estimate of carbon sequestration, measurement and recording of tree data, and calculation of carbon benefit over the life of the project.
Beyond the direct benefits of keeping carbon in the soil and tree biomass, The Bowdish property’s conservation protected important habitats including a Maple Tamarac peat swamp, and species such as the Blandings Turtle, egrets, terns, golden-winged warblers, and green-winged teal. While avoided conversion projects can come with tradeoffs such as the loss of economic opportunity from logging or development, areas such as the Bowdish property serve as important examples of how keeping land in conservation avoids the fragmentation of important ecological habitats, while also providing ongoing educational and community engagement opportunities.
The avoided conversion project produced enough carbon benefit to offset Clarkson University’s air travel and commuiting emissions.
Student Involvement:
Over 275 students across all grade levels and multiple majors participated in project development and initial monitoring. Students will continue to be engaged in monitoring as the project continues.
Clarkson University students participate in tree carbon inventory work.
The Blandings Turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle with fewer than 3000 individuals left in the population. The Bowdish property provides safe habitat to members of this endangered species.
project organizer Contact Info:
Maddie LoDico, former Clarkson graduate student, current Director of Sustainability at Colby College
mlodico@colby.edu
Project Status:
Active (2023-Present)
Offset Registry or Program:
Protocol adapted from the Climate Action Reserve
Protocol Applied:
Clarkson University Avoided Conversion Protocol
# of Total Offsets:
Approximately 3500 MTCO2e annually