- Division of Ecological Restoration
We are excited to congratulate two DER staff who recently received prestigious awards for their hard work and accomplishments restoring aquatic ecosystems in the Commonwealth and promoting scientific practice and education.
Alex Hackman—Award for Excellence in Restoration, New England Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration Alex Hackman received the Award for Excellence in Restoration the New England Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration. This award recognizes an individual’s work to promote or implement ecological restoration in the northeastern United States. For the past 11 years, Alex has managed aquatic habitat restoration projects for DER including 26 dam removals, culvert replacements, stream channel and floodplain re-construction, and wetland restoration. He currently manages a new program dedicated to restoring wetlands on retired cranberry farmland and is considered to be a pioneer in this field. Alex was selected for this award for his passionate advocacy for and practice of process-based restoration, his consistent and inspiring ecological vision, and his strong management skills for implementing successful restoration projects. As a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner from the Society for Ecological Restoration, and a founding member of the Living Observatory (http://www.livingobservatory.org/ ), Alex consistently demonstrates his commitment to linking science, practice, and learning.
Carrie Banks—Waite Award, Westfield River Watershed Association In September, Carrie Banks received the Waite Award from the Westfield River Watershed Association, which honors those who have made substantial contributions to the Westfield River Watershed. For over 15 years, Carrie served as the state coordinator for the Wild & Scenic Westfield River Committee. She provided technical assistance and support to river-related projects to this Committee, as well as communities, agencies, and conservation organizations working in the Westfield River Watershed. Her efforts led to expanded partnerships in the region including partnership with the Westfield River Environmental Center at Westfield State University, where she mentored over 22 student interns and guided faculty and students in conducting monitoring for dam removals and culvert replacements. Carrie also helped develop field protocols for volunteer assessments of road-stream crossings, and has managed culvert replacement projects in several Wild & Scenic communities.
In addition to these outstanding achievements, DER’s Eel River Headwaters Restoration project in Plymouth, received a Restoration Project Award from the New England Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration. This $2 million project completed in 2010 transformed 60 acres of former commercial cranberry farm into self-sustaining freshwater wetlands with benefits to fish and wildlife, water quality, public education, and enhanced recreation.
Photo Left to Right: Alex Hackman receiving the Award for Excellence in Restoration; Carrie Banks (on right) with fellow DER staff Cindy Delpapa; Eel River Headwaters Restoration – monitoring in 2017.
