A new interactive mapping tool developed by Kevin McGarigal, Environmental Conservation, and his graduate students at the UMass Landscape Ecology Lab is available to land trusts as they make strategic decisions about a major conservation vision for the Connecticut River watershed. “Connect the Connecticut” will help conservation groups in four New England states prioritize and coordinate land acquisition efforts within the 11,250 square-mile watershed, with an eye toward habitat resiliency in the face of climate change. The mapping and data effort is spearheaded by the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, which unites federal, state and local conservation partners to achieve common goals, and supports the development of related technology-based tools. The lab uses geographic information systems to understand how landscapes change over time. Springfield Republican