University of Vermont

Deicing Conference

Summit for snow removal professionals on best practices

UVM Thesis Research

An ongoing study of snow removal companies in VT and NY

As a research assistant, I investigate the practices of private snow removal companies throughout the Lake Champlain basin

• Research winter maintenance practices used by private contractors throughout the Lake Champlain region, using quantitative and qualitative data collection.
• Create recommendations for implementing a social marketing campaign aimed at changing private contractors’ management practices and reducing road salt usage in the Lake Champlain Basin.
• Collaborate with area partners towards the implementation of a regional winter maintenance conference for private contractors and municipalities.
• Design and implement a regional survey to winter maintenance private contractors throughout the Lake Champlain region to assess current practices, management characteristics, and barriers to changing behaviors.
• Interview private contractors on their management practices and ways to implement changes.
• Assist professors in lectures, materials creation, and grading, including Ecology, Ecological Economics, Social Processes and the Environment, and Water Management and Sustainability in the Netherlands.

Notable Projects

VolMon Network

Resource repository for water quality monitoring groups

Shale Gas Database

Online open-access database created for volunteer monitors

I contribute to outreach by the USA Volunteer Monitoring Network, and have worked with volunteer groups in New York and Pennsylvania to monitor their local streams for shale gase development impacts

• Managed ALLARM’s regional shale gas monitoring program across Pennsylvania, including training new volunteers on ALLARM’s shale gas monitoring protocol, supporting current volunteers through community meetings and resources, and organizing volunteer data to increase usability and visibility.
• Contribute to the USA Volunteer Monitoring Network’s online resources and social media outreach (@volmonitor), promote community conversations.

Publications

• Sparacino, H. (2017). Launching a Regional Water Quality Database with CitSci.org. Citsci.org.
• Sparacino, H., Wylie, S. (2014). Estimating the Volume and Weight of Waste Piles. Public Lab Journal of Environmental Research: The Grassroots Mapping Forum.

Select Design and Communication Products

Online

• SnowStudy.org. (2018). Lead editor.
• Netherlands Travel Study Class Website & Blog: University of Vermont. (2018). Lead editor.

Print

• Stream of Consciousness: ALLARM. (2017). Lead editor.
• Outreach Brochure: ALLARM. (2016). Lead editor.
• Stream of Consciousness: ALLARM. (2016). Lead editor.

Presentations

• Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Road Maintenance: Identifying and Lowering Private Companies’ Barriers to Adopting Best Management Practices. North American Lake Management Society International Symposium.
• Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: How and Why Companies Use Low-Salt Practices. Lake Champlain Deicing Conference.
• Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: Identifying and Lowering Private Contractors’ Barriers to Adoption. University of Vermont Student Research Conference.
• Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: Identifying and Lowering Private Contractors’ Barriers to Adoption. Lake Champlain Research Conference.
• Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2017). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: Identifying and Lowering Private Contractors’ Barriers to Adoption. University of Vermont Graduate Research Symposium.
• Sparacino, H. (2017). Design to Implementation: Creating an Effective Volunteer Monitor Database. Citizen Science Association Conference.
• Sparacino, H. (2017). Effectively Communicating Ecological Economics. Frontiers in Ecological Economics: University of Vermont.
• Sparacino, H. (2017). Water, Fracking, and Community. Water as a Natural Resource: University of Vermont.
• Sparacino, H. (2016). Building and Supporting a Regional Monitoring Effort. National Water Quality Monitoring Conference.
• Sparacino, H. (2016). Creating an Effective Volunteer Monitoring Database - Data Management Techniques and Lessons Learned. National Water Quality Monitoring Conference.
• Monismith, J., Sparacino, H. (2016). Shale Gas Monitoring Workshop. Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference.
• Sparacino, H. (2015). Volunteer Monitoring for Shale Gas Impacts. Westminster College.