Vermont Association of Conservation Districts

Water Quality Programs Manager
2018 - Present

Program Management

Statewide water quality programs management at VACD

VACD.org

Projects and resources from Vermont's Conservation Districts

I work on programs to improve and protect water quality and work to develop new projects and funding sources.

• Develop, manage, and oversee statewide water quality programs including green stormwater projects, river corridor restoration projects, and streamside buffers.
• Represent and act as a liason betwen the state of Vermont’s 14 Conservation Districts and statewide partners.
• Build capacity within the districts and support district staff through the development of relevant trainings and resources.
• Communicate district accomplishments through web resources, VACD annual report, and to state-level partners.

University of Vermont

Research Assistant
2017 - 2019

Deicing Conference

Summit for snow removal professionals on best practices

M.S. Thesis

A study of winter maintenance practices and impacts

For my graduate research, I investigated the practices of private snow removal companies throughout the Lake Champlain basin. This work lead to recommendations for creating resources and changing private contractors' management practices towards reducing road salt usage.

Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring

Outreach Manager
2015 - 2017

Shale Gas Database

Online open-access database created for volunteer monitors

VolMon Network

Resource hub for community water quality monitoring groups

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

Education

M.S. Natural Resources
University of Vermont | 2019

• Concentration in Aquatic Ecology and Watershed Science
• Thesis: Characterizing The Management Practices And Decision-Making Processes Of Winter Maintenance Companies In The Lake Champlain Basin
• Honors: Research & Teaching Assistantship, Rubenstein Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award

B.A. Sociology
Northeastern University | 2014

• Minor in Environmental Studies
• Honors: Cum Laude, Dean’s List, Merit Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Publications

• Sparacino, H. (2019). Characterizing The Management Practices And Decision-Making Processes Of Winter Maintenance Companies In The Lake Champlain Basin. M.S. Thesis, University of Vermont.
• 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 & Communication Projects

• Netherlands Travel Study Class Website & Blog: University of Vermont. (2018). Lead editor.
• Stream of Consciousness: ALLARM. (2017). Lead editor.
• Stream of Consciousness: ALLARM. (2016). Lead editor.

Select 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. 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. (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.