The Living Systems Laboratory provides an understanding of eco cultural sustainability through the practice of environmental remediation and restoration in the birthplace of the industrial age. The Living Systems Lab is located located in the Mill Villages Park in South Grafton, Massachusetts, on the banks of the Blackstone River and historic Blackstone Canal. As the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and in its role as, “the hardest working river in America,” generations of use and misuse have left the Blackstone contaminated with diverse industrial pollutants. The LSL demonstrates innovative bioremediation techniques and applied ecology. By using diverse living systems housed within an engineered ecosystem the LSL aims to restore the Blackstone Canal while providing a durable platform for translational research, science education, and public outreach. 

Can’t make it out to visit us?  Take a virtual tour of the Living Systems Laboratory and the greater Fisherville Mill Site, thanks to Russ Anderson and his class at Worcester Technical High School.