Special Guest Presentation June 4

On Tuesday, June 4th, join the Mystic River Watershed Association for the monthly Committee Meeting to hear from Pallavi Mande, Director of Blue Cities®, at the Charles River Watershed Association. Pallavi will discuss their work in Chelsea in collaboration with MyRWA. The meeting is free and open to the public. June 4, 7-9pm, Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room, Medford.

Part Time Summer Office Position

The Mystic River Watershed Association is hiring a Part-time Summer Office Manager. Come join us for the summer and learn how to run a small non-profit office to best inform and engage new members and donors. You will work with our team of volunteers and staff to assume responsibilities for general office administration including purchasing, handling incoming phone calls and maintaining paper & e-files. You will also provide administrative support to Water Quality Director, Outreach Coordinator and Executive Director. Regular work hours are Monday through Friday 9-2pm with some possible additional hours over weekend or evening. Basic skills needed: familiarity with web searching, excel, word, calendar management and basic bookkeeping. Ideal candidates will also have skills in timesheet software, HTML, Filemaker, Giftworks and Google Apps.  Please send your resume and statement of interest to jobs@mysticriver.org. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Flatbread Pizza Fundraiser Set For June 18

Enjoy Pizza and Bowling for a Cause!

On Tuesday, June 18  head to Flatbread Pizza at Sacco's Bowl Haven in Davis Square for a MyRWA fundraiser. That’s right, the more flatbread you eat the more money will be raised to support the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and our efforts to protect and restore the Mystic River Watershed!

Eat at or get take-out from Flatbread Pizza, 45 Day Street, Somerville, between 5pm and 11pm and a portion of your flatbread will automatically be donated to MyRWA.

Reservations are accepted for groups of 10 or more.

RSVP to this event on Facebook.

Join Somerville to DePAVE the WAY!

DePAVE the WAY!

Please note the corrected address: 88 Bartlett St.

Join Cador & Lenni from Somerville Climate Action: 

Saturday May 11 from 12:30 to 3:00pm 

Steve Langdon's house at 88 Bartlett St. (between Macoun Sq. & Winter Hill)

Rain date: Sunday, May 12 from 12:30 to 3:00pm

If you haven't already, please sign up on this Google Groups form to let us know you'll be there. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFFZbE1OS05XblFXYl9EQUc2UzVKcmc6MQ

See "Depaving the Way to a Safer Climate in Somerville"

http://vimeo.com/22830594

In Spanish: ¿Qúe Es Depaving?

http://talkingaboutsomerville.blogspot.com/2011/04/que-es-depaving.html

WHAT WE HAVE

Impervious surfaces prevent rainwater from entering the soil and instead divert it to nearby waterways. Along the way, the rainwater carries pollutants such as oil, antifreeze, plastics, pesticides, and heavy metals from the roads into local streams and rivers, devastating habitats and polluting local waterways.

BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION

The removal of pavement allows for the revegetation of land with trees and plants. The benefits of urban vegetation include:

* Storm water becomes purified naturally when water soaks into the soil and returns to the water table

* Climate change is decreased when plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen

* Green spaces reduce the "urban heat island effect" which results when dark-colored asphalt absorbs summer heat, decreasing the need for electricity to power fans and air conditioners

* Shade trees and bushes cool homes and outdoor spaces by shading of the sun’s rays

* Evapotranspiration of rain on the leaves results in further cooling

* Trees and bushes protect against harsh winds

* Green areas provide much needed beauty to urban areas

* Air quality is enhanced when particulate pollutants are removed from the air 

* Trees and bushes provide visual privacy and reduce noise from the street

* Green spaces restore local habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife

* Vegetable gardens provide homeowners with local nutritious food

Three Towns, One Forest Forum

Three Towns, One Forest
Thurs. April 25th, 7pm-9pm
Lesley University hall, 1815 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA

Lesley University, Green Cambridge, and Friends of Alewife Reservation are hosting an environmentally timely Forum to save the Silver Maple Forest from 7pm-9pm.
Speakers on the Forum include: Scott Horsley of Horsley and Witten Co., John Reinhardt of the Mystic River Watershed Association, Geophysicist Lucia Lovison, Quinton Zondervan of Green Cambridge, Minka vanBeuzekom, Cambridge City Council, Scott Horsley of Horsley and Witten Co. and David Morimoto, head of Natural Science and Mathematics Dept. at Lesley.

The Forum is moderated by Amy Mertl, biology professor at Lesley.

http://www.friendsofalewifereservation.org/2013-04-25-Silver-Maple-Forum-Poster.pdf

Arlington DPW offers discounted rain barrels

The Arlington DPW has partnered with the Great American Rain Barrel Company in Hyde Park, MA to offer recycled barrels to residents as part of a community wide water conservation program.  

Each UV protected polyethylene rain barrel is manufactured in the USA from a recycled shipping drum that stands 39" tall by 24" wide and weighs 20 lbs. empty with a wall thickness of 3/16", resulting in a rigid, heavy duty rain barrel that will last virtually forever. The barrel comes complete with overflow fittings, drain plug, screw on cover, and a threaded spigot with a choice of two ports to use with either a watering can or a garden hose. The rain barrel arrives with simple instructions for fast and easy installation. For additional water storage simply link two and three barrels together.

Arlington is offering the Great American Rain Barrel in three colors; Forest Green, Earth Brown or Nantucket Gray at the low cost of $69 versus the retail price of $119.  

To take advantage of this community program discount please visit www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com, email info@tgarb.com or call (800)251-2352, or call (800)251-2352. Purchase online at  www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com look for “Shop Local Programs” left side bar and find “Arlington”.

Barrels will be available for pick up on Saturday, May 4th between 9:00am- 11:00am at the Arlington Public Yard, 51 Grove Street. Deadline for ordering is Friday, April 26^th

Don't forget to sign up to help plant two rain gardens May 4 & May 11!!

Join the next Malden River Advocacy Meeting!

Community leaders and members from Everett, Medford, and Malden are joining together to improve the future of the Malden River. This new group is looking for people to get involved! Please join the next community meeting on Thursday, May 9th in Everett. This meeting is free and open to the public.

May 9
Malden River Advocacy Meeting, 6:30-8pm
Everett City Hall, 484 Broadway, Keverian Room (3rd floor), Everett, MA

Stay tuned for a meeting agenda!

For more information please contact Beth or Patrick at the MyRWA offices at 781-316-3438.

ACTION ALERT: Support the Mystic

Two important amendments to the State Budget have been filed that will bring great benefit to Mystic River communities. MyRWA encourages you to contact your State Representative to ask them to support and co-sponsor House Budget Amendment 126, Water Chestnut Removal on the Mystic River filed by Representative Paul Donato and House Budget Amendment 187, Mystic River Master Plan filed by Representative Jason Lewis. Now is the time to insure that your State Representative signs onto these amendments as a co-sponsor. Your State Rep must act NOW as co-sponsors must be filed by the end of this week (Friday April 19th!) Thank you for your call or email to your State Rep!

View a Fact Sheet about these two amendments for more information.

Look-up contact information for your Representative or Senator here.

Bike ride as part of the Mystic River Herring Run and Paddle

As part of the Mystic River Watershed Association's annual road and boat race (Mystic River Herring Run and Paddle), Bike to the Sea, in conjunction with the Somerville Bicycle Committee, has again been invited to lead a ride as part of day's festivities. 

The ride will take place along existing paths on both sides of the Mystic River through Somerville and Medford, in addition to the wildly popular Park at River's Edge along the Malden River.  The ride will also feature the brand new Wellington Greenway as well as the first Bike to the Sea segment in Everett.  

Plan on a 90 minute ride with an option for an additional hour.  Steady rain cancels the event.  ***PLEASE NOTE***Hybrid bikes (or a very sturdy road bike) are recommended due to some off-road sections that are non-paved.  This is a family-friendly ride. 

Route Map: http://goo.gl/maps/0eTFA

Meet at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse in Somerville @ 11 a.m. for the 11:15 ride kick-off.  For more information, contact Pete Sutton at beausutt@hotmail.com

Seeking volunteers to plant rain gardens in Arlington!

Time to dust off your work gloves... and help plant a rain garden (or two!) Please mark your calendars for the following events, and please RSVP here.

 

Hurd Field Rain Garden - Drake Road
Planting date: Sat. May 4th, 10am-1pm (or until it's complete!)

Hardy School Rain Garden - 52 Lake St.

Planting date: Sat. May 11th, 10am -1pm (or until it's complete!)

Learn more about rain gardens here.

Action Alert: Support the Mystic!! (posted 3/29/13)

The Mystic River Watershed Association encourages you to contact your State Representative and Senator in support of three FY 2014 budget items that we feel will help restore the natural resources of the Mystic River Watershed. (You can easily look-up contact information for your Representative or Senator here.) Thank you in advance for your phone call and/or email.

1. A $75,000 increase to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s budget, 2810-0100 line item, specifically targeted for water chestnut removal in the Mystic River.  Large portions of the Mystic River are almost entirely blanketed with water chestnuts, resulting in significant impairment of navigation and a harmful impact on native habitat. The plants are spreading rapidly; since 2001, the population has expanded from 1 to 30 acres. Water chestnuts form mats over the water surface, which in turn impede boating, fishing, and swimming, and crowd out native plants. If serious efforts are not made to remove the plants, recreational use of the much of river will become impossible in just a few short years.
   Read more here.
2. Creation of a Mystic River Water Quality Commission to study the feasibility of bringing the water quality of the Mystic River to a level consistently safe enough for fishing, boating and swimming.  The proposal to establish a Water Quality Commission has also been filed as a stand-alone bill, H.785, by Representative Denise Provost.  The bill is a re-file from the 2011-2012 legislative session, during which it received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.
   Read more here.
3. A $500,000 increase to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s 2800-0100 line item specifically targeted for the implementation of the Mystic River Master Plan (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/pe/MysticRiverMasterPlann-Final.11-09.pdf).  The Mystic River Master Plan proposed comprehensive improvements to more than 370 acres of this park system which when complete will transform the park and the lives of more than 800,000 Massachusetts residents within easy reach of the park's amenities.  The Department of Conservation and Recreation requires funding ($500,000) to complete design development plans and construction specifications for the park improvements that are delineated in detail in the Master Planning document. Once these plans and specifications are complete, DCR can apply for various State and Federal funds to construct these park improvements.
   Read more here.

Thank you for your consideration. 

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Snyder at Senator Jehlen’s office at Tim.Snyder@masenate.gov or 617.722.1578, or EkOngKar Singh Khalsa at MyRWA at EK@MysticRiver.org or 781.316.3438.  For any questions regarding H.785, An Act establishing a Mystic River water quality commission, please contact Mark Kennedy in Representative Provost’s office at Mark.Kennedy@mahouse.gov, or at 617-722-2263.

Malden River presentation 4/2

At the April 2nd MyRWA Committee Meeting, a group of Tufts University graduate students enrolled in the Water: Systems, Science and Society (WSSS) program will present their practicum work on the Malden River. The WSSS program is a graduate research and education program that provides Tufts students with interdisciplinary perspectives and tools to manage water-related problems around the world. Please join us for the presentation at 7:00PM at Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room, Medford.

Citizen Scientist Training Workshop Announced

Please join MyRWA on Tuesday, June 11^th for a Citizen Scientist Training Workshop. This workshop allows interested volunteers to learn about water quality monitoring methods and concepts. By completing this workshop, you’ll be prepared to join MyRWA’s Baseline Monitoring Program. The Baseline Monitoring Program requires a monthly commitment between 6am and 8am. No experience is necessary - all are welcome!

When: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Where: Cambridge Health Alliance, 195 Canal St., Malden

This training will be held both indoors and outdoors (rain or shine). Please wear close-toed shoes. Pizza will be provided.

Space is limited! Please register today by emailing Beth@Mysticriver.org or calling 781-316-3438.

Learn more about MyRWA's water quality monitoring programs here.

Defendants Pay $4.25 Million Settlement for Restoring Natural Resources at Industri-Plex Superfund Site in Woburn

State and federal officials have received a $4.25 million settlement from the Pharmacia Corporation and Bayer CropScience Inc. for damages to natural resources at the Industri-plex Superfund site in Woburn, Mass. Contaminants from this site significantly impacted resources in the Aberjona River and the surrounding watershed.

MyRWA would like to thank the dedicated team of professionals who worked on this settlement, including: Assistant Attorney General Matthew Brock, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Environmental Protection Division; Karen Pelto and Jennifer Davis from MassDEP; Dale Young and Anna Blumkin from MA EEA; Karen Sughrue, Molly Sperduto, Kenneth Munney, Veronica Varela from the  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Mark Barash and Marcia Gittes from the  U.S. DOI Office of the Solicitor; Don Frankel from U.S. DOJ; and Ken Finkelstein and Gwendolyn McCarthy from NOAA.

Read the full press release here.

Are you looking to get more involved with the Herring Monitoring Program?

Community outreach opportunity!

Volunteers are needed to assist in planning and staffing “open houses” at the dam. These events will be held in May during the afternoon/evening and on the weekends to allow the public to view the migrating herring from the fish ladder which is otherwise closed to the public. We are seeking a lead volunteer coordinator for this effort, as well as volunteers to staff the events for a minimum of one hour. Contact Beth at Beth@MysticRiver.org or 781-316-3438 to get involved and for more information.

Data Visualization Summer Internship

Another summer internship with MyRWA!

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a Data Visualization Intern to assist in the exploration and display of environmental data.  

The Mystic River Watershed Association has developed a sophisticated MS Access Database with nearly all water quality data collected during the past 15 years for the watershed.  The challenge is to take this information and convert it into figures, maps and statistics that will assist the public to understand existing conditions.  The Data Visualization Intern will develop and analyze spatial data related to water quality, drainage basins, green infrastructure, sediment contamination and demographics within the Mystic River Watershed.  The intern must be able to work independently and as a team. This is a part-time position that requires a commitment of two to three days a week during the Monday through Friday work week.

An interest in data visualization, science and the environment is encouraged.  Experience with either R or D3 is preferred. But if you have other programming/skills/design experience- we welcome your creativity!
Exact dates can be flexible depending on the candidate. This is an unpaid position.

 Since 1972, the Mystic River Watershed Association has played a unique role in the whole of the watershed by its science, advocacy, and outreach efforts. The Mystic River Watershed Association is based in Arlington, MA and is accessible via several bus routes. The Mystic River Watershed Association is an equal opportunity employer.

If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to DataInternship@MysticRiver.org. No phone calls please. 

Deadline for application: April 1, 2013.

Friends of the Malden River Group Wants You!

Join us on Monday, March 18th from 6:00 to 7:30PM for a special meeting: The Malden River: What you need to know? What is the River’s Future?

Come hear from experts from the Mystic River Watershed Association and Alternatives for Community and Environment about the current conditions of The Malden River. We'll hear from other groups about their successes in reclaiming environmentally compromised waters.

EVENT DETAILS:
Monday, March 18th from 6:00 to 7:30PM
Malden Public Library, Maccario Meeting Room
36 Salem St., Malden - (use Park Street entrance)

For more information contact: Geobany Rodriguez at geobany@gmail.com or Bob Marra at rmarra@challiance.org; 617-591-6947.

Re-Launched: Herring Migration film Series highlights the Mystic

The Herring Migration Documentary is a series of 3 in-depth films by Illuminating Minds Media, focused on the natural history, latest science and conservation efforts surrounding the River Herring.  

Shot over a year and spanning tens of locations across Massachusetts and Maine, the series feature cutting edge science, rarely witnessed behavior and insightful analysis form a leading panel of herring experts. The 3rd film of the series depicts the historic return of herring to the Mystic Lakes for the first time since the American Civil War and its biological implications.

Can you support this project? Please make a donation on the Herring Migration Kickstarter page today!

Kindly consider spreading the word by sharing, tweeting and forwarding the link to potential backers in your network: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/imm/the-herring-migration-documentary-series-3-episode

You may also follow Herring Migration Series on Facebook and Twitter.

Did you see today's Boston Globe?

MyRWA was very pleased to see the Mystic River featured on the front page of the Boston Globe on Feb. 18th. The article by Beth Daley, A steady flow of troubles for the long-foul Mystic: River draws scrutiny, but cleanup a complex challenge, details the plight of the Mystic and offers a comparison to nearby urban rivers. Please feel free to circulate the article, and your comments to the editor are encouraged and most welcome!

Read the Boston Globe article here.

Friends of the Malden River Group Wants You!

Join us on Thursday, February 28^th, 6pm-8:45pm, for a special meeting: The Malden River: What you need to know? What is the River’s Future?

Come hear from experts from the Mystic River Watershed Association and Alternatives for Community and Environment about the current conditions of The Malden River. We'll hear from other groups about their successes in reclaiming environmentally compromised waters.

Thursday, February 28^th, 6pm-8:45pm

Parlin Library, 410 Broadway, Everett

For more information contact: Geobany Rodriguez at geobany@gmail.com or Bob Marra at rmarra@challiance.org; 617-591-6947.