How did you hear about MyRWA and how were you involved?
MyRWA has been “on my screen” for decades. So, as to how I heard about it, most likely I saw an announcement about a monthly meeting in our town’s newspaper.
As to why a mention of MyRWA attracted by attention back then, I was looking to get involved in activities involved with the environment and climate change. And, I wanted to do so with an organization that crossed our man-made boundaries of towns and cities.
Getting involved with outreach tabling at a variety of community events was a natural choice and a wonderful challenge. When you meet the public in this way, there is always so much to share with others as well as so much to learn, be it about science, or local history, or organizational developments, or community concerns.
What is one thing you want readers to know about the watershed (or about your involvement with the watershed)?
No matter what your interests, there are just SO MANY ways to connect with the Mystic watershed — and MyRWA.
Maybe, at certain points in your life, it’s walking, cycling or running along the watershed’s lakes, streams and rivers, or paddling. Or simply the pull of nature itself — observing birds, nature photography, or participating in citizen science from stream monitoring to counting fish in short video clips at home on your computer.
And, of course, there are organized team activities in bettering the environment in ways big and small in and along our Mystic lakes and streams. And there are always further opportunities to participate in various town and city initiatives, from cleanups to addressing the too-long-overlooked social justice issues.
What inspired you to become a donor?
What inspired me to become a donor is the excellence and dedication of MyRWA’s staff and the continuing expansion and communication of their vision.
Examples include their commitment to science, the choice to directly address our Mystic greenways, to participate in broader regional mitigation of climate change, and, in these times, to creatively involve volunteers in various MyRWA projects.
These days, I so value the combination of MyRWA’s expertise in science and their excellent communication of that science. These are important, not only to me but to the future of our environment and the health of our communities.
