Normally this time of year, you would see our Education Manager, Marian Miller, out at the Mystic Lakes Dam leading a group of eager students to experience the herring migration first-hand. With the shuttering of school--the 50 education sessions Marian would have led with dozens of schools from around the watershed were cancelled. That has not stopped Marian from bringing high-quality locally-focused education to our communities.
“This is a great time to slow down, open our eyes and see all the great nature surrounding us,” said Marian Miller, Education Manager. “I am excited to be able to introduce some of this amazing nature on the Mystic to youth and their families--while supporting learning virtually.”
Marian has created 10 activities for families to do at home. Create your own river, learn why stormater is the biggest source of pollution in an urban river, or take a mini-challenge--like finding the state bird--there are activities for all ages that can be done right in your backyard. All the activities are found here, and Marian has plans to add additional activities throughout the summer.
For families who want a deeper diver, she hosted several webinars that are family friendly. These include:
River Herring - Everything Eats Something. Find out about the relationships between herring and other life in the watershed during this virtual environmental education webinar. Watch Recording Here.
City Wild: Connect with Nature - What can you and your kids discover outside your door? Discover during this virtual environmental education webinar. Wednesday, July 29th, 12 pm.
Beyond connecting directly with families, Marian continues to provide virtual education sessions to area schools and community organizations. This spring she worked with schools from Medford, Everett, Somerville, and Winchester—students then went on to create independent projects. If you are a teacher or community group leader and interested in hosting a session, please reach out to Marian Miller at Marian.Miller@MysticRiver.org.
