Many things have been changing at the Mystic River Watershed Association due to COVID-19—and you reached out with some great questions about our work. Though we can’t be out in boats or in the parks together, we are still moving forward to protect and restore the Mystic. Here is a short Q&A with our Executive Director, Patrick Herron, about what is happening at MyRWA:
Q: What are the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on the Mystic River Watershed Association?
A: Most obviously, we have had to cancel and postpone our in-person events and pivot towards virtual and individual outdoor engagement opportunities. We have canceled more than thirty formal classroom programs, Beers and Cheers (fundraiser), Earth Day clean up, and in-person herring monitoring at the Mystic Lakes Dam. We have postponed the Herring Run and Paddle Race until September 26th. Our educator, Marian Miller, is hard at work developing content for families and working one-on-one with teachers to provide virtual programming. We are also using online tools to provide virtual engagement, through webinars with staff, an impactful #MysticTrashTag challenge, and a virtual Earth Day celebration to name a few.
We have also seen some of our projects delayed because of the new way of doing business and our partner’s capacity. A prime example is our phosphorus water quality project, which has been more than five years of work. The US-EPA is delaying the release of the final report to ensure that the report lands at the municipalities when they have time to read it. Additionally, our projects are moving to incorporate more online and digital tools. For example, our Greenways Director, Amber Christoffersen, led a virtual kickoff for Wellington Park on Zoom in Arlington last month.
Q: When will MyRWA get back out in the parks?
A: We are following physical distancing guidelines set by the Commonwealth. Like all of you, we are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach as information changes so rapidly. We miss you and are committed to getting back to the parks as soon as we can! Meanwhile, we are developing some new muscles in the virtual arena.
Q: Are you concerned about finances at MyRWA?
A: The short answer is “yes.” The COVID impact on businesses and the capacity to give is impacting the revenue that we counted on to move our programs forward. As a result, we’ve been working hard to re-forecast our budget with a focus on protecting both the welfare of our employees and the welfare of the organization. As a means of getting through this period, we applied for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), eliminated all discretionary spending, and will approach our most committed supporters to ask for their help. We are committed to ensuring our impactful programs go uninterrupted.
Q: What are the longer-term impacts on the organization?
A: As we’ve increased our scale and our impact, we’ve been increasingly involved with numerous capital intensive projects to improve the river and infrastructure. On the one hand, we expect our municipal and state agency partners to have reduced resources to dedicate to these projects. On the other hand, with the hope that stimulus funding will be developed, we are preparing our projects (e.g., Greenways, green infrastructure, restoration) to be shovel-ready as quickly as possible.
The pandemic has also raised the profile of several conversations that are relevant to the work at MyRWA. First, we have seen a greater acknowledgment of the need for public spaces—which speaks to the last 4 years we have invested in the Mystic Greenways initiative. There has also been a greater focus and understanding of the need for equitable social resilience and how crises disproportionately impacted people. Our Climate team (Melanie Gárate and Julie Wormser) are just at the beginning of working with municipalities on emergency preparedness for climate events and the need for equitable investment.
Q: How can I get involved and support MyRWA during this time?
A: Great question! There are still many ways to engage with the MyRWA community.
This month we are bringing the magic of the river herring migration to you through our newly redesigned MysticHerring website, and our underwater fish cam at the Mystic Lakes. Since we are not able to have in-person herring monitors at the Mystic Lakes dam this year, it’s critical that we have robust participation in our online counting program.
Get the kids and check out our virtual education programming! Discover nature in your neighborhood with this three-part interactive webinar series, on May 20, May 27th and June 3rd. Details and registration on our calendar.
As you know, we are postponing the 2020 Herring Run and Paddle 5k and paddle race to September 26th—but that doesn’t mean we can’t virtually celebrate the spectacular migration that occurs each spring on the Mystic. This May, we are offering a virtual walk/run called “Run with the Herring”—an opportunity for us to come together, raise awareness of the herring migration, and share this fantastic eco-success story with your friends and family. This event is free thanks to generous sponsorship by Twin Elms Environmental Brokerage.
Follow us on social media. We’re on Instagram (think nature photos and tips on adventure locations), Twitter (think essential program updates and news from staff), and Facebook.
Lastly, please consider donating to the Mystic River Watershed Association. With your support, we will continue to be able to transform parks and paths, advocate for clean water, restore critical wildlife habitat, and lead the way for climate and social resilience in the watershed. No one else is doing this work at a watershed scale and we depend on you. Whether you donate financially or promote MyRWA through your social circles, know that we are grateful to have you as part of our community.
