Protecting and restoring the Mystic River watershed is a team sport—and we are very lucky to have great volunteers and partners. Every year, MyRWA recognizes some of our great volunteers and partners for their work. Please join us in thanking these partners and volunteers for caring so deeply for our local environment and all the people who live here.
Ripple Award: Laura Kiesel, Save Massachusetts Wildlife & Save arlington Wildlife
The Ripple Award celebrates an individual or organization whose work with us ripples out and impacts the broader community. The Ripple Award winner this year is Laura Kiesel—founder of Save Massachusetts Wildlife and Save Arlington Wildlife.
Laura Kiesel saying a few words about her work at the annual meeting. PC: Isaiah Johnson
Laura is a tireless environmental advocate, an award-winning journalist, and public speaker known from her work raising awareness about the dangers of rat poison to local wildlife. She can now add a new accolade—soon-to-be-published book author from Island Press. Laura is writing POISONED an investigation into the often tragic impacts of a class of rat poison called SGARS responsible for the deaths and injuries of most notably MK the Eagle at the Mystic Lakes in 2023.
Laura’s work came out of her love for nature in her urban cityscape, which is the Mystic River watershed. She noticed poison traps being used in her housing and around Arlington and knew the dangers to people and wildlife. Since that time, she has been raising the alarm. In 2018 she introduced the first bill to address the dangers of SGARS in the MASS—causing a ripple of others organizations and individuals following in her footsteps and recognizing the dangers of SGAR.
Please join us in celebrating Laura in the work she does to protect our local wildlife by raising awareness of rat poison and advocating for change.
Volunteers of the Year: Mengting (coco) Guo, Myles WIlde
This year, we recognized Coco Guo and Myles Wilde as our 2024 Volunteers of the Year for their outstanding contributions to improving the Mystic River watershed.
Coco Guo volunteering at a trash removal event. PC: Daria Santollani
Myles Wilde, pictured on the right, leading a habitat restoration event at Gateway Park. PC: Daria Santollani
Coco is a new volunteer with us this year and has already been to nine different watershed parks to volunteer. She has brought down huge invasive bittersweet vines, collected dozens of pounds of trash, cleared several patches of garlic mustard, pulled water chestnut, planted trees, and helped us engage community members at the Herring Run & Paddle, Pride Flotilla, and Meet us at the Malden River. We love the energy that Coco brings to our events and how she lifts up and encourages other volunteers. Thank you, Coco, for diving into every new thing you try and for all you have done for the Mystic this year!
Myles first connected with us in 2021, by volunteering at bittersweet removal events and herring monitoring. He soon raised up Gateway Park in Everett, a park he walked through every day, that was in need of some TLC. Myles has since dedicated the past three years to being a champion for Gateway Park. He has single-handedly removed thousands of pounds of invasive species and trash and is an invaluable partner for the City and MyRWA in maintaining and improving the site. He has helped us lead other volunteers and has sparked a momentum at Gateway Park that is truly transforming the area into a gem on the Malden River. Gateway Park is now undergoing a forested wetland restoration and is getting a new boardwalk path thanks to the US Forest Service, the state delegation, and the Office of Congresswoman Pressley. Thank you, Myles, for everything you do for Gateway Park and beyond!
WATER QUALITY MONITORS
We are incredibly grateful to all our water quality volunteers, for all the work they do every year. We would not know what we know about the Mystic system without their work. At this year’s annual meeting we especially recognized four monitors who happen to be celebrating their 15th anniversary this year.
Vaso in the field collecting water samples.
Michael Fager shows all of us what passion for water science really looks like. He has been sampling at Mary O’Malley Park since the inception of the Lower Mystic program.
Michael Moros has been with the Lower Mystic Survey since the very beginning. Michael goes above and beyond, taking solo trips to meticulously collect litter around our watershed, even after a sampling event.
Vasiliki (Vaso) Tsakraklides is a scientist by training and has gathered the majority of data that we have on Mill Brook in Arlington. Her love for the watershed and meticulous approach to sampling are an inspiration.
John Roland Elliott’s sunny attitude and belly laugh, even when it is less than 30 degrees outside, has taught us how to find joy in field work.
Congratulations to Michael F., Michael M., Vaso, and Elliot, and thank you to all our monitors for paving the way for MyRWA to become a reliable and trusted scientific organization!
