MyRWA works with Everett Green Team

Beth Meserve, MyRWA’s Outreach Coordinator, provides environmental education for Everett’s youth Green Team. The Green Team consists of 15 youth employed by the City of Everett for the summer. They work alongside City Services staff primarily spending their time beautifying the City of Everett. MyRWA compliments their work by providing hands-on environmental education, allowing the youth to look more closely at their surroundings. Explorations of local flora and fauna, the Mystic River Watershed and water quality of the Malden and Mystic Rivers are conducted as part of this program. This program is funded by Exxon Mobil Pipeline in Everett.

Video internship offered for the fall!

Education and Outreach Internship: Video

The Mystic River Watershed Association seeks a volunteer intern to complete an educational video project. The project entails interviewing volunteers and members and taking and editing video. The goal is to have several short video segments highlighting the work of the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the volunteers and members who help MyRWA in our efforts. Must be an independent worker and have good communication skills. Experience conducting interviews preferred. Experience taking and editing video is a plus!

The Mystic River Watershed Association is an environmental advocacy non-profit that works to protect and restore the Mystic River and its watershed lands.

For more information please contact Beth at 781-316-3438 or beth@mysticriver.org.

Application deadline: Rolling.

Asian Long Horned Beetle Alert

Photo credit: ag.umass.edu

As you may be aware, the invasive Asian Long Horned Beetle was identified in Jamaica Plain earlier this month. While this is not in the Mystic River Watershed, it is of concern.

For more information on the Asian Long Horned Beetle, including how to identify them click here.

Spy Pond Elizabeth Island protection agreement reached

Arlington Land Trust is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement, with the assistance of Massachusetts Audubon Society, to permanently protect Elizabeth Island in Arlington’s Spy Pond. The purchase and sale agreement for the Island calls for Arlington Land Trust (ALT) to purchase the Island by December 31, 2010 from its long-time owner, Elaine Sacco of Arlington.

Read the Press Release here.

Water Chestnut Event Successful

Photo Credit: David Mussina

On Saturday June 12, nearly 25 volunteers from Friends of the Mystic River, Groundwork Somerville, Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) came together to pull the invasive water chestnut from the Mystic River.

The combined efforts resulted in 250 baskets of water chestnut hauled from the river filling two dump trucks.  Along with the water chestnut, a few unlucky eels were brought up before ultimately being returned to the water unscathed.  Credit goes to many people for the success of the event including the MWRA which assisted with trucks, boats and manpower to support the event. Fred Laskey, Executive Director of the MWRA attended the event ready to work and pledged the commitment of the MWRA to improving the Mystic.

Update

on 2010-07-02 15:42 by MyRWA

$1 MILLION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LOWER MYSTIC

Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Ian Bowles announced $1 million in grants for four projects aimed at improving conditions in the lower Mystic River. Serving the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville, these projects will improve water quality and wetland areas of the lower Mystic River.

The Mystic River Watershed Association is among the recipients of the grants, receiving $325,000, funded by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET). MyRWA’s efforts will include an integrated water quality monitoring and improvement program in the Lower Mystic River Watershed. The grant will support and expand upon two existing MyRWA programs, "Find-it and Fix-it" and Baseline Monitoring, and extend the monitoring work to address harmful algal blooms, nutrient loading and the impacts of large storms.

MyRWA thanks MET for their generous support!

Other recipients include Groundwork Somerville, the Mystic Valley Development Commission and the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA).

MyRWA works with Prospect Hill Academy, Groundwork Somerville

On Friday June 5th, MyRWA partnered with Groundwork Somerville and students from Prospect Hill Academy to remove water chestnuts, an invasive plant, from the Mystic River.

A group of ten students from Prospect Hill Academy have been working with MyRWA over the course of the last year as part of their Enrichment Term. Their community service project includes assisting in removing water chestnut, as well as creating educational materials about this invasive plant. These materials will be available soon.

Pulling water chestnuts Groundwork Somerville's National Park Preservers crew, in addition to an Americorps group, assisted in the days efforts, resulting in over 60 baskets of water chestnuts removed from the Mystic River in Somerville. The teams will be back on the river on Friday June 11th.

WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING OF THE DOCUMENTARY “MARION STODDART: THE WORK OF 1000”

On Saturday, June 12, at Lawrence Academy’s Richardson-Mees Performing Arts Center, the documentary film “Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000”, will have its first public screening. The evening will begin at 6:15 pm for mingling with Marion Stoddart, the filmmakers, crew, musicians, and guests. At 7 pm, the film will be screened. And at 8 pm, all are invited to a celebration party, held across the street at the Old Groton Inn’s Carriage House. Tickets to the pre-premiere mingle and the screening are FREE but must be reserved. Tickets to the celebration party are $25.

The documentary film tells the inspiring story of Marion Stoddart, a citizen leader committed to a lifetime of grassroots organizing and coalition building, and how she led the charge in the 1960s to clean up the Nashua River. The Nashua, once named as one of United States’ ten most polluted rivers, is now an internationally recognized environmental success story and a locally celebrated natural resource.

In recognition of her work, Stoddart has received many awards including the United Nations Environmental Programme’s Global 500 Award. She was profiled in National Geographic and in an award-winning children’s book; she was a 2009 National Women’s History Project Honoree as “One of the Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet”; and she has just published an essay in Written In Water by the National Geographic Society.

Celebrate Marion Stoddart’s tremendous success at the premiere with an opportunity to meet Marion Stoddart and the filmmakers, a catered natural food buffet, a cash bar, and fantastic live music featuring the musicians from the film.

To reserve or purchase tickets by June 1, please visit http://www.workof1000.org/screenings or call Marea at 617-834-7315 or email marea@workof1000.org. 

Support MyRWA- Donate at Whole Foods in Medford in July

For the month of July, Whole Foods Market of Medford will have donation coupons at all registers that benefit MyRWA. If you are interested in volunteering to assist with this month long effort, please contact Beth at 781-316-3438 or beth@mysticriver.org.

Thank you Whole Foods Market of Medford for your ongoing support!

Rain Barrel Program a Success

Over 50 Rain Barrels were purchased through MyRWA's program in conjunction with New England Rain Barrel Company. Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water and reduce storm water runoff. Thanks to all who purchased rain barrels through MyRWA's program!

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market of Medford, where the rain barrel pickup was hosted on June 3.