"WHEN FISH RUN: The Story of a Small Fry" is an original play (with music) written by children from the Mystic Learning Center in Somerville. It will be performed at the MyRWA's Annual Herring Run and Paddle to celebrate the return of the alewife and blueback herring fish to the Mystic River and Lakes. The show will be performed on SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse.
The play is about a small herring, named Alberto, who misses the annual herring migration to the ocean because of a terrible storm that separates him from his friends. In order to survive, he is forced to become part of the evil Bass King's gang. (Note: Bass eat herring!) When the herring return in the spring to the Mystic River, they think that Alberto has betrayed them by joining the Bass Gang. Alberto thinks he was left behind because he wasn't strong enough to make the migration. Both are very wrong! And when it becomes apparent that the Bass King's evil ways threaten all of the Mystic, Alberto and his best friend, Beatriz, journey beyond the giant fish ladder to seek advice from a wise creature that no one has seen for over 200 years! Come find out how Alberto and Beatriz save the Mystic River in "WHEN FISH RUN: The Story of a Small Fry."
"WHEN FISH RUN: The Story of a Small Fry" was produced by Wild Tales with a grant from the Somerville Arts Council. Wild Tales is a free program for all children ages 6 - 12 that teaches youth about urban ecology through creative play.
MyRWA’s Patrick Herron Receives EPA Award
Karen McGuire (EPA), Patrick Herron, Curt Spalding (EPA Region 1 Administrator)Patrick Herron, MyRWA’s Water Quality Monitoring Director, received a 2012 Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency New England Region 1. Under Patrick’s guidance MyRWA put new attention on Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) as a major source of pollution in the watershed, launched the Herring Monitoring Program, and provided leadership on the water chestnut removal project to name a few accomplishments. Congratulations Patrick!
Patrick Herron, Water Quality Monitoring Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association, has improved the lives of more than a half million residents living in Mystic River communities. The Mystic Monitoring Network, which uses volunteers to gather data, has been integral to the association's work for more than a decade. Patrick, a dedicated scientist, has used data collected through the network to raise awareness about discharges that pollute the Mystic River and other resources in its watershed. He drew attention to the problem of sanitary sewer overflows in the watershed because he believed that rain and snow were causing contamination of the river and neighboring waters. With help from university interns and dedicated volunteer monitors, Patrick monitored and calculated the impact of discharges on river ecology and water chemistry. He created an online sewer overflow reporting form that made data collected easily available. This information helped the association inform citizens and helped local officials identify overflow points. His conversations with local water and sewer officials influenced the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to study the pipe system and facilities in the Mystic River district to determine if they could prevent ongoing overflows. Patrick also created a Mystic River Herring Monitoring Network to be launched this spring, and advocated for installation of green infrastructure in the Mystic River Watershed. He has partnered with local officials, community organizations, environmental advocacy groups and a variety of academic partners in the watershed. Through these collaborations, he has brought hope and direction for the concerns of residents and decision-makers in the Mystic River watershed.
MyRWA’s Patrick Herron to Receive EPA Award
Patrick Herron, MyRWA’s Water Quality Monitoring Director, will receive the 2012 Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency New England Region 1. The award will be presented at Faneuil Hall on April 25 at a ceremony held from 1-3pm. Curt Spalding, US EPA Regional Administrator, will be at the program to greet all the honorees. Under Patrick’s guidance MyRWA put new attention on Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) as a major source of pollution in the watershed, launched the Herring Monitoring Program, and provided leadership on the water chestnut removal project to name a few accomplishments. All are welcome to attend.
Congratulations Patrick!
Come learn about the herring migration!
Herring as seen from the viewing platform at the Mystic Lakes Dam, 4/18/12.MyRWA staff and volunteer Herring Monitors will be present to allow visitors access to the fish ladder at the newly renovated MA DCR Upper Mystic Lake Dam to (hopefully) see the migrating herring! Come learn about the incredible journey this fish makes. MyRWA staff will also have the American Eel monitoring box open for viewing. Free and open to the public. Drop by anytime during the time indicated.
Mystic Lakes Dam Open Houses
Thursday, April 26, 3-7pm
Sunday, May 20, 12-3pm
Thursday, May 24, 3-7pm
Upper Mystic Lake Dam, Medford (Head to the dam between the upper and lower Mystic Lake)
Spring Bird Walk Announced For May 5th
Magnolia WarblerEver wondered what birds are in the Mystic River Watershed?
On Saturday, May 5th from 8am to 10am MyRWA Board Member Michael Fager will lead a bird walk in DCR Torbert MacDonald Park, paying special attention to migrating birds. Please join us! All levels of birders are welcomed. Bring your own binoculars and a bird book if you have them. Please wear comfortable shoes. Meet in the parking lot.
Tufts University Student Presentation 4/3
Join MyRWA for the monthly Committee Meeting, from 7pm to 8pm on Tuesday, April 3rd, for a special presentation. The interdisciplinary team of eight Tufts graduate students is working with MyRWA and four watershed communities to identify optimal locations for best management practices (BMPs) to effectively control polluted stormwater runoff. The team -- part of the Water: Systems, Science and Society (WSSS) certificate program -- is creating dynamic maps using geographic information systems (GIS) analysis, while also surveying and documenting the views of residents and local experts. The team consists of grad students from the planning, engineering and nutrition programs, as well as three advisors -- including a Ph.D. student and two Tufts instructors.
Free and open to the public!
When: Tuesday, April 3, 7-8pm
Where: Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room, Medford, MA (http://campusmaps.tufts.edu/medford/?fid=m015). Parking is available on campus, on Boston Ave. and in Dowling Hall.
MyRWA brings acclaimed film Bag It to Somerville Theatre
When: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - Bag It film screening
5:30PM, 7:00PM & 8:30PM, Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA
Reserve your seat here - space is very limited!
Please join the Mystic River Watershed Association, in collaboration with Somerville Climate Action, for a free screening of the award-winning documentary film Bag It at the Somerville Theater on April 11th. Space is limited – please reserve your seat today!
Produced by Reel Thing Productions in association with the Telluride Institute, Bag It is a powerful look at the impacts of plastics on society. The film focuses on plastic as it relates to our throwaway mentality, our culture of convenience, our over consumption of unnecessary, disposable products and packaging – things that we use one time and then, without another thought, throw them away. But where is AWAY?? Away is over flowing landfills, clogged rivers, islands of trash in our oceans, and even our very own toxic bodies.
Featuring interviews with scientists and experts from around the world, Bag It is a first-person documentary in the style of Michael Moore, asking how we can incorporate healthy, more environmentally friendly practices into our lives, our cultures, and our communities.
“I didn’t expect a movie about plastic bags to change my life in such a deep and profound way. Gripping, funny, intelligent, and sure to change your life.” - Louie Psihoyos, Director of The Cove
This event is co-sponsored by Groundwork Somerville, Ocean River Institute, Surfrider Foundation, The Herring Alliance,Preserve, Sustainable Arlington, Mass Sierra Club and Eagle Eye Institute.
Why: The Mystic River, a beautiful resource for many local communities, faces many environmental challenges. The Watershed Association is working hard to create a healthier river for the future and presents this movie to alert the twenty two communities in the watershed to potential river hazards. With Earth Day on April 22nd, this film inspires us to look more closely at the use of plastic in our lives, as well as the impact it has on our local waterways. The event is followed by Earth Day cleanups throughout the watershed on April 21st and April 28th.
This is the fourth in a series of events to celebrate Mystic River Watershed Association’s 40th Anniversary year - a year to highlight and promote the recreational opportunities of the Mystic, as well as the water quality testing and environmental policy efforts that the Mystic River Watershed Association has led over its forty year history.
Mystic Earth Day Cleanup 4/28
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and Gentle Giant Rowing Club will host a river cleanup in celebration of Earth Day as well as MyRWA’s 40th Anniversary on Saturday, April 28th from 10:00am until noon. Please join us at Assembly Row along the water front in Somerville (165 Middlesex Avenue, Somerville, MA). Parking is available in the Staples parking lot and volunteers are needed to remove trash along the banks of the Mystic. At noon volunteers can join the City of Somerville at the DCR Blessing of the Bay Boathouse on Shore Drive for a spring clean-up BBQ.
This is one of MANY Earth Day event throughout the watershed. Please see /watershed-clean-ups/ for more information and to find an event near you!
Work of 1000 Draws a Crowd
EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Marion Stoddart, Susan Edwards, Beth MacBlane, Patrick Herron.MyRWA hosted the award-winning film The Work of 1000 and a discussion with the film's central figure, Marion Stoddart, at the Capitol Theater on March 22nd. Ninety people attended the event, which was sponsored by Boreal Renewable Energy Development. Marion's success on the Nashua River served as inspiration for the work ahead in the Mystic River Watershed. Susan Edwards, film maker, attended the event as well.
After the documentary, the audience had a chance to ask Marion and MyRWA staff Beth MacBlane and Patrick Herron about their experiences and work underway. Marion reiterated the need to have vision and commitment in watershed clean-up efforts.
"What a difference one person can make!!" stated one attendee.
In recognition of her work, Stoddart has received many awards including the United Nations Environmental Programme's Global 500 Award (1987).
MyRWA's Beth MacBlane and Marion Stoddart at Medford High School.She was profiled in National Geographic (1995) and in an award-winning children's book A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry; she was a National Women's History Project Honoree as "One of the Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet" (2009); and has published an essay in Written In Water by the National Geographic Society (2010).
Earlier in the day, Marion and MyRWA's Beth MacBlane showed the film at Medford High School, followed by a Q&A.
Summer 2012 Paid Internship
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a motivated, well-organized intern to assist in organizing an effort to remove the invasive species Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) from the Mystic River. Responsibilities include recruiting, scheduling and managing teams of volunteers to remove plants from the river by canoe. The effort to recruit partners would occur in the beginning of Summer 2012 with the majority of events occurring during the month of July and first week of August. (Exact dates are to be determined.) Intern will work both in and out of the office, and must be able to work independently and as a member of a team. This is a full time position that requires strong commitment between the months of June and July. Intern will be compensated on an incentive based system for the amount of volunteers brought to the river and the amount of water chestnut cleared from the river. This is a great opportunity to be involved with a small non-profit doing work on behalf of the community and environment.
Qualifications:
An interest in science, the environment and advocacy is encouraged.
Having reliable transportation is required and mileage will be reimbursed.
Candidates must be 16 years of age or older.
Ability to navigate a canoe
The Mystic River Watershed Association is based in Arlington, MA and is accessible via several bus routes. The Mystic River Watershed Association is an equal opportunity employer.
Deadline to apply is April 1, 2012. If interested, please send your resume to WQInternship@MysticRiver.org. No phone calls please. For more information about the invasive Water Chestnut see www.mysticriver.org/invasive-species/.
