At the April 2nd MyRWA Committee Meeting, a group of Tufts University graduate students enrolled in the Water: Systems, Science and Society (WSSS) program will present their practicum work on the Malden River. The WSSS program is a graduate research and education program that provides Tufts students with interdisciplinary perspectives and tools to manage water-related problems around the world. Please join us for the presentation at 7:00PM at Tufts University, Lincoln Filene Center, Rabb Room, Medford.
Citizen Scientist Training Workshop Announced
Please join MyRWA on Tuesday, June 11th for a Citizen Scientist Training Workshop. This workshop allows interested volunteers to learn about water quality monitoring methods and concepts. By completing this workshop, you’ll be prepared to join MyRWA’s Baseline Monitoring Program. The Baseline Monitoring Program requires a monthly commitment between 6am and 8am. No experience is necessary - all are welcome!
When: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Where: Cambridge Health Alliance, 195 Canal St., Malden
This training will be held both indoors and outdoors (rain or shine). Please wear close-toed shoes. Pizza will be provided.
Space is limited! Please register today by emailing Beth@Mysticriver.org or calling 781-316-3438.
Defendants Pay $4.25 Million Settlement for Restoring Natural Resources at Industri-Plex Superfund Site in Woburn
State and federal officials have received a $4.25 million settlement from the Pharmacia Corporation and Bayer CropScience Inc. for damages to natural resources at the Industri-plex Superfund site in Woburn, Mass. Contaminants from this site significantly impacted resources in the Aberjona River and the surrounding watershed.
MyRWA would like to thank the dedicated team of professionals who worked on this settlement, including: Assistant Attorney General Matthew Brock, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Environmental Protection Division; Karen Pelto and Jennifer Davis from MassDEP; Dale Young and Anna Blumkin from MA EEA; Karen Sughrue, Molly Sperduto, Kenneth Munney, Veronica Varela from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Mark Barash and Marcia Gittes from the U.S. DOI Office of the Solicitor; Don Frankel from U.S. DOJ; and Ken Finkelstein and Gwendolyn McCarthy from NOAA.
Are you looking to get more involved with the Herring Monitoring Program?
Community outreach opportunity!
Volunteers are needed to assist in planning and staffing “open houses” at the dam. These events will be held in May during the afternoon/evening and on the weekends to allow the public to view the migrating herring from the fish ladder which is otherwise closed to the public. We are seeking a lead volunteer coordinator for this effort, as well as volunteers to staff the events for a minimum of one hour. Contact Beth at Beth@MysticRiver.org or 781-316-3438 to get involved and for more information.
Data Visualization Summer Internship
Another summer internship with MyRWA!
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) seeks a Data Visualization Intern to assist in the exploration and display of environmental data.
The Mystic River Watershed Association has developed a sophisticated MS Access Database with nearly all water quality data collected during the past 15 years for the watershed. The challenge is to take this information and convert it into figures, maps and statistics that will assist the public to understand existing conditions. The Data Visualization Intern will develop and analyze spatial data related to water quality, drainage basins, green infrastructure, sediment contamination and demographics within the Mystic River Watershed. The intern must be able to work independently and as a team. This is a part-time position that requires a commitment of two to three days a week during the Monday through Friday work week.
An interest in data visualization, science and the environment is encouraged. Experience with either R or D3 is preferred. But if you have other programming/skills/design experience- we welcome your creativity!
Exact dates can be flexible depending on the candidate. This is an unpaid position.
Since 1972, the Mystic River Watershed Association has played a unique role in the whole of the watershed by its science, advocacy, and outreach efforts. 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.
If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to DataInternship@MysticRiver.org. No phone calls please.
Deadline for application: April 1, 2013.
Friends of the Malden River Group Wants You!
Join us on Monday, March 18th from 6:00 to 7:30PM for a special meeting: The Malden River: What you need to know? What is the River’s Future?
Come hear from experts from the Mystic River Watershed Association and Alternatives for Community and Environment about the current conditions of The Malden River. We'll hear from other groups about their successes in reclaiming environmentally compromised waters.
EVENT DETAILS:
Monday, March 18th from 6:00 to 7:30PM
Malden Public Library, Maccario Meeting Room
36 Salem St., Malden - (use Park Street entrance)
For more information contact: Geobany Rodriguez at geobany@gmail.com or Bob Marra at rmarra@challiance.org; 617-591-6947.
Re-Launched: Herring Migration film Series highlights the Mystic
The Herring Migration Documentary is a series of 3 in-depth films by Illuminating Minds Media, focused on the natural history, latest science and conservation efforts surrounding the River Herring.
Shot over a year and spanning tens of locations across Massachusetts and Maine, the series feature cutting edge science, rarely witnessed behavior and insightful analysis form a leading panel of herring experts. The 3rd film of the series depicts the historic return of herring to the Mystic Lakes for the first time since the American Civil War and its biological implications.
Can you support this project? Please make a donation on the Herring Migration Kickstarter page today!
Kindly consider spreading the word by sharing, tweeting and forwarding the link to potential backers in your network: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/imm/the-herring-migration-documentary-series-3-episode
Did you see today's Boston Globe?
MyRWA was very pleased to see the Mystic River featured on the front page of the Boston Globe on Feb. 18th. The article by Beth Daley, A steady flow of troubles for the long-foul Mystic: River draws scrutiny, but cleanup a complex challenge, details the plight of the Mystic and offers a comparison to nearby urban rivers. Please feel free to circulate the article, and your comments to the editor are encouraged and most welcome!
Friends of the Malden River Group Wants You!
Join us on Thursday, February 28th, 6pm-8:45pm, for a special meeting: The Malden River: What you need to know? What is the River’s Future?
Come hear from experts from the Mystic River Watershed Association and Alternatives for Community and Environment about the current conditions of The Malden River. We'll hear from other groups about their successes in reclaiming environmentally compromised waters.
Thursday, February 28th, 6pm-8:45pm
Parlin Library, 410 Broadway, Everett
For more information contact: Geobany Rodriguez at geobany@gmail.com or Bob Marra at rmarra@challiance.org; 617-591-6947.
Volunteer to count fish!
On April 1st, MyRWA will launch the second year of the Herring Monitoring Program. Volunteers are needed to monitor the river herring as they pass through the Upper Mystic Lake dam in Medford. All training is provided and there is a minimum 10-minute per week commitment. Register today for the Saturday, March 16th, 10am - noon Herring Monitoring training. (And if you can't make it on 3/16 but would like to volunteer, please register and we will train you separately.)
