Head over to Hurd Field in Arlington to check out porous pavement in addition to MyRWA's rain garden!
Learn more about the EPA's Hurd Field Porous Pavement Education Project here:
Special Opportunity: Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative
The Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative (MIMIC) is a network of trained volunteers, scientists, and state and federal workers who monitor marine invasive species along the Gulf of Maine. The collaborative provides an opportunity for the general public to actively participate in an invasive species early detection network, identify new invaders before they spread out of control, and help improve our understanding of the behavior of established invaders. More than 100 volunteers are monitoring 38 sites in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The four primary components of the MIMIC program are:
Coordination
Training
Monitoring
Information Transfer
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management coordinates the program and data are housed at MIT Sea Grant.
The Invasive Species monitoring is scheduled for:
Wednesday July 24, 6pm
Wednesday Aug 14, 6pm
Wednesday Sept 18, 6pm
The site is at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina, 256 Marginal St, East Boston.
If you would like to participate in this program please call Beth at 781-316-3438.
Summer waterfront entertainment!
Apollinaire Theatre Company presents
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
by Bertolt Brecht
FREE!, Apollinaire in the Park
in English and Spanish!
July 10-27, Wed.-Sun. at 7:30
Mary O'Malley Park, Commandant's Way, on the Chelsea Waterfront (Admiral's Hill).
English: Wednesday July 17 & 24, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Spanish: Wednesday July 10, every Friday
FREE
(617) 887-2336 • www.apollinairetheatre.com
“Terrible is the temptation to do good!”
Apollinaire Theatre Company’s 10th year of offering free bilingual productions on alternating nights in English and Spanish in Chelsea’s Mary O’Malley Park features Brecht's parable of right and wrong.
Brecht throws the audience into the action when a coup brings down the social order. The intertwining tales of Grusha, a young kitchen maid who rescues a baby abandoned by his royal mother, and Azdak, a drunken scribe suddenly elevated to high court judge, meet when Azdak must determine the fate of the child. Brecht borrows the idea of the chalk circle from an ancient Chinese folktale, and Azdak places the child in the circle for a winner-takes-all tug of war between Grusha and his high born mother.
This production features an original score by Boston composer David Reiffel, who is best known locally for his work as a sound designer and composer at area theaters including New Repertory Theatre, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, and the Stoneham Theatre. He has written six original musicals, more than a dozen musical adaptations, and incidental music for many plays, including the 2012 Romeo and Juliet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Reiffel is returning to his roots with Caucasian Chalk Circle. He began his theatrical composing career writing music for a (very traditional) school production of this same play as a 9th grader. He's excited to revisit the script in this new, contemporary, bilingual setting.
In Apollinaire tradition, the audience will move to new locations throughout the performance, following the travels of the characters. Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and beach chairs, and a picnic to enjoy along with the Boston harbor views.
These Free performances of The Caucasian Chalk Circle are
July 10-27, Wed.-Sun. at 7:30.
English performances are Wednesday July 17 & 24, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Spanish performances are Wednesday July 10 and Fridays.
Paddling Tour Offered Aug. 13
Join the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) on Tuesday, August 13th as we explore the Mystic River and hear from Rick Beinecke about the rich history and natural life of the river. Rick is author of the forthcoming book, The Mystic River: A Natural and Human History and Recreation Guide.
Trip will start/end at the Upper Mystic Lake Dam, Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford. 6:00PM – 8:00PM.
Limited to 15 people.
Bring your own boat and PFD.
Heavy rain cancels the event.
RSVP (required) to Beth@MysticRiver.org or 781-316-3438.
FRIENDS OF THE MALDEN RIVER HOST PRESENTATION ON U.S. ARMY CORP’S ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT
The newly-formed Friends of the Malden River – local citizens who have banded together to press for the protection and restoration of the Malden River – will meet on Tuesday, July 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Maccario Room of the Malden Public Library, 36 Salem Street (enter from Park Street) to discuss next steps towards the goal of transforming the river into a vital community resource, and to meet with Project Manager David Larsen of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District, who will update the group on status of plans to restore the riverbank ecosystem on the Everett site of the two-mile-long waterway. All are invited to attend the gathering.
Friends of the Malden met three times this spring in both Everett and Malden, which, along with Medford, are the three cities that border the Malden River. Last month, the group, aided by a team of graduate students studying water policy at Tufts University, inaugurated a website dedicated to all things Malden River – including environmental remediation, public access, local history, resource improvement strategies, and citizen activism. The site, at www.maldenriver.wordpress.com, includes videos about the river and interviews with community members. The Malden River group is working closely with the Tri-City Community Action Program (Tri-CAP) in Malden, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), environmental and urban justice advocates, and Tufts University’s interdisciplinary graduate program in Water: Systems, Science & Society (WSSS). An extensive report compiled by the seven Tufts graduate students who worked intensively on this project over the spring is also posted on the web at:
Fish Ladder in Winchester?
Winchester resident John Kilborn is pursuing the possibility of installing a fish ladder at the Center Falls Dam in Winchester center. Kilborn has been successful at bringing together town leaders, MA Division of Marine Fisheries, local residents, MyRWA and others to explore the feasibility and costs associated with such a project. MyRWA is conducting a herring habitat assessment in the Aberjona River and Wedge Pond to help inform this work, which is estimated at $100,000.
As to what piqued Kilborn’s interest in a fish ladder in Winchester, he says “I started this project when I saw a fish vainly trying to get up Winchester's Center Falls Dam. The fish ladder is an important step in treating the Aberjona like a natural river, instead of a storm sewer.”
Volunteers have documented the presence of herring in the Aberjona River at the Center Falls dam. The Town of Winchester recently applied for funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for this project.
Thanks for your work, John!
You can reach John at: jkilborn3@gmail.com.
Meet the MyRWA Summer Interns!
Pictured here (top row, left to right): Andy Hrycyna, Gabrielle String, Josh Peters, Samanta Bajracharya, Leif Inouye, Hillary Monahan, Zhibek Junushaliyeva, with MyRWA staff Beth MacBlane and Katrina Sukola.
Summer at MyRWA just wouldn't be the same without a crew of enthusiastic interns! MyRWA would like to welcome summer interns Caitlin Pohl, Leif Inouye, Gabrielle String, Hillary Monahan, Andy Hrycyna, Rachel Lacomini, and Jacob Henebry. MyRWA is fortunate to have their help in a variety of projects.
Andy Hrycyna of Cambridge is serving as MyRWA’s Water Chestnut Program coordinator. Helping out at corporate and community water chestnuts events is Somerville’s Rachel Lacomini and Cambridge’s Jacob Henebry.
Caitlin and Leif, both students at Tufts University, with Hillary, a student at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, are performing a variety of field work, including: herring habitat assessment, cyanobacteria monitoring, counting migrating eels at Upper Mystic Lake, and assisting with water chestnut removal and rain garden maintenance.
Gabrielle, a PhD candidate at Tufts University, has joined spring interns Elizabeth Koerber, Josh Peters, Katie Creasey, Jenny Ta, Zhibek Junushaliyeva, and Samanta Bajracharya as part of the database and GIS project team. Katie is also working on a flow meter project in Mill Brook.
2013 Herring Run Estimated at 193,125
The 2013 herring migration was tracked by over 70 volunteer herring monitors at the DCR Upper Mystic Lake dam. MyRWA would like to thank the DCR, Medford Boat Club and of course all the monitors for supporting this program! This season we observed 23,635 herring, for an estimated run size of 193,125 +/- 24,250 herring. These results indicate a similar (albeit slightly lower count) compared to last year.
Read more about the Herring Monitoring Program here.
Stormwater Advocates Training
The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition will offer unique training this summer (2013) about simple ways to restore stream life and revive the uses of local streams and lakes. This Stormwater Advocates Training (SWAT) program includes a mix of workshop sessions, guidance materials and fieldwork that will enable participants to reduce polluted runoff.
SWAT participants will attend two workshops and conduct dry and wet weather observations. MWC staff will help participants to select practices to achieve the most pollutant reduction for the least cost. MWC staff will also assist participants to present their findings and recommend stormwater solutions to municipal boards.
SWAT training is planned for two locations. Central MA workshops are scheduled for Saturday July 20 (9 am-1pm) and Tuesday July 23 (5-9 pm) at the Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary in Worcester. Western MA workshops are scheduled for Saturday, August 24 (9 am-1pm) and Thursday August 29 (5-9 pm) in Northampton at a location to be arranged. Registration fee is $40 for workshop sessions, training materials and refreshments.
Read more and register here: http://www.commonwaters.org/events/be-a-stormwater-advocate
Wynn Resort and Suffolk Downs Casino Proposals
An artist's rendering of the proposed resort, released by Wynn Resorts This Saturday citizens of Everett will vote to decide if Wynn Everett, a $1.2 billion resort casino proposed by Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn, should be built on the former Monsanto chemical factory on the banks of the Mystic River. If approved, Wynn’s application for a casino license may advance to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Early indications are that the Everett casino proposal has strong support from city residents and will likely be approved.
In recent months, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) has been in close contact with representatives of Wynn Everett to make clear our organization’s concerns and interests with regard to the development proposed at the Monsanto site.
We have provided detailed recommendations to insure that Wynn Resorts makes restoration of the Mystic River, as a living river system and recreational resource, a significant component of their plans. A development of the size and scope planned in Everett can deliver great benefit to the local environment, especially with regard to creating more open space and improving access to the river. Our message has been consistent: we want our Association members and Mystic River residents to be wowed by Wynn’s efforts to protect and restore the Mystic River.
An artist's rendering of the proposed Suffolk Downs resortAt the same time plans for a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston continue to be developed. MyRWA remains in close communication with Suffolk Downs and its partners to insure that this project also produces superlative results for the Mystic River Watershed, if it is built. MyRWA has offered detailed comments on plans for casino development at Suffolk Downs, which are presented in the Environmental Notification Form filed for the project with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. You can review these comments here.
Either of these projects if approved will have a significant effect on the Mystic River Watershed in which they are proposed. We intend that the impacts of any casino development in the Mystic River Watershed are overwhelmingly positive for the local natural environment.
At the same time, we recognize that there are significant and legitimate concerns in the host and surrounding communities with regard to traffic and the social and economic impacts of casino gambling. We are sensitive to these concerns and will respectfully defer to those more qualified to address these issues as they arise.
These casino proposals are on a fast track. Resort casino applicants for the Boston region must submit their completed applications no later than December 31, 2013. Now is the time to weigh in to insure that the interests of the river are well represented as plans for the casinos are developed.
The Mystic River Watershed Association intends to do just that and we will remain in close communication with our members and with residents of the host and surrounding communities during the process.
We welcome your input. Feel free to write to me at ek@mysticriver.org and include “Mystic River Casinos” in the subject line. We will continue to represent your concerns. The Mystic River Watershed Association will keep friends of the Mystic informed and alert you when there are opportunities to make your voices heard.
Thank you for your continued support of the Mystic River Watershed Association and for your dedication to protection and restoration of the Mystic River.
EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Executive Director
