If you've traveled along the Mystic River, no doubt you have seen Phragmites, a common invasive plant. This tall, feathery grass is found along the banks of rivers and streams, where it often displaces cattails, a native plant.
The Ecological Landscaping Association recently published an article, Successfully Managing Phragmites, that addresses the history of this plant as well as management tips. Enjoy!
In case you missed this meeting, Made In Medford now has video of the Oil Spill meeting from June 8th online at: http://www.madeinmedford.com/community
Had to share Black Crow Yoga's newest addition!
Sunday, July 21
4.45-7pm . $59
stay tuned for additional dates!
Memorial Beach/Sandy Beach
Upper Mystic Lake
Mystic Valley Parkway, Winchester
click to sign up
Join us for an adventure on the water as we paddle and flow! We'll enjoy the serenity and peacefulness of being out on the water and in nature, while working on our strength, flexibility, and balance. We'll use our stand up paddleboards (SUPs) as yoga mats, playing with postures while floating on the water, adding extra core strengthening (and lots of fun!) to our regular practice.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
TOGETHER FOR THE MYSTIC RIVER Photo: Mystic River after fresh snow Credit: Brett Hausler
COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW Photo: Alewife Stormwater Wetland, Credit: Stantec