Author: Gloria Bancroft

Town River Clean Up- RFP Deadline June 30th

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Taunton River Stewardship Council is seeking contractors with environmental planning and tree work experience to address several locations of instream wood within the Taunton River Watershed. This long-term project will focus on the communities of Halifax, Bridgewater, Middleboro, Raynham, Taunton, Dighton, Berkley, Freetown, Somerset, and Fall River. The first project for consideration is the Town River in Bridgewater, MA. Bids due June 30th.

New Calendar Photo Contest

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WE NEED YOUR PHOTOS!

We’re Back!

Announcing the TRWA’s 12th Annual Photography Contest

13 winners will have their photographs featured in the TRWA’s 2024 Annual Tide Calendar. Contest is open to all ages- professional and amateur alike! Photos must be taken within the last five years and taken within the Taunton River Watershed.

Photos must be submitted by September 1, 2023. Winners will be notified in October. 

For questions, email TRWACalendarContest@savethetaunton.org

 

First Herring Spotted!

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The first herring have been spotted by the Middleborough-Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission. The first herring to arrive are known as scouts. The rest won’t be far behind! The peak is unpredictable. Late March through mid-April is a good time to check. To learn more about herring, click here.

Also, mark your calendars for an informative TRWA program at the Middleboro Herring Run at 47 Wareham Street on Tuesday, April 18th at 10:00 am. Herring commissioners will lead a talk about the fish, its migration, its place in the food chain and more.  Great school vacation week activity where kids can participate in a live herring count! 

The Middleboro Herring Run is also known as the Thomas Memorial Park and the Wareham Street Fish Ladder. This small park on the Nemasket River is a perfect spot for viewing the annual alewife herring run, the largest in Massachusetts with more than half a million river herring migrating upriver each spring. Stop by in mid-to late March and early April to see thousands of herring make their way upstream toward their spawning grounds at Assawompsett Pond.

               

 

 

World Wetlands Day – Feb 2nd

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Move over Phil,  February 2nd is World Wetlands Day!

Once treated as dumping grounds, wetlands today are recognized for the critical role they serve in our environment. Did you know that 7000 plant species live in U.S. wetlands or that between 60% to 90% of U.S. commercial fisheries depend on wetlands? Also, they help to curb destruction caused by major storms in coastal areas by reducing erosion, flooding and property damage. This year’s theme “It’s Time for Wetlands Restoration”,  highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration. To learn more about the importance of wetlands, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/wetlands/why.htm.

 

Volunteers Bob & Barbara Hunt, Retire After Years of Service

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Thank you to Bob and Barbara Hunt for their years of water quality testing. They are long-time valued volunteers for TRWA’s Water Quality Monitoring Program and are retiring from testing as of this spring.
 
Steve Silva, program coordinator, says, “the Hunts were dedicated and reliable water quality monitoring volunteers long before I started with the program. Thanks to them, we have a long and complete data set on water quality conditions in the lower Taunton River main stem and the lower Three Mile River, both crucial areas. This data has been important to our efforts to lobby for treatment plant and stormwater management upgrades to improve water quality in the Taunton River.”
 
 
 

 
Bob is shown here at one of the 3 sites he and his wife Barbara sampled monthly from April -October for many years. The Hunts sampled at the Berkley Bridge (TNT-01), Plain St. (TNT-02, near Riverfront Park at the Weirs), and Three Mile River 01 (TMR-01,  the most downstream and tidal site on the Three Mile River).  The locations they sampled provided important data to access the lower Taunton River and upper Mount Hope Bay Estuary.
 
To understand the importance of their work, go to:
 
 

If you are interested in becoming a water testing volunteer, go here: https://savethetaunton.org/get…/volunteer-opportunities/

New volunteers attend a training seminar before the testing season begins and, as often as possible, are paired with experienced teams when they begin. The Hunts and our volunteers are at the forefront of learning about the conditions of our Watershed’s water quality.
 

Board of Directors Welcome Brad Gonyer

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TRWA welcomes Brad Gonyer as the newest member of our Board of Directors.
 
A seasoned TRWA volunteer, Brad has been a water sampler in the Water Quality Monitoring program for the past twelve years. He has also volunteered at various events, and will be joining the garden committee when it resumes work this spring.
 
His belief in the increasing need for environmental stewardship matches TRWA’s mission to protect and restore the Watershed’s natural resources for current and future generations, as well as building and supporting responsible stewardship of our fragile ecosystems, water quality, forests, farmland and wetlands.
 
About himself he says, “I was born and raised in Massachusetts and have lived in Taunton since 1989. I am a retired Museum Preparator whose career encompassed exhibit installation and organization, collections care and management as well as installation and maintenance of outdoor sculpture. I consider environmental remediation to be among the most significant challenges we are facing. True quality in our lives has always been dependent upon the healthy natural world. Humanity has become so powerfully disruptive that it is necessary for us to assume a greater stewardship role than we have been accustomed to. This is why I became involved with the TRWA and  look forward to spring planting.”
 
Thank you for joining us!
 

Holiday Open House

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The TRWA will be hosting a Holiday Open House in appreciation for all the support received throughout this past year.

Stop by the Watershed Center at Sweets Knoll State Park, Dighton on Saturday December 17th from 10am-1pm. Enjoy cookies, calendars, holiday treats, warm conversation and a chance to see our progress at the Center.

During your visit, enjoy our 2023 Tide Calendar photo display and find many great holiday gift ideas.

NRCS Statewide Local Working Group Survey and Meeting Announcement

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On September 29 at 12:00 noon, the NRCS will host a statewide Local Working Group meeting over Zoom. Please note: even if you cannot attend the meeting, you can make your voice heard by filling out the NRCS survey, linked below. Answers to this survey will not only structure the LWG meeting, but will also guide our work going forward.

This survey and meeting are an opportunity to provide input on natural resource priorities for the NRCS and the state conservationist. Agricultural producers, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences are all welcome.

For more information on local working groups, see What are Local Working Groups. 

Please fill out this survey at least one week prior to the meeting (September 22 deadline). This survey will help us structure the meeting so that it responds to your needs. A list of definitions of the resource concerns listed in the survey can be found here. Again, even if you cannot attend the meeting, please fill out this survey—answers to this survey will guide our work beyond the statewide Local Working Group meeting.

To receive the link to the meeting, please RSVP by emailing Austin Miles at amilesmacd@gmail.com.