BOAT ARTIFACTS WINTER ART SHOW NOW OPEN
Reception and Silent Auction March 7
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Our Winter Art Show,
BOAT ART-ifacts
opened on Saturday, February 22 and visitors have been coming in greater numbers than we have seen in previous years. The artwork has been donated by over 45 local artists and is really worth seeing!
The show continues through Saturday, March 7 when we will conclude with a reception and silent auction from 5 to 7 p.m. Stop by the Dedee Shattuck Gallery any afternoon between noon and 4 p.m. between now and March 7th. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is Free. The Gallery is located at One Partners Lane, Westport, MA 02790. You can preview the artwork
here.
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Artist Barbara Healy instructing the art class at Brushes & Brews. Below, artists show their finished paintings.
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More than 170 visitors came to view the show at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery last weekend.
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Join WRWA for Annual Meeting
Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 11 AM – 1:30 PM
Please Join WRWA to hear about the organization's accomplishments from 2019 on
Sunday, March 22 at the Bittersweet Restaurant, 438 Main Road in Westport.
Bob Daylor, Vice-chair of the Westport Planning Board, will speak on the findings of the Targeted-Integrated Water Resource Management Plan done for the Town of Westport.
Brunch will be served between 11:15 am and 12:00 pm, with the Annual Business Meeting and Speaking Program at 12:00. The fee for brunch is $25 per person. The business meeting and program are free. Please call WRWA office at 508-636-3016 to sign up for brunch, or go to
www.westportwatershed.org.
Bob Daylor
is a semi-retired civil engineer and the Vice-chair of the Westport Planning Board. He is a frequent speaker and expert on development impact issues. He has worked on major economic development and public works projects in Africa and Asia. Mr. Daylor also served as the professional mentor to the Tufts University Chapter of Engineers Without Borders for several years, designing and building water supplies for rural villages in El Salvador and Nicaragua. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Civil Engineering with an environmental focus from Northeastern University. He was awarded a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at Harvard University.
Bob will be discussing the findings of the recent Targeted-Integrated Water Resource Management Plan done for the Town of Westport by consultants Kleinfelder and Pare Corp. The Plan will guide the Town’s selection and implementation of actions to cost-effectively address the impaired water quality and habitat conditions of the Westport River with the long-term goal of achieving the nitrogen loading reductions necessary to meet the 2017 Final TMDL Report’s target threshold and water quality standards for pathogens. The Plan quantifies the extent of the current problems and future needs in the targeted areas, identifies and evaluates alternative technologies and management practices for meeting those needs, prioritizes the most environmentally appropriate and cost-effective remedies.
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Update on WRWA Science Projects
Roberta Carvalho, Science Director
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We have been working with the Coastal Systems Program (CSP) UMass Dartmouth (SMAST) on a project funded by a grant from the US EPA Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration (
http://westportwatershed.org/whats-being-done/oyster-experiment-in-cockeast-pond/
). The UMass Dartmouth initiative, led by Dr. Brian Howes at SMAST’s Coastal Systems Program, is utilizing the Westport River and Cockeast Pond as a natural laboratory to measure how oysters improve water clarity and potentially reduce elevated nitrogen levels that destroy fish and other marine wildlife habitats.
The experimental work is winding down. This is the final year of the four-year project. This summer over 200,000 of the oysters grown in Cockeast Pond were given to the Town of Westport. Once the oysters reach market size they must be removed from the pond, which is closed to shellfishing. These oysters were transplanted to a contaminated relay site in the Westport River with the help of Chris Leonard, Westport Director of Marine Services and volunteers. This summer the last 30,000 oysters in the pond will be used in small scale experiments. After the results are compiled, we plan to have Dr. Howes and members of his team present the data.
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Salt Marsh Study Update
WRWA continued work with salt marsh ecologists and experts, Dr. Patrick J. Ewanchuk, Providence College, and Dr. Catherine M. Matassa, University of Connecticut, to continue a series of descriptive and manipulative experiments in both branches of the River to better understand why our local marshes are disappearing. The researchers will be presenting the results of their study on Saturday, April 25, 2020. The talk will be held at WRWA’s River Center at 10 am. until noon.
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BayCoast Bank Supports
WRWA Solar Installation
BayCoast Bank has underwritten the cost of installation of our solar panels on the new River Center. This is in keeping with their mission to encourage non-fossil fuel energy.
“Our commitment to the protecting the environment is evident not only in our continued support of the important work done by the Westport Watershed Alliance but also in our investment in solar arrays at our headquarters in Swansea, MA. Partnering with WRWA on the implementation of solar panels on their newly constructed center was a natural extension of that commitment,” explained Nicholas M. Christ President and CEO BayCoast Bank.
The panels on the River Center are being installed by New England Clean Energy Company of Hudson, MA, and are expected to provide over 90% of the electricity that the building uses.
At right, Julie Ramos Gagliardi, 1st Vice President for Corporate Giving and Community Relations gets ready to "Flip the Switch" for the new solar system at the River Center.
Below: With installation underway, those involved take a moment for a photo opp. From left, Mike Richards, Master Electrician, NE Clean Energy; Deborah Weaver, WRWA Executive Director; Julie Ramos Gagliardi, Vice President, BayCoast Bank; Doug McCartney, CEO of New England Clean Energy; Tom Schmitt, WRWA Board President; Mark Richards, Crew Lead, NE Clean Energy.
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Scholarship Opportunity for High School Seniors
The Westport River Watershed Alliance is pleased to offer a $1,000 scholarship opportunity for graduating seniors living in the Westport River watershed communities of Fall River, Dartmouth, Freetown, Westport, Little Compton, and Tiverton. The award was made possible by the generosity of the late Margot C. Boote, and by Bill Heath in memory of his parents Ruth and Bill Heath.
The merit award applications are available on the WRWA website at
www.westportwatershed.org
or by calling the WRWA office at 508-636-3016. Guidance departments in local high schools also have applications on file. All applications are due into WRWA office no later than April 1, 2020.
The merit awards honor students who have demonstrated their interest in protecting the Westport River. WRWA’s mission: Working together to protect and preserve the Westport river Watershed now and for future generations. WRWA accomplishes its mission through education, advocacy, and community outreach.
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WRWA Seeking Two Qualified Candidates
To Fill Summer Internship Positions
The summer intern position is 30 hrs/week at a rate of $12.75 / hr, from June until the middle of August (exact starting and ending dates flexible). The intern will work under the supervision of the Education Director, assisting with various projects. WRWA received a generous grant from
BayCoast Bank
to fund this position with preference given to students at Bristol Community College or UMass Dartmouth.
For complete list of responsibilities and desired qualifications, please visit our Facebook page. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and 3 references to:
Shelli Costa, Education Director ♦ Westport River Watershed Alliance ♦ PO Box 3427 ♦ Westport, MA 02790, or email materials to:
wep@wrwa.com
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Discovery Series 2020 Upcoming Events
These events will take place at the River Center unless otherwise noted.
•Saturday, February 29 •
FROGWATCH
•
1 to 3 p.m.
with WRWA and Buttonwoods Park Zoo.
Join the
FrogWatch
Community and l
earn how to explore local wetlands, identify local frogs and toads by their calls, and contribute data to a national study. Free
•
Saturday, March 28 •
Moth or Butterfly? 10 a.m. - noon
Family Program $5 suggested donation
Learn the differences between these two different species that share common characteristics
•Saturday, April 18 •
1 P.M. to 3 p.m.
N
ATIVE POLLINATORS GARDEN
with Local Organic Landscaper Sarah Lavalley
Discover what to plant to make your yard and garden a healthy place for local species
$5 suggested donation/family
•Saturday, April 18 •
CLIMATE CHANGE: PAST PRESENT, FUTURE •
Presented at Westport Public Library with the Westport Historical Society •
2 p.m
.
•Tuesday, April 21 •
Vacation Adventure • Earth Day Kids Program
9 - noon
$30 day program
•Thursday, April 23 •
Vacation Adventure • Wildflowers Kids Program
9 - noon
$30 day program
•
Saturday, April 25 •
Salt Marsh Talk
with scientists Patrick Ewanchuk & Catherine Matassa
10 am to 12 noon. Free
Look for more information on these and other upcoming events at the River Center by visiting our web page at
www.westportwatershed.or
g
, on our
Facebook
page, and by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
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Registration is Open for Summer Coastal Ecology Program
Our summer programs offer children the opportunity to learn science, make friends, and build self-confidence, all while having fun in a relaxed, safe environment.
The
Coastal Explorers
Ages 7-9.
•Monday- Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
•Weeks of July 6-10 & July 20-24
Children discover wildlife in our coastal waters, create eco-crafts, learn about coastal habitats, hike the dunes, and enjoy nature games on the beach. The program fee is
$180
for WRWA members,
$220
for non-members.
River Edventures
-
Ages 9-11.
•Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
•Weeks of July 13-17, July 27-31, August 3 - 7.
Head out on WRWA’s Skiff Water Watcher to explore the Westport River by boat, tow a plankton net, pull up crab posts and observe osprey nests. The cost is
$200
for members and
$240
for
non-members.
River Rats -
Ages 3 – 6 (accompanied by adult). Each session will feature an hour at the beach during which participants will listen for shore birds, use nets to catch fish and crabs and explore the sand for hidden creatures. Hands-on investigations, games and crafts will help children learn about animals at the beach.
•July 1 &2, August 11,12 & 13.
Cost:
$10
members,
$12
Non-members.
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Amy Helm Band to Headline WRWA Summer Concert
July 11, 2020 at Westport Rivers Vineyard
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This summer's concert presented with the Narrows Center for the Arts will feature the Amy Helm Band. Opening act will be Brian Dunne. This is WRWA's 5th Annual summer concert, which has become a regional favorite. Tickets will be on sale soon on the WRWA website www.westportwatershed.org, and at the River Center office at 493 Old County Road, or by phone at 508-636-3016.
More information on the concert will be coming on our web page, on Facebook, and in upcoming issues of River News.
Tickets are $45 for WRWA members, $55 for non-members. This concert sells out every year! Great music at the lovely Westport Rivers Vineyard! Gates open at 5 p.m. for the evening concert.
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Life Around the Watershed
Red-breasted Merganser
A Winter Visitor
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This Red-breasted Merganser was spotted doing some fishing here at the Head of Westport this week. While Red-breasted Mergansers spend most of their lives in northern lakes and rivers, within northern forests and into tundra regions of Canada, they are commonly seen here in the Westport River during the winter months. They are small, crested, fish-eating ducks that escape the frozen north to feed in more southern coastal waters. They forage by diving and swimming underwater. While sometimes seen in large assemblages of hundreds of birds, they are usually seen in small numbers in Westport. They will soon be returning to their cool northern waters to breed. We’re glad that this beautiful duck visits us here on the River each winter.
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Thank You to our 2020 Corporate Sponsors
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