River News for January 2020

January 2020 Issue

Gay Gillespie Retires from WRWA

After decades as the driving energy and public face of the Westport River Watershed Alliance, Gay Gillespie’s role changed in recent years. She gracefully stepped back from day-to-day management of the organization and began to focus on development, and the visioning of WRWA’s new River Center. Her great fundraising talents were instrumental in bringing the new headquarters and learning center to reality.

While Gay no longer works full-time at the organization that she nurtured and grew since the 1990’s, she still is an important part of the team. She volunteers for planning meetings for the growing number of events and programs upcoming this year, and will take part in helping to plan and manage our most important fund-raiser, the Summer Gala.

Gay has a great passion for improving the health and water quality of the Westport River. Her efforts over the years have made a real difference. She helped launch the Watershed Education Program (WEP), which continues strongly to this day and reaches over 2,000 students annually with high quality environmental experiences. Last year, a scholarship program was started in her name to provide an opportunity for more youngsters to attend WRWA’s popular summer programs. You can learn more about The Gay Gillespie Summer Scholarship on our web page: www.westportwatershed.org.

WRWA’s board, staff and membership appreciate all the time and energy Gay has given to the Westport River Watershed Alliance over the past decades! Thank you, Gay – enjoy your “retirement,” though we all know you will stay very busy and connected in the community. And we will welcome your continued involvement in the Watershed Alliance and the issues that we all care so much about.

Check out our new River Center Discovery video on Sea Urchins

James has interesting information on the Sea Urchin living in our River Center aquarium.

You can check it out HERE.

This is the third in our Discovery 2020 Series videos, showcasing some of the creatures and programs at the new RIVER CENTER.

Winter Art Show -

& Brushes and Brews

We have a wonderful group of artists working on their artwork for the Winter Art Show “BOAT ART-ifacts” coming up in late February. This is our 7th Annual Winter Art Show at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery which will run from February 22 to March 7, with a reception and silent auction on March 7. Admission to the show is free. It will run daily from 12 noon to 4 p.m., closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

On February 22, we will again offer our popular “Brushes & Brews” event, with a hands-on painting lesson from artists Barbara Healy and Pam Clarkson. And of course, pizza and beer come with that. We still have a few openings for this fun event, which always fills up! Call WRWA at 508-636-3016 or email outreach@wrwa.com for information and to sign up.

This year's painting will be "The Wave" by Barbara Healy, pictured below.

Get Your WRWA 2020 Calendar - while they last

2020 is underway, and we still have a few calendars left. People love our annual calendar. It features tide lines, which tell you the times and heights of all the tides throughout the year. And the beautiful photographs remind us all of the beauty of our home—or our home away from home!

The photographs, donated by area photographers, represent the most beautiful of Westport landscapes throughout the seasons, along with some remarkable wildlife shots. They make a great gift, especially for those who like to be reminded of summers in Westport while they are elsewhere.

The calendars are on sale now at the WRWA headquarters at 493 Old County Road, on line at www.westportwatershed.org, and locally at Partners Village Store. We will have the remaining calendars at our art show the Dedee Shattuck Gallery in late February.

Discovery Series 2020 - Upcoming Events

We invite our friends to come and get a tour of the new River Center building any time! And we have scheduled some dates in the coming months for our Discovery 2020 Series .

• Sunday, February 2 • Ground Hog Greetings Family Program

• Thursday, February 6 • Horseshoe Crabs Brown Bag Lunch event with Dan Gibson

• Tuesday & Wednesday, February 18 & 19 • School Vacation Sessions • $30:

Animal Tracking & Understanding Frogs !

• Saturday, March 28 • Moth or Caterpillar? Family Program

•Saturday, April 18 • 1 P.M. to 3 p.m.

N ATIVE POLLINATORS GARDEN with Local Organic Landscaper Sarah Lavalley

$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 .

• Saturday, April 25 • Salt Marsh Talk with scientists Patrick Ewanchuk & Catherine Matassa

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.

$5 donation suggested for family programs.

For more information, email us at outreach@wrwa.com or call 508-636-3016 x1003.

WRWA Offers Groundhog Greetings Family Event

at River Center on February 2

Please join WRWA for a family program celebrating Ground Hog Day o n Sunday February 2nd from 10am-12pm, at the new River Center on 493 Old County Road. At “Groundhog Greetings,” visitors will enjoy learning about the pesky but adorable groundhogs on Groundhog Day.

Children will play groundhog games, and trivia challenges, and listen to a fun story about these creatures who are said to have natural powers to predict seasonal changes. Kids can make a craft to take home.

Groundhog Day, located half-way between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, is a reminder that spring is just around the corner. This event will get families thinking about the longer days, warmer weather, and growing vegetables that they will need to protect from groundhogs.

Our monthly Education Discovery Series 2020 is a chance for families in the community to learn about different aspects of our environment. “Groundhog Greetings” is open to everyone in the community. It’s a great way to explore the new River Center building as well.

Those interested in following the education series can check the WRWA web page at www.westportwatershed.org or follow their Facebook page. WRWA also publishes a monthly newsletter with all events and activities – to sign up contact outreach@wrwa.com

The event will take place at our new River Center headquarters, at 493 Old County Road, from 10am-12pm. $5 donation is suggested . For more information please inquire at ccservicemember@wrwa.com .

Registration is Open for WRWA's

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 and July 27-31.

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.

or call 508-636-3016.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE through the Gay Gillespie Summer Scholarship Fund - contact Shelli - wep@wrwa.com See the complete brochure on our web page:

http://westportwatershed.org/education/summer-programs/

Life Around the Watershed

American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

by James Austin - Commonwealth Corps Educator

American Wintergreen ( Gaultheria procumbens ) is a fragrant plant, found in the Westport Watershed. It can be identified by its long, oval-shaped, dark green leaves. In the wintertime, these leaves actually turn a shade of red. Two other unique markers are the pinkish-white flowers on top of it’s short stems, as well as the red berries that sprout.

As a perennial, wintergreen grows low to the ground as a low-cover plant. It begins as a rosette of leaves - a small, circular cluster of leaves - and then sprouts its stems, leaves, berries and flowers. The smell of wintergreen comes from oils the leaves produce. This oil is often used by humans to create pain-relief medicine, as well as flavoring for certain candies and gum. This attracts wild animals to eat the plant, and to spread its seeds around the environment; including mice, chipmunks, deer, and certain species of birds.

Wintergreen can be found in many forests. It thrives in sunlight, but is also a “shade-tolerant” plant - meaning that even in shaded or crowded forests that prevent sunlight from reaching wintergreen, it is still able to grow.

Wintergreen is a well-conserved plant species. It is still important to moderate how we as humans use this plant, to prevent any issues with conservation. Understand what your local native species are, and if there’s any quotas on harvesting plants or berries. While Wintergreen can be used in foods and medicines for humans, it’s important not to take too much, to make sure the Wintergreen populations were stable. In addition, avoid littering and polluting our forests and local bodies of water, to maintain their environment, and to continue to provide a food source for local animal species.

Thank You to our 2020 Corporate Sponsors