Roots & Rivers
Haverhill Conservation in Action
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Merrimack River Shoreline Cleanup
Sunday, September 21 | 8am-11 am | Riverside Park, Edible Avenue - Nettleton Avenue
Help us prevent trash from polluting your waterways. Spend a morning on the river, make new friends, and leave the Merrimack better than you found it.
Boaters and paddlers are encouraged to join us on the water to help protect the river that runs through our city!
Learn more at Merrimack River Cleanup Initiative | City of Haverhill
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Water Conservation
The Merrimack: River at Risk
Need something to watch on movie night? The Merrimack: River at Risk is a documentary produced by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (Forest Society) in 2020 that tells the story of our relationship with the Merrimack. While getting to know some of the residents and businesses along its course, we begin to learn about many of the challenges our river faces and what is being done to protect it.
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Haverhill's Least Wanted | Invasive Species
Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria
Introduced from Europe in the 1800s, swaths of these vibrant purple flowers stand out against the landscape in Haverhill. You'll usually see it in wet meadows and pastures, cattail marshes, stream and river banks, lake shores, ditches, and stormwater collection areas. A "beautiful menace1" is a fitting description for this plant - the aggressive nature of purple loosestrife is a threat to the quality and function of wetland habitats. Once this plant becomes established, it forms dense stands which quickly outcompete native species and reduce biodiversity, and each plant can produce millions of seeds, making it hard to control.
Learn why Purple Loosestrife is harmful and how to ID and manage it:
Image: Purple Loosestrife © Shaggy, iNaturalist Community, iNaturalist.com
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| | Make a wildlife sanctuary in your backyard | |
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Native plants are the foundation of any quality habitat for wildlife. As the weather cools down for the season, now's a great time to build a native perennial garden. Fun fact, many seeds require the cold, wet winter to germinate in the spring, called cold stratification.
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Nature at Home
Where the Yard Waste Goes
The leaves are falling, plants are dying. The grass is piling up. Now the question is, what to do with all of it? Here's a few ideas:
- If you have yard space, set aside an area to begin a compost pile (see what method works for your area).
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Brush piles excellent habitat. Stack branches in loose hedgerows or piles for wildlife to take advantage of.
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Leave the leaves, mulch your grass. Leaving behind some yard clippings helps to build healthy soil and provides habitat for overwintering insects. If there's too much, shred the leaves and use as mulch for free fertilizer on your lawn and gardens.
- If you don't have the space or have too much debris, you can take it to the City's yard waste piles at 95 Downing Ave, Haverhill, 01830 until December 13th.
Whatever you do, please do NOT dump yard waste (or anything) off your own property or in any wetland area.
Composting and Yard Waste | City of Haverhill
MassDEP Compost Tips
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Upcoming Projects
Winnekenni - Plug Pond Connector Trail Project
Lend a hand on the trails Haverhill's most popular park. Help improve the connector trail from Winnekenni to Plug Pond with us this fall! Our consultant will lead a one-day trail building training event (date TBD) for volunteers to both get involved in this project and learn some skills along the way. Keep an eye on Facebook and your email for updates.
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Be the Change
Haverhill Trails Stewards
Do you love spending time in Haverhill’s parks and open spaces?
Give back to the trails you hike, bike, birdwatch, or ski by becoming a Haverhill Trails Steward! Stewards work on their own time by reporting issues, picking up litter, clearing small debris, and performing light trail maintenance and also join group workdays to tackle larger projects as a team.
Learn more about the program
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Regulation
Anticoagulant Rodenticides Scientific Review
If you have been following along with the recent efforts to restrict SGAR use for the protection of wildlife, MDAR is providing a public comment period to respond to the Eastern Research Group's DRAFT Phase 2 Report. Comments are due by email or mailing address provided below no later than October 1st at 5pm.
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources,
Division of Crop and Pest Services
225 Turnpike Road
Southborough, MA 01772
Attn: Taryn LaScola, Director
Taryn.lascola@mass.gov
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Team Haverhill's River Ruckus
Saturday, September 13, 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Riverfront Park & Washington St
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus is an annual festival featuring live music, classic cars, Kids Zone, live demonstrations, art and history talks, great local foods, and spectacular fireworks over the Merrimack River.
Follow River Ruckus on Facebook for the latest news and announcements about the band lineup and set schedule, the classic car show, the fireworks, the food vendors, our awesome sponsors, and family fun.
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