WRWA River Tours

Free tours for families with limited or no access to the Westport River

By Bill Sherden, WRWA Board Member

WRWA offered free river tours this past summer as a pilot program to test logistics and gauge people’s interest. We found that the tours were an enjoyable family outing, especially illuminating for those that have yet to experience the beauty of the west and east branches of the Westport River. Each tour was guided by a naturalist to give some context and information to the families. I was a lucky volunteer on several trips.

Our Captain Bill Chace, Assistant Harbor Master and a commercial fisherman, was our volunteer for WRWA tours. He shared his knowledge of the estuary and engaged young guests by inquiring “What causes the tides to rise and fall.” He also discussed the status of conservation of land and commercial fishing. He described the oyster farming on the east and west branches as we glided by the scores of cages containing a vast store of oyster seeds. 

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Our mission:

Working together to protect and preserve the Westport River watershed, now and for future generations.

As we have transitioned into the fall season, we're excited to announce our upcoming Fall-themed Open House events. Be sure to drop by and explore the interesting array of activities and crafts we have in store for you. We can't wait to see you at our next event!

Mark your calendars! The next Open Days in the River Center are:

Saturday, November 2 - All About Autumn

Saturday, December 7 - Green Gifting: Upcycle Your Holidays

Leave the Leaves for a Healthier Yard

As fall approaches, many homeowners spend hours raking, blowing, and bagging leaves, unaware that they're removing one of nature’s best resources. Instead of this time-consuming routine, try leaving the leaves where they fall. Letting them remain in garden beds, under trees, and around shrubs provides crucial habitats for overwintering insects and butterflies, which are in decline. These layers of leaves also help retain moisture in the soil and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, all while promoting biodiversity.

If leaving leaves on the lawn isn’t feasible, mulch-mowing is a great alternative. By shredding the leaves into smaller pieces with your mower, they break down naturally, enriching the soil with valuable compost and helping the grass thrive. Mulching also eliminates the noise, dust, and greenhouse gases associated with leaf blowers, while saving time and money on yard maintenance.

Whether you leave the leaves where they fall or mulch them into your lawn, you’re creating a more sustainable, eco-friendly yard. This fall, consider these easy practices to support local wildlife and improve the health of your garden!

Autumn South Coast Stroll

Our South Coast Strolls are a series of walks at a different coastal location in October and November, along with our friends at the Westport Land Conservation Trust. These walks identify areas around Westport and the features that support biodiversity in each habitat. Although we will endeavor to keep to the most accessible trails at each walk, we will also use coastal access trails to reach the shore and see what shorebirds, sea ducks, and other species might be stopping over in our South Coast habitats.

The next in our series of walks exploring the birds of the South Coast takes us to Old Harbor Refuge, a favorite stopping off site for migrating birds, on November 12.

We recommend bringing a comfortable pair of shoes that can handle shoreline walking, as well as optics such as a camera and/or binocular, and a water bottle. All levels of birders are welcome. We will meet at the parking area at Old Harbor, and if the lot is full you can park on the street.

WRWA 2025

Calendars Available Soon

We had many excellent photos entered in this year's annual photo contest to choose the images for the 2025 Photo Calendar. As in past years, we gave our members and friends the opportunity to select the winning photos by viewing a slide presentation on our YouTube channel.

Here are the winners:

• Sunset Westport Point by Greg Stone

• Snowy Owl at Gooseberry by Carolyn Edwards

• Sunrise at Allens Pond by Greg Stone

• Moon over the Village by Joanne Humphrey

• Great Egret Landing by Carolyn Edwards

• Checking on the Chicks by Steve Connors

• Dawn at the Point by Amir Viskin

• Westport Gold by Mary Anne Thadeu

• Westport Point Sunset by David Cole

• Autumn Splendor by Rich Castenson

• Waiting for the Sun by Bill Kern

• Gooseberry Waves by Tom Short

Cover – Egret Rising by Amir Viskin

This year's calendar continues WRWA's history of obtaining from local photographers beautiful and meaningful photos of our unique coastal area, and displaying the images in our annual calendar. We also include the "Tide Lines" showing high and low tides for every day of the year.

Calendars will be available very soon at the River Center, on our web page, and at Partners Village Store.