Westport River Watershed Alliance

March, 2023

Dear Members and Friends:

We are so happy that the signs of spring are here. The red-winged blackbirds are back, the osprey have been spotted, and the spring peepers are just starting to make their voices heard. Here at WRWA, we have a lot of activities coming up!

We are very grateful to all the artists, gallery visitors and online bidders who helped make our annual winter art show a big success. Special thanks to Dedee Shattuck for hosting us.

Our very popular Electronics Recycling Day will be held on Saturday, April 29, from 9 to 11 a.m. behind Westport Town Hall. This is the first time IndieCycle has been able to schedule a Saturday event. For more information, click here.

The Clean Our Westport (COW) volunteers will be holding their spring town-wide street clean up event on Saturday, April 15. Help keep Westport clean and beautiful by volunteering. COW is an affiliate of WRWA and we act as their fiscal agent.

WRWA will once again be hosting several special events in June for National Rivers Month. We are particularly happy to be partnering with The Wampanoag Experience on River Day, June 24. They will provide much of the educational and engaging activities for this annual river festival. More information for these WOW (Wonders of the Watershed) events will be coming up in our next issue of River News.

We are so happy to announce our artist for this year's Summer Concert at Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery will be Darrell Scott , with special guest Mark Erelli on Saturday, July 8. Tickets will be going on sale soon.

Thanks for your continuing support for WRWA and all our programs and initiatives. It's time to renew your yearly membership with WRWA, so expect a letter in your mailbox soon, or donate online. We hope you will continue to follow all our activities, programs and initiatives in our monthly issues of River News.

Cheers,

Deborah

Winter Art Show at Dedee Shattuck Gallery Was a Success

Our 10th annual art show "Reflections" - perspectives on the Westport River, was held in February at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery. Over 40 artists contributed.

The auction took place online at 32auctions, and we are happy to say that we reached our fundraising goal. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's art show and auction a big success.

We appreciate the extraordinary talents of our regional artists and enjoy the opportunity to share great art with the general public each winter.

Pictured at left: Majestic Ospreys by artist

Pamela Lowell.

Our Brushes and Brews art event at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery was a fun time for everyone. Our attendees pictured above took home something nice to hang on their wall! Big thanks to Barbara Healy and Pam Clarkson for the entertaining art lesson, and thanks to Ten Cousins for the pizza and Buzzards Bay Brewery & Westport Rivers for the refreshments.

WRWA Annual Meeting to be Held March 26 at Acoaxet Club

WRWA will hold its annual meeting Sunday March 26 from 11a.m.-12:30 p.m.

at the Acoaxet Club, on Howland Road Westport.

Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to the public.

Guest Speakers will be Tanja Ryden and Phil Weinberg of the Westport Board of Health, with the topic, "Current and Future Actions to Address Nitrogen Pollution in Westport."

Following the presentation there will be a short meeting of the members of WRWA, including recognition of exiting board members and voting on new board members.

Those interested in attending RSVP by March 23 to outreach@wrwa.com.

Positions Open for Environmental Staff and Interns

We are seeking two dedicated, energetic, and fun individuals with a passion for teaching and natural sciences to serve on the education team for the summer of 2023. In this role, you will have the opportunity to observe and assist in field trips for public schools, learn to develop lesson plans and educational materials, and eventually lead outdoor programs for 5-16 year-olds during the summer watershed discovery program. Activities include seining, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, underwater digital photography, arts & crafts, playing games, and more. Have a summer of fun and exploration while making a difference!

Lead Environmental Educator - We have one position available. This person also serves as the waterfront supervisor for small groups of children and must be lifeguard certified or able to get their certification before they arrive. We may be able to help cover a portion of the certification fees.

Salary: $18/hr.

Environmental Educator - We have one position available.

Salary:$15/hr.

Both positions report to the Education Director and include 365 hours for the summer ranging from 30-35 hours per week from June 5- August 18. Both positions can provide internship credit.

Speaker Series continues

March 23, April 13 and May 11

2023 Speaker Series

• Building A Sustainable Future •

Join the Westport River Watershed Alliance and Partners Village Store

for a series of talks on vitally important topics relating to our future and

how we can manage in turbulent times of climate change.

Presentations are free and can be attended in person at the WRWA

River Center or through a Zoom link. All take place on Thursdays at 4 p.m.

March 23 at 4 p.m. Tom Kearns, President of DSK architects and planners will speak on sustainable building projects, local and internationally.

Tom will be joined by Amy Latva-Kokko, Sustainability Leader of DSK (pictured at right).

April 13 at 4 p.m. Madeline Ostrander will present her book, At Home on an Unruly Planet, Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth. This timely book is a hopeful, urgent and universal message about our collective ability to face the climate changes we can no longer ignore. Sign up today to view this lecture.

Books available from Partner's Village Store. Zoom link only.

May 11 at 4 p.m. Nicholas Sullivan author The Blue Revolution: Hunting, Harvesting, and Farming Seafood in the Information Age. In a fast-growing world where more people are eating more fish than ever before, Sullivan brings encouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of the industry. More information here.

Contact WRWA at outreach@wrwa.com to sign up or for more information.

Summer Programs

Registration Coming Soon

We are gearing up to launch a new website soon and with that, the opportunity to register for our Summer Watershed Discovery Programs. We are excited to announce that we have some changes. For the first time, we will have a drop off program for 5-6 year-olds and we will be using underwater cameras and tablets as a science tools in the older programs. Stay tuned!!

WRWA Offers Merit Scholarship to High School Seniors

The Westport River Watershed Alliance is pleased to offer a $2,000 scholarship opportunity for graduating seniors living in the Westport River watershed communities of Fall River, Dartmouth, Freetown, Westport, Little Compton, and Tiverton.

Richard Heinberg is a Senior Fellow at Post Carbon Institute and is the author of POWER: LIMITS AND PROSPECTS FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL. He spoke to our group on January 19. This lecture provides ideas and information to guide us thoughtfully through the coming climate crises.

Click here for video of Richard Heinberg talk

WRWA's 7th Annual Summer Concert at the Vineyard

Darrell Scott with special guest Mark Erelli

The Watershed Alliance will host its 7th annual Summer Concert at Westport Rivers on Saturday, July 8. Our featured artist will be Darrell Scott (pictured above) , well-known singer/songwriter from Nashville, and special guest Mark Erelli (pictured at left), popular Boston area singer/songwriter.

Look for ticket information soon on our web page and in our next newsletter. Save the Date! This is sure to be another great show at the Vineyard.