Explore South Shore 2023: Know Your Local Waters
For 2023, we’re changing up our Explore South Shore contest, and inviting you to get to know your local waters. Come explore and learn with us through the year to come!
- Do you know which Pembroke ponds are in our watershed and which are not?
- Could you locate all the various Herring Brooks on a map?
- Would you like to learn which streams flow to the North River and which don’t?
Join us and find out! Each week we’ll introduce a new river, stream, pond or other waterway. We’ll highlight public places you can visit to experience those waters first-hand. And we’ll share some relevant facts. Watch for our daily posts on Facebook and Instagram.
We’ll also challenge you with a trivia question! Share your guesses by commenting on our Facebook page and Instagram feed – which are also great spots to interact with our ever-growing online community of outdoors enthusiasts. Each month, we’ll gather all the correct answers, and randomly choose one lucky winner to receive a custom NSRWA prize package. (Pro-tip: Correct answers can all be found within the “Get Outdoors” section of our website.) Click here for contest rules.
As always, we encourage you to share photos from your Explore South Shore adventures with the hashtag #ExploreSouthShore.
Know Your Local Waters:
January 4 – Drinkwater River • Forge Pond Park, Melzar Hatch Preserve, Pine Island Trails, Plain Street Trails
January 11 – Drinkwater River Tributaries • Shingle Mill Brook Trail, Colby Phillips Trails, Nava-Stasiluk Conservation Area, Hingham Street Reservoir
January 18 – French’s Stream • Rockland Town Forest, Thompson Pond Trail, Twin Ponds Trail, Forge Pond Park, Studley Pond
January 25 – Indian Head Pond & Maquan Pond • Alton J. Smith Reserve, Indian Head Pond, Camp Kiwanee, Cranberry Cove
February 1 – Indian Head River • Indian Head River Trails, Rocky Run Conservation Area, Tucker Preserve, Luddam’s Ford Park in Pembroke and Hanover, Chapman’s Landing/Iron Mine Brook Trails, Hanover Public Launch
February 8 – Indian Head Brook & Wampatuck Pond • Wampatuck Pond, Fern Hill Cemetery, Hanson Veterans Memorial Town Forest, Nathaniel Thomas Mill, Webster-Billings Conservation Area
February 15 – Iron Mine Brook • Chapman’s Landing/Iron Mine Brook Trails, Folly Hill/Bog Iron Trails, Hanover Public Launch
February 22 – Pembroke’s Ponds • Furnace Pond, Oldham Pond, Little Sandy Bottom Pond, Stetson Pond
March 1 – Herring Brook • Herring Run Park – Pembroke, Misty Meadows Conservation Area, Willow Brook Farm Preserve, Pembroke High School/Hobomock Trails
March 8 – Third Herring Brook • Jacobs Pond Conservation Area, Donovan/Wildcat Conservation Area, Historic Sylvester Field
March 15 – Second Herring Brook • Norris Reservation, Fogg Forest, Cuffee Hill Conservation Area
March 22 – First Herring Brook • Old Oaken Bucket Pond, Stockbridge Grist Mill, First Herring Brook Reservoir, Teak Sherman Memorial Park
March 29 – Herring River • Driftway Conservation Park, Herring River Trail, James Landing Walkway, The Spit
April 5 – Herring Runs • Herring Run Park – Pembroke, Herring Run Pool Park, Town Brook Trail, Thomas Memorial Park
April 12 – Drinking Water Reservoirs • Silver Lake Sanctuary, Pape Reservation, Aaron River Reservoir, First Herring Brook Reservoir
April 19 – Vernal Pools • Recreation Park Drive Trail, Myles Standish State Forest, Tindale Bog, Whiton Woods, Camp Nekon
April 26 – Weir River • Weir River Farm, Weir River Woods, Weir River Estuary Park, Foundry Pond, Lyford’s Lyking
May 3 – Weir River tributaries • Crooked Meadow River Area, McKenna Marsh, Plymouth River Complex, Jacobs Meadow, Eel River Woods, Mildred Cushing Woods
May 10 – The Waters of Wompatuck • Wompatuck State Park Main Entrance, Womaptuck State Park Cohasset Entrance, Aaron River Reservoir, Wompatuck State Park Norwell Entrance, Triphammer Pond Conservation Area, Brass Kettle Conservation Area
May 17 – Gulf River/Bound Brook • Musquashcut Brook Launch, George Ingram Park, Higgins-MacAllister Preserve, Border Street Bridge
May 24 – South River Sources • Round Pond Conservation Area, Duxbury Bogs, Camp Wing Conservation Area, South River Bog
May 31 – South River Tributaries • Lansing Bennett Forest, Camp Wing Conservation Area, Keene’s Sawmill, Cedar Crest, Pratt Farm
June 7 – South River #1 • Pudding Hill Reservation, Furnace Brook Watershed, Veterans Memorial Park, South River Park
June 14 – South River #2 • Keville Footbridge, Bourne Island Lagoon, Rexhame Beach, Marshfield Town Landing, Sea Street Bridge
June 21 – North River #1 • Washington Street Bridge, Hanover Yards, Fox Hill Yard, Pembroke Town Forest, Masthead Drive Trail
June 28 – North River #2 • Stetson Meadows, Blueberry Island, Couch Beach, Corduroy Road on the North River, Chittenden Yard & Canoe Launch
July 5 – North River #3 • John Little Conservation Area, Bulman Marine at King’s Landing, Norris Reservation, Union Street Bridge, Marshfield Launch and Brooks-Tilden Shipyard, Nelson Memorial Forest
July 12 – North River #4 • North River Ferry Wreck, North River Wildlife Sanctuary, Damon’s Point, Briggs Yard/Hobart’s Landing, Route 3A Bridge
July 19 – Public Ocean Beaches • Rexhame Beach, Duxbury Beach Park, Humarock Beach, Nantasket Beach Reservation, George Lane Beach
July 26 – Shumatuscacant River • Island Grove Park, Beaver Brook Playground, Hobart Pond, Butterfly Park, Poor Meadow Brook Conservation Area
August 2 – Burrage Pond Area • Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area – Hanson, Indian Crossway Conservation Area, Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area, Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area – Halifax
August 9 – Monponsett Pond • West Monponsett Boat Ramp, East Monponsett Beach, Lingan Street Beach, Stetson Pond Beach
August 16 – Winnetuxet & Wankinco Rivers • Striar Conservancy, John’s Pond, Myles Standish State Forest, Cole Conservation Land, Old Plympton Cotton Factory
August 23 – Monatiquot River • Monatiquot River Nature Trail, Sunset Lake, Holbrook Town Forest, Braintree Town Forest
August 30 – Fore River • Pond Meadow Park, Webb Memorial State Park, Wessagusset Beach, Newell Playground, Smith Beach, Weymouth Landing Access Ramp
September 6 – Back River • Great Esker Park, Osprey Overlook Park, Back River Trail, Bare Cove Park, Abigail Adams State Park
September 13 – Back River Tributaries • Stephen Rennie Herring Run Park, Herring Run Pool Park, Iron Hill Park, Whitman’s Pond Park
September 20 – World’s End & Hull • World’s End, Straits Pond Tide Gate, Weir River Estuary Park, Pemberton Point
September 27 – Hingham & Cohasset Harbors • Bathing Beach, Monument Park, Cohasset Veterans Memorial, Lawrence Wharf
October 4 – Scituate Harbor • Jericho Road State Boat Ramp, Scituate Harborwalk, Scituate Lighthouse
October 11 – Green Harbor River • Peter Igo Park, Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Webster’s Wilderness, Wharf Creek Conservation Area, Daniel Webster Estate
October 18 – Bluefish River & Back River • Cushman Preserve, Bumpus Park, Reynolds-Maxwell Garden, Powder Point Bridge
October 25 – Duck Hill River & Duxbury Bay • North Hill Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Cow Tent Hill Preserve, Duxbury Beach Reservation, Shipyard Lane Beach
November 1 – Island Creek & Kingston Bay • Crooker Memorial Park, Myles Standish Monument, Howland’s Landing Park, Bay Farm Conservation Area, Russell & Sawmill Ponds Conservation Area, North Plymouth Rail Trail
November 8 – Jones River • Sampson Forest & Memorial Park, The Nook Preserve, Kingston Town Pier, Mulliken’s Landing
November 15 – Jones River tributaries • Patuxet Park, Stewart Person Preserve, Cranberry Watershed Preserve, Thaddeus Chandler Sanctuary
November 22 – Plymouth Harbor • Nelson Memorial Park, Plymouth Harbor Jetty, Pilgrim Memorial State Park, North Plymouth Rail Trail, Cole’s Hill
November 29 – Town Brook • Town Brook Trail, Billington Street Park, Brewster Gardens, Plimoth Grist Mill, Town Brook Park
December 6 – Eel River Plymouth • Eel River Preserve, Russell Mill Pond Conservation Area, Plymouth Long Beach
December 13 – Ponds of Plymouth • Halfway Pond Conservation Area, Hedges Pond Recreation Area, Morton Park, Plymouth Town Forest
December 20 – Freshwater Swamps • Simon Hill & Bowker Street Conservation Area, Hatch Lots Conservation Area, Crosbie Family Preserve, Plain Street Trails
December 27 – Salt Marshes • Shifting Lots Preserve, Harbor Park & Harbor Walk, Mary’s Garden /Rogers Yard, Preble Property
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