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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 AreaKeene’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 RiverMonatiquot 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 MarshesShifting Lots Preserve, Harbor Park & Harbor Walk, Mary’s Garden /Rogers Yard, Preble Property

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