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Letting the Rivers Flow

On Tuesday, June 19th, NSRWA hosted the premier showing of the new movie short “Letting the Rivers Flow” at the North River Theater in Norwell. Created and filmed by Lauren Owens-Lambert, the movie showcases the removal of the Tack Factory Dam on the Third Herring Brook. The story chronicles the history of the project as well as the impact on the river now and in the future.  The film was made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. You can help fund environmental programs like this one in Massachusetts by purchasing a specialty license plate.

The 2019 WaterWatch Lecture Series

Videos courtesy of  Norwell Spotlight TV.

January 9
Barstow’s Two Oaks and the Upper North River Shipyards
Caleb Estabrooks of Hanover, NSRWA Board Member

For 200 years the North River bustled with the industry of building wooden ships and we see the evidence of this on historical markers and local town seals. Recently discovered artifacts and stories are adding to the depth of what we know about this influential piece of local history. Come see a collection of images and artifacts from the Barstow’s Two Oaks Shipyard in Hanover and hear how the shipbuilding industry shaped the town of Hanover, and the influence these ships had on the early United States.

January 16
Eating Green Crabs to Save Our Clams and Estuaries?
Roger Warner, Green Crab Research and Development

Green Crabs are a marauding European invader that is eating our clams, mussels, eelgrass and eroding our salt marshes. What can be done? Researchers and the seafood industry are teaming up to market these crabs as food and fertilizer. Could this be a winning strategy help manage these invasive species and help save our coasts from this destructive invader? Come find out!

January 23
Plastic Ocean
Jessica Donohue, Sea Education Association

Plastics in our oceans are a major concern for wildlife and for us. But how do we know how much plastic is in the ocean? Sea Education Association scientist Jessica Donohue will explain how this data is collected, what the sources are, where it accumulates in the North Atlantic and what we know about the impacts of microplastics on sea life and human health.

January 30
From Single Use to Zero Waste: What’s New with Recycling
Claire Galkowski, South Shore Recycling Cooperative

Recycling has been in the news – from China not taking our recycling to making sure we recycle correctly. Longtime director of the fifteen-town South Shore Recycling Cooperative and lifetime waste hater, Claire Galkowski, will do a deep dive into impacts from some everyday consumer products, both upstream and down. The presentation will inspire new ways to think about “stuff,” explain how recycling works, and provide practical tools to “Recycle Smart” and be gentler to our forests, streams, oceans and atmosphere.

February 6
What’s Up with the Whales
Amy Knowlton, New England Aquarium, Senior Scientist

North Atlantic Right whales, entangled in fishing gear, struck by ships, dying in higher than normal numbers, and feeding in new parts of the ocean, are at risk of going extinct. This small population is facing existing and new threats and people are working hard to save them. Other large whales have also been dying along the east coast at unprecedented levels. Come find out “What’s Up with the Whales” from whale researcher from the New England Aquarium, Amy Knowlton.

February 13
Sea Run Brook Trout
Warren Winders and Geoffrey Day, Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition

Before the Industrial Revolution there were hundreds of rivers and streams from Long Island to Maine with populations of sea run brook trout, a special kind of brook trout that seek out rich food and shelter in our estuaries. Prized for their flavor, size and strength, these salter brook trout became the focus of America’s first sport fishery during the 1800’s. By the turn of the century their habitat had been so degraded by dams and pollution that now only remnant populations hang on in our streams and estuaries. Come find out more about sea run brook trout and how people are working to restore this once prized sport fish to our local streams.

February 20
Firefly Watch: Citizen Science from Your Back Porch
Don Salvatore and Jacqui Shuster

Join Don Salvatore and Jacqui Shuster, past and present coordinators for this international citizen science project. Learn how to identify and record a number of species of “lightning bugs” to help track their populations as scientists explore the challenges in habitat and climates for this iconic summer time resident. Recommendations on how to make your yard more attractive to fireflies will be shared.

February 27
The History of the Gurnet Light and Fort Andrew
Wally Hempel, Project Gurnet and Bug Lights

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Gurnet Light with history buff Wally Hempel, of Project Gurnet and Bug Light, as he explains the back story of this important landmark. Wally is a renowned story teller and will share accounts of the lighthouse being fired upon by British ships, and how it was once under the watchful eye of the first female lighthouse keeper. Through the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers this crucial aid to navigation continues to guide mariners into Plymouth, Kingston and Duxbury Bays.

Want to see more videos like these? Go to our YouTube page.