Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Campaign Events Continue!

More than 170 people have been out enjoying the Taunton River watershed this fall and participating in workshops, programs and events sponsored by our members!

If you've participated, please take our short feedback survey and help us select the programs that will be offered in the winter!

The weather's been great and we hope to see you soon at our remaining events: (some events require pre-registration - check the listings)

Thursday, 10/23 - Training for Conservation Commissions - East Bridgewater

Thursday, 10/30 - The Economic Benefits of Preserving Community Open Space - Dighton

Sunday, 11/9 - Fall Nature Walk at Burrage Pond, Hanson

Thursday, 11/13 - Preserving Rare Species in the TR watershed - Norton

Thursday, 11/20 - The New Chapter 61-A state tax program for agricultural land - Dighton

All events are listed at our website!

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Canoe the Nemasket

Hey - shut off your computer and get out on the Nemasket River - or the Taunton or another one of its tribs - while this weather holds! More than 30 lucky souls spent a morning on the Nemasket today - 18 canoes and kayaks - and so, so enjoyed the clear water, clear sky (!), good company and good food! See photos at the Taunton & Tribs flickr pool - yes, shameless promotion - but far far better is to get out there and experience it for yourself!!

Click on the flickr badge in the lower right column... and don't miss this trip next year!! Bookmark TRWA's home page and remember this trip next year - it's an annual event co-sponsored by TRWA and the Mass Archeological Society!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Experienced Our Programs? Tell Us What You Think!

Our Fall Programs are rolling along throughout the watershed! Next events include the October 4th canoe/kayak trip of archeological sites along the Nemasket River... a day long training October 6th to help you navigate the sometimes tricky waters of coalitions and parnterships... an evening program October 15th on the many options for property owners interested in conservation... and two nature walks at the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area!

If you've already participated in one or more of our events, please take a few moments to tell us your opinion! We have an online survey up at our home page - you can report back after each event. The last section asks for your feedback on our winter and spring ideas!

Hope to see you soon! And check out the Flickr pool which includes photos shared by camera buffs taken all over the Taunton River Watershed!

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Birding Trip September 13th

The first event of our fall schedule was a wonderful half-day birding trip with Mass Audubon's Wayne Petersen on Saturday, Sept. 13th! Check out a few photos of this trip at the Flickr photo pool for the Taunton River and our tributaries!

39 birders enjoyed visits to the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area and to the Assawompsett Ponds of Lakeville... highlights included the Yellow-Throated Vireos lingering late in the season at the Hock and the Bald Eagles of Assawompsett. Many thanks to Wayne, Kathleen Anderson and Nancy Yeatts who were our field leaders!

[If you're a Flickr member, please send your photos of the river to our new pool! If you're not a member, you can join for free and then send in your shots.]

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Fall Programs Planned Throughout Watershed

The Taunton River Watershed and its members are currently planning a very exciting series of events, workshops and outdoor trips!

All events will be announced through our email news list. To make sure you receive early notice of these events please use the signup form on the right hand side of this page. You'll be directed to an email sign up for our Constant Contact email list. Please make sure to check the box for "Watershed Activities" and let us know what community you're from!

Our events begin on Saturday, September 13th, with a birding walk to two of the Taunton River watershed's "Important Bird Areas" with Wayne Petersen, of Mass Audubon. Please email Priscilla Chapman, Taunton Watershed Advocate, if you would like to sign up now for this great event!

Also on our roster: a workshop for teams of people who want to learn how to organize a local campaign to pass the Community Preservation Act. This event is for groups of five or more people eager to work in their hometown. The workshop will be Saturday, September 27th. For more information, email Liz Gimson, of the Community Preservation Coalition. Sponsored by Community Preservation Coalition in partnership with The Trustees of Reservations. Please register your group by September 12th!

All fall events are now included on our calendar page. You may also download a copy of our fall brochure or call 1-866-393-TRWA and ask for a printed copy.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Good News!


On Wednesday, July 16th, the US House of Representatives voted to support the designation of the Taunton River as part of our nation's Wild and Scenic Rivers System!

Many, many thanks to Rep. Barney Frank and Rep. Jim McGovern for their passionate leadership on behalf of the river and residents of our watershed!


For more information, visit our Wild & Scenic web page and sign up for our email alerts on this and other topics!

On to the Senate!

Brockton accused of killing Kingston’s water wildlife

Environmental groups claim that Brockton is taking too much water from Silver Lake.

Check out The Enterprise news story on the action planned by consortium of river protection and environmental organizations.

Note the archive of past news stories which is displayed from Enterprise archives on this topic!

For the rest of the story, contact TRWA, Mass Audubon, or the Jones River Watershed Association - see links to the right.

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Three Mile River Is Worth Protecting!

The Commonwealth agrees!

Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles has designated the Three Mile as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern!



If you have wondered WHY local citizens
are seeking designation of this relatively short river
as a state Area of Critical Environmental Concern,
check out these scenes taken last week at the Boyden Refuge in Taunton.



For more photos of the Boyden in summer, visit my page at Flickr

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Take Action to Protect Open Space in Massachusetts

We need your help NOW to pass these important bills on Beacon Hill:

Two of the Campaign's top legislative priorities - the Public Lands Preservation Act (S.2388) and the Land Conservation Tax Incentives (H.799) are in the House Committee on Ways and Means and the July 31st end of the legislative session is fast approaching!Contact your state representative TODAY and ask him/her to show support for S. 2388 and H. 799 by urging House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) to bring these two important bills to the House floor for a vote.

Public Lands Preservation Act, S. 2388

Massachusetts suffers a continual loss of open space, including public open space. Article 97 of the state constitution protects public land acquired for "natural resource purposes" (e.g., parks, conservation land, watershed). The reality is that the legislature routinely authorizes the transfer of city, town, or state lands "protected" by Article 97 into other uses, such as building sites. S. 2388 would strengthen Article 97 by requiring analysis of Article 97 land transfers before they happen, including alternatives analysis and replacement with comparable land. Text of S. 2388

Land Conservation Tax Incentives, H. 799

An Act Relative to Tax Credits for Conservation (H. 799) would give new financial incentives for property owners to conserve their land, enabling private and public conservation partners to make financially attractive offers on top priority preservation sites. It has cleared the Revenue Committee and is now in the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Nearly 60% of undeveloped land in the Bay State is privately owned and unprotected. In the Taunton River Watershed, roughly 87% of the 93,000 acres of core, sustaining habitat for rare species is currently unprotected. Many acres are lost daily to poorly planned development.

To ensure the preservation of our most critical natural resources, the state must employ a variety of tools, from improved local zoning and increased capital investments in land protection, to enhanced tax incentives for voluntary land donations by private land owners. Text of H. 799
Take Action Now! Please ask your state representative to contact Chairman Robert A. DeLeo of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and urge him and his committee to report H. 799 and S. 2388 out favorably now.

Thank you for your help!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

2008 Wild and Scenic River Run Overnight Trip June 14-15



Everyone is invited to sign up now for the annual two-day TRWA trip on the Taunton River!

This popular TRWA overnight Canoe/Kayak Trip begins on Saturday June 14th on the Nemasket River, traveling to Titicut Reservation in Bridgewater for an evening program, cookout and camping, and then on downriver to Weir Riverfront Park in Taunton on Sunday, June 15th!

Please pre-register as this event is ever more popular.

Registration form and details are now posted on our website.

Please return the form no later than June 6th.


This is always a great event at which you will meet other paddlers and TRWA members. This year paddlers will begin on the Nemasket River and will travel until about 3:00 to the Titicut campsite in Bridgewater. Once there the group will set up tents, start the campfire, and enjoy a meal prepared by Arnie Danielson. The evening will be full of music, stories, and friendship.

All of this will be combined with TRWA's Quarterly Members' Meeting at 6:00 p.m. Saturday night. So come out for the evening program even if you aren't a paddler. Evening entertainment of music and ghost stories will be provided by the Taunton River Folk Festival Troubadours.

For more information, call the TRWA Office, (508) 828-1101 or email Carolyn LaMarre at director@savethetaunton.org.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Small Grants to 12 Taunton River Projects

The Taunton River Watershed Campaign, a coalition of ten environmental and planning organizations, has announced that approximately $15,000 in small grants has been awarded to 12 open space and environmental projects in the Taunton River watershed. Each of the grantees will contribute at least a one to one match in donations and volunteer or professional time to their projects.

The watershed grants include Open Space and Recreation Plans in the communities of Lakeville, Middleborough and Raynham, and to citizens groups in West Bridgewater, Hanson, Plympton and Swansea who are organizing support for the Community Preservation Act.

Also funded were trail improvements at the recently preserved Cole Property in Carver, a public awareness and outreach campaign for the Taunton River Greenway by the Greater Fall River Land Conservancy, a canoe rack at the Bridge Village Heritage Park in Berkley, ecological landscaping at a planned skate park along the Mill River in Taunton, and equipment and training so that the TEAMS organization can combat invasive plants in the Assawompsett Ponds in Middleborough and Lakeville. The grants range from under $500 to $2,500.

The Watershed Campaign’s small grants are open to cities and towns, grassroots groups and nonprofit groups working on conservation issues and land use planning to protect natural resources. This year, priority was given to projects which will result in the permanent protection of significant natural resources, the preparation of municipal open space and recreation plans, and passage of the Community Preservation Act.

Congratulations to all of the grantees!
Municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans:

Middleborough, $2,500
Raynham, $2,500
Lakeville, $2,000

Environmental Projects:

Cole Property Trail Revitalization, Carver Conservation Commission, up to $2,000
Greater Fall River Land Conservancy, public awareness & outreach of the riverfront greenway from Fall River to Freetown, $1,000
TEAMS, invasive plant training and equipment: $624
Taunton Skate Park Committee, river front landscaping and clean up of buffer zone on Mill River parcel, $1,400
Friends of the Park, canoe rack at Berkley’s Bridge Village Heritage Park, $1,400

Community Preservation Act local ballot committees:

West Bridgewater CPA Committee, $500
Preserve Hanson CPA Committee, $500
Plympton Citizens for CPA, $280
Citizens to Preserve Swansea’s Character, $280