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Winter 2002 Currents

Around the Watershed Join an MDC Ranger for a Bushwacking Hike at Breakheart Reservation on Sunday, 24 February at 11:00 a.m. Hike off trail to Castle Rock and Rocky Hill in a seldom visited area of the park. Meet at Northeast Vocational High School located off of Farm Street in Wakefield. Call (781) 233-0834 to pre-register. The Metropolitan District Commission will host a program on Winter Birding in and Around Belle Isle Marsh on Saturday, 16 February from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Participants will carpool to local hot spots pending interesting reports of birds within easy driving distance of Belle Isle. Pre-registration required. Call (617) 727-5350 for details. The Metropolitan District Commission will offer the following education programs at its Camp Nihan Environmental Education Facility in Saugus this winter. Winter Wildlife Mysteries: By looking for signs of wildlife, students from K-5 will earn about where animals go and how they spend their time during the winter. Meet the Park Ranger: Students in grades K-3 will meet an MDC Park Ranger, participate in hands-on activities, and learn about how park rangers protect wildlife and teach people about natural history. Bats in Your Back Yard: Students in grades K-5 will learn about bat behavior and their importance to nature and humans. (no live or mounted animals will be used for this program). To register for these programs, please contact Matthew Nash at (617) 727-5380, ext. 205. Dogsledding comes to the North Shore with this unique program, “Mushing in Belle Isle Marsh”, on Monday, 18 February at 10:00 a.m. Join Jennifer Wallstrom and her Alaskan Huskies while you learn how to harness and hook up dogs. Includes a short sled ride around the marsh (with or without snow). Do not bring dogs to this event. For more information call the Boston Natural Areas Fund at (617) 542-7696. The MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a redesigned Recycling Home Page at www.mass.gov/dep/recycle. The site includes information about waste reduction, recycling, composting, and the latest regulations and policies that affect your community or business. For more information about recycling, hazardous waste disposal days, and how to safely dispose of other waste, contact your Department of Public Works: Everett (781) 394-2385 Lynn (781) 477-7098 Lynnfield (781) 334-3143 Malden (781) 397-7036 Melrose (781) 979-4170 Peabody (978) 532-8000 Reading (781) 942-9076 Revere (781) 286-8145 Saugus (781) 231-4145 Stoneham (781) 438-0760 Wakefield (781) 246-6300 Clip and save this list for easy access to local recycling and waste disposal information. This fall, harbor seals were spotted on more than one occasion in the Saugus River estuary near the General Electric bridge. The return of harbor seals is a good indicator of the presence of fish in the estuary. On Saturday, 2 March, a Metropolitan District Commission Park Ranger will lead a Rumney Marsh walk and visit to RESCO. Participants will search for winter wildlife during a two mile walk along Rumney Marsh, and view portions of the new nature trail constructed at RESCO. Call (617) 727-5350 for details and pre-registration. Meet at Belle Isle main parking lot on Bennington Street in East Boston. Special Thank You!!! Many thanks to the following volunteers who conducted monthly water quality sampling throughout the Saugus River watershed during 2001: Ramona Barr, Dave Denton, Kathy Divaio, Wayne Fox, Janet Hellweg, Jim Hohmann, F.C. Hohmann, Peter Luongo, Dick Lynch, Kathy Maglio, Lise Marx, Leslie Ouellette, Judy Paiva, Diane and Jillian Repucci, Sylvia and Neal Robichaud, Dave Simmons, Karyl Stoia, Joe Wilson, and Kathy Wrynn. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer water quality monitor this year, watch the mail for a notice of our Spring 2002 training session. A full report on results of the 2001 sampling program will be available in February. Please call SRWC at (781) 233-5046 if you have questions about the sampling program, are interested in volunteering, or would like a copy of our 2001 report. Friends of Lynn Woods will host its Annual Membership Meeting on 6 February 2002, at 7:30 p.m. at the Park House, (Pennybrook Road entrance). Ranger Ken Dague will talk about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Last year, he and his hiking partner became “2,000 milers” hiking the entire length of the trail.

Town Line Brook Project Update
Groundbreaking for New Breakheart Visitor's Center
Editorial: Bush Wetland Guidelines
Exploring Nature with Children
SRWC Hosts Natural History Events
Environmental Debate Set for 19 February
Birding News
Crystal Motors, Lynnfield DEP Decision
SRWC Youth Education Programs
Become a "Fish Spotter"
Around the Watershed
SRWC Awards $8,400 in Small Grants
SRWC Announces 2002 Work Plan