Westport River Watershed Alliance
News Brief June 5
Summertime is returning to the Westport River
Dear Members and Friends,

Before we launch into our regular newsletter, can I ask you to close your eyes and BREATHE?
Breathe in the fresh air that we all cherish.
Breathe in solidarity for those who could not breathe.
Breathe in the hope that our nation can heal.
Breathe. Live. Breathe.

It is the first week of June, and like everyone else in the world, WRWA staffers are slowly coming back to work, and adjusting our schedules and routines so as to be as safe as possible. We were very lucky to get the local Board Of Health Director, Matt Armendo to do a site visit here at the River Center, and with his guidance we feel that we have made every effort to reopen our site in the most thoughtful and careful ways.

After much thought and guidance from the Governor and the local BOH, we have decided to convert our traditional summer childrens’ programs to family workshops for up to six members of a family with our staff. These 2-hour programs will take place either at the River Center or Baby Beach, and will be engaging and stimulating for everyone. Families can select from 1 of 4 topics and locations, to be scheduled in advance and on the day of their choosing. We will honor the scholarships for any children who received them this year for these programs, or they can elect to come to regular programs next summer. This is the best way to offer families who would like to share with their children a high quality science based program, at a low cost. We will be sending out the flyer in our next news blast!

We are fortunate to have two wonderful interns returning that know us well, Bailey and Malia. They will serve as Docents for the River Center Open Saturday Hours, which will require pre-registration. Please email Bailey directly at [email protected] if you would like to schedule a visit to our amazing Resource Room. You might want to bring something special to see on our projection microscope!

Dates for Summer Open Hours are:        July 11 & 25       August 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29

We are happy to announce that our boat is back in the River, and Roberta will resume water monitoring with our volunteers next week. We will publish the results weekly on our web page.
You can find a lovely walk in the woods, and wildflower video here for your enjoyment. Walk in peace.

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to our calendar contest judging! Special thanks to all the photographers who sent us all the lovely images. We had a great response to the video slideshow of all the entries and will be tallying the votes and announcing the winners soon.

Your membership is more important than ever as we all strive to emerge intact from the terrible disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please contribute to our membership drive , and if you have already renewed your membership, a BIG thank-you from all of us at the Watershed Alliance.

Sincerely,

Deborah
Two Commonwealth Corps Positions Open at WRWA

The Westport River Watershed Alliance is seeking two full time Commonwealth Corps volunteers to serve as Environmental Educators. The Commonwealth Corps volunteers will deliver WRWA’s Watershed Education Programs to children in grades PreK-12, launch outreach programs and citizen science projects. Commonwealth Corps volunteers with the Westport River Watershed Alliance will serve 10.5 months in a full-time capacity. Applicants should be Massachusetts residents and have a desire to put their talents and ideas to use in the service of their communities and the Commonwealth.

The mission of the Commonwealth Corps is to engage Massachusetts residents of all ages and backgrounds in service to strengthen communities, address unmet community needs, and increase volunteerism. Members will serve in a stipended full-time capacity from August 2020 through June 2021. Benefits include a focus on member training and development, as well as a bi-weekly stipend, a completion award, an inspiring network of fellow members, and other supports.

Those interested in applying for the position should email a cover letter, resume and three references to Shelli Costa, [email protected].  For a full position description please visit our website: www.westportwatershed.org.
Your membership is vital to WRWA's continuing mission,
"Working together to protect and preserve the Westport River Watershed now and for future generations."

Please consider renewing your membership or becoming a new member. Visit www.westportwatershed.org to make a donation.
Or send your check to
WRWA
PO Box 3427
Westport, MA 02790

Thank you!

Thank You to our 2020 Corporate Sponsors