Fitch's Bridge Road Groton: Earth Month Volunteer Native Planting and Invasive Removal (April 29 from 9:00am to Noon)

2024-03-28T21:38:45-04:00

Fitch's Bridge Road in Groton: Earth Month Volunteer Opportunity!

Volunteer Native Planting and Invasive Removal Project

Monday, April 29 from 9:00 am to Noon at Fitch's Bridge Road, just off Rt. 119 in Groton, MA

Rain date: Tuesday, April 30 at the same time

CALLING ALL ADULT VOLUNTEERS!

The Nashua River Watershed Association and the Groton Invasive Species Committee seek ten volunteers to assist with planting of native trees/shrubs and invasive plant removal on Fitch’s Bridge Road in Groton. The event will take place from 9:00 am to Noon. Volunteers will plant native trees/shrubs and remove invasives on the banks of the Nashua River in order to improve the riverside ecosystem. Native plants will help to stabilize the riverbank preventing erosion, slowing storm runoff into the river, and they will provide habitat for local wildlife.

We’ll meet at 8:45am at Fitch’s Bridge Road, just off Rt. 119 (map below). The parcel id is 216-61 for anyone who would like to look at it on the Town of Groton’s GIS map. The work area is shoreline near the Rt. 119 bridge over the Nashua River. Some tools and work gloves will be available for use, but if possible, volunteers are asked to bring their own spades, trowels, loppers, pruning shears, and work gloves. Please dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, and a hat; consider long sleeves and long pants, bug repellent, and sunscreen. Be sure to bring drinking water.

This volunteer event is for adults only due to the proximity to water. This event is hosted by the Nashua River Watershed Association, with support from the US Department of Agriculture, and in partnership with the Groton Invasive Species Committee.

Registration is required for planning purposes. Register online today! Thank you!

Celebrate the Earth! Celebrate Groton! Celebrate Community!

Click image or this link for Google Map to the Fitch’s Bridge Road event meet-up location just off Rt. 119 in Groton, MA. The work area is the shoreline near the Rt. 119 bridge over the Nashua River, a darker green shaded conservation area on the Google map.

The parcel id is 216-61 for anyone who would like to look at it on the Town of Groton’s GIS map.

Nashua River near Fitch’s Bridge Road in Groton, MA - photo by Cindy Knox Photography.

Video: Fundamentals of Dam Removal for Dam Owners and Municipalities

2023-12-12T16:18:58-05:00

Fundamentals of Dam Removal for Dam Owners and Municipalities

The NRWA recently hosted and recorded a free webinar for municipalities, dam owners, and other entities interested in learning about the fundamentals of dam removal in their communities. View the video. View the PPT slides. Please note, the NRWA will be offering a presentation for the general public at a later date.

Featured Speakers and Topics included:

Susie Bresney, Ecological Restoration Specialist for the MA Division of Ecological Restoration on the benefits of dam removal
Neil Shea, Restoration Program Director from the Ipswich River Watershed Association on public outreach surrounding dam removals
William Hinkley, Director of Grants Administration at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on funding opportunities for dam removals
Kristopher Houle, Senior Project Manager at Tighe & Bond on the permitting associated with dam removals in Massachusetts

Questions? Email Marisa Browning-Kamins, NRWA Restoration and Land Programs Associate, or call (978) 448-0299.

Videos: Five-part Series on Climate Impact in the Nashua River Watershed: What is Happening and Actions We Can Take

2022-05-31T14:40:16-04:00

Climate Impact in the Nashua River Watershed: What is Happening and Actions We Can Take

Free Five Part Speaker Series

In 2022, the NRWA presented this speaker series on “Climate Impact in the Nashua River Watershed: What is Happening and Actions We Can Take”. Each presentation was recorded and is available for viewing thru links on this page or on our YouTube channel.

2022 Presentations

Climate Change in the Nashua River Watershed with Dr. Elizabeth Gordon, Earth and Geographic Sciences, and Dr. Christopher Picone, Ecology and Environmental Science, both professors from Fitchburg State University. During the presentation, Dr. Picone spoke about an easy online tool that individuals can use to estimate their household carbon footprint, that is the CoolClimate Calculator, created through the University of California, Berkeley. View recording of presentation.

Getting to Know the Soils of Massachusetts and Why It Matters with Dr. Ralph S. Baker, Ph.D. in soil physics. Soils are not all created equal. Understanding how they differ, and why, is important if we’re to recognize their key role in a changing climate. Ralph introduces how the soils of Massachusetts are arranged on the landscape, where soils information can readily be obtained, as well as answering such questions as what soils sequester the most carbon in Massachusetts? You may also be interested in viewing the Supplemental Materials prepared by Dr. Baker, which includes supporting materials for his slides, including web links to additional resources. View recording of presentation.

Wild Resilience with Jon Liebowitz, Executive Director, and Sophie Ehrhardt, Wildlands Partnership Coordinator, both from Northeast Wilderness Trust, spoke about the ways that wilderness can aid with both mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, including resilience, biodiversity, and carbon storage. There is also a list of Supplemental Materials which provides links to materials referenced in the video, as well as additional resources suggested by the speakers. View recording of presentation.

Impacts of Climate Change on Our Rivers and Streams with Sarah Widing, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer at Inter-Fluve. Climate change is causing – and will cause – varied and diverse changes to our rivers and streams. Every process that contributes to what we understand to be the river will be affected: precipitation, groundwater, vegetation, soils, human interventions. Sarah discusses some ways that the engineering and restoration design communities are responding to the impacts of climate change and incorporating future uncertainty into design. View recording of presentation.

Torrential Rains from Slow Moving Tropical Systems: Is This Part of the New Normal? with David Vallee, Hydrologist-in-Charge at National Weather Service/NOAA Northeast River Forecast Center. During this final presentation in our 2022 series, David reviews the current state of precipitation, temperature, and flood frequency in our region, and looks at how the behavior of our tropical systems has changed leading to more frequent events like Florence, Henri, and Ida. He showcases the new services NWS is working on: real-time forecast flood inundation services. View recording of presentation.

Additionally, in October 2019, Dr. William Moomaw Emeritus Professor of International Environmental Policy and Founding Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School, spoke at the NRWA on the topic of “Watersheds: Mitigating and Adapting to a Changing Climate”. View video of Dr. Moomaw's presentation.

For more reading about climate change in the Nashua River watershed, be sure to visit the Climate Impact section on our website by clicking on What We Do in the main menu bar, then click on Climate Impact in the dropdown menu.

About the Speakers in this Series

Dr. Elizabeth Gordon

Dr. Elizabeth Gordon is a Professor in the Earth and Geographic Sciences Department at Fitchburg State University. She teaches courses focused on atmospheric and ocean sciences including Oceanography, Meteorology, and Climatology, and co-teaches a course on Climate Change and Human History. Liz has a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Christopher Picone

Dr. Christopher Picone has been a professor of Ecology and Environmental Science at Fitchburg State University since 2004. He serves on several conservation committees in Ashburnham, and recently joined the NRWA Board of Directors. Chris has a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Ralph S. Baker, Ph.D.

Dr. Ralph S. Baker has served on the NRWA’s Board of Directors for over 15 years, and currently is Vice President. He chairs the NRWA’s Climate Change Committee. He also has served on the Fitchburg Greenway Committee for over 15 years. In 2016 he convened the Fitchburg Trails Vision Committee, which he chaired. Their Fitchburg Trails Vision Plan, a master plan for the non-motorized recreational trails in Fitchburg was completed in 2020. He also serves on the city of Fitchburg’s Conservation Commission. A soil scientist, Dr. Baker earned a Ph.D. in soil physics from the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1989. He co-founded TerraTherm, Inc. in 2000, and was its CEO, Chairman and Chief Scientist, designing and carrying out hazardous waste cleanup projects throughout the world. He retired in 2015, after a career focused on the cleanup of toxic organic chemicals in soil and groundwater.

Jon Liebowitz

Jon Liebowitz is the Executive Director of Northeast Wilderness Trust based in Montpelier VT. He has worked in the field of private land conservation since graduating from Vermont Law School in 2011 with a Juris Doctor and a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy. Prior to joining Northeast Wilderness Trust, Jon was the Executive Director of Montezuma Land Conservancy in Cortez, Colorado. He serves on the Rewilding Leadership Council, the Steering Committee of Wildland and Woodlands, and the Board of Vermont Parks Forever.

Sophie Ehrhardt

Sophie Ehrhardt coordinates the Wildland Partnership and Wild Carbon Project at Northeast Wilderness Trust. She is focused on protecting the forests and waters of the Northeast for all species that reside there, and on playing a role in addressing climate change. Sophie has a Masters degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.

Sarah Widing

Sarah Widing has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master's degree in Water Resources engineering, both from Tufts University. She has over 18 years of experience in private consulting and engineering design specializing in surface water. Her background includes floodplain modeling and mapping, stormwater management permitting and design, stream-crossing design (critter-friendly design), and dam safety. She is currently employed at Inter-Fluve, an interdisciplinary ecological restoration design firm that specializes (on the East Coast) in dam removals and cranberry bog restorations. She is currently an active member of the Town of Shirley Planning Board, and recently joined the NRWA Board of Directors.

David Vallee

David Vallee is the Hydrologist-in-Charge of the National Weather Service’s Northeast River Forecast Center and Acting Chief, Water Resources Service Branch. The center provides detailed water resource and life-saving flood forecasting services to National Weather Service Forecast Offices and the hundreds of federal, state and local water resource entities throughout the Northeast and New York. David has worked for the National Weather Service for over 30 years, serving in a variety of positions including Senior Service Hydrologist at the Taunton Weather Forecast Office from 1993-2000 and as Science and Operations Officer from 2001-2006. David has extensive experience leading hydrometeorological forecast and warning operations and directing weather research and training programs. David’s research activities span a variety of topics including flooding, severe weather forecasting and orographically enhanced heavy rainfall in southern New England. He has been leading an effort at the Northeast River Forecast Center to examine changes in precipitation and temperature patterns across New England and their impact on flood behavior.

Nashua River Watershed Association - Upcoming Programs