News and Insights

ACES supports increased public participation and engagement in local cleanup initiatives by promoting various volunteer opportunities within our communities. One such effort by some members of Storm Surge and other ACES allies involves collecting trash along the shore just upriver from Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, MA. and carrying it out of the woods to a designated pickup spot. MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation staff then pick up the trash for disposal.

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The Ipswich River Watershed Association is a group of citizens, scientists, businesses and communities concerned about the health of the Ipswich River and its watershed.

Our aim is to protect nature and make sure there is enough clean, safe, reliable water for people and wildlife. We have been the voice of the Ipswich River since 1977. A small, membership-based, nonprofit organization, Ipswich River Watershed Association has accomplished a great deal since its inception.

In 2007, we established a new headquarters, Riverbend, on a beautiful 20-acre riverfront property on Route 1A in Ipswich. With trails for walking and wildlife observation open to the public, Riverbend also has a dock on the river and a fleet of kayaks and canoes available for our members to use.

Our property is also a model for water and energy efficiency and low-impact development. We have an electric vehicle charging station powered by solar panels, a green roof, rain gardens and permeable pavers. Inside our office, we have highly efficient water fixtures and appliances. We are open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the public to view and learn about our sustainability features.

The Ipswich River has its headwaters in Burlington, Wilmington and Andover, and then travels 40 meandering miles (about 26 miles as the crow flies), with 45 streams and tributaries contributing to its flow. The river meets the ocean at the Plum Island Sound at the back side of Plum Island near Sandy Point and Crane Beach. The Ipswich River estuary is part of the 20,000-acre Great Marsh ecosystem.

The Ipswich watershed is home to approximately 160,000 people and includes all or portions of 21 towns. The river and its groundwater and reservoirs supply drinking water to more than 350,000 people and businesses in 14 communities, including Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Middleton, North Reading, Peabody, Salem, Topsfield, Wenham and Wilmington.

In 2011, the Ipswich River Watershed Association convened the Parker-Ipswich-Essex Rivers Partnership (PIE-Rivers), a regional network of organizations, governmental agencies and communities working to promote healthy rivers and ecosystems in the three coastal rivers of northeastern Massachusetts.

We continue to administer this partnership, which in 2013 helped to secure over $3 million from the federal Hurricane Sandy Grant Program to support a multiyear, multipronged set of restoration and resiliency projects throughout the Great Marsh watershed.

This project funded the development of the Great Marsh Coastal Adaptation Plan (www.greatmarshresiliency.org). Together with the National Wildlife Federation, we worked with municipal task forces from the six coastal towns, Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich and Essex, to complete an analysis of community vulnerabilities to climate change and a plan for recommended actions the communities and its partners can take to increase their resiliency and adapt to weather-related impacts.

Since the completion of the Great Marsh plan in 2018, our PIE-Rivers Municipal Services Program has continued to assist communities’ resiliency and sustainability efforts, providing data for communities’ municipal vulnerability workshops and supporting groups like the Newbury Vulnerability Committee and the Newburyport Sustainability Committee.

Another important component of our work focuses on water quality: monitoring the health of our river and streams through more than 50 trained citizen-scientists, administering a water quality database analyzing trends, conducting an annual herring count on the fish ladder at the Ipswich Mills Dam, and coordinating volunteer “stream teams” that work to protect and restore the river and its tributaries through local action.

We recently received a grant to fund additional water quality monitoring assistance for the all-volunteer Parker River Clean Water Association and the Chebacco Lake & Watershed Association in Essex.

The Ipswich River Watershed Association is also a founding member of the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition (www.greenscapes.org), a multipartner outreach effort that promotes water conservation and protection.

We work with local communities to educate citizens and professionals about landscaping practices (particularly irrigation and chemical use) that have less impact on the environment. We also run a Greenscapes school program that educates more than 2,000 students across Essex County each year.

There’s a lot to learn and love about the Ipswich River! Our events provide opportunities to enjoy the river and make a difference through our watershed and the PIE-Rivers region.

We offer paddling trips (including a free Beginner Paddler Summer Series), environmentally friendly gardening workshops, educational programs, wildlife walks, river cleanups and more.

Volunteers are the backbone of many of our programs and we are always looking for new volunteers who are interested in making a difference and getting involved. Learn more at www.ipswichriver.org.

Kristen Grubbs is an environmental planner who lives in Newbury.

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This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Eleni Protopapas. To share any comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and our Youth Leadership Initiative, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

Greenbelt has an impressive record, having protected over 17,500 acres of farmland, open space and salt marsh, from small but vital projects such as Newman Farm Meadow in Newbury to large-scale signature projects such as the Indian Hill Conservation Area in West Newbury.

The 315-acre Indian Hill Conservation Area is the culmination of a 25-year effort to piece together parcels that now comprise a long, green ribbon of protected open space and trails that showcase the land’s natural beauty and rich cultural history. Protecting the area from development guarantees a long-lasting and essential tool in preserving habitats and species.

Last fall, I came aboard as Greenbelt’s new president. My plan is to build on Greenbelt’s powerful, 50-year legacy of conservation leadership with an emphasis on the role land conservation plays in combatting climate change. Through our work, Greenbelt is taking a leadership position in making the region more resilient.

I came to Greenbelt after serving in leadership positions at the Charles River Watershed Association for almost 25 years. Our work at the watershed association helped transform the Charles River from a heavily polluted blemish on the state’s environmental reputation to one of the cleanest urban rivers in the country.

Greenbelt is strategic and forward thinking.

While traditional land conservation projects were prioritized based on their size and location, sophisticated mapping technology now allows Greenbelt to strategically identify and then focus on conservation projects best suited for their resiliency to climate change.

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“While we continue working to protect our best farmland and scenic resources, we are keenly aware of the changes already happening as a result of climate change. Land conservation is a critical tool as we look to a future that may be quite different from what we’re accustomed to,” says Christopher LaPointe, Greenbelt director of land conservation.

The impacts of climate change are far reaching. Coastal communities are increasingly battered by severe storms and threatened by sea level rise that could wipe out homes and the businesses so vital to the North Shore. Inland, the maple and birch forests which give us our signature fall colors may give way to less-vibrant oak and hickory trees.

New Englanders count on resilient landscapes to filter water for drinking and recreation. In protecting forests and grasslands, more carbon emissions are absorbed from the atmosphere. And increasingly, the benefits of outdoor activity are recognized as important public health factors.

At Greenbelt’s Jennie Langoulis Reservation in Newbury, trails lead hikers through rolling stands of pine, cedar and oak. This important habitat supports state-listed species like Northern harrier and short-eared owl.

A healthy salt marsh protects our coastal communities by absorbing floodwaters and lessening storm surge

At Greenbelt’s protected Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley, the tidal pools and extraordinary ecosystem of the Great Marsh are home to an astonishing diversity of plants and animals.

For over 10 years, Greenbelt has also worked in osprey conservation by protecting their summer breeding area, building and maintaining nesting platforms in the Great Marsh. Once a rare sight, ospreys are now seen in Essex County soaring over coastlines, diving into waters to catch fish and standing on their large nests.

Greenbelt will continue to emphasize science-based conservation by using new climate data to help determine where our land conservation efforts are directed, building on its deep connections to the people of Essex County.

Kate Bowditch is president of Greenbelt-Essex County’s Land Trust, and invites everyone to explore, volunteer, attend a walk, lecture or film with Greenbelt, or support its mission. Learn more at https://www.ecga.org.

Of the 117 natural and cultural sites that The Trustees of Reservations care for around the state of Massachusetts, 35 are designated as coastal properties. These are some of our most visited and important ecosystems and wildlife habitats, and often the ones that come to mind when people think of The Trustees. Whether it’s swimming at Crane Beach in the summer, walking at World’s End on a fall day, or experiencing the beauty and solace of our remote beaches on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, we often find a love of the coast from many of our visitors who are drawn to these special places.

The Trustees owns and protects over 120 miles of coastline in Massachusetts, more than any other single private landowner in the state. We have played an important role in coastal conservation in our past and continue to do so today, seeking to protect and care for landscapes that include islands, salt-marsh, rocky coasts, and dunes — all of which are in flux from winds, tides, currents, storms, and our changing climate. As a result, coastal resiliency is a high priority and we are working to protect some of our most vulnerable sites so they are able to respond better to changing conditions and can “bounce back” after disruption.

We were energized to hear from residents of several Great Marsh towns during a salt marsh and sea level rise workshop this spring, where we found the communities greatly valued the recreational benefits of the natural landscape and many shared a concern that coastal development could impact the marsh and the scenery and serenity they so treasured.

Today, our coastal strategy is evolving to focus on land protection, advocacy, the perspectives of residents, and seeking green solutions where we can have the most strategic and long-lasting impact. We recognize the challenges posed by coastal storms, sea level rise, flooding and erosion to the preservation and enjoyment of the properties we are charged with protecting.

Last year, in partnership with The Woods Hole Group, we focused on a forward-looking coastal vulnerability assessment (CVA) that flagged several of our coastal beaches and salt marshes as the most “at risk” natural areas. The first of its kind and scale to be conducted by a conservation organization, the CVA has helped inform the work that, together with our visitors, volunteers, communities and partners, we need to do to prepare our coastal sites to be more resilient, stay open and accessible to the public, and continue to support the fragile ecosystems needed for wildlife species and habitats.

With Trustees-owned marshes representing 15% of the 20,000-acre Great Marsh — the largest marsh in New England — we are beginning the first phase of an innovative salt marsh restoration project at our Old Town Hill property in Newbury to improve the natural tidal flow and resilience of this critical resource. The marsh serves as a barrier to protect adjacent uplands and communities from flooding and sea level rise and provides critical habitat to important species that rely on it. It also serves as a place of beauty for the many visitors and residents who enjoy its natural landscape and serenity.

Marshes in New England, including the Great Marsh, have been significantly compromised by historic ditching that dates to farming practices in early colonial days and vast re-ditching programs launched during the Great Depression. With increasing rains and sea level rise, these ditches continue to inhibit the natural draining process, causing the marsh to sink and flood.

Thanks to a series of generous grants received from MassBays, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, we are implementing an innovative method of harvesting and loosely braiding salt hay from the marsh to layer within ditched areas this summer. First piloted successfully on a limited scale at the nearby USFWS Parker River Wildlife Refuge, the braided hay will collect sediment from the incoming tides and rebuild marsh “peat” naturally — allowing nature to heal itself.

The project is estimated to take three to five years to complete and will also be implemented at marshes around the Crane Estate and other areas of the Essex estuary including our Stavros Reservation, ultimately aiming to fortify 300 acres of marshland in total. A successful implementation of this project will protect the landscape, ecosystem and natural wonder for generations to come, in a sustainable way, working hand-in-hand with nature.

We look forward to sharing updates with the community as the project unfolds.

As we continue to lead and innovate for these green coastal solutions, we are also looking for more opportunities to involve more communities, volunteers, supporters and partners in this vital work so that together we can protect our shores for the next generation.

For more information on our work, please contact me at toshea@thetrustees.org or see www.thetrustees.org/what-we-care-about/land/coast.html / To volunteer, contact Marc Mahan at mmahan@thetrustees.org.

Tom O’Shea is director of Coast and Natural Resources for The Trustees of Reservations.

This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Eleni Protopapas. To share any comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and our Youth Leadership Initiative, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

Fast forward to 2019 and the urgency of our climate crisis has generated more group networking, building a more formal and we think more powerful Alliance. Much like a squad of super heroes, each with unique powers, Allies use their individual strengths to support, promote, and enhance common activities.

Participants in ACES include organizations, groups and individuals, many with advanced degrees in sciences, planning, and public policy as well as citizens – young and old – who simply share our concern for the environment.  We have chosen to focus on four main initiatives: Opportunities to Nurture Environmental Stewardship and Mindfulness among Youth; Campaigns to Clean Up the Rivers, Marshes and Beaches; Coordinating Media Exposure for Allies, and Creating Healthy Rivers.

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A riparian buffer is a vegetated area (a "buffer strip",) which helps shade and partially protect a stream from the damaging impact of adjacent land uses. Such buffers play a key role in improving the water quality of streams, rivers, and lakes. They help slow down storm water runoff and provide multiple environmental benefits, including nurturing ecosystems for plants, fish, birds and mammals. ACES works with its allied network to support and advance this and similar projects.

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When people think of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, they may imagine fun days at the beach, a birding adventure where the species list keeps growing, the many opportunities to get that perfect picture, or a peaceful place to get some exercise (or rest).

The refuge is able to accommodate a wide range of visitor activities while also protecting habitat for wildlife, but it must constantly battle challenges which keep mounting. Aging infrastructure, coupled with budget and staffing reductions, make it nearly impossible for the refuge to keep up with all that must be accomplished. This is where the Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Inc. steps in.

The Friends, as it’s commonly referred to, is an independent, volunteer staffed, not-for-profit organization founded in the early 1990s. It is one of more than 200 such organizations across the nation run by citizens who cherish and want to preserve these special places for future generations. Friends recognizes the important role the refuge plays not only in wildlife conservation, but also in its contribution to the economic vitality and environmental well-being of this region. The Friends:

Promote the preservation of the natural, cultural and historical resources of the refuge;

Foster the wildlife-dependent use and enjoyment of the refuge consistent with its protection and preservation, and

Engage in educational, scientific, and civic activities that assist the refuge with carrying out its mandates.

Each year, the Friends provide invaluable support to the refuge through maintenance projects, educational events, biological assistance, public outreach and fundraising. The Friends have adopted projects on the Pines and Stage Island trails, which include trimming back vegetation, repairing observation platforms, and ensuring the trail is safe for visitors.

The Friends also take part in many of the refuge’s public programs by staffing tables and providing visitor assistance and education. In 2018, the Friends hosted two interns from Newburyport High School’s School to Career program.

The Friends’ current fundraising campaign, the Boardwalk Plank Fundraiser, is raising funds to help pay for the restoration of the Hellcat Interpretive Trail, the refuge’s largest network of walking trails. These trails are a favorite spot for many visitors to Parker River NWR.

Hellcat provides visitors the opportunity to experience up close the Great Marsh, maritime forest, freshwater marsh and incredible dune environments of a barrier island.

Comprised entirely of wooden boardwalk planks, the trail system is showing its age and is in need of a complete renovation. The Friends have launched this fundraising campaign to assist the refuge in procuring funds for this expensive undertaking.

The project will also upgrade the trail to be in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act wherever possible, allowing access to people with disabilities as well as greater convenience and safety for all visitors.

The Friends of Parker River NWR Inc. have big plans for the future, centered on our goal of assisting the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

These include launching more educational programs and community outreach events, raising additional funds to support those efforts and to purchase equipment needed by refuge staff, supplementing staff efforts with Friends’ volunteers, increasing advocacy on behalf of the refuge, collaborating with area environmental organizations, and expanding community support and membership.

Operating a national wildlife refuge is no easy task, and the Friends are here to provide dedicated volunteer support to get the work done, preserving this remarkable piece of land for future generations of humans and wildlife. You, too, can show your support for our beloved refuge by becoming a member of the Friends and participating in our volunteer efforts.

Kaytlyn Hojnacki serves on the board of directors of the Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. To learn more about the Friends and their activities, visit www.parkerriver.org

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This column was coordinated by ACES Intern and NHS Senior, Eleni Protopapas, who can be reached at eleniprotopapas@gmail.com to share any comments or questions. To learn more about ACES and our Youth Leadership Initiative, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

It seemed appropriate that the Parker River Clean Water Association recently celebrated its 25th year anniversary with a talk given by Dr. Gil Pontius on the topic of land-use change in the Parker River watershed.

After all, it was noticeable changes in the watershed that called for the creation of the group in the first place. David Mountain and a small group of residents in Byfield formed the association in 1994 to address the loss of wetlands and the impact of new roadways on the river.

New sprawling development making its way northward to the rural towns of the North Shore had given rise to deviations to the surrounding ecology.

People had once bragged that visitors would come to summer camps in Georgetown to fill up jugs of water to bring back to their homes in the Boston area.

Today, we hear constant complaints about the water quality. Local Facebook bloggers object to bad-tasting water and clothes discoloration from the public water supply. The Parker River and its tributaries often run dry now.

PRCWA’s mission is to preserve and protect the river and its ecosystem through the development of community-based objectives and coalitions, including individuals, groups, businesses, schools and governments who understand their connection to the river and the watershed and who will act to protect it for future generations.

My first involvement with PRCWA was as a volunteer herring monitor during the mid-1990s at the Pentucket Pond dam and fish ladder in Georgetown.

The waters teemed with thousands of alewives anxiously awaiting their turn to spawn in one of the last upstream great ponds. No anadromous fish have been known to make the arduous trek much past the first fish ladder in Byfield for many years now. This rapid decline of fish spawning merits our concern.

In its early years, PRCWA sought to educate the people on the value of protecting the watershed. Marlene Schroeder, a longtime Amesbury school teacher, began the SYEFEST program (Schoolyard Ecology for Elementary School Teachers). Families were encouraged to come to our annual River Festival held each year at Newbury’s historic Lower Green, where the early settlers of the area had arrived.

Another river advocate, Boston University Professor David Mountain, wrote several building capacity grants to jump-start the organization. These grants were used to help recruit members to evaluate streams, test water quality, measure flow, certify vernal pools, hold biodiversity walks and organize events.

We believe in the adage, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, show me and I learn.”

Advocacy is a big part of our focus today with development pressure further straining water resources. We encourage cities and towns to consider low-impact techniques and water conservation in their decision-making.

We are fortunate to have many partners in our mission to protect the watershed, including the Ipswich River Watershed Association, the Mass Rivers Alliance, the Great Marsh Coalition, Trout Unlimited, Essex County Greenbelt, along with numerous state, city and town officials.

PRCWA remains active today. We head-start the Blanding’s Turtle (a state-listed threatened species) Project in 13 local schools and institutions. We hold invasive water chestnut weed pulls by canoe in Rowley during the summer. In addition, we are stewards of the Little River Nature Trail system in Newburyport (40 percent of the city of Newburyport is within the Parker River basin.) Learn more about the City Nature Challenge event taking place on April 27 by visiting our Facebook page.

PRCWA is open to any ideas or programs that you are interested in adopting or starting. A state wildlife official speaking at our annual meeting once remarked there is only so much government can do. It is up to individuals who enjoy the everyday environs of flora and fauna of this area to protect our river.

If you are interested in learning more or have some suggestions, please contact us at our email address: parker.river@verizon.net. And consider joining our Nature Challenge on April 27.

George Comiskey is vice president of the Parker River Clean Water Association.

Editor's note: This version corrects the name of the person who formed the association in 1994, which was incorrect in an early version of this commentary.

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The Climate Action Project (CAP) was formed in 2013 at the request of the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist (FRS) board to guide the congregation in its deliberations regarding the divestment of its portfolio from fossil fuel energy companies, a proposal that the congregation voted to support.

Following these investigations and recommendations, CAP members turned their attention to climate change initiatives. Our work is a subpart to the FRS mission “… to be a welcoming and inclusive community that encourages spiritual growth as we strive for truth and meaning and serve the social and spiritual needs of our larger community.”

CAP’s goal is community and government action to slow climate change. The FRS Climate Action Project plans to:

• Think globally, work locally, act personally;
• Raise awareness within FRS and the local community on the urgent need for climate action by organizing a series of events, discussions and communications on key climate change topics;
• Increase the reach and effectiveness of our small group by attracting more FRS members and friends to join with us in this cause, and by collaborating with other like-minded local organizations and agencies of government;
• Publicize concrete actions by which concerned citizens can combat climate change in their personal lives, through government channels, and/or by participating with advocacy groups.

Projects organized by CAP include conducting a church building energy audit, working alongside other community groups to bring speakers and movies to our area, and working with our youth group to coordinate Climate Cafés.

A recent project featured a potluck supper with Amber Hewitt of the National Wildlife Federation regarding off-shore wind power development. Current projects include a proposed environmental policy statement for our church, a Climate Café with the FRS youth group on March 24, supporting work on the Greater Newburyport Green Expo on April 11 at the Nock Middle School, and an Earth Day service on April 28.

CAP follows and discusses current events, including state and federal legislative initiatives that will impact climate change. One state bill will put a cost on carbon emissions broadly (the Benson Bill from the last session H.1726), and then the 12 State Transportation Initiative (https://www.transportationandclimate.org/content/about-us).

Several members attended and reported on the recent meeting in Newburyport that discussed the Merrimack River combined sewage overflow (CSO) issues that have been caused by increased rainfall amounts in the storms during the last half of 2018 and have resulted in untreated sewage flowing in the river.

The CAP group supports the City of Newburyport’s initiatives to address the issues of waste, resiliency and energy in our community. The community has gathered at various times to discuss these issues and embody them in our Green Community certification and 2017 master plan.

These issues impact all members of our community from the cost of waste disposal, flooding of coastal areas, and the cost and quality of the energy we use in our homes and businesses. These issues and the educational, business and governmental responses are the focus of the Green Expo on April 11 from 4-8 p.m. at Nock Middle School. We hope you will all attend.

Lastly, as we consider the impacts of pollution, we are reminded that we live in a connected community of individuals and families seeking jobs, housing, good education and quality of life. Given the enormity of the climate crisis and the consequences for our children and grandchildren and for threatened communities around the world, there remains a need for spiritual and moral guidance.

This was driven home by a recent TEDx talk by a 15-year-old Swedish student activist, Greta Thunberg, who lost all hope in the midst of the news of climate change and the limited actions taking place in the world.

It is a stark reminder of our need to discuss these issues with our children, and maintain their hope and belief in a positive future. It is a very powerful presentation from an active teen’s perspective.

Bill Clary is a member at FRS and the chair of the Climate Action Project, which welcomes all individuals from the community to participate: https://www.frsuu.org/category/climate-action/.

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The mission of the Coastal Trails Coalition (CTC) is to assist in developing pathways that connect Amesbury, Salisbury, Newburyport and Newbury. Part of the CTC’s 30-mile network of rail trails, shared-use paths and bike lanes make up the local section of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile trail from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine. In Massachusetts, the North Shore section of the Greenway is known as “Border to Boston.”

Formed in 2004 with the support of the Essex National Heritage Commission, National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program and Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, CTC continues to be a tax-exempt, all-volunteer organization. The coalition invests 100 percent of donations, grants and membership contributions in the trail networks. The four cities and towns build and maintain the trails, but the advocacy of the coalition helps attract federal and state funds for construction projects.

Last fall, the cities of Amesbury and Newburyport celebrated the opening of the William Lloyd Garrison Trail Shared-Use Path on the Interstate 95 Whittier Bridge.

The trail provides pedestrian and bicycle travel across the Merrimack River extending from the Route 113 Park and Ride in Newburyport to Route 110 near the Amesbury-Salisbury line.

A southern link between the Park and Ride and Hale Street now exists, courtesy of the Parker River Clean Water Association. That group’s 1.2-mile Gloria Braunhardt Bike Path, part of the Little River Trail system, has been welcomed into the CTC network.

Additional construction will begin this year to join trails between Salisbury and Amesbury.

The Carriagetown Connector will run under I-95 and complete a loop from the Garrison Trail to Salisbury’s Ghost Trail and Amesbury’s Riverwalk. To connect to Amesbury, the CTC is working with the city to link the Riverwalk to Elm Street. Also in Amesbury, the Riverwalk plans to extend into the new Heritage Park along the Powow River.

The City of Newburyport is working to complete Phase II of the Clipper City Rail Trail. The 1.4-mile completed section extends from the harbor along Water Street through the South End, passing under High Street at March’s Hill and continues to Parker Street in Newbury. The city is seeking funding to clean up a contaminated portion of the trail on Water Street, behind the city’s wastewater treatment plant, and for a safe connection from Parker Street to the commuter rail station.

Now that two-thirds of CTC’s trail map is complete, the coalition is looking to complete the northern end of the Border to Boston Trail in Salisbury. Later this year, construction begins on a path that will connect the Old Eastern Marsh Trail to the Seabrook town line.

This 2.3-mile trail will give users access to the New Hampshire Seacoast. On CTC’s southern boundary in Newbury, design of the Border to Boston Trail from Newbury through Georgetown and Boxford is fully funded and underway.

The coalition also sponsors trail cleanups and community events, such as Salisbury’s Art Stroll. Held on the Old Eastern Marsh Trail in May, the Art Stroll celebrates art and nature and offers food, music and family activities.

In Newburyport, the CTC hosts the Slow Bike Race fundraiser on the Wednesday of Yankee Homecoming. The “race,” held on Pleasant Street at Brown Square, awards prizes to the last rider across the finish line.

The Coastal Trails Coalition is grateful to our volunteers and citizens in our communities for their support. Please visit us on Facebook or check out www.CoastalTrails.org. for more information.

See you on the trails!

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He looked at me in astonishment. “How come no one posted anything about that?”

He whistled his dogs out of the water.

Why didn’t he know? It’s not his fault.

The upriver sewage plants in Haverhill, North Andover, Lowell and Manchester aren’t required to alert the general public when they dump untreated waste into the river, so they don’t.

What’s the impact? There have been no comprehensive studies done, but there are many anecdotal stories of how this practice is harming people and animals — dogs getting nasty rashes and stomach disorders, and people sent to emergency rooms with intestinal problems or suffering serious infections after coming in contact with sewage-laden water.

That needs to change, and it’s one of the key missions of the Merrimack River Watershed Council, a nonprofit that since 1976 has been working to make the Merrimack cleaner and healthier.

The only reason I knew that the sewage dumping occurred is because I work with the council, gathering data and reporting the information through our social media and our website. The data is frustratingly skimpy. Most of the plants aren’t equipped to give timely reports on how much sewage they dump. And one of them — Manchester, the biggest polluter on the river — doesn’t release any data at all until the following year.

That’s outrageous. Consider the thousands of boats and boaters on the river in the summer, and the beachgoers, the fishermen and swimmers. Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury have built a thriving waterfront economy on the river, based in part on a belief that the Merrimack is clean.

The river’s far cleaner than it was a generation ago, but on some days it’s as bad as the bad old days. Over 650 million gallons of untreated waste was released into the river in 2018.

That’s a 60 percent increase from 2017 due to increased rainfall. NOAA predicts that in the years to come, climate change will cause even heavier rainfall in our region, which will lead to more sewage overflows.

What are the solutions? For one, lawmakers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire need to require that sewage plants alert the general public quickly whenever sewage is released. A bill to do this has been filed on Beacon Hill. We are building a coalition to get a similar bill filed in the Granite State.

In the long term, the plants need to speed up their efforts to comply with the Clean Water Act, and eliminate the release of sewage into the river. This will take years and hundreds of millions of dollars, thus our federal lawmakers have to be more focused on finding the money needed. We also have to be smarter about how we develop land. It’s crucial to limit the flow of stormwater into the river and sewage systems.

The Merrimack’s water quality also needs to be more closely monitored.

As it is now, we have an incomplete picture drawn from a hodgepodge of testing sites. And we need to look more closely at the link between sewage releases and the impact on human and animal health.

The MRWC’s goal is to make the Merrimack a cleaner river for future generations to enjoy. It’s a goal that many people share, but it will only happen if Merrimack Valley citizens demand that action be taken.

Public pressure makes a difference — talk to your local, state and federal representatives, keep up to date on the news, and make your voice known through letters to the editor and social media. Lastly, I’d encourage you to become a member of the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Help us lead the charge for a cleaner river.

John Macone is the outreach coordinator for the Merrimack River Watershed Council. He lives in Amesbury. Please visit the MRWC website for more information: https://www.merrimack.org/web/.

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In December, I organized and helped lead a birding trip to the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts for Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center.

We found some uncommon gulls that show up frequently in Turners Falls, but are not common here in the Great Marsh, so we thought things were going fairly well. Later, though, we were driving through a random patch of forest in the hills above the river valley when a participant spotted three black vultures.

This remarkable Southern species has been showing up more frequently along the Connecticut River in past years, but very rarely in winter, so that was a surprising discovery.

Black vulture soaring over Rockport

The first time I saw a black vulture was in Everglades National Park in 1978, and one had to go at least as far south as South Carolina to expect to see one. The week after our trip out west, we discovered a black vulture soaring over Rockport, and there were three turkey vultures in Amesbury over the Christmas weekend. The increasing appearance of black vultures, and persistence of turkey vultures, is a clear sign of climate change. Fifty years ago, turkey vultures would have been rare and black vultures unimaginable in New England in summer – let alone winter.

Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center is one of 20 staffed centers across our state dedicated to protecting nature for people and wildlife. Mass Audubon was founded in 1886 by two women who were indignant at the increasing slaughter of birds for fashion accessories in the late 1800s as birds and many other wild icons of North American natural history were being exterminated, or nearly so.

Joppa Flats was created to teach people to see the amazing bird life of the Great Marsh and other environments near Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

The effects of climate change right here and now

Joppa Flats birders are watching the birds that have recovered from near extermination by the hat trade, until Mass Audubon lobbied to stop it. We watch eagles and other birds that have recovered from near extinction due to the use of the pesticide DDT until it was banned through the efforts of Mass Audubon and others. We are watching birds that are becoming less common as they react to the warming climate and ones that are becoming more common for the same reason, but we are seeing the effects of climate change right here and now.

Mass Audubon’s 2017 State of the Birds Report gives details of how climate change is expected to impact Massachusetts’ birds. The vast majority of data for these reports comes from skilled amateur observers, so learning to identify birds can be a great way to contribute to the effort to respond to climate change. Joppa Flats is here to help you learn how. We also help people find ways to reduce carbon emissions and other harmful environmental impacts, so together, the over 125,000 members of Mass Audubon can have a big positive impact.

We want our children’s children to see the same beautiful bounty of migrating, breeding and wintering birds that make Plum Island the best birding destination in New England. We want them to be able to join us in discovering the rich sea life that now teems on our coast.

Healthy natural ecosystems are our best defense from the effects of climate change

We know it is imperative that we work together to halt and reverse the causes of climate change. At Joppa Flats Education Center, we partner with other organizations that are bringing a wide array of experience to face our challenges. We know that healthy natural ecosystems are our best defense from the effects of climate change, so our birders and other nature watchers have a role to play along with our experts in science and land conservation as we partner with organizations with different skills and expertise that are needed.

David Moon is the sanctuary director for the Joppa Flats Education Center and invites everyone to come by Joppa Flats to explore and celebrate the natural world and to help work for a healthy future by protecting nature. For more information, see www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/joppa-flats.

It's a fact that modern childhood has moved indoors. Neighborhood kids no longer adventure outside to play until called home for dinner. On average, American children spend between four and seven minutes a day engaged in unstructured outdoor play (not including organized sports) and as many as nine hours a day in front of an electronic screen. This national trend has paralleled an alarming growth in childhood obesity and prescribed pharmaceuticals for children. Did you know that preschoolers are the fastest growing market for antidepressants? I can’t help but think of this when I see so many adults handing over small screens to youngsters in restaurants, stores and even public parks.

Many of our youth are tuned out, stressed out and over-scheduled. Last Child in the Woods author Richard Louv calls this Nature-Deficit Disorder. And this is not just limited to kids, as it also strikes adults, families, and whole communities.

However, youth and adults who regularly spend time outdoors enjoy priceless benefits to mind, body and spirit. These include improved physical health as well as professional or academic success through greater capacity for leadership, self-awareness, self-confidence, communication, critical thinking and creativity. Further, every generation decides what to protect. If we raise a generation of youth who are disconnected from nature, how can we ensure both their good health and the health of the natural world that sustains us all?

At Merrohawke Nature School we are working to rebuild a culture of nature connection in our community. While spending time in nature is an important habit, rebuilding a lasting culture of nature connection in ourselves, our families and our neighborhoods requires a longer view and deeper commitment. We think seven generations ahead. We ask: What can we do today for the benefit of future generations?

My husband, Capt. Rob Yeomans, and I co-founded Merrohawke in 2007. Originally known as Boat Camp, Merrohawke is no longer a summer-only program aboard a charter boat. As a year-round nature school, Merrohawke is one of at least 75 nature connection organizations nationally -- and 150 internationally -- that emerged out of the 1970s environmental movement and self-identify as an 8 Shields school. Developed by Jon Young in 1983, the founding belief of 8 Shields was that if we can return children to the same intimate relationship to the natural world as was held by our indigenous ancestors, then these children will grow up to consciously appreciate, connect with, and protect the natural world and their community. This ethic is fostered through active mentoring, ancestor awareness, the arts of tracking and survival, and the surrounding culture of elders and adults who value this deep immersion to place. Nationwide, the nature connection movement now serves upwards of 50,000 youth annually. Merrohawke annually serves 2,500 youth living within a 50-mile radius of Newburyport and beyond.

All of our programs provide time to explore the natural world, because this is where the taproot of deep connection to the earth -- land or sea -- takes hold. We intentionally create time for youth to follow their curiosity. They catch mackerel, flounder or striped bass. Watch whales and seabirds. Haul a beach seine net for sandeels. Get muddy. Run wild. Build forts or fancy sandcastles. Race handmade driftwood boats by the shoreline. Dig for seaworms or dig for lost pirate treasure. Climb trees. Catch frogs and fireflies. Carve and coal burn wooden spoons. Weave cordage from milkweed fibers. Tend a fire through from sunset to sunrise. While youth believe they are "just playing outside," recent studies have proven that childhood experiences such as these, and not the more traditional forms of environmental education, directly lead to adults who are active stewards of the earth.

At Merrohawke, we are committed to guiding learning in nature that fosters empathy, resilience, grit, and a deep connection to the earth for the benefit of raising a strong generation of youth, healthy families, a thriving greater Newburyport community, and a flourishing planet.

Kate Yeomans is the co-founder and executive director of Merrohawke Nature School. Learn more at www.merrohawke.org.

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This column was coordinated by ACES Intern and NHS Senior, Eleni Protopapas, who can be reached at eleniprotopapas@gmail.com to share any comments or questions. To learn more about ACES and our Youth Leadership Initiative, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

The Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards Inc. (ACES) is a 501(c)(3) with roots in the Newburyport Cleantech Center that existed to support entrepreneurs developing their businesses in the innovative clean technology sector of the economy.

It is now a not-for-profit corporation devoted to building an alliance of collaborating stewardship-oriented organizations, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, governmental bodies, educational institutions and individuals (ALLIES). We are committed to our stated purpose: “To positively impact our environment’s health and our planet’s climate.” This is why we exist.

Collectively, as an alliance, we nurture and assist initiatives promoting stewardship of our climate and environment. We believe that collaboration is critical for success in today’s dynamic world to leverage the great work of many independent entities, all working for a better future.

Our focus is on fostering collaboration directed at building a resilient, sustainable, healthy and prosperous future for Greater Newburyport and then beyond. We honor the axiom: “Think globally, work locally, and act personally.”

The values we embrace include collaboration, communication, integrity, leadership, respect and sustainability.

Our vision for 2021 is that ACES becomes a vibrant network of ALLIES collaborating to address climate change, environmental and economic health. To that end, ACES provides networking opportunities, helps identify shared interests/initiatives, and offers organizational development, marketing, communications, best practices and securing finances support.

The leadership team is a multiaged group of inspired stewards – individuals committed to improving the legacy of the planet.

Our overarching goal for the next three years is to build this organization of inspired stewards with the capability to gather, organize and share resources needed to enhance the health of our environment. Guided by a leadership team supported by an engaged board, the organization employs best practices to:

Work “in-service” to a network of ever-growing allies in support of their purpose.

Serve as a facilitator, catalyst, convener, connector, promoter, communicator, amplifier, organizer, etc. — with stewards and others responsible for execution via specific project teams.

Define, monitor and promote relevant assets (programs, products and services) that contribute to the area’s overall foundation for climate and environmental stewardship initiatives.

Build community resiliency in the face of climate change (medium-term adaptation and mitigation).

Contribute to slowing the rate of global warming/climate change and lowering our carbon footprint (long-term mitigation effect).

We believe that long-term success will be measured by our contribution to enhancing our quality of life and the achievement of the above goals. Ultimately, we hope to serve as a model for establishing collaborative approaches to develop and implement initiatives beyond the Greater Newburyport base.

Current initiatives that ACES is supporting include: spring and fall cleanup campaigns that promoted events organized and conducted by over 10 Allies; the Healthy Merrimack River initiative, a project of a broad number of concerned stakeholder groups; nurturing environmental stewardship and mindfulness among youths in collaboration with the education business coalition and the Newburyport public school system; and fostering environmental stewardship.”

As a step toward bringing the above vision to reality, we are pleased to be working with The Daily News to provide readers with an opportunity to gain more insight into the purpose, work, and positive impacts of the many folks working in our community for change. It is their efforts that contribute to collective success and inspire us all to keep working for the health of our planet. You’ll be reading more about them in these pages.

Art Currier is a founder and the CEO of ACES. Anyone interested in learning more about the opportunity to support this organization or any of its current or potential initiatives/projects can reach him at artcurrier40@gmail.com.

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This column was coordinated by ACES Intern and NHS Senior, Eleni Protopapas, who can be reached at eleniprotopapas@gmail.com to share any comments or questions. To learn more about ACES and our Youth Leadership Initiative, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

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The Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI) accepts the above statement from Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, and believes it is based on sound science. Here in Newburyport, a GOMI team has been operating for 16 years, quietly employing our unique community-based stewardship model to engage youths and their adult mentors in the preservation of the Gulf of Maine Watershed.

Guided by ongoing formative evaluation and years of experience with our constituents around the Gulf of Maine (extending from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia), we have produced some remarkable results. What follows is a brief history and a vision into the future of our community-based stewardship model journey.

Act locally but think bioregionally

GOMI began as a collection of youth teams and their mentors recruited throughout the watershed and funded by a Canadian Millennium Grant in 2000. Based on the mantra “Act locally but think bioregionally,” the original design of GOMI was simple: Work locally in teams on place-based environmental projects throughout the school year; then, bring teams together in the summer for a weeklong residential conference to share their work and to connect to the bioregion. The GOMI team leadership approach, with its academic component and summer workshop, continued successfully until 2015.

While the summer workshop was a peak experience, producing life-changing results for many participants, our resources could not support more than 60 youths a year. Before transitioning to a new phase likely to attract more significant funding, we built two intentional strategies into the design: Incorporating and emphasizing formative evaluation and formation of educational partnerships with local and national agencies, such as the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Plum Island Long-Term Environmental Research study, funded by the National Science Foundation and managed by the Marine Biological Lab at Woods Hole. Throughout this time, we established strong partnerships with Nock Middle School and Newburyport High School.

By 2015, the realities of climate change demanded a change in our approach. The GOMI board resolved to shift the annual summer workshop emphasis from an all-volunteer, youth-centered model to one of professional development for educators. A three-year NOAA award provided impetus for our teacher development model, “Learning to Steward the Gulf,” which significantly expanded our capacity to reach more students. Our 24 teachers ranged from elementary school to community college levels.

Teacher input informed design and content, and by Year 2, teachers were co-leading sessions, which emphasized field studies and civic engagement. This shift placed the emphasis on teaching processes and skills, anchored by the school and community support needed to enhance positive effects on student learning.

Community-based stewardship cannot be successfully implemented without in-school administrative support nor can it be fully realized without the support of out-of-school partners, such as the wildlife refuge and the scientists at the Plum Island Long-Term Environmental Research program. It is this collaboration that enhances the richness of the experience.

Collaboration that enhances the richness of the experience

Students have found that by practicing face-to-face conversations with others, they can tell their stories and share their environmental concerns across generations and disciplines. These conversations started as climate cafes but have broadened to stewardship roles in the Great Marsh, controlling invasive species, discovering creature movement with trail cams, and investigating endangered species threatened by rising waters.

We encourage you to attend one such community café and share our world of experiential fieldwork by joining us to discuss the natural systems that govern our planet.

John Halloran is the science director for the Gulf of Maine Institute, overseeing the science curriculum and the development of all projects and training. More information is available at www.gulfofmaineinstitute.org/.

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Storm Surge formed in spring 2013 following the devastation that took place along Plum Island the previous winter. Its members represent a diverse cross-section of society, including businesspeople, writers, scientists, educators, retirees and concerned citizens who share a common bond as stewards of this planet.

We believe local communities need to start throttling back their impacts on our climate while concurrently preparing for the immediate effects of climate-enhanced storm activity and sea level rise. The group embraces the motto, “Think Globally, Work Locally and Act Personally.”

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Storm Surge has focused its core strategy on community education and awareness to help motivate social change. Thus, efforts have been not only aimed at the general public, but also at elected officials, specifically in Newburyport.

The group managed to secure some funding from the Institution for Savings and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, but much of its success has come from the efforts and donations of its volunteers.

Understanding that elected officials read newspapers, Storm Surge has focused on publishing editorials, articles and notices of their educational speaker series in The Daily News of Newburyport and The Current. This has kept the issue at the forefront of the community’s consciousness.

Since 2013, cumulatively, over 3,600 people have attended nearly 60 Storm Surge programs, while some 650 people subscribe to the group's mailing list, and over 1,600 people engage and follow on Facebook.

Beyond community education, Storm Surge is active in efforts aimed at making communities more resilient to climate impacts and sea level rise.

Storm Surge members have served on community task forces for Newburyport, Newbury and Salisbury under the National Wildlife Federation’s Sandy Grant, Newburyport’s EPA-sponsored Flood Resilience for Riverine and Coastal Communities assessment, as well as the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness  programs.

To move the city’s adaptation planning and implementation process along, Mayor Donna Holaday has convened the Newburyport Resiliency Committee. The group includes city councilors, the Conservation Commission, city engineering representatives, resiliency and Planning Department staff, as well as individuals from NOAA, a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers specialist in riverine environments, and also a member from Storm Surge.

The committee is tasked with not only considering the impacts of sea level rise and storms, but also the other consequences of climate change, such as drought, heat waves and insect disease vectors.

Storm Surge’s purpose is to support and encourage its communities in this adaptation and mitigation effort. The organization isn’t anti-development; rather it understands that communities need economies to thrive.

Members would like to see development take place with the most resilient technology and sustainable methods available such that they do not create problems for the municipality, the environment and public resources, including area beaches and the waterfront, which are at the core of local economic engines.

Storm Surge informs communities about certain exposures to risk and the need to start developing and executing strategies to address those vulnerabilities now. The nonprofit is making that information available through its programs and its involvement in local resiliency planning and sustainability efforts.

Storm Surge is also a member of ACES — the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, which serves to organize, support and coordinate efforts of local environmental organizations.

Mike Morris is the chairperson and one of the founding members of Storm Surge. For more information, go to https://storm-surge.org/ or join the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StormSurgeMerrimack.