Tim Purinton
Director, Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration
View Tim's BioThe Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) recently put out an events calendar marking May and June as “Massachusetts Rivers and Wetlands Months” celebrating river- and wetland-related activities across the state.
The 2013 Massachusetts Rivers and Wetlands Months Calendar contains detailed information and links to more than 275 events in, along or about the rivers and wetlands of Massachusetts taking place from April 27 to July 4. Upcoming events include kayaking trips, riverside picnics, canoe races, birding in salt marshes, fishing derbies, river cleanups, overnight camping trips, and nature hikes.
Here’s a brief sample of events taking place the weekend of May 11-12:
May 11 (Saturday) – IPSWICH RIVER –
Birding Paddle Trip through Wenham Swamp, 6:00 AM – 10:30
AM, co-sponsored by the Ipswich River Watershed Association and the
Essex County Ornithological
Society. Paddle the Wenham Swamp section of the
Ipswich River while birding with the experts at the
height of warbler
migration! Put in is at Route 97/High Street in Topsfield, and take out is at
Willowdale Meadows, on Topsfield Road near Bradley Palmer State Park. Click here
or contact Cynthia at cingelfinger@ipswichriver.org
or call (978) 412-8200 for more info.
May 11 (Saturday)
– HOUSATONIC RIVER – River Cleanup Paddle
in Pittsfield and Lenox, 9:00 AM
– 1:00 PM, co-sponsored by the Housatonic
Valley Association (HVA) and the Berkshire
Environmental Action Team (BEAT). “Bring your own boat or reserve a canoe.
We will use boats (canoes and kayaks) to pick up trash that has collected
behind downed trees. One group will launch from Fred Garner Park and head south
to Decker
Landing, while another group will launch from Decker and paddle south and
then return to Decker Landing.” Pre-registration required; if you want to start
from Decker Landing, please contact Alison Dixon [adixon@hvatoday.org, (413) 394-9796]; or, if you want to start from
Fred Garner Park and paddle to Decker Landing, please contact Jane Winn at jane@thebeatnews.org or (413) 230-7321. Click here
to download a flyer on this event; all participants will be treated to a picnic
lunch.
May 11 (Saturday) – ESSEX RIVER (NORTH COASTAL WATERSHED) – Essex
River Race, sponsored by
the Cape Ann Rowing Club. Registration
begins at 8:00 AM; the first race heat sets off at 10:00 AM. The Essex River Race is a 5.5-mile, open water
event starting at the Essex River Bridge at Route 133 in Essex, out behind the
barrier beaches of Ipswich and back. Participants row or paddle small boats
through one of the most scenic tidal areas in New England. Occasionally the
water can be very rough, with strong winds and currents. Click here for an overview of
the race and here
to participate, or contact Suzanne Sweeney
for more info.
May 12 (Sunday) – CHARLES RIVER – Nahanton Park Mother’s Day Bird Walk Trip, 8:00 AM start, sponsored by the Newton Conservators. Nahanton
Park offers a mix of woodlands, wetlands, edge habitat and meadows along
the Charles River, making it one of the best birding spots in Newton for both
migratory and resident songbirds. Likely finds include brightly colored
warblers, vireos, and orioles. Also expect bluebirds, scarlet tanagers,
swallows and brown thrashers. Enter the park at the Nahanton Street entrance
next to the river. Parking is available inside the park. Bring binoculars if
you have them. Beginners as well as experienced birders are welcome. Boots are
recommended. Walk will be cancelled in steady rain. Click here or
contact co-leaders Alison Leary (617) 821-5619 or Haynes Miller (617) 413-2419 for
more info. (Co-sponsored with Friends of
Nahanton Park)
May 12 (Sunday) – HERRING RIVER (CAPE AND ISLANDS WATERSHED – Paddle the Herring River in Harwich, 12:00 Noon start, sponsored by the Kayak and Walk Cape Cod
Meetup Group. “The Herring
River is a scenic waterway, surrounded by over
200 acres of Harwich Conservation Lands.
We always see birds along the river bank and expansive marsh. We’ll head to the end of the river where the
culvert allows water to flow into and out of the reservoir in Bell’s Neck”.
Click here for
basic info on this group and its paddling trips and here
to sign up or for more specific info on this event.
