Ecology

March 23, 6:30 pm

Join us to discuss the restoration of the Jones at the Wapping Road dam. We will present the current design of the dam removal plan, discuss permitting and schedule, and answer questions. You may also use this time to sign up for the herring count. Open to all.

• Kingston Reporter: Process to remove Wapping Road dam begins
• Kingston Reporter: Volunteers needed for annual herring count

More land has been developed in Massachusetts in the last 40 years than in the previous 340. We are losing more than 40 acres of habitat per day. While land prices escalate, open land disappears and the supply of resonably priced housing falls well below the need. The result is sprawling development that: Destroys and fragments wildlife habitats and ecosystems,

• Reduces biodiversity,
• Damages drinking water recharge areas,
• Limits recreational, agricultural, and forestry opportunities,
• Alters local community character and our sense of place, and,
• Increases transportation and energy costs.

Solutions are available. MassAudubon has put out a guidebook called "Shaping the Future of Your Community" which is available online:

• www.massaudubon.org

Herring count under way!

Our first fish has already been spotted, by our own Pine duBois! However, volunteers are still needed, especially between 7-11am, 11am-3pm, or 3-7pm, Monday-Sunday. Please call or email us if you are interested in participating. Include your name, contact information, and preferred time.

Read more: 2010 Herring Count

Idling is harmful to our air quality, health, cars and wallets!
Did you know...

• The Board of Selectmen has endorsed a No Idling policy for Kingston: http://www.kingstonmass.org/filestorage/37/No_Idling_Policy.pdf.
• Thirty seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. That means next time youre waiting for your Dunkin Donuts order, think about shutting off your engine for that thirty seconds!
• An hour of automobile idling burns approximately 1/5 a gallon of gas and releases nearly 4 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air. Excessive carbon dioxide can increase global warming.
• Many people believe that they are protected from air pollution if they remain inside their vehicles. Not so according to a report by the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA). CTA found that exposure to most auto pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO), is much higher inside vehicles than at the road side. VOCs and CO are linked to serious health problems--like respiratory infections and cancer--are known to shorten life. The highest exposure occurs when sitting in traffic congestion on highways or in a line-up of idling vehicles at a school or drive-through.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe faster than adults and inhale more air per pound of body weight.
• An idling car does not perform at full capacity, which can lead to expensive repairs. Some problems include: oil contamination due to residue build-up on the cylinders; corrosion caused by excessive condensation collected in the exhaust system; decreased peak engine operating temperature due to spark plug residue.
• These days, cars don't need to be warmed up-- the best way to warm up a car on a cold day is to just drive off!

Read more: No Idling! and Landing Road Traffic

Sand tiger sharks are seasonal visitors to New England waters during the warmer months of June through November. During the last few years, an increasing number of juvenile sand tiger sharks are being incidentally caught in Massachusetts coastal waters, particularly along the south shore in Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury (PKD) Bay. In the early to mid 1900s sand tiger sharks were considered to be one of the most common shark species in New England waters but now, due to overfishing, are protected by Massachusetts state law as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Jones River Landing is working with the Massachusetts Shark Research Program for experimental purposes as well as for public outreach. Below find more information on the studies.

• Sand Tiger Info
• Sand Tiger Poster

Shark Conservation Act of 2009

A growing number of shark populations are in peril from overfishing and unsustainable "finning"-- the practice of slicing off a sharks valuable fins for soup and tossing the body back to sea. Help the Ocean Conservancy's push to pass The Shark Conservation Act of 2009: www.oceanconservancy.org.

Thanks to all who helped us clean the beaches, and "clean up" our plates at the Southern cooking lunch by New Orleans chef Patrick Wooten!

September 2009

We will be joining the international COASTSWEEP beach cleanup effort on Sept 19th, convening at at the east end of the Powder Point bridge on Duxbury Beach at 9 am. Then join us for an "apres-sweep" party: a southern cooking feast at the Landing from noon on and go for a paddle in the river. We will have bags for collection and rubber gloves. There is no age limit as whole families are encouraged to participate. Please dress appropriately for the weather that day. Part of the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup, COASTSWEEP is the annual state-wide coastal cleanup sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), and coordinated by the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Each year thousands of COASTSWEEP volunteers take to the beaches, river banks, and seafloor to help remove debris that would otherwise pollute our oceans. Join us!Of course there is always plenty of coast to sweep including Gray's Beach, Rocky Nook Shores, the Ah-de-Nah and Jones River Estuary and all along the roads that drain to the bays. So pitch in and help get all our junk that finds its way to the coastal environment out of the water and off the beaches and roads.

• For more information on COASTSWEEP, see: www.coastsweep.umb.edu

January 2008

Attention: Everyone in our watershed who cares about the River Herring! Even if you cannot attend in person, note that written comments will be accepted until January 28th.

6:30 PM, Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Plymouth Harbor Radisson
180 Water Street, Plymouth
Contact: Shannon Davis at 617/626-1621

• JRWA_HerringLetter100207.doc

Read more: River Herring Hearings in Plymouth

Saturday, August 11, 2007 / 8:30-11:30am / Jones River Landing

Why are the herring populations in trouble? Join Carolyn Sones (NSRWA), Pine duBois (Jones River Watershed Alliance) and Jill Cowie-Haskell (Watershed Action Alliance) at the new Jones River Landing Environmental Heritage Center for coffee, a tour and a briefing on the issue. We will walk and talk abouth the Jones River herring run and all the impacts that affect the herring in their annual migrations. This is an opportunity to share infor. with a sister Watershed Association and learn about impacts to herring runs that apply to all the runs on the South Shore. Meet at the Jones River Landing at 8:15 am.

• View postcard: JonesRiver081107.jpg

June 2009

Dr. Sara P. Grady will present a lecture on the life history, population biology, and fisheries management of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). Horseshoe crabs are over 500 million years old (one of the oldest species still in existence) and recently populations along the East coast seem to have declined, possibly due to overfishing. Sara will present information on the history of the horseshoe crab and human interactions with them, their unique biology, which includes a blood compound used for detecting bacteria in IV drugs, and a population model Sara developed that has been used to inform management decisions about the horseshoe crab fishery. Sara received an Sc.B. in Aquatic Biology from Brown University in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Biology from the Boston University Marine Program in Woods Hole in 2005. She is currently the South Shore Regional Coordinator for the Massachusetts Bays Program and Watershed Ecologist for the North and South Rivers Watershed Association.

Another sparkling cleanup job on the area around the Landing! Thanks to all who participated and to our hardworking cleanup partners from Battelle!

April 2009

It's spring cleaning time and the area surrounding the Jones River needs it just as much as your garage and front yard! To promote and participate in Earth Day 2009 Jones River Landing will be hosting a river, lake and road side clean-up on Saturday April 25th from 1:00 to 4:00pm. We will have clean-up teams in the Silver Lake Sanctuary and along the river and the road from Jones River Landing towards Mullikens Landing. Joins us for some fresh air, refreshments and helping get the river ready for spring.

When the weather warms up a bit more we will do an on-the-water river clean-up on May 29th at 4:00pm prior to our High Tide Potluck season opener.