Ecology

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.

Thanks again to Jessica for an informative talk on vernal pools and their importance, and the fascinating denizens within!

Last year Jessica put together a page of vernal pool basics for those who are curious about the early spring activities of breeding amphibians. Grab a flashlight and a raincoat, and head out after dark to your nearest vernal pool on the "big night", when amphibian activity is highest!

• VernalPoolFactSheet.doc

March 2009

Jessica Tenzar will speak on "Conversation of Vernal Pools: What can we do to improve protection?" Please join us for this illuminating talk on the crucial breeding grounds for many species including some favorite frogs and salamanders. Talk will begin at 7pm.

Last year Jessica spoke at the Landing and discussed the ecology of vernal pools and how the citizens of Massachusetts can help preserve these important wetlands and their inhabitants. She has been researching vernal pools throughout Massachusetts for the last 12 years. Her passion for vernal pools began during her undergraduate years at Wheaton College. Here she researched the population dynamics of the yellow spotted salamander and certified various pools in Norton, MA. Most recently, she has completed her Master's of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her research focused on the feeding and migration patterns of the yellow spotted salamander, a common vernal pool salamander in the Northeast.

Throughout 2008, JRWA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, MA Fish and Wildlife, MA Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Town of Kingston have been working in partnership to determine the best way to create fish passage and restore the river at the aging Wapping Road dam site.

One of the nation's leading river restoration firms, Milone & MacBroom Inc, have conducted an alternatives analysis for the engineering, environmental, and economic issues surrounding this site. The study has found dam removal to be the most feasible and effective way to meet all of the restoration goals. Read their findings here:

Updated March 2009
Files:

• WappingRoadDamFINALFeasibilityStudy.pdf
• Appendix D - Sheet Set 24 X 36 Feasibility Study.pdf

Appendix:

• 1-FEMA Effective.pdf
• 2-FEMA Corrected Duplicate Effective.pdf
• 3-Existing Conditions.pdf
• 4-Recommended Alternative.pdf

Alex Mansfield joined the JRWA staff at the beginning of September 2007 in role of Ecology Program Director. Alex grew up locally in Hanson and now lives in Marshfield. Alex received a Master's degree in Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sciences from UMASS in 1997. For the past 10 years he has worked as environmental consultant on nation-wide water quality and sediment management programs. With JRWA, Alex will focus on the development and implementation of a comprehensive restoration plan for the river. Alex is excited to include volunteer help and educational components to this program, and feels that community support is fundamental to its success.

To join the monitoring efforts of JRWA and JRL, please contact Pine duBois This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Alex Mansfield This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

October 2008

Thanks to those who stopped by the Selectmen's meeting open forum on October 28th to support the wind energy turbine in Kingston. The Board of Selectmen endorsed the plan. The next step is for Mass Technology Collaborative to approve and vet the plan.

Those who are interested in wind and solar projects, whether commercial or residential, should check out the MTC website at www.mtpc.org.

The Green Committee made a presentation on October 28th to the Selectmen asking them to endorse the plan to apply for funds to go to final design for the Wind Turbine at the wastewater treatment plant in Kingston.

October 2008

To celebrate World Water Monitoring Day on Oct. 18, EPA is continuing a program to loan water monitoring equipment to volunteer groups throughout New England. Fifteen New England environmental organizations, including the Jones River Landing, have been selected by EPA to receive loans of water monitoring equipment. Using this equipment, volunteers will produce information on the water quality conditions of New England's water resources, which can be used for their local concerns and also shared with local and state agencies for use in assessing overall conditions of our water bodies.

Read more: Landing wins water monitoring equipment award from EPA

Ever see those license plates with the whales and wonder what they're for? Thanks in part to a Massachusetts Environmental Trust grant (funded by those plates), as well as generous grants by Massachusetts Riverways and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Jones River Watershed Association and the town of Kingston are proud to announce Ready, Set, Action! This on-the-ground restoration program will involve students and teachers from Silver Lake High School, training them in efforts to improve the native habitats and species diversity of Pine Brook and Howard Brook, tributaries of the Jones River.

JRWA and the town of Kingston are excited to be kicking off a new project of river restoration, community outreach, and education. The project Ready, Set, Action! provides on-the-ground restoration efforts to improve the native habitats and species diversity of Pine Brook and Howard Brook that feed into the Jones River.

We will be partnering with several organizations in Ready, Set, Action! including the Town of Kingston Conservation Commission, Town of Kingston Open Space Committee, Silver Lake Regional High School, and Rushing Rivers Institute.

Read more: Ready, Set, Action! Pine Brook Restoration Program

Thanks to all of you who volunteered, the DPW reported that 2460 pounds of trash were collected! Last year about 1380 pounds were collected so this is an amazing increase. It also appeared to be the highest turnout ever. Thanks to all who made this a success! Check out some great pics in the Duxbury Reporter.

October 2009

The Jones River Landing, together with Batelle and the Duxbury Beach Preservation Society, is putting together a crew to help clean up Duxbury Beach as part of the COASTSWEEP program. We need your help!

We will meet at 9 am on October 4th at the east end of the Powder Point bridge in Duxbury. Coffee and donut holes will be available in the morning and hot dogs and soda will be served for lunch. 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!

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

Thanks to Benjamin Cowie-Haskell of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary for his talk and wonderful presentation.

September 2008

Stellwagen Bank is New England's only national marine sanctuary. Yet, the sanctuary is at risk from many human threats as described in a recently released management plan. The public comment period on the draft management plan closes on October 3, 2008. Ben will describe why the Sanctuaries health is so integrally linked to the health of coastal watersheds, the Jones River in particular and what is at stake in managing this special ocean place.

Ben serves as the deputy superintendent for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. He oversees the maritime heritage program, operations of vessels and facilities, and the revisions of the management plan as well as many other duties. Ben did his undergraduate work at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME and received his Master of Science in marine affairs from the University of Maryland in 1997. He lives in Marshfield with his wife and two sets of twins.

September 2008

On September 4, 2008, the Division of Marine Fisheries tagged and released a young female sand tiger shark here at the Jones River Landing. The shark had been caught nearby in the river and DMF alerted. See our Gallery link above for pictures from the tagging and release!

Sand tigers are protected at the State and Federal levels and may not be deliberatly fished for. If caught, sand tigers must be released unharmed. If you would like to report sand tiger information, please contact the Massachusetts Shark Research Program at 508-910-6329 or 508-693-4372.

Thanks also to John Chisholm of the DMF for his enlightening shark talk on September 3. Here's a summary from John:

The sand tiger (Carcharias taurus) is a coastal shark often encountered by shore fishermen while fishing for striped bass and bluefish. It is protected by both State and Federal laws and fishermen in the area should be aware that these sharks are in our coastal waters, bays, and estuaries from July through September. Sand tigers have two dorsal fins of equal size and are grayish brown in appearance, often with dusky spots on their sides and tail. They are most often confused with smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis), but sand tigers have very noticeable long thin teeth while smooth dogfish do not. The spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is another small coastal shark, but can easily be distinguished from a sand tiger by its two dorsal fin spines and the lack of anal fin.