We thank the following groups for their continued support and involvement in our projects to restore and enhance ecological health to our region and beyond.

NOAA / MA DER / Sheehan Family Foundation / Island Foundation / NE Grassroots Fund / Robbins de Beaumont Foundation / Patagonia / Pilgrim Coalition / Watershed Action Alliance / Taunton River Watershed Campaign / Eastern Bank / LiteControl / WindSun Institute / Containers 2 Clinics / Community Center of St. Bernard

Major Contributors

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noaa.gov

NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.

From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product. NOAA’s dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with reliable information they need when they need it.

NOAA’s roots date back to 1807, when the Nation’s first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established. Since then, NOAA has evolved to meet the needs of a changing country. NOAA maintains a presence in every state and has emerged as an international leader on scientific and environmental matters.

NOAA’s mission touches the lives of every American and we are proud of our role in protecting life and property and conserving and protecting natural resources. I hope you will explore NOAA and how our products and services can enrich your own life.

MA Division of Ecological Resources (DER) mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/der

The Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) was created in July of 2009 with the merger of the Riverways and Wetlands Restoration Programs. DER coordinates ecological restoration to improve habitat for fish and wildlife and to restore important ecosystem services that benefit the quality of life for all Massachusetts citizens.

The Riverways Program has been maintained within the DER and continues to coordinate outreach and technical assistance to support river conservation and protection.

The Division and partners facilitate capital-based projects including (but not limited to) dam removal and culvert replacement with the goal of restoring aquatic habitats and ecosystems across the state. These projects support commercial and recreational fisheries and provide many other benefits such as reduced flooding, improved water quality, and the replacement of aging infrastructure.

Ecological restoration is also an important component of the Commonwealth’s efforts to enhance habitat resiliency to better allow fish and wildlife to adapt to climate change – including sea level rise, elevated water temperatures, and increased floods and periods of drought.

Sheehan Family Foundation sheehanfoundation.org

The Sheehan Family Foundation has been a sustaining contributor to the Jones River Watershed Association, and the acquisition efforts of Jones River Landing. Since 1991, The Sheehan Family has supported staff positions and structural improvements to the storm water infrastructure in the Jones River watershed. These contributions together with their significant donations to the land conservation effort throughout southeastern Massachusetts are enormously important to protecting the quality and natural resources of our region.

The Island Foundation islandfdn.org

The Island Foundation of Marion has supported JRWA for the past 3 years. This family foundation has been most interested in supporting our efforts to restore the herring run to their Silver Lake spawning grounds. With the Sheehan Family Foundation, Island helps JRWA and other regional watershed associations in networking and training for environmental advocacy.

New England Grassroots Environmental Fund grassrootsfund.org

The New England Grassroots Environmental Fund provided a small grant in 2005 to support development of our website, JonesRiver.org. We had begun to make significant progress with this development in 2005 before running into security and technical issues which halted our progress. Recently, (since late April ’06) ,our website has finally come back online.

We are now working to utilize NEGEF’s contribution once again, making vast improvements in the usefulness of our site by providing important information and tools, which we hope will inspire our members and the public to greater levels of effective environmental stewardship.

Robbins de Beaumont Foundation

The Robbins de Beaumont Foundation, a family foundation based in Boston with local roots, has provided support to JRWA in the past. Late in 2005, Robbins de Beaumont provided a grant to fund a part-time volunteer coordinator at Jones River Landing. Volunteers and in-kind contributions have been the sustaining lifeblood of this project.

With this assistance to coordinate, we hope to provide more communication and be able to put the expressed interest of our members and the public to effective use that is not only helpful to the development of this environmental heritage center, but instructive on the ecology of the Jones River-Cape Cod Bay ecosystem.

Patagonia patagonia.com

Patagonia invested in the Forge Pond dam fish passage planning and engineering in 2012 and 2013, and has continued its support in 2015 and 2016. Recently, Patagonia announced that they would be donating 100% of their $10 million in global ‘Black Friday’ sales to environmental grassroots organizations! We are proud to have them as a sponsor, and grateful for all that they do.

Patagonia’s support for JRWA has been encouraging, and is essential for us to continue our well-founded efforts in enabling fish to move freely throughout the river system, from Cape Cod Bay to Silver Lake, by solving the root causes of impairments: lack of flow due to out-of-basin diversions, and removal of obstacles such as dams.

Regional Alliances

Pilgrim Coalition pilgrimcoalition.org

The Pilgrim Coalition is a non-partisan network of citizens and organizations dedicated to raising awareness of – and reducing – significant risks to public safety, health and our environment arising from the continued operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Watershed Action Alliance watershedaction.org

JRWA is part of the eleven-member Watershed Action Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts (WAA). From our early alliances, working on environmental issues of mutual concern, this group is emerging as an important unified voice for the water and natural resources of Southeastern Massachusetts.

WAA members include Jones River Watershed Association, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, Tauton River Watershed Association, Neponset Watershed Association, Eel River Watershed Association, Six Ponds of Plymouth, and Save the Bay – Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

WAA members collaborate on regional issues that are too big for any one of us. The Taunton River Desalinization Project and the development of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station are two important issues that have required significant amounts of attention this year. WAA has a part-time coordinator who is working this year to get us to write the South Coastal Basin Watershed Action Plan. We also hope to win a grant for a public education project to support the stewardship of river herring. The groups meet regularly to discuss policy issues and comment on a range of items that impact our cherished natural resources.

Taunton River Watershed Campaign

The Taunton River Watershed Campaign is a partnership of ten organizations working to protect natural communities, the rich and varied landscape, and the quality of life in the Taunton Watershed. Our mission is to:

Protect critical water and land resources throughout the Taunton River watershed
Link environmental groups and municipalities working to protect natural resources, and
Identify environmental priorities to help ensure growth happens in a manner that supports biodiversity & water quality while preserving the character of our communities.

Eastern Bank, Kingston Branch easternbank.com

LiteControl, Plympton litecontrol.com

We thank LiteControl for their generous contribution of analysis, layout, and energy efficient lighting units for our main work spaces and boat shop. This has been very essential to our mood, efficiency, and bottom line over these many recent years.

WindSun Institute windsuninstitute.com

The WindSun Institute offers selected students the opportunity for continuing evening classes that build academic depth, technical skills and financial understanding of the regional solar market.

Real world experience is brought to the classroom as the Wind Sun Institute designs and sells solar energy systems as a for-profit activity — outside of the classroom. Students and members may be participating in the design and implementation of solar and wind energy systems sold by other members. Our NABCEP experts review each design and coach for technical performance and financial optimization.

Members of the Institute — including members certified under the North America Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) — participate in all facets of business development and operations at the Institute. Curriculum, and weekly academic perspectives include: business strategy, technical design, planning, and marketing, along with ad-hoc lectures pertinent to current business activity.

Our goal is to provide members an opportunity to simultaneously study and earn a living in renewable energy markets. Members are attracted to the idea of an MBA-level curriculum — we offer pragmatic Business Savvy, Experience, and “Knowledge” taught by college professors, and industry practitioners. At the same time, we team to sell, design and project-manage solar and small-wind energy installations. Members benefit professionally as they work in teams to design and implement solar and wind energy systems. At a higher level, each member is encouraged to participate in the business functions: sales, finance, marketing, operations, etc. that move them toward their unique perception of self-actualization.

From a project perspective we strive for high performance systems delivered professionally, by a friendly team, at a fair price.

Other Groups We Support

C2C: Containers to Clinics containers2clinics.org

Containers to Clinics (C2C) is a non-profit, charitable initiative that seeks to improve the health of women and children by providing access to primary healthcare through networks of converted shipping container clinics.

Clinics are staffed by local health professionals in-country. C2C’s approach to rural medical care is designed to strengthen the entire healthcare system of a country from the bottom up by building capacity to treat illness locally. C2C clinics focus on improving the lives of women and children through vaccinations, safe pregnancy and delivery, and health education. C2C’s model allows for standard design and operations and for replication across regions. Objectives:

To arrest the cycle of maternal and child morbidity and mortality through community-based health services
To provide low-cost, high-quality, accessible primary health care solutions to vulnerable, underserved people
To treat illness locally by training and hiring local medical professionals
To utilize recycled materials to meet an urgent public health need for women and children

Community Center of St. Bernard ccstb.org

It has been nearly 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005, and the devastation in St. Bernard Parish remains. Entire blocks of homes and businesses still stand empty and derelict, marked for destruction. Entire blocks of homes and businesses still stand empty and derelict, marked for destruction. The population is only about half of what it was before the disaster, and the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010 and hurricane Isaac in 2012 have only made things harder for those determined families who have managed to return.

As they continue one of the most daunting disaster recovery efforts this nation has ever seen, the people of St. Bernard have very practical needs. They need a centralized location for basic services like food and clothes and medical care so they can receive assistance easily and with dignity. They need a place to come together and share their ongoing frustrations and successes as they continue to work towards a full recovery. And they need to know that they have not been forgotten.

The Community Center of St Bernard works to meet those needs every day. We are dedicated to providing the survivors of hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill with the practical resources they need to rebuild their lives and their communities. And we thank you for your generous help and support in making that goal a reality.

Friends & Allies