The North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) had another wonderful year full of outdoor programming. In addition to our local multi-day recreation offerings and River Adventures kayaking expeditions, the NSRWA education team also works with groups from across the South Shore. One program in particular is Estuary Explorers, which engages many groups throughout the year, including school classes, youth groups, Green Teams, summer camps, and Scouting groups. The mission of this program is to bring youth of all ages out into the North and South Rivers Estuary to explore its many diverse areas, understand their importance, see the amazing wildlife, and learn how we can all help protect our water and environment.
For several trips this fall, the NSRWA team met students from various Scituate Elementary classes. The groups would arrive by bus, and then participate in a guided tour of the saltmarshes, tide pools, mud flats, rocky intertidal zones, and dunes of the barrier beach known as “The Spit”. Activities included discovering local ecology, hands-on shellfish identification, water sampling, coastal wildlife searches, scavenger hunts, and so much more! Through this fun and hands-on discovery and exploration, students learn about science and nature, and they can truly appreciate what the wonderful places Scituate and our surrounding coastal towns around the watershed have to offer. With this appreciation, the students can also understand the importance of preserving and protecting these special places in our communities and become better stewards of our waters and nature.
The NSRWA looks forward to continuing amazing partnerships with schools and groups of the South Shore. The 2022 NSRWA Estuary Explorers Program was made possible through generous support from The Michele E. Dufault Foundation. If you are interested in having your group join us on an Estuary Explorers adventure, or if you’d like to underwrite the program for next year, send an email to Brian at brian@nsrwa.org.