2025 WaterWatch Lecture Series

Join Us for Our 2025 WaterWatch Lecture Series!
Zoom Presentations & 2 Live Events
Wednesdays, January 15 – March 5, 2025
7:00pm

Join the NSRWA and Mass Audubon for this winter’s eight-part educational 2025 WaterWatch Lecture Series. Stay engaged with nature this winter with weekly presentations by a diverse range of presenters and themes. Each lecture is on Wednesday evening from 7-8pm with a few minutes at the end for Q&A. The program begins on January 15 and ends on March 5.

All lectures will be available on Zoom for FREE. However, the first and last lectures can also be attended in person! Separate registration pages are available for those events. You will also find the separate links for the two in-person registrations in the lecture description. Each lecture will be recorded with videos at the bottom of this page.

Register for the 2025 WATERWATCH LECTURE SERIES (FREE)

Purchase tickets for the PROBLEM TO PLATE – GREEN CRABS EVENT – $20

Get tickets for TRIVIA NIGHT AT STELLWAGEN BEER COMPANY (FREE)

2025 PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

January 15: Problem to Plate – Green Crabs – Join us for our kick off lecture in-person at Mullaney’s Harbor- side Seafood in Scituate ($20) or on Zoom to learn about green crabs while eating a few! Invasive species like Green Crabs pose a problem to our coastal ecosystems and fisheries. Come find out more about these tasty crustraceans and how people are solving this problem by eating them! Mullaney’s will provide samples of different Green Crab recipes to try while scientists and food professionals share their research and stories. Tickets for this event can be found HERE – $20

January 22: Rainbows on the Wing: Dragonflies and Damselflies – Swooping, soaring, and perching, dragonflies have been on our planet for an estimated 250 million years, ancient rulers are their tiny realms. An estimated 160 species of animals within Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) can be found in Massachusetts. Blake Dinius, Entomologist Extension Educator of Plymouth County, will discuss the ecology of dragonflies: their adaptations, needs, and obstacles. Join our adventure!

January 29: A History of the Indian Head River – NSRWA’s Kezia Bacon will present an overview of the Indian Head River’s history, beginning in pre-Colonial times, and extending into the 21st century. Topics will include early settlers on the river; bridges, mills and factories; tributaries and fisheries; the Indian Head’s many tributaries; and issues concerning the river today.

February 5: The Blue Line Method: How to Catch (and Release) Wild Trout – Vincent Battista, epidemiologist, conservationist, and the interim president of South Shore Fly Casters, will teach us all about brook trout. Brook trout (S. fontinalis) are a cherished native game fish that has responded brilliantly to local conservation efforts. In Southern New England, there is a long tradition of targeting wild brookies in small creeks and streams where conventional angling methods are neither efficient (e.g. dry flies) nor particularly sustainable (e.g. live bait). This talk will review methods for safely targeting, catching, and releasing wild brook trout in our local “hidden gem” streams.

February 12: Taking Environmental Action – Lucy Gertz, Mass Audubon’s Director of Adult Education and Accessible Programs, will introduce ways to understand people’s pathways to environmentalism, how to build people’s competence and confidence for environmental action, and how individuals can be effective, positive game changers in their communities and beyond. She’ll discuss motivation and influences, skills development, empowerment, and the celebration of effective conservation work done well.

February 19: Marine Mammals on the South Shore: Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s Marine Animal Rescue and Response Team – Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation of whales and dolphins. They use education, policy, and science to further their vision of a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. Their Marine Animal Rescue and Response (MARR) team acts as first responders for stranded marine mammals (seals, whales, and dolphins) from Plymouth to Weymouth. Join us to learn more about WDC, marine mammals on the South Shore, and what to do if you see a stranded marine mammal.

February 26: Protecting Our Coastal Waterbirds – For almost four decades, Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program has played a key role in the protection and management of the most threatened coastal waterbird species in our state. The program monitors and protects more than a third of the state’s breeding Piping Plovers, approximately half of our state’s Least Terns, and about a third of its American Oystercatchers. Community Science and Coastal Resilience Manager, Gina Purtell, will share the recent updates of this important effort.

March 5: WaterWatch Series Trivia Night at Stellwagen Beer Company – Join us at Stellwagen Beer Company in Marshfield for a fun night of celebration and trivia. Share your knowledge of general watershed facts, natural history and environmental topics, and have a beer! We’ll highlight a bit of content covered throughout the 2025 WaterWatch Lecture Series. You needn’t consider yourself an expert! Tickets for this FREE event can be found online.