No-Fuss River Excursions

The author and her paddle board at the Keville Bridge on the South River.

Every year, as spring turns into summer, I find myself drawn to the North and South Rivers. The marsh is vibrant green, the water reflects the bright blue sky, and the breezes are just right for cooling off on a hot day. Of course, actually coordinating a trip on the rivers with my canoe or kayak is another story! Weather, tides, personal schedules, and transportation are all part of the planning process, not to mention gathering my gear and making sure it’s still in working order. Occasionally everything falls into place and I find myself sitting happily in my boat, paddling up- (or down-) stream, promising myself I will not let so much time go by before the next excursion.

If you’re interested in seeing what our local rivers are all about, but maybe not-so-interested in the logistics of getting there, you might consider a guided, outfitted class or trip. The North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) has made such trips a part of their activity roster in the last few years. They offer both lessons and guided tours, with equipment included. It’s totally worth the cost, to have someone else provide your equipment and show you around!

Below is a listing of what the NSRWA is offering this summer. If you’d like to experience the beauty and serenity of the North or South River with a minimum of fuss, here’s your chance!

Learn To Kayak

Friday July 25, 12-2pm

Sunday, August 10, 12-2pm

Coastal Kayak Educators provides all equipment, as well as expert group instruction for children and adults ages 8 and up in this 2.5-hour course (children must be accompanied by an adult). Meet at the Union Street Bridge Conservation Area in Marshfield and learn the basics of kayaking on the North River, with an emphasis on safety. Pre-registration required. For details, visit www.nsrwa.org.

Scenic North River Tours

Saturday July 26, 1-3 pm

Sunday, August 3 – 6:30-8:30pm

Saturday, August 23 – 12:30-2:30pm

This tour is recommended for kayakers with some experience, ages 8 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult). Coastal Kayak Educators provides all equipment, and leads the group on a 2-hour tour of river, beginning at the Union Street Bridge in Marshfield. Pre-registration required. For details, visit www.nsrwa.org.

Historic North River Kayaking Tour

Sunday, August 24, 11am-3pm

For ages 8 and up (children must be accompanied by an adult), and led by Coastal Kayak Educators, this is a leisurely 8.5-mile paddling excursion. It will delve into the North River’s role in the lives of Native Americans, colonial shipbuilders, the industrial revolution, and the modern day era, and will examine how its ecology has changed throughout time. The tour begins at the Union Street Bridge Conservation Area in Marshfield. All equipment is provided, and there will be a lunch break at Couch Beach in Marshfield. Pre-registration required. For details, visit www.nsrwa.org.

Stand Up Paddling Lessons on the South River

Thursday July 17 at 6pm

Monday Aug 4 at 6pm

Monday Aug 18 at 6pm

This 1.5 hour lesson on the South River was one of the best of my recent “new experiences,” and much easier than I anticipated. Learn to stand up paddle (SUP) with the NSRWA and Luminate Surf & Skate on the river and marsh creeks near Rexhame Beach in Marshfield. All equipment is provided. Pre-registration required. For details, visit www.nsrwa.org.

by Kezia Bacon, Correspondent

June, 2014

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Science Fridays in the ‘Shed

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For those of us with school age children, summer vacation presents both joys and challenges. It can be a welcome reprieve, not having to adhere to the bus and school routine five days a week. On the other hand, the relaxed schedule can be a mixed blessing: lots of opportunities to do those things for which we haven’t had time all year, but also lots of hours to fill.

If, like me, you’re home at least part-time with your kid(s) during these 10-or-so weeks, you may be looking for new ways to spend your days. Especially mid-summer, after the novelty of not having to rush out the door in the morning has worn off, and the word “bored” is showing up in conversations, you may be wondering what’s out there. We are fortunate, here on the South Shore, to have nearly endless options.  

There are camps, there are day programs, there are all sorts of events offered through local libraries and recreation departments. Blueberry picking (Scituate, Hanson) is always a favorite of ours, as are group explorations of conservation areas where the kids can enjoy unstructured play. The places we’ve enjoyed most so far, with our crew of friends (ages 5-10) and their parents, are Willow Brook Farm in Pembroke, Couch Beach (via Couch Cemetery) in North Marshfield, and the Norris Reservation in Norwell. All offer well-shaded trails and a respite from the summer heat.

One relatively new option on the local scene is offered by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA): a series of outdoors explorations for families otherwise known as Science Fridays in the ‘Shed.

Last year my son and I participated in the very first Science Friday. We joined a small group of parents and children, along with Samantha Woods and Sara Grady from the NSRWA, and hiked out from Third Cliff in Scituate to The Spit at the mouth of the North River. Along the way, we tested the salinity of marsh creeks, learned about some of the grasses and other vegetation that grows in the zone between the land and the sea, and kept our eyes open for shorebirds and horseshoe crabs. The trip was timed for low tide, so we could spend most of our time checking out the tide pools – familiarizing ourselves with the creatures and plants that make their home among the rocks at the edge of the ocean.

This year the NSRWA has expanded its Science Friday program. There will be four trips this summer, each on a Friday morning from 10-12.

On July 11^th, you can learn about freshwater tributaries at the Norris Reservation in Norwell, through which Second Herring Brook flows as it makes its way to the North River.

On July 18^th, NSRWA returns to The Spit in Scituate for tidepooling and barrier beach geology.

On July 25^th, they will be exploring the North River marshes, via the Messer Conservation Area, off Union Street in North Marshfield.

And on August 15^th, there will be a freshwater tidal exploration on the Indian Head River, at the Hanover Canoe Launch.

All of the programs are designed to introduce children and their families to the different habitats and ecology within the North and South Rivers watershed, aka “the ‘shed.” Participants will be actively engaged in collecting field data, and will use scientific sampling gear to analyze water quality and identify plants and animals.

Pre-registration is required. The best way is to sign up online at www.nsrwa.org. The cost is $5 per person for NSRWA members, $10 for non-members, and – this is the best part – no charge for kids 12 and under.

Last year the program sold out, so if you’re interested, consider signing up right away. If your children are at all interested in natural history, ecology, or outdoor exploration, you’ll be glad you did.

 by Kezia Bacon 

May 2014

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Learning About The Water Cycle

My son is in second grade, and each day when he comes home from school, one of the first things I do is check his backpack to see what the teacher has sent home. There is homework, of course, and often a notice from the school, and usually there is a sheaf of papers representing work recently completed in class. Needless to say, as this is work designed for 7- and 8-year olds, for me, it’s mostly review. But every so often I too get to learn something from the Second Grade curriculum.

In March, Abel brought home some worksheets about the water cycle. One night he had to cut out pictures of each phase of the cycle, and glue them to another page in the proper order. They had covered this in class earlier that day, so Abel understood the concepts. I suspect my memory is faulty, but I couldn’t recall learning about the water cycle myself until adulthood. I was so pleased that second graders were already learning basic earth science!

I’m sure I’m not the only one whose memories of Earth Science have grown hazy. Thus I offer this quick primer.

There are four phases to the water cycle: condensation, precipitation, accumulation and evaporation.

• Condensation, aka Forming Clouds - There is water vapor in the air. When it rises and meets cooler air, it turns into water droplets that form clouds.

• Precipitation, aka Water Falling to the Earth – The clouds gather more and more water as they are moved by the wind. This liquid is constantly forming and evaporating within the clouds, and when the conditions are right, it will fall to earth as rain, snow, sleet or hail.

• Accumulation, or Forming Bodies of Water – The water that falls to the earth via precipitation collects either as surface water (oceans, rivers, lakes, puddles) or groundwater (filtered through the land, and stored within the ground).

• Evaporation, or Forming Water Vapor – The warmth of the sun converts both surface water and groundwater to water vapor. These tiny droplets are carried up into the sky by rising warm air. As they reach the cooler air, condensation begins, and the cycle continues.

To drive these concepts home, Abel’s school brought in the North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) for a program known as “Water All Around You.” The NSRWA set up six stations in the school cafeteria, each one addressing a different aspect of the water cycle.

There was a station at which students answered the question “Where in the watershed are you?” A watershed is an area of land in which all of the water that falls will drain to a specific place. For example, Abel’s elementary school is within the South River watershed, so all the rain that falls within that area eventually drains to the South River. The students looked at topographic maps of the town and learned how and where the water flows after it falls from the sky.

They also learned about water quality – finding out about what causes pollution, as well as the natural processes within the earth that clean the water, and the manmade processes (wastewater treatment plants) that are equally essential. Through a see-through acrylic groundwater simulator, they saw how contamination from something like a faulty septic system might flow through the land and into the groundwater. They even got to create mini filtration systems, with plastic bottles and coffee filters, to see first-hand how swamp water can be filtered clean.

In addition, they learned how water flows over the land. Using a model of a storm drain, parent volunteers demonstrated how things like motor oil, fertilizer, road salt, animal waste, and cigarette butts all get washed into the road and eventually flow, untreated, into the nearest body of water.

Abel’s favorite station was the taste test. He and his classmates sampled tap water, distilled water, and bottled water, to see how they varied in flavor. They made note of their observations and then discussed which water source would be the safest to drink. As for taste, the general consensus was that Marshfield water tasted best.

A final station educated the second graders about managing water quantity, and explained to them how they could conserve water in their everyday lives. They were asked to figure out how many household tasks they could complete, using 65 gallons of water per day (the state-recommended maximum consumption, to ensure that there is enough water for public safety and household usage). Practicing their math skills, the students found that they couldn't water their lawns, which can take thousands of gallons a day. 

The NSRWA offers “Water All Around You” to towns that participate in its Greenscapes program, which educates citizens, young and old, about water conservation. To date, more than 12,000 of students across the South Shore have participated, either at the second grade or fifth grade level. The program is a success because so many local towns have participated.

NSRWA Executive Director Samantha Woods says, "We need to change our water consciousness. The majority of our citizens don't know where their water comes from, what is the most common source of water pollution or what the term ‘watershed’ means. Upcoming generations will be faced with more water challenges than ever before. ‘Water All Around You’ is meant to remedy this lack of knowledge by bringing water to the classroom and when possible to get children into their watershed. Our goal is to ensure that every child in the South Shore region, at least once in their school career, learns what a watershed is, how we can protect it and where their own water comes from."

by Kezia Bacon

March 2014

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com