A bill that would prohibit the dumping of dredge spoils in Buzzards Bay has progressed to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture (JCENRA) for review. The proposed legislation, which the Coalition helped to draft, was filed on March 6 by State Representative Eric Turkington of Falmouth and State Senator Therese Murray of Plymouth in response to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ proposal to open a disposal site off of West Falmouth for dredged material from the Cape Cod Canal and other harbors around the Bay. The bill has the broad support of legislators from Westport to New Bedford to the Cape and Islands...Read more here

Photo courtesy of New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

One of the true signs of spring in and around Buzzards Bay is the return of herring from the ocean to the watershed’s rivers and streams. River herring spend most of their lives in saltwater but return to their fresh water hatching grounds to breed. From late winter through spring, when water temperatures begin to rise, the fish migrate up river to lay their eggs. Juvenile fish spend the summer in the rivers until late summer to early fall when they return to the ocean.

Throughout Buzzards Bay’s history, river herring have been an important food source for humans, sport fish, and other wildlife, such as osprey and roseate terns. In recent years, however, a dramatic decline in river herring populations has been observed. The Coalition’s 2003 State of the Bay Report included river herring as an indicator species for the overall health of the Bay. Based on available data, we scored the river herring population at only 5 points on a 1 to 100 scale...Read more here

Photo: Tony Williams

Jump in and join us Saturday, July 15th for the 13th Annual Swim Buzzards Bay.

By participating in the Swim, you are making the statement that clean water and a healthy environment are important to you and your family. You are also helping to raise much needed funds to help us protect Buzzards Bay. The money you raise will go directly toward our education, conservation, research and advocacy programs.

The 1.2 mile open-water swim is ideal for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Participants start at New Bedford's south end, swim across outer New Bedford Harbor, and cross the finish line at Fort Phoenix State Beach in Fairhaven to the sounds of cheering crowds, plenty of food and drink, and even massage therapists to help ease aching muscles!

Ready to get your feet wet? Register today! Contact Coalition Development Director John Vasconcellos at 508-999-6363, ext. 202; vasconcellos@savebuzzardsbay.org for more information or click [here] to download registration forms.

Illustration by Daniel Vasconcellos

When Lynne Brolly decided to participate in the Coalition’s Swim Buzzards Bay last year, she dove in headfirst. Brolly and her family had just moved to the area from Pennsylvania a few months before the event and she had never completed an open water swim in salt water. “I had only done laps swimming in the pool or in fresh water,” she says.

Brolly learned of the Swim through the Dartmouth YMCA where she teaches yoga. “I used do to triathlons years ago,” she notes, “but now that I’m a Mom I don’t swim as often as I’d like to. Swim Buzzards Bay was an incentive to get back in there...” Read more here

For more than decade, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) has provided vital support to the Coalition’s research, education, advocacy, and conservation programs. From funding of the early stages of our Baywatchers water quality monitoring program to support of our Bay Lands Revolving Fund, the Trust has played an important role in helping the Coalition to “Save Buzzards Bay.”

The Trust is funded through environmental litigation settlements and through the proceeds from the sale of the three special environmental “Preserve the Trust” license plates. The right whale, brook trout, and Blackstone Valley specialty plates represent the coastal, central, and western regions of the state. To date, proceeds from the sale of more than 70,000 “Preserve the Trust” license plates have funded more than $10 million in environmental protection and education projects...Read more here

The fourth and final presentation in the Global Warming: What Can We Do? lecture series, co-sponsored by the Coalition and the Marion Institute will take place on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Falmouth Academy, 7 Highfield Drive, Falmouth.

Acclaimed actress Lisa Harrow and her husband, internationally renowned whale biologist Roger Payne, will present a theatrical reading of Lessons from Copernicus, a dramatic presentation that the husband and wife team have written out of concern for the health of our planet. “Lessons from Copernicus” explores the idea of sustainability through science and poetry... Read more here

An Adopt A Shoreline beach cleanup is scheduled for May 20 at Bassetts Island in Bourne. Volunteers are asked to meet at 9:00 AM at Parker's Boat Yard. The cleanup will last approximately two hours.

The Adopt A Shoreline Program connects citizens, organizations, and businesses to their waterfront by organizing monthly shoreline cleanups from April through October.

Volunteers are needed. To sign up or for more information, contact Donna Cobert at 508-999-6363 x 200 or cobert@savebuzzardsbay.org

Volunteers are needed for the Coalition's Baywatchers Program. Now in its 15th year, Baywatchers is Massachusetts’ largest volunteer-based monitoring effort. From May through September, more than 130 dedicated volunteers help us to monitor the Bay for nitrogen pollution. Samples are taken from more than 30 harbors and coves from the Westport River to Woods Hole and the Elizabeth Islands.

All volunteer Baywatchers participate in a training session to learn the proper sampling techniques and receive a sampling kit, a handbook of procedures/protocols, and data sheets. A strong science background is not necessary. A good Baywatcher is someone who can consistently commit one hour between 6-9 am each week from May-September, follow scientific instructions and is agile enough to work on docks and piers along the waters edge.

Click [here] for more information or contact Tony Williams, Director of Monitoring Programs at 508-999-6363 x203 or e-mail williams@savebuzzardsbay.org.

Hot off the press! Copies of the Coalition's 2005 Annual Report are now available. If you're a member of the Coalition, you should have received your copy in the mail.

If you're not a Coalition member and would like to receive a copy, please contact Nicole Traubel, Development Associate at traubel@savebuzzardsbay.org or click [here] to download a PDF of the report.

Much of the Coalition's work puts us at the forefront of the region's top environmental issues. Here are a few recent stories that mention our efforts.

Tankers Slow to Comply

CPA funding for Viveiros Farm project sought

The Coalition is seeking an Assistant to help coordinate its Bay-wide volunteer water quality monitoring program—Baywatchers—and additional watershed natural resource monitoring programs. The part-time position (25-30 hours/wk), runs from May 1st – August 30th, and reports to the Director of Monitoring Programs.

Responsibilities include assisting with the coordination and training of approximately 130 volunteers, data entry, and public outreach for the water quality monitoring program. Primary work areas include estuarine water quality monitoring with additional watershed monitoring. Successful candidates should be capable of working both independently and with the volunteer community.

Prospective candidates may obtain more information about the Baywatchers program [here].

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Click [here] for a full job description.

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance.