For the past few years Congresswoman Niki Tsongas devotes a day highlighting the role rivers play in the history, economy, and scenic background of her district. The Assabet, Concord, Shawsheen, and Merrimack Rivers are flow through the 5th Congressional District and link the communities in it in numerous ways.
Last year I had the privilege of paddling with the Congresswoman down a stretch of the Concord River, ending up at the Old North Bridge in Minuteman National Historical Park. This year she visited the Thoreau School in Concord. The school has an outdoor classroom that abuts the Assabet River.
Here are a few pictures from the event. More at: http://community.dmg-photography.com/2009-tsongas-riverday
Students from the school gave short speeches describing their use of the outdoor classroom and some of the challenges and adventures they and their teacher have had in bringing it to life the past few years.
After the formal program the audience visited a tent with exhibits from the school, Mass Audubon, the Organization for the Assabet River, and the Friends of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. Libby Herland, project manager of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, talks with Niki Tsongas about the Blanding’s Turtle restoration program currently in progress at the Assabet River NWR.
Peter Alden shows off his fancy Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE) t-shirt…
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