Calendar -- Salem Sound Coastwatch

Coastwatch Community Calendar
Link to past events in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

January	February	March	April	May	June
July	August	September	October	November	December

JANUARY 2010

Saturday, January 9
Winter Waterfowl Identification Session
9:00 - 11:00 am

Location: Winter Island, meet at the Gazebo at the water's edge

Jan Smith will be sharing his vast birding knowledge with us on Saturday morning helping people to identify the waterfowl that use the Salem Sound waters in the winter. In Salem Harbor alone, we counted nearly 1000 birds and 20 different species during our winter waterfowl survey last November.

Please bring binoculars, a notebook and a bird book if you have them. SSCW will bring a variety of books if you do not have any bird id books, yet.

The weather date will be the following day - Sunday, January 10 - same time and place. The class will only be canceled if it is snowing or raining. So come bundled up if it is cold!

Please RSVP (978-741-7900) or info@salemsound.org
so we can contact you if there are any changes.

Tuesday, January 12
A Sea of Simmering Synthetic Soup...
The plastic concoction that is poisoning our oceans,
our planet, ourselves

Presented by Charles Moore
Founder, Algalita Marine Research Foundation

7:00 PM
Northeastern University Marine Science Center
430 Nahant Road, Nahant, MA

Recipe for disaster: Take 5,000,000 square miles of ocean; mix in 850,000 pieces of colorful plastic per square mile; infuse all ingredients into the food web of fish, seabirds, marine mammals & microscopic organisms; simmer for a decade until plastic doubles; serve to humankind...

You've likely heard it on the news by now - the northeastern Pacific is now home to an enormous swath of floating trash. Quite likely, Charles Moore was featured in the story you heard - in such sources as the U.S. News & World Report, CBS evening news, The Osgood File, Nightline, and NPR's "All Things Considered". Moore recently completed a 7,000 mile, 7-week journey in the Pacific aboard the research vessel "Alguita" to document the extent of this phenomenon. An expert in marine plastic pollution, Moore's career accomplishments also include founding the Alguita Marine Research Foundation, assisting in the development of the Surfrider Foundation's "Blue Water Task Force" chemical and bacterial monitoring protocols, and authoring numerous peer-reviewed research articles. Come and join us for an evening with this fascinating researcher and author.

This lecture is free to the public.
Light refreshments served at 6:30PM.
The lecture begins at 7:00PM and is roughly an hour long.
The Marine Science Center is wheelchair accessible.

Sunday, January 17
Winter Waterfowl Survey
8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Salem Sound Coastwatch, partnering with Mass Audubon, will be conducting winter waterfowl surveys from East Point Nahant to Rockport three times this winter. We will be following the protocols used by TASL, a group of birders who have been collecting winter waterfowl data for the Boston Harbor regions since 1980. If you are interested in joining one of our teams, please contact:

For Rockport and Gloucester – Kathy Leahy, 978-927-1122 x 2700 kleahy@massaudubon.org.
For Nahant thru Manchester -- Salem Sound Coastwatch, 978-741-7900
info@salemsound.org.

The next survey date is Sunday, February 14

Wednesday, January 20
Adopt a Beach Informational Session
Barnet Gallery at the Beverly Public Library
7:30 - 8:30 p.m

Salem Sound Coastwatch will give an overview of this new program and the role of volunteers. If you want to adopt a particular beach, please come with your ideas.

FEBRUARY 2010

February 8 - 12, Monday through Friday
Darwin Festival 2010
Salem State College Department of Biology

The festival is open to the public. All events are free. There are four lectures on marine topics. The Schedule is online at Salem State College website.

The location for all events is Salem State College's North Campus,
352 Lafayette St., Salem, Massachusetts, 01970.
Directions to the campus and other information can be found at http://www.salemstate.edu/~pkelly/darwin/schedule.htm//, or you can contact the Department of Biology (978-542-6236).

Tuesday, February 9
"Some Recent Shipwreck Investigations in Northern Massachusetts Bay"
Starts 7:00 pm.

Northeastern University Marine Science Center
430 Nahant Road, Nahant, MA

Presented by: Victor Mastone, Director and Chief Archaeologist of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, and a member of the Salem Sound Coastwatch Board of Directors.

Did you know that the North Shore contains hundreds of shipwrecks?
Come to this free lecture to learn about 13 recently discovered shipwrecks.

For more information contact mscinfo@neu.edu or call Carole McCauley, 781-581-7370, ext 321

This lecture is free to the public.
Light refreshments served at 6:30PM.
The lecture begins at 7:00PM and is roughly an hour long.
The Marine Science Center is wheelchair accessible.

Sunday, February 14
Winter Waterfowl Survey
8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Thursday, February 18
Tour South Essex Sewerage District (SESD) Wastewater Treatment Facility
6:30 - 8 pm.
Open only to SSCW members. RSVP Required!!
Wear comfortable and sturdy shoes--we will be walking in out of different buildings

Have you ever wondered where where the "unmentionables" go when you flush the toilet? Join SSCW for this special tour of of SESD where we will learn how wastewater is processed and how it affects the water quality in Salem Sound. During this tour we will see the belts, concentrators, pumps, mixers and tanks that do the screening, pumping, settling, disinfecting, dewatering, and descumming of our region's wastewater.

Located in Salem next to the power plant, SESD treats wastewater for the communities of Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody and Salem.

Here's what others have said who have taken this tour:
"This is one of the best tours I've taken."

"The tour was well organized, and it is a very clean operation. They
didn't hesitate to answer questions, and it seemed to me that they
cared about the facility and their jobs."

MARCH 2010

March 4, Thursday evening
Adopt a Beach Informational Session
Beverly Cooperative Bank, Community Room
7:00 - 8:00 p.m

87 Lafayette St (next to Wendy's), Salem, MA 01970

Salem Sound Coastwatch will give an overview of this new program and the role of volunteers. If you want to adopt a particular beach, please come with your ideas.

March 6, Saturday morning
Adopt a Beach Volunteer Training
9 - 11:30 am
Beverly Cooperative Bank Community Room
87 Lafayette St, Salem, MA

RSVP required! info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900
Note: the Community Room is next to Wendy's

SSCW will train volunteers and then will work with each team to conduct a beach survey at their adopted beach. Be one of the first beachkeepers.
Volunteer sign-up form (114 KB Word Doc)
Program Description (62 KB PDF)

If you are unable to attend this training, there will be additional sessions.

March 9, Thursday evening
Adopt a Beach Informational Session
Abbott Public Library, Meeting Room (lower level)
7:30 - 8:30 p.m

235 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA 01945

Salem Sound Coastwatch will give an overview of this new program and the role of volunteers. If you want to adopt a particular beach, please come with your ideas.

Adopt a Beach Informational Session FLYER (PDF 312KB)

March 17, Wednesday evening
Adopt a Beach Informational Session
Manchester Community Center
7:30 - 8:30 p.m

40 Beach Street, Manchester, MA 01944

Salem Sound Coastwatch will give an overview of this new program and the role of volunteers. If you want to adopt a particular beach, please come with your ideas.

March 20, Saturday morning
FREE Greenscapes Seminar:

CELEBRATE SPRING & GREEN YOUR GRASS!
How to Create and Maintain a Beautiful, Healthy
and Natural Lawn

Bee Building, Topsfield Fairgrounds
207 Boston St. (Rte. 1) Topsfield, MA
9:00 - 11:30 am

PRESENTERS: Bruce Wenning, Ecological Landscaping Association
Curtis Dragon, Earth Landscape and Jack Sweeney, Land Care, Inc.
will speak to the following topics:

Build Your Soil to Support Beautiful Lawns Without Fertilizers and Pesticides
Compost! Learn How to Feed Your Soil by Recycling Leaves and Kitchen Scraps
Compost Tea for My Lawn? Yes!!
How to Save Money by Capturing and Using Rainwater
Mowing Tips and Techniques for Healthy Lawns

Reservations are requested.
Call 978-741-7900 or by the following organizations:
Email: info@salemsound.org.
For more information, see our Greenscapes webpage and visit Greenscapes.org. SSCW is a member of Greenscapes North Shore Coalition.

March 22, Monday evening
Adopt a Beach Volunteer Training
6:30 - 8:45 pm
Barnet Gallery at the Beverly Public Library

SSCW will train volunteers and then will work with each team to conduct a beach survey at their adopted beach. Be one of the first beachkeepers.
Volunteer sign-up form (114 KB Word Doc)
Program Description (62 KB PDF)

RSVP required! info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900

If you are unable to attend this training, there will be additional sessions, see April 11.

APRIL 2010

April 11, Sunday afternoon
Adopt a Beach Training Session
Tower School, Marblehead
2:00 - 4:00 p.m

75 West Shore Drive, Marblehead, MA 01945-1299

RSVP required! info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900

April 11, Sunday afternoon
The Blue Show: All Things Water
Marblehead Arts Association
8 Hooper Street, Marblehead

Opening Reception April 11: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m
Exhibit runs from April 3 - 25

Salem Sound Coastwatch is cosponsoring this art show with the Marblehead Arts Association and the Salem Arts Association.

In April 2009, the Marblehead Arts Association, in collaboration with the Salem Arts Association, produced the extremely successful, “Green Show: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” This year’s exhibit will have an emphasis on water,

Water means many different things to many people. It is a vital ingredient of life. Though it is often a source of inspiration, it can also be a destructive force. Some may imagine the light bouncing off the waves on a crisp September morning, while others may remember the heart-wrenching photographs from Hurricane Katrina.

Marblehead and other coastal towns are exposed to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, it has been a livelihood for many. For others, the waters around the North Shore have been a source of great pleasure.

Artists are invited to submit paintings, photographs, sculpture, mixed-media and other works of art depicting individual interpretations of what water means to them.

April 11, Sunday afternoon
Adopt a Beach Training Session
Tower School, Marblehead
2:00 - 4:00 p.m

75 West Shore Drive, Marblehead, MA 01945-1299

RSVP required! info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900

SSCW will train volunteers and then will work with each team to conduct a beach survey at their adopted beach. Be one of the first beachkeepers.

April 24, Saturday afternoon
"Muck Walk" at Derby Wharf
Derby Wharf, Salem Maritime National Historic Site
193 Derby Street, Salem
1:00 - 3:00 pm

It's Junior Ranger Day at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Barbara Warren will be leading an exploration of the creatures that live in the mud flats at Derby Wharf. Free and open to children of all ages. Assorted children's boots will be available, but you may want to bring your own.
NPS Flyer

April 28, Wednesday evening
A Sea Change: imagine a world without fish
Marblehead Abbot Public Library
235 Pleasant Street,Marblehead, MA 01945-1299
7:00 - 8:45 p.m

Free Film Showing - This film is a must-see. With breathtaking underwater photography, A Sea Change brings attention to ocean acidification, a critical problem that is connected to climate change. This showing is co-sponsored by SSCW and the Marblehead Arts Association, in conjunction with "The Blue Show: All Things Water."

The film follows Sven Huseby, an engaging grandfather and educator, as he journeys from Alaskan fishing villages to Norwegian glacial beaches to better understand the problem of ocean acidification and find a cure. Free and family friendly.

To see the trailer for A Sea Change.

April 29, Thursday afternoon 12:30 - 1:00pm
Annual Fish Sampling Demonstration and Smelt Count Update on the North River
Meet on the river at Howley Street. Park in Stop & Shop parking lot.

Join us for this annual event. The Division of Marine Fisheries will display the catch from the morning's sampling and provide an update on the status of spawning smelt based on eggs found in the North River. This project is part of an effort to develop an index of the abundance of rainbow smelt in four rivers throughout the region. No registration required -- just show up ready to learn about fish and their habitats.

info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900 for more information.

MAY 2010

May 1 Saturday afternoon
“Composting 101”
at Crunchy Granola Baby
72 Washington Street, Salem 01970

2:00 -3:00pm

Ever wondered how to begin composting? Barbara Warren, SSCW Executive Director, will talk about how to create natural fertilizer by "recycling" household wastes.

Fee: $5 which includes a raffle ticket for a compost bin.

May 8 Saturday afternoon
Beach Profiling Workshop
Phillips Beach
Ocean Ave, Swampscott, MA 01907

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Is your favorite beach eroding away, or gaining sand? At this workshop, Salem State College Geology Professor Brad Hubeny will show us how to measure the dynamics of shifting beaches--seasonally and over time.

May 16 Sunday morning
Bass River Walk in Beverly
"Spring Migrants, Early Immigrants and Urban History" Series
Beverly Historical Society
Park and gather at the head of the River Walk adjacent to McDonald's on Elliott Street.

9:00 - 11:00am

SSCW is co-sponsoring this walk around the Bass River Basin--the colonial gateway to Beverly--with the Beverly Historical Society. Local birder Dave Brewster and Beverly Historical Society member (and Adopt a Beach volunteer) Nancy Coffey will tell the story of the Ryal Side's early settlement and point out migrating warblers as we follow the River Walk and climb Green's Hill. Free.

May 25 , Tuesday evening
“Eelgrass—Our Very Own Coastal Treasure”
Beverly Farms Library
7:00 - 8:30 p.m

24 Vine Street, Beverly, MA 01915-2208
(978) 921-6066
Free and open to the public.

Eelgrass provides one of the most important marine habitats, and we have the second largest eelgrass meadow in Massachusetts right in our front yard--on the Beverly and Manchester coast. Eelgrass is a nutrient-rich underwater plant that feeds and shelters fish, scallops, mussels, crabs, lobsters, and much more. It serves as a nursery, providing shelter away from predators for the juveniles of many species, and it absorbs pollutants, helping to keep the water clean.

Come learn about this coastal treasure.
Tay Evans (Division of Marine Fisheries) and Barbara Warren will present information about this remarkable resource and efforts that are being made to monitor and protect off the coast of Beverly and Manchester.

For more info@salemsound.org or 978-741-7900

JUNE 2010

MIS Monitoring Schedule for June 2010!
call 978-741-7900 or email us if you want to participate.

Sign up to look for invasives at the shore and in the water at docks.

Friday, June 4 at 10:30 - 11:30 AM - Winter Island, Salem (tidepools)

Tuesday, June 15 at 2:00 - 3:30 PM - Hawthorne Cove Marina, Salem (dock)

CANCELED due to Thunderstorms! Thursday, June 24 at 3:00 - 4:30 PM - Lynch Park, Beverly (rocky shore)

Free Workshop on Marine Invasive Species

Tuesday, June 29, 6:30-8:30 pm
Community Function Hall at Winter Island, Salem MA

Directions to Winter Island: Come into Salem and take either Derby Street or Webb Street to Fort Avenue. Turn right onto Winter Island Road before you reach Salem Willows.

Bio-invaders. They're not from outer space. But they are from other parts of the globe and they can harm our marine eco-system.

Salem Sound is home to many marine bio-invaders.
They're found in tidepools, along the rocky shoreline, and on floating docks.

At this workshop, we will see, touch, and learn how to identify these sea creatures. We will start inside, looking at samples and learning more about them. Then we'll walk over to see what we can find in the big tidepool at Winter Island.

Note: the tidepool is optional, but if you would like see it, be sure to wear shoes that can get wet and are suitable for walking on rocks.

RSVP requested (not required). If you don't have a Salem Parks sticker for your car, tell the gate attendant you are attending the Salem Sound Coastwatch workshop.

For more information email info@salemsound.org or call 978-741-7900.

JULY 2010

MIS Monitoring Schedule for July 2010!
call 978-741-7900 or email us if you want to participate.

Fridday, July 2 at 9:30 - 10:30 AM- Winter Island, Salem (tidepool)

Tuesday, July 13 at 11:00 AM - Hawthorne Cove Marina, Salem (dock)

Thursday, July 15 at 8:00 - 9:30 AM - Lynch Park, Beverly (rocky shore)

Join us in our search of invasives at the shore and in the water at docks.

August 2010

Saturday, August 28

5th Annual Salem Harbor Open Water Swim Races - Forest River Park, Salem MA

500m, 1.5K and NEW this year - 5K swim races!

We are pleased to have the North Shore YMCA Sharks
as our co-sponsor this year.

Pre-registration at active.com beginning July 16.

This will be a sanctioned swim event:
Master's Sanction Number is: 041-025-SOWS
US Swimming Sanction Number is: NE-10-77-O

Race Day schedule: Registration open 11:30 - 12:30.
Races start 1:00pm.

Food, music, give-aways.
More information at swim&fin.org
Thank you, City of Salem, for the use of the park.

SEPTEMBER 2010

September 12 , Sunday

Coastal 5K Run for the Beach!

5K run along the waterfront in Beverly - Ocean Views

10:00 Am Start at Lynch Park

All proceeds benefit Salem Sound Coastwatch's Adopt a Beach program

For Registration information and more details see brochure. (PDF = 223KB)
Register online at active.com

COASTSWEEP - Help us CLEAN our shoreline
Call or email us and we will plan a cleanup event for your group.

Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW) invites you to join us and other community volunteers in the international COASTSWEEP.

COASTSWEEP is part of an international campaign organized by The Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC. Participants all over the world collect marine debris and record the types of trash they collect. This information is then used to help reduce future marine debris problems. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management with the Urban Harbors Institute and the University of Massachusetts, Boston promote Massachusetts’ statewide effort to clean up our shoreline.

Upper Mill RIver, off Washington Street, Gloucester
Clam Survey
call 978-741-7900 or email us if you want to participate.

To see pictures from last year's survey: salemsound.org/millclams.htm

OCTOBER 2010

NOVEMBER 2010

Sunday, November 14
Winter Waterfowl Survey
8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Salem Sound Coastwatch, partnering with Mass Audubon, will be conducting winter waterfowl surveys from East Point Nahant to Rockport three times this winter. We will be following the protocols used by TASL, a group of birders who have been collecting winter waterfowl data for the Boston Harbor regions since 1980. If you are interested in joining one of our teams, please contact:

For Nahant thru Manchester -- Salem Sound Coastwatch, 978-741-7900
info@salemsound.org.

DECEMBER 2010