Expedition highlighted threats to historic Blackstone waterway<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Katie Liming, M.S. ’22, and Stefanie Covino, M.S.\/ES&P ’15, on the Blackstone River.\n\n<\/p>\n
In mid-August, a group of people put their kayaks into the headwaters of the Blackstone River in Worcester and began paddling. Over the course of four days, they traveled 60 miles along the Blackstone, through its connection to the Seekonk River and on to Narragansett Bay in Providence, Rhode Island.<\/p>\n
While the hearty band enjoyed good times along the way, recreation was not the trip’s primary goal. The Blackstone Commons Expedition<\/a> was designed to draw attention to the ongoing challenges facing this historical watershed, including climate impacts, stormwater runoff, invasive species, equitable river access, and fish passage.<\/p>\n Key to organizing the expedition was the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative<\/a>, created at the George Perkins Marsh Institute<\/a> at Clark University to bring partners together to address water quality and climate resilience challenges in the region. Led by Stefanie Covino<\/a>, M.S.\/ES&P<\/a> ’15, the Collaborative combines the work of more than a hundred organizations to improve watershed health over the next five years. The group acknowledges and celebrates the work done in the past and identifies the actions needed to create a vibrant, resilient, and diverse future for the river.<\/p>\nStory continues after video<\/em><\/pre>\n