Volunteers Needed for Mystic River Water Chestnut Pull

Volunteers pull water chestnut plants from the Mystic River last summer. Photo by Doug Shoop.

Last year our end-of-year water chestnut harvest yielded 372 baskets.

This year we want to harvest 500 baskets of water chestnut for our final event!

Please sign up online and help us out with what will be a fun and productive morning on the water.

On Saturday, August 13th, 2011, Groundwork Somerville, with support from the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Friends of the Mystic River, will host a community event focusing on the removal of invasive water chestnut from the Mystic River. Using canoes, kayaks, and small boats, volunteers will pull water chestnuts out of the water by hand and then deposit the harvested plants at a designated shore site. Volunteers who have canoes or kayaks are encouraged to bring their own. If you need a boat, we will provide a boat for you by counting needed boats through the registration process.

Volunteers should meet at 8:00 AM at the old DCR boat ramp adjacent to 75 South Street in Medford, MA. A limited amount of parking is available on South Street; additional parking is available on nearby Curtis Street, Maple Ave, Touro Ave, and Manning Street.

Please register for this event by signing up with our Online Form.

If you have any questions, please contact jonathan@groundworksomerville.org or patrick@mysticriver.org.

Boaters are required to use life preservers/personal flotation devices (PFD’s).

Immediately following the hand-pulling event, lunch and refreshments will be available for volunteers at the put-in site.

Learn more about water chestnuts at www.mysticriver.org/invasive-species/.

– Information from Mystic River Watershed Association