If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.
-Mark Twain
This Sunday, the Parker River Clean Water Association (www.parker-river.org) 
is having its 2017 Annual Meeting. The Turtle Rescue League will come and present their program of preserving the turtle populations of New England. It will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Newbury Public Library in Byfield just off exit 55 on Route 95. If you are a resident of this area, you shouldn’t miss this meeting. It really is the only way to understand this group.
Parker River Clean Water Association is just one of those organizations that is hard to explain and yet, they have been wildly successful in each of their endeavors to the point that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and many local communities carefully monitor what this group does and covets many of their reports.
It’s not just an environmental group, it’s not just a group that wants to make sure the water in the Parker River is clean. It’s not just a group that keeps an eye on the Parker River’s health. In fact, if you see all that this organization does – it would frankly make you want to scratch your head in puzzlement.
I mean take a look:
Well, okay – they do monitor the water quality of the Parker River and that is one of their primary duties; but look at all the other things they do!
Raising rare Blanding Turtles
Removing invasive plants from the waterways
Advocating for watershed protection
Managing a trail network at the headwaters of the Little River
Working to protect farms, open space and wildlife
Monitoring fish counts
Building bird nests for endangered species vital to the ecology
Advocating and assisting in Stormwater Management
Protecting Open Space
Protecting the historic Common Pasture
Protecting the Great Marsh
Advocating for fishing regulations that preserve and protect fish populations
Advising and assisting Conservation Commissions and Water/Sewer Departments in the Parker River Watershed. (Even if they don’t want to hear it)
But listen, the only way you can grasp the important role of this unique group is to show up on Sunday. It will be fun, instructive and it will also help you appreciate that somehow you got the privilege to live inside a wonderful corner of this state.
-P. Preservationist
http://www.ppreservationist.com
Brick and Tree 