Nature in Schools
Throughout the 2023 school year and summer, interns from Parker River National Wildlife Refuge partnered with the Community Group and Mass Audubon to provide school-based nature programming. Kindergarten through 8th grade students at several Lawrence Public Schools participated in hands-on learning with a focus on nearby nature and environmental phenomena in their own school yards. Students enjoyed weekly field trips to a nearby riverfront park where they focused on watershed topics and aquatic species.
Youth Fishing & Archery Clinic
On Monday August 7, the Lawrence Community Boathouse hosted staff and interns from Parker River NWR and Nashua Fish Hatchery for an afternoon of fishing and archery. Local youth practiced casting lines into the Merrimack River, a major waterway that connects the City of Lawrence to Parker River NWR, and nearly every participant caught a fish! An archery station also provided an opportunity to take aim down range, where kids with both archery experience and who were brand new got to sharpen their skills. The science station offered a chance to learn about waterways and aquatic species, and meet a salmon up close courtesy of the Nashua Fish Hatchery.
Community Partnership Grant Funded
An exciting project lies ahead for Groundworks Lawrence, the recently announced recipient of a 2023 NFWF Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant. Groundworks Lawrence will receive over $25,000 to support environmental restoration projects along the Merrimack River, as well as trail improvements, interpretive signage, and programming that will provide improved access to community members. Parker River NWR looks forward to working with Groundworks Lawrence and other community partners to enhance an existing community hub, and to further reflect the needs and desires of community members who live and recreate along the Merrimack.
