| President's Message | Wild & Scenic | Salmon Restoration | River Cleanup | | Stream Connectivity | New Members | Gobble Mountain | Help Wanted | | Upcoming Events |
	The President's Message Does the Westfield River Watershed Association make a difference? This summer some of us were stenciling storm drains in West Springfield when two little boys on bikes came over to watch us. As soon as the older boy saw the fish on the stencil (which reads "Dump No Waste, Drains to River") he told us he knew why we were painting the fish on the drain. "So people won't dump stuff down there and kill the fish, " he remarked as he proudly told us how he put 10 salmon fry in the river this river this spring. He added that he didn't want his fish killed! As a student in Elena Martin's fourth grade class, he raised and then released salmon fry in ASERP (Atlantic Salmon Egg Rearing Program). He amazed us by instantly recognizing the connection between what he learned in school and what we were doing on his street and articulating it better than many adults could. Here's what WRWA did to make this hands-on learning possible for one little boy in West Springfield. WRWA, through your membership dues and contributions, provided the ASERP equipment for this little boy's classroom. Mike Young, WRWA Board member, furnished technical support to Elena Martin, the very dedicated teacher willing to do extra work to provide quality learning for her students. Joan Pearsons, another WRWA Board member, organized the storm drain stenciling program. Northeast Utilities gave funding for the supplies with some items donated by Wal-Mart (a WRWA business member). Mike Young wrote the Northeast Utilities grant, while Joan Pearsons secured the Wal-Mart donations and worked closely with Town Engineer Jim Lyons who lent stenciling project support from the Town of West Springfield. Does the Westfield River Watershed Association make a difference? Out of the mouths of babes, a resounding YES! And we all can be very proud of what a difference it does make. I look forward to seeing you at our symposium on Saturday, April 2 where we will be celebrating another event to be proud of, the "Wild and Scenic" designation of an additional 39 miles of the Westfield River. Kathy Meyer, President