| President's Message | Watershed Team | Symposium | Atlantic Salmon | | WRWA Website | Canoe Cruise | DSI Open House |
	WRWA Website Mike Young The WRWA website has been extensively revamped over the past couple of months. The new site features a listing of events that the organization is sponsoring during the year, including the schedule for salmon fry stocking and some details on the canoe cruise, annual meeting, staffing of the DSI dam fishway/eelway, and the fall river clean-up. Also included are programs for all the past Westfield River Symposia, an Education Guide to resources for topics relevant to the watershed, and a Recreation Guide with information on a variety of activities within the watershed. If you have suggestions for additions to the guides, please forward them to Phil Hotchkiss (photchkiss@wisdom.wsc.ma.edu) We plan to include the contents of this and future newsletters on the website as well. Check us out at our temporary location: "www.physci.wsc.ma.edu/wrwa/" or look for us at our new home (hopefully by the time this newsletter reaches you) at: "westfieldriver.org". Canoe Cruise / Picnic / Nature Program On SATURDAY, JUNE 1 we have a fun-filled days of events planned to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. All activities are free and open to the public, so invite your friends. Admission to Robinson State Park is free for those participating in the picnic, Biodiversity Day Hikes, and picking up canoeists by mentioning Westfield River Watershed Association. For more details on the canoe trip, contact trip leaders George Martin at 562-618 and Mike Vorwerk at 667- 5152. For more info on picnic and hikes, call Kathy Meyer at 568-4252. Canoe Cruise Since this is our 50th Anniversary, we hope to have 50 canoes and kayaks for this leisurely 6 mile paddle down the Westfield River from downtown Westfield to Robinson State Park. We will meet at the canoe launch in Westfield near the power substation on Meadow St. Registration is from 8:30 to 9:30 AM. Canoes and kayaks will launch at 9:30. We will take out at Robinson State Park where we will picnic and, if you wish, hike with the rest of our group. Bring your own canoe or kayak, water, land life jackets. Lunch is provided after the trip. Picnic For those not canoeing, meet at Robinson State Park in the Picnic Area nearest to the canoe landing. Food, beverages, and 50th Anniversary Cake will be served from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Those of us who donšt go on the canoe cruise can greet the canoes and kayaks as they arrive. We will have a booth with information about the Westfield River, its ecology, and recreational opportunities. Biodiversity Day Hikes 1:00 PM adult hike along the Westfield River. This 4-mile hike will take about 2 - 3 hours and will give us great views of the Westfield River. We may see wildflowers , waterfowl and we will be able to see the DSI fishway. Although we will be across the river from the fishway, the trip leader will explain how it works and why it is important for migrating fish. 1:00 PM childrenšs program will leave from our picnic site to explore the hidden life within the ponds and forests of Robinson State Park. Maybe we will see plants, frogs, snakes, insects, or salamanders. Suitable for children of all ages. Parents should plan to accompany their children on this adventure. This program will take about 1 hour. *RAINDATE IS JUNE 8 DSI Open House for Fishway/Eelway This is peak time to see fish moving upriver using this state of the art Fishway at the DSI/Fibermark dam in West Springfield. Children will love this. 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on May 18 at 70 W. Front St., West Springfield, MA. For further information contact Gabe Khatchadourian at 568-3005.