Friends of the Pukcommeagon

08/05/2022

Results are in for Wednesdays water quality test!... as explained by Connecticut River Conservancy: We test E. coli as an indicator for f***l contamination; this means that higher numbers mean there is a higher likelihood of human/pet/livestock/wildlife f***l contamination and with that an increased likelihood for encountering pathogenic e. coli as well as other organisms like giardia and cryptosporidium.

We do not test for these pathogens and we also do not regulate swimming areas. We provide this information to allow anyone to make informed decisions about potential risks in recreating in our local rivers. Low E. coli numbers do not necessarily mean other waterborne pathogens are not present, only that it is less likely.

We can all do things to mitigate these risks such as avoiding getting water in our mouths and washing our hands thoroughly after contact with any natural water body before eating or drinking.

07/15/2022

Access to the natural world is a human right. This inspiring book captures why contact with nature is essential for our mental, social and physical well-being — and how we can rethink urban development to create green city spaces and a return to nature.

Wednesday, July 20 at 5 pm (UK) Nature is a Human Right Fighting for a green world — a collection of essays and writing for building an equal, he...

06/24/2022

Here are the results from this summer's first bi-weekly water sample for the tributaries of the Deerfield/Pocumtuck River, including the Green/Pukcommeagon River.

We had somewhat wet weather last week, which as expected, resulted in higher E.Coli counts once the river hits Greenfield.

Remember: It's a good idea to wait 24-48 hours after a significant rainfall before going in the water!

We are proud to be a part of this volunteer effort organized by the Deerfield River Watershed Association to collect samples throughout the entire watershed.

05/31/2022

"People of Color, families with children, and low-income communities are most likely to be deprived of the benefits that nature provides. Join us to learn more about the nature gap and hear what is happening to address these concerns in our community."

Greenfield Human Rights Commission Presents Conversation on Environmental Justice and the Nature Gap

Public invited to join the dialogue on June 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

GREENFIELD - The Greenfield Human Rights Commission invites the public to participate in a community exploration of and conversation about environmental justice and the nature gap. The hybrid forum will be held on Monday, June 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in person at the John Zon Community Center at 35 Pleasant Street and virtually via Zoom. Remote access information is available through the City’s online calendar at bit.ly/HRCNature. The forum will also be streamed live on Greenfield Community Television at https://gctv.org/live/.

Greenfield and western Massachusetts are fortunate to enjoy a naturally beautiful and accessible landscape, but not everyone has equal access to this fundamental gift. Over the years, in towns throughout the region, free and easy access to rivers and lakes has been curtailed, with fees levied more heavily on non-residents. People are pushed farther and farther into more sensitive and unprotected locations to access water for recreation. Greenfield residents are fortunate to have the Green River Swimming and Recreation Area and up until recently, the pumping station, which provided free and open access to river enjoyment.

Beyond the human right to a healthy environment declared by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2021, there is an effort to identify access to nature as a human right. Many studies have demonstrated the positive impact being in nature has on mental, physical and emotional health, and the negative impact of its absence.

What is environmental justice? What is the nature gap and why should we care? What are we doing in Greenfield to advocate for this essential human right? What else is planned and prioritized? What is needed from, and most important to the community? These are the questions to be discussed at this free public forum.

Presenters will include Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna of Star Luna Consulting, who will speak to environmental justice as a human right; Kristen Sykes of the Appalachian Mountain Club, who will focus on the nature gap; Greenfield Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams; Greenfield Energy and Sustainability Director Carole Collins; and Greenfield Recreation Director Christy Moore, all of whom will discuss what the City has done to address these important issues and outline the plan moving forward.

There will be ample time for questions and contributions after the presentations.

05/31/2022

What a great way to start the summer! Thank you to everyone who loves and enjoys our river respectfully. We were encouraged to find so little trash at this spot this morning which was so heavily trafficked this past holiday weekend.

People are remembering how to be in Nature! We have seen a significant improvement since we began person to person outreach two summers ago. This is cultural !

If you are someone who has been helping (thank you!), or would like to get involved, please get in touch!

Together, we can preserve these natural places for all to enjoy. Nature heals, and we all need that.

05/23/2022

PSA: Colrain Police are towing WITHOUT WARNING along the river. Park off the road!

09/28/2021

Longtime lead coordinator of the Green River Cleanup, David Boles, at the cleanup coordination center the morning of the big day. Thank you, David!

09/28/2021

Wow, what a day! THANK YOU to everyone who got dirty with us for cleaner rivers! Hundreds of river lovers across the Connecticut River Watershed removed tons of trash from our waterways once again, as part of the 25th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup!

Thank you to Connecticut River Conservancy for organizing this annual campaign and to David Boles at Friends of the Green River and Deerfield River Watershed Association for organizing one of the largest cleanup efforts: the Green River.

About twenty Friends Of The Green River Pukcommeagon, including members of Guiding Star Grange #1 and Mountain Lodge of Masons joined together to pick up along a 2 mile stretch of the Green River from Greenfield into Colrain. You all rock!

Big thanks to Hillside Pizza for hooking us up with some delicious nourishment to enjoy by the beautiful riverside on this perfect day.

Our haul (about 500 pounds in total) included:
a TV
a couch
A desk
3 diapers (fully loaded, of course)
A shoe (?)
1 pair of pink underwear and 1 pair of boxers
A couple of towels (one good enough to wash and keep…)
A perfectly good archery target bag (keeping that!)
Some decent tarps (keeping those!)
Some 10 gallon grow cloth grow bags (keeping those!)
About $10 worth of beer/soda cans (~200)
About 150 single-serving alcohol containers (nips*)

We also found some trash way down a ravine, which will require some rope work on a return trip…

Disposable culture and thoughtless neighbors can be a real downer, but we have this beautiful river and a growing community of river lovers to keep us rooted in our love and connection to the Web of Life.

Want to get involved with Friends of the Green River? Help us preserve these majestic waterways and promote equitable access. Get in touch!



*Through CRC, we are reporting to lawmakers on the number of “nips” bottles found (about 3000 last year!) in order to encourage them to update the bottle bill and include these silly little single serving plastic spirits bottles. Please contact your state legislators in support of updating the bottle bill!

Wow, what a day! THANK YOU to everyone who got dirty with us for cleaner rivers! Hundreds of river lovers across the Connecticut River Watershed removed tons of trash from our waterways once again, as part of the 25th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup!

Thank you to Connecticut River Conservancy for organizing this annual campaign and to David Boles at Friends of the Green River and Deerfield River Watershed for organizing one of the largest cleanup efforts: the Green River.

About twenty Friends Of The Green River Pukcommeagon, including members of Guiding Star Grange #1 (Greenfield) and Mountain Lodge of Masons (Shelburne Falls) joined together to pick up along a 2 mile stretch of the Green River from Greenfield into Colrain. You all rock!

Big thanks to Hillside Pizza for hooking us up with some delicious nourishment to enjoy by the beautiful riverside on this perfect day.

Our haul (about 500 pounds in total) included:
a TV
a couch
A desk
3 diapers (fully loaded, of course)
A shoe (?)
1 pair of pink underwear and 1 pair of boxers
A couple of towels (one good enough to wash and rekeep…)
A perfectly good archery target bag (keeping that!)
Some decent tarps (keeping those!)
Some 10 gallon grow cloth grow bags (keeping those!)
About $10 worth of beer/soda cans (~200)
About 150 single-serving alcohol containers (nips*)

We also found some trash way down a ravine, which will require some rope work on a return trip…

Disposable culture and thoughtless neighbors can be a real downer, but we have this beautiful river and a growing community of river lovers to keep us rooted in our love and connection to the Web of Life.

Want to get involved with Friends of the Green River? Help us preserve these majestic waterways and promote equitable access. Get in touch!



*Through CRC, we are reporting to lawmakers on the number of “nips” bottles found (about 3000 last year!) in order to encourage them to update the bottle bill and include these silly little single serving plastic spirits bottles. Please contact your state legislators in support of updating the bottle bill!

09/28/2021

08/26/2021

Moving rocks in the river might be fun and/or meditative. But too few are aware of the impacts...

07/02/2021

Indigenous People along the Connecticut River are being EXCLUDED from the relicensing process of hydroelectric facilities impacting their traditional cultural properties. Please read more from Connecticut River Conservancy and take action!