Blackstone River Watershed Association

04/15/2026

We had a great event at the Blackstone River Coalition Water Quality Summit & Blackstone Watershed Collaborative Watershed Based Plan Public Kick Off event.

There were lots of great speakers, discussions, and data shared with the enthusiastic participants.

If you missed it, we hope you can come to the next local event!

03/20/2026

ACTION IN THE COMMUNITY:

Field work began March 19th on a project the Blackstone River Watershed Association is doing with funds provided as a Supplemental Environmental Project, or SEP*.

This project is a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to control several invasive species along the bikeway from Worcester to Millbury (see map below). A contract was awarded late last year and now that the snow is gone, field work is underway. Species are identified and mapped and then a treatment prescription is developed. In the next phase of the SEP, the prescriptions will be reviewed and implemented through volunteer work and additional contracts.

The photos show the team doing field inventory today, focusing on Japanese Knotweed and Bittersweet.

*A SEP is part of a settlement for violations of environmental and clean water laws that provides funds to conservation organizations to do projects in lieu of payment of fines.

12/26/2025

Check out al the pictures from the 2025 Champions of the Blackstone event, hosted by the great folks at the Blackstone Heritage Corridor. Great volunteers doing great work, including our own Joanne Holahan!

12/24/2025

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, THE Blackstone River Watershed Association IS VERY PROUD TO CONGRATULATE JOANNE HOLAHAN FOR EARNING THE JOHN H. CHAFEE LEADERSHIP AWARD, FROM THE Blackstone Heritage Corridor!!!

Here’s part of the presentation speech that Anya Wilczynski, Executive Director and Director of Volunteers & Community Engagement, Blackstone Heritage Corridor, gave at the 2025 Champions of the Blackstone Awards, December 3rd:

"Joanne Holahan has transformed watershed education throughout the Valley. Through her role with the Blackstone River Watershed Association she has engaged thousands of students with hands-on science, innovative curriculum, and in-the-field learning. Her leadership has strengthened environmental literacy and inspired the next generation of watershed stewards and her passion for watershed education and this region is absolutely contagious and a joy to collaborate with. Joanne, we are so pleased to present you with the Chafee Leadership Award!"

We happily agree that Joanne has made a huge impact on students and education in the region for years. And this work wouldn’t be possible without the rest of the Blackstone River Watershed Association Education team - Heather Parry, Kathy Maeder, and Carol Hall - who work hand-in-hand with Joanne to make it happen.

Congratulations to Joanne, and thank you to her and the whole Education team for their great work!

And we congratulate all the other volunteer awardees for their contributions throughout the Valley. Great work everybody!

Check out the great pictures from the awards night.

And look for great things happening with the Blackstone River Watershed Association in 2026 that you can be involved with!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

11/09/2025

Only 4 days left until BRWA Annual Meeting Thursday Nov 13th!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AEz4u7cLd/

Our beers focus on Northeast Grainshed base malts and select New England grown hops

11/03/2025

UPDATE ON OUR FEATURED PRESENTATION
From Erosion to Restoration: Replacing Invasives with Natives in the Blackstone Headwaters, Joe Johnson

Here's all the details!

BRWA Annual Meeting Thursday NOV 13 in Whitinsville!!!
Blackstone River Watershed Association is holding our annual meeting on Thursday, November 13 at the Blackstone Heritage Corridor offices in Whitinsville, MA, and we're looking forward to seeing you all in-person for another great event!
Starting at 5:45 PM, please join us for a great night of presentations, community, and getting to know the BRWA board and members, including a free drink on us next door at the Murder Hill Brewery & Taproom.
November 13th schedule:
5:45 - Annual business meeting and elections
6:00 - Special Presentation - From Erosion to Restoration: Replacing Invasives with Natives in the Blackstone Headwaters, Joe Johnson (see details and speaker bio below)
7:00 - Re-gathering at Murder Hill Brewery & Taproom - one free drink for all meeting attendees
No need to RSVP, just come on out. We'd love to see you there!

Presentation details:
Joe will discuss his plans to replace invasive plants in the repeatedly eroded headwaters of the Blackstone River with native vegetation. This approach aims to create conditions that encourage storms to help spread native plants rather than invasive species. He will also highlight striking parallels between two invasive insects—the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the Spotted Lanternfly—each of which depends on an invasive host tree: the Norway Maple and the Tree of Heaven. Through this comparison, Joe will emphasize how restoring native plant communities strengthens watershed resilience against ecological and climatic stressors.

BIO:
Joe Johnson
Urban Forestry Tree Commissioner, City of Worcester, Massachusetts
Volunteer Steward, Blackstone Heritage Corridor

Joe Johnson is an environmental advocate based in Worcester, dedicated to restoring ecological balance within the Blackstone River watershed. As a Volunteer-in-Parks (VIP) with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Joe works on projects that focus on invasive plant management, shoreline stabilization, and the restoration of native species.

Our beers focus on Northeast Grainshed base malts and select New England grown hops

10/15/2025

BRWA Annual Meeting Thursday NOV 13 in Whitinsville!!!

Blackstone River Watershed Association is holding our annual meeting on Thursday, November 13 at the Blackstone Heritage Corridor offices in Whitinsville, MA, and we're looking forward to seeing you all in-person for another great event!

Starting at 5:45 PM, please join us for a great night of presentations, community, and getting to know the BRWA board and members, including a free drink on us next door at the Murder Hill Brewery & Taproom.

November 13th schedule:
5:45 - Annual business meeting and elections
6:00 - Presentations - speakers TBD (stay tuned...)
7:00 - Re-gathering at Murder Hill Brewery & Taproom - one free drink for all meeting attendees

No need to RSVP, just come on out. We'd love to see you there!

06/04/2025

Please join the Massachusetts DCR to plant native flowers and shrubs at the Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor Bisitors Center this Saturday, June 8th 10AM - 12PM. See the attached flyer for more details.

Blackstone River Watershed Association is sponsoring by providing the plants for this volunteer day.

Hope to see you there!

05/20/2025

Great fun for all at the 10th Annual Family Fun Fishing Day!

We had a great turnout Sunday, with lots of people and lots of fish caught! Thanks so much to our hosts at River Bend Farm from the DCR, our sponsors who provided funding and prizes, our special guests, and our volunteers who put all the plans into action. And of course thanks to all the fishers, who put in the effort and worked hard to catch those fish!

We have some great pictures we'll be posting here. We'll take your pictures, too, so please post them and tag us.

Overall, it was a great event and we're so happy the rain date worked out. Thanks to everyone for being flexible.

And stay tuned for more BRWA info and events coming up as 2025 continues!

05/16/2025

*****UPDATE*****

Due to weather concerns, we are moving to our rain date of SUNDAY May 18th. All other details remain the same. Please join us on Sunday 10AM to 2PM

*****UPDATE*****

10th Annual Family Fun Fishing Day May 18 at River Bend Farm
Hello BRWA followers! We are re-jump-starting our online presence to tell you about Family Fun Fishing Day, SUNDAY May 18th, at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge, MA!
The Blackstone River Watershed Association and Open Sky Community Services are excited to co-host this event with their partners: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, and the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor Volunteers-in-Parks Program
DETAILS:
***FREE catch and release fishing event from 10 AM to 2 PM
***Fishing will take place until 1 PM, followed by awards at 1:30 PM
***PRE-REGISTER to borrow free fishing poles with bait and instruction provided or participants may bring their own rods and equipment
***All ages and ability levels are welcome
***Prizes for the largest fish caught and the most fish caught will be given in four different age categories
***Raffle prizes and activities for the whole family including face painting
***Food and ice cream will be available for purchase from Joey D’s Wingz ‘n Thingz and Sweet Wise Ice Cream Truck
***Special visits from the MA Commissioner of Fish & Game Tom O’Shea and MA State REP Michael Soter
See the attached flyer for more information on our events and to pre-register.
We also need volunteers for setup/breakdown and help during the event.
Please join us as we come together to enjoy and celebrate the Blackstone River!