Hoosic River Watershed Association

Hoosic River Watershed Association HooRWA is a citizens’ group that looks after the river. We envision a watershed that is ecologically sound and adds to the quality of life of its residents.

We are dedicated to the conservation, habitat restoration and enjoyment of the Hoosic River and its watershed, through education, research and advocacy.

06/08/2026

Good news for public lands! The Public Lands Integrity Act was introduced in the House today by Representatives Vasquez (D-NM), Ciscomani (R-AZ), Neguse (D-CO), Zinke (R-MT), and Titus (D-NV). This bipartisan legislation would ensure public lands could not be sold during the budget reconciliation process.

“America’s public lands are the backyard of the little guy, where families hike, float, camp, hunt, and fish for wild trout. Time and time again, Americans from all walks of life have stood up to oppose the sale of our public lands,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “Trout Unlimited thanks the bipartisan coalition led by Representatives Gabe Vasquez and Juan Ciscomani for introducing the Public Lands Integrity Act and working together to safeguard public access, protect sensitive fish and wildlife habitat, and uphold the public trust for future generations.”

Keeping public lands in public hands ensures future generations can experience the same outdoor opportunities we cherish today. Support your public lands: tu.org/publiclands

More RiverFest photos!Fun day to be in and along the River at Beaver Mill in North Adams MA. Thanks again to all who cam...
06/08/2026

More RiverFest photos!
Fun day to be in and along the River at Beaver Mill in North Adams MA.
Thanks again to all who came out to check out what HooRWA, Taconic Chapter Trout Unlimited #228, Hoosic River Revival, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife are up to in the Watershed and to try your hand at flyfishing, learn about river critters and water quality monitoring, and play with clay with North Adams Clay.

Many thanks to our snacks sponsors: Big Y World Class Market , Guidos Fresh Marketplace , Stop & Shop #0784, and Wild Oats Market . Thank you to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation for sponsoring HooRWA's water quality monitoring work. Thank you to .septic for giving us a discount on the port-a-potty.

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Thank you so much rk MILES for your enduring support of HooRWA's work in the Watershed!Photo: Broad Brook, Pownal
06/08/2026

Thank you so much rk MILES for your enduring support of HooRWA's work in the Watershed!

Photo: Broad Brook, Pownal

Great day to be in the Hoosic! Thanks everyone for coming out to enjoy RiverFest! Many thanks to Barbara and Eric Rudd A...
06/06/2026

Great day to be in the Hoosic!
Thanks everyone for coming out to enjoy RiverFest!

Many thanks to Barbara and Eric Rudd Art Foundation and Historic Beaver Mill for hosting this event.

RiverFest was brought to you by: Hoosic River Watershed Association, Hoosic River Revival, and Taconic Chapter Trout Unlimited #228.

HooRWA’s Water Quality Monitoring demos were funded by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Many thanks to our snacks sponsors: Big Y World Class Market, Guido’s Fresh Market, Stop & Shop #0784, and Wild Oats Market. Thank you to A1 Septic for giving us a discount on the port-a-potty.

And special shout out to North Adams Clay for joining in the fun with your clay workshop!

RiverFest is ON! FREE! Open to all!Join the Hoosic River Watershed Association, Hoosic River Revival, and Taconic Chapte...
06/06/2026

RiverFest is ON! FREE! Open to all!

Join the Hoosic River Watershed Association, Hoosic River Revival, and Taconic Chapter Trout Unlimited #228 TODAY June 6, 11am-2pm for RiverFest at Historic Beaver Mill, right along Route 8 in North Adams, MA.

Celebrate and get to know the species who live in the River. Visit a station for hands-on exploration of fly casting, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and water quality monitoring. Join in a guided riverwalk. Visit environmental organizations’ and crafters booths, including a free clay animal workshop led by North Adams Clay from 11-2pm.

And because this is MA Free Fishing Weekend, MassWildlife joins us so that participants can learn to fish without a license under instruction/supervision.

Bring a picnic blanket or chair and sit for a spell along the River. Walk across the street and up the road to visit Natural Bridge State Park. Remember your water bottle.

Participate in a river-themed sing along from 1:30-2pm and a riverside cleanup from 2-3pm.

This event is free and open to the public.

Many thanks to Barbara and Eric Rudd Art Foundation and Historic Beaver Mill for hosting this event.

HooRWA;s Water Quality Monitoring demos are funded by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Many thanks to our snacks sponsors: Big Y World Class Market, Guido’s Fresh Market, Stop & Shop #0784, and Wild Oats Market. Thank you to A1 Septic for giving us a discount on the port-a-potty. Thank you

RiverFest is brought to you by: Hoosic River Watershed Association, Hoosic River Revival, and Trout Unlimited Taconic Chapter.

Lovely day for a nature walk yesterday at Lake Paran - North Bennington, VT!
06/05/2026

Lovely day for a nature walk yesterday at Lake Paran - North Bennington, VT!

June 6-7 is MA Free Fishing Weekend. Learn how to fish and get out on the River. Want to know where to learn? Come to Ri...
06/05/2026

June 6-7 is MA Free Fishing Weekend. Learn how to fish and get out on the River.
Want to know where to learn? Come to RiverFest this Saturday!
A MA Fish&Wildlife rep will be on hand. Also free flyfishing demos with Chapter Trout Unlimited #228. Take a riverside nature walk with Hoosic River Revival
Learn all about RiverFest and the activities we have in store for you on June 5 from 11-3pm at: : https://www.facebook.com/events/1303059661704002

Photo: HooRWA friends Greg & Bobby out on the Hoosic (with permission to use)

TODAY! Join Lake Paran - North Bennington, VT and naturalist Arianna Collins of the Hoosic River Watershed Association ...
06/04/2026

TODAY! Join Lake Paran - North Bennington, VT and naturalist Arianna Collins of the Hoosic River Watershed Association (HooRWA) for a lakeside woodland nature walk on Thursday, June 4 from 3:30-4:30pm. Learn about and enjoy the plants and trees around Lake Paran. Like a flower blooming, let your creativity blossom by drawing and/or writing poetic phrases as we learn identification, habitat, and symbiotic relationships between the “kindoms.”

This event is free and open to the public. Families welcome.
This event takes place at the Lake Paran Community Center, 269 Houghton Street, North Bennington, VT 05257.

Many thanks to Williamstown Community Association for your enduring support of HooRWA's work in the Watershed and colla...
06/03/2026

Many thanks to Williamstown Community Association for your enduring support of HooRWA's work in the Watershed and collaborating on riverside cleanups.

Photo: Green River, Williamstown

Well this is really cool...Identifying Where Birds Fall on the Color WheelIs that bird a shade of pecan, syrup, or penny...
06/03/2026

Well this is really cool...
Identifying Where Birds Fall on the Color Wheel
Is that bird a shade of pecan, syrup, or penny brown? A new dataset aims to end the debate by quantifying color variation in bird feathers, enabling scientists to explore better questions in behavioral ecology and to examine how birds may respond to climate change. Color variation in birds is important for social communication, sexual selection, human interactions and thermoregulation, making it a long-standing subject of research. But turning something subjective into something measurable has eluded researchers. Researchers examined 18,757 images from Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive, representing 10,290 species, including 5,288 subspecies as well as the different colors between females and males, multiple color forms and different ages. Colors are made from a composite of blue, green and red light, and the intensity of the three decides what color we see. In the bird photos, the team quantified the red, blue, and green light values. They clustered the values to identify and classify different feather colors—essentially breaking down the color shades. By translating plumage into standardized data, the dataset gives wildlife professionals a new tool to track how traits shift across landscapes and over time.

Access the resource on Dryad
https://datadryad.org/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.70rxwdc6s
Read more about the process in Ecology
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70320

Story courtesy of The Wildlife Society
https://wildlife.org/

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906 Main Street
Williamstown, MA
01267

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+14134582742

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