We imagine a Mystic River Watershed where humans nourish our relationships with all beings.
…where today’s planning and building for the future is a shared responsibility and opportunity.
…where our creative companionships and capacity for adaptation and change flourish.
…where every person living here feels welcomed and heard….
What do you imagine if the Alliance mission were to become a reality??
Tell us here: info@alliancemrw.org We are making strides already! And we are not alone. Other watershed and intertribal groups share our vision and more than 300 of us are on the move together.
We are already working toward our goals by facilitating:
A community-led (grant-funded) climate Vulnerability Assessment from I-95 north to Lantern Hill that will form one of the pillars of the Watershed Resilience Action Plan.
10 youth-centered (grant-funded) Design Circles placing young people at the center of addressing environmental and social challenges together with their adults--three have already taken place at the Tribal Forests and Watersheds Camp, tackling such questions as, how do we renew our relationships with land and sea? How do we care for lands we do not directly control? The next ones are in middle and high schools. Youth recommendations will show up in the Watershed Resilience Action Plan.
A monthly Planner's Convening, bringing town and Tribal Planners together with support from community members, SECCOG, CT-DEEP, research programs such as CT SeaGrant, NERR, UConn CLEAR, and CIRCA, as well as NGOs such as Avalonia, The Nature Conservancy, and Save the Sound.** We meet to learn what other communities are doing, set priorities in line with Alliance community goals, and coordinate efforts, including working together on grant proposals.
Community relationship-building and conversation circles, shared learning from community and external experts, and story-gathering. Before the end of the year, work will begin in earnest on design circles and implementing an "Alliance Academy," or CIRCL (Center for Indigenous, Regenerative, and Community Learning) based on community needs and requests.
Direct stewardship activities for all ages, focusing on river herring and their habitats, invasive species threats like hydrilla, and monitoring the health of our waters.
An Alliance network of mutually supportive watershed groups and community organizations.
An ecological, bioregional and intertribal approach to the Eastern Woodlands and Waterways.
During these colder months, the Alliance is focusing on getting to know our Watershed Family better and recharging up our strength and our collective sense of purpose. We know that we are resilient when we work together, know our neighbors, and know how to get things done. Join in!
*Come to our Mission Possible Watershed Family Scavenger Hunt/Art Project on November 30!
*Follow and like us on facebook and instagram to meet another extended family member (and practice some Pequot language!) every week. Volunteer to contribute one or more of your own entries!
*Join in our Conversation Circles, some in person and many on line, called Driftwood Conversations. These will raise and address questions and challenges, and ensuing Design Circles will tap into our collective strengths to generate action through the Watershed Resilience Action Plan!
*Take a deeper look at our priority issues with Dr. Z in our blog
*Attend Learning Opportunities with us and offer to lead some hikes or other adventures
*Join the Alliance Youth Council (their motto: If you’re old enough to care, you’re old enough) and Water and Habitat Quality teams
*Volunteer to assist or serve on the Board of Directors
And just as you invest in the future of your family, you can invest in the future of our Watershed Family, too. Together we are developing a community of care, a wider watershed family that learns, plans, and acts together for our future. Our primary impact is here where our waterways connect us, but also we are interconnected with our whole region and beyond. Think of us in this beautiful season of gratitude and sharing.
We do not charge people to be members of Mystic River Watershed family, any more than you would charge people to be members of your own. Thanks to your generosity, our learning opportunities, fun activities, and gatherings have been free as well. With a small donation or a large one, a monthly or twice a year gift, a sponsorship or a legacy, we can make our vision real.
Click anywhere on the picture to make your donation.
Thank you. It is a joy to be caring for this awesome place with you.
Maggie Favretti, Co-founder and Executive Director
** an NGO is a non-governmental organization, in this case non-profits working for the public good. SECCOG=South East CT Council of Governments. CT-DEEP=Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection. NERR = National Estuarine Research Reserve. CLEAR = UConn's Center for Land Use Education and Research. CIRCA=CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation
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