GRWA Events
The GRWA offers public events throughout the year connecting residents to the natural beauty that can be found throughout the Green River watershed.
​
To see a listing of current events, click here.
​
The Green River Watershed has a project area in I-Naturalist. See how you can get involved in recording sightings of flora and fauna in the Green River Watershed.
​
To see how the GRWA has connected with New England Green River Marathon to connect runners, spectators, and local residents to the landscape they are venturing through, click here.
Past Events
2024 Summer & Fall Getting to Know Your Watershed Series
These free outdoor programs were exploring the Green River Watershed. Details about each event are below.
The Green River Watershed's Deep History
10 am to 1 pm on Sunday, August 11
Travel back in time 500 million years to learn about the mighty forces that shaped the watershed landscape we know and love. We looked for evidence of momentous events from the “Age of Dinosaurs” preserved in rocky outcrops. We also revealed the much more recent history of glaciers and Lake Hitchcock that have left indelible marks on our landscape. Our guide was geologist Richard Little, who has been studying and teaching about this landscape for many years. His lively and humorous presentations bring this deep past back to life. We started at the Geology Path at Greenfield Community College, proceeded to Highland Park for a short walk along a woodland trail, then to the Poet Seat Tower. We’ll end, drumlin-side, at an overlook at West Valley Cider.
​
Floodplain Forest Exploration
1 - 3 pm on Sunday, September 8
The Floodplain Forest Restoration Project began in October 2023. Its purpose is to dramatically reduce the invasive plants in the 11 acres of forest adjacent to Greenfield’s Green River Swimming Area in order to protect and preserve native plant species. Since its inception, the project has expanded to include the management of hiking paths originally created by nature enthusiasts intent on exploring the treasures of this forest. Wisty Rorabacher, who lives in Greenfield and is a member of the Floodplain Forest Restoration Project, guided us to share the project’s efforts, challenges, and discoveries, including viewing a healthy floodplain forest uniquely rich in type and abundance of wildflowers.
​
The Nature of The Green River Watershed
1 - 2:30 pm on Saturday, September 14
We enjoyed a pretty time of year in one of the many lovely natural areas in the Green River Watershed—Mass Wildlife's 382-acre Green River Wildlife Management Area in Colrain. Jennifer Jones, Stewardship Specialist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, guided the group. Jennifer studies turtles and is an amateur mushroom sleuth.
​
Apple Growing & Cider Making in the Green River Watershed
1 - 2:30 pm on Saturday, September 21
West County Cider was started by the Maloney family in 1984 with a commitment to making small-batch ciders with apples from local orchards. Their tasting room, located high up on the western side of the Green River watershed, has spectacular views across to the eastern side of the watershed. Proprietor Field Maloney talked about the history of apple growing and cider making in Colrain and Shelburne and the larger watershed. He led us on a walk on the nearby hiking trails where we saw the views across the orchards of this region and see as far as Mount Monadnock. We ended with a tasting of his highly prized ciders.
​
Angling & Donuts
10 am - 12 noon on Sunday, September 22
We joined with the Connecticut River Conservancy and our friends from the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited for some fishing. Fishing poles and delicious donuts made by local bakeries were provided. Participants discovered the abundance of trout and other fish in the Green River, tried fly or reel fishing, and learned about the impacts of climate change on our fish populations. Fishing lessons were provided for adults and kids!​
​
Watershed Identity
May 3rd, 2018
The evening was all about defining what "watershed identity" means, why it's important, and how to create a meaningful sense of place in our community. A panel discussion was held at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center in Brattleboro, VT to explore the following themes: How can we promote watershed awareness, and how would that impact flood resilience and ecological integrity? How do our human relationships affect watershed health?
​
Moderated by Gaye Symington of the High Meadows Fund, and facilitated by Emily Davis of the Windham Regional Commission, the panel discussion featured:
Rhonda Anderson, Indigenous Water Rights Activist & Speaker
Peter Forbes, Co-Founder of the Center for Whole Communities, Author & Speaker
Steve Libby, Executive Director, Vermont River Conservancy