My Nonprofit Reviews
vanne
Review for Ipswich River Watershed Association Inc, Ipswich, MA, USA
I've been involved with the Ipswich River Watershed Association for more than a dozen years. The Ipswich is a small northeast Massachusetts river that is unusual for the large amount of water provided to towns and cities beyond the watershed. The organization was years ahead of its time in understanding that even in New England, we can have less water than we need. The executive director has been very adept at bringing the right people to the table to address this problem with good science. The organization is a nationally recognized leader in terms of addressing river flow issues and much progress has been made.
A watershed is home to much more than water however, and board members recently had an opportunity to see the diversity of issues the organization has tackled in a recent tour. We visited a potential dam removal site, a local canoe landing built by organization volunteers and a low impact housing development.
The association has a very lean and low key staff that provides high impact in many areas.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
We have seen the improvements in increased flow in areas of the river that previously went dry directly as a result of many years of diligent efforts of many people in m any communities.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would like to see greater outreach to communities and a higher rate of membership, particularly among younger people. I believe that the issues are complex and people often need a personal connection to be motivated to understand what the problems are and why modification of many behaviors is important to protect this beautiful and rich watershed.
