Working at NepRWA has taught me the value of important and impactful work, and when my time as the Environmental Science Fellow was coming to an end, I still wanted to continue to help make a difference in the Watershed. Luckily, I was able to work out a position with our Executive Director, Ian Cooke, where I would help to support areas and projects that we have not previously had the bandwidth to focus on.

My new position is the “Greenway and Natural Resources Specialist”, and in this role I will be providing the Neponset Greenway Council with support when they need it, engage with other community groups along the Greenway, serve as the lead point of contact for recruiting and developing volunteers for various projects, and advocate for the maintenance, improvement, and extension of the Greenway trail. Additionally, I will help expand the reach of both our outdoor and in-classroom school education programs, and lead citizen science initiatives to understand and improve our wetlands and waterways.

I’m looking forward to what I’ll accomplish in this new position. So far, I have been working with the Greenway Council to discuss ongoing projects along the Greenway;  assisting the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation and the Edgewater Drive Neighborhood Association on different park restoration projects along the river; working on NepRWA’s culvert assessment project; and working with our new Environmental Fellow, Kelly DiStefano, to plan our Fall Cleanup.

Be on the lookout for more project updates soon!

Andres Ripley, August 2019