Addendum: the news.

In my last entry, I forgot to post links to a couple press references to the "Take Back Our River!" campaign.

First, the Boston Globe:

Against a current craze
Police prod Saco boaters to curb the carousing

[...] Now, fed up by the rowdiness, a coalition of law enforcement agencies and river-related organizations has launched an unprecedented crackdown this season in a campaign they've dubbed "Take Our River Back."

"The party's over," said Fred Westerberg, a canoe and kayak outfitter who helps coordinate cleanup crews for the Saco River Recreational Council, a nonprofit group.

During Memorial Day weekend, Fryeburg police started dramatically beefing up patrols on the river and at launch sites. State Police are providing help on the roads to curb drunken driving. And discussions are underway to consider hefty "launch fees," which would be returned to boaters only if they removed their watercraft and trash from the river after use.

The campaign appeals to enthusiasts who see in the Saco, with its sandy beaches and beautiful scenery, a slow-moving corridor of bucolic serenity within easy reach of Boston, Providence, and Portland. The 125-mile river courses from the White Mountains to the sea, but its heaviest use occurs in a 20-mile run between Fryeburg and Brownfield.

[Read more at The Boston Globe.]

Second, Channel 6 news:

Crackdown On Rowdy Behavior Planned For Saco River

Police and the Saco River Recreational Council have new plans to curb the littering and heavy drinking that often occurs on the Saco River during the summer.

[Watch the clip at WCSH6.com.]

I heard Michelle's and my PSA on WMWV while driving home Friday night, too.

Week 4: Waiting in the wings.

I expect this is the last post I'll be making before work on the river starts in earnest.

To round up some of the stuff I've gotten done in the last two weeks:

• attended and helped facilitate SRCC training on the Weed Information Management System (WIMS);
• contacted specific river partners regarding their participation in the Leave No Trace video PSA I'm putting together;
• arranged a lunch date in July with my mentor internship "buddy," Kate, out of the central office;
• assisted my supervisor in interviewing two candidates for the other conservation docent internship position (BOTH of whom we managed to hire - more on that later);
• assisted SRRC's Michelle with brochures, fliers, and the website for Swan's Falls;
• drafted and then recorded radio PSA on "Take Back Our River!" campaign with Michelle at WMWV;
• participated in the four-hour mandatory diversity intern orientation conference call;
• performed water monitoring at two sites on the Saco (Weston's Beach and Saco Pines);
• removed some of the software I mentioned putting on the computer last post (apparently freeware is frowned upon in the Conservancy);
• created templates for transition guides to distribute to partners at SRP office close in August;
• made arrangements with my middle sister to clean out her old bedroom for intern housing (will explain); and
• organized the hell out of the cluttered office computer hard drive (boring, but extremely necessary).

So we've got two new interns coming on board - Princess, from Brooklyn, who's interested in invasive species, and Jon Boy, from Farmingham, who is really into the education work. Jon Boy will drive down to assist on weekends only, and Princess will work about 25 hours a week, staying in a spare bedroom in my house. She's close in age to my youngest sister - Princess is turning 18 this fall; Ali is turning 19. I hope they get along.

I'm pretty excited for our three-man team. WONDER TRIPLETS, ACTIVATE!