OARS Annual Meeting: What do Dragonflies Tell us About Mercury in our Rivers?
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Join OARS staff and Board of Directors for our Annual Meeting featuring a presentation by Dr. Sarah Nelson, Director of Research at the Appalachian Mountain Club. Monday, June 27, 2022
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Dr. Sarah Nelson is Director of Research at the Appalachian Mountain Club. Prior to AMC, she was at the University of Maine for 21 years, most recently as Director of the Program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of atmospheric pollution and climate change on forests, foodwebs, and freshwaters.
Sarah developed the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP), which engages citizen scientists in collecting dragonfly larvae in national parks for mercury analysis, allowing for national-scale assessment of this neurotoxic pollutant. She is currently working with teachers and community partners in the Merrimack River Watershed who are assessing mercury contamination in Lowell and Lawrence, MA, as well as with OARS in the SuAsCo watershed.
The evening will begin with a short business meeting. Agenda.
During our meeting, members will be asked to approve the minutes from our 2021 Annual Meeting and vote on the below slate of nominees for OARS Board of Directors:
New Board members up for election (3-year terms)
- Roger Beatty became an avid four-season kayaker and explorer of our river system upon retirement from his career in technical educational. As a Senior Manager at Cisco, 3COM and other large technology companies, Roger directed curriculum development and delivery for networking and cybersecurity certification programs. He continues this work today (when kayaking allows) as a semi-retired independent consultant. A Sudbury resident, he has had a lifelong interest in Thoreau and his Concord compatriots.
- Holly Clack, a long-time member of OARS, has a love of natural places and protecting our environment which has driven many of her career accomplishments and personal choices. She is a Director at Boston Scientific where she leads a global team, and has years of experience in auditing and environmental compliance. Holly was the first Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Mass. League of Environmental Voters. She currently serves on the Stow Conservation Commission and lives along the Assabet River in Stow.
- Pam Helinek is passionate about preserving and enhancing our natural resources. As the Town of Hudson’s Conservation Agent and Environmental Planner, Pam has managed multiple projects to enhance the health of the Assabet River, including most recently the Downtown Riverwalk project involving extensive ecological restoration and community involvement. Pam served on the Framingham Conservation Commission for 12 years and has done volunteer projects for Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Native Plant Trust, and the Charles River Watershed Association. She lives in Framingham.
Current Board members up for re-election (2-year terms to rebalance our board)
- Don Burn is keenly interested in land protection along our waterways and serves on OARS' Stewardship Committee. He got involved with OARS through the Upper Assabet Riverway Plan and has continued to work on the Westborough Charm Bracelet Trail network. Don is an active member of the Sudbury Valley Trustees, Westborough Community Land Trust, and the Town of Westborough Active Transportation and Safety Committee. Don has given talks on trail development and partnerships at the statewide trail and land trust conferences and to local groups. Don is retired and lives in Westborough.
- Paul Fitzgerald currently serves as OARS Treasurer. He is a CPA in general practice with R.A. Hall & Co. with his office in West Concord. He is a former corporate controller and serves as a Commissioner on the elected Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds of the Town of Lincoln. Paul lives in Lincoln.
- Pam Rockwell worked for several years in medical research and software development and has utilized her science background as a volunteer citizen scientist in OARS Water Quality Monitoring Program since the program’s inception. She also serves on our Stewardship and Nominating/Governance Committees and chairs the Town of Concord’s 2229 Main Street Oversight Committee (Starmet Superfund Site). Pam lives in West Concord along the Assabet River.
