Annual SRWC meeting tonight

SAUGUS – The Saugus River Watershed Council is set to hold its annual meeting and dinner at the Hilltop Steakhouse tonight on Route 1, where it will present its 2012 River Stewardship Awards to several local groups.According to SRWC Executive Director Joan LeBlanc, Bike to the Sea has been selected to receive an award for its “long-time efforts to promote and expand public access to the Saugus River watershed.”?The new multi-use trail constructed by Bike to the Sea in Saugus this year has expanded opportunities for people to enjoy the natural resources of the watershed,” said LeBlanc.Other groups set to receive Stewardship Awards include the Saugus Tree Committee, the Lynnfield Tree Committee and the Wakefield Department of Public Works for what LeBlanc described as “their long-time efforts to protect natural resources of the watershed by preserving existing trees and planting new trees throughout their communities.”?It?s an opportunity for us to thank an organization or a person who?s been doing some really valuable work and usually not recognized for it,” said LeBlanc. “Bike to the Sea, for example, has been working for literally 20 years to promote bike trails and public access around the watershed. So it?s a great way to say, ?Thank you.?”LeBlanc said this is the “perfect year” to honor Bike to the Sea since the group is celebrating its 20th anniversary and it opened the rail trail in Saugus.?It was a great effort and something we?ve been looking forward to for a long time so it?s really exciting,” said LeBlanc.In addition to the award ceremony, there will also be two keynote speakers: Alison Simcox and SRWC Vice President Douglas Heath of Wakefield. LeBlanc said Heath will present historic images from private collections and public archives tracing the unique history of Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.The presentation will also provide a sneak preview of Simcox and Heath?s new book, “Breakheart Reservation,” set to be published in 2013 as part of Acadia Publishing?s Images of America series. The SWRC will also highlight 2012 accomplishments and elect officers and board members for 2013, said LeBlanc.?We get to see some of the images and learn some of the really interesting and unique history of Breakheart that people might not know,” said LeBlanc.LeBlanc will also speak about some of the notable achievements of the SRWC this year along with what to expect for the future.?This year we reached more than 600 students who participated in our free watershed education program,” said LeBlanc. “Plus I?ll talk about two new programs. We got funding to re-establish our water quality sampling program in 2013 and we?re also working on climate change adaptation as far as coastal protection. We?re doing that work with a number of communities and will continue into the next couple of year.”Tonight?s dinner will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and LeBlanc said anyone is welcome to attend the event.Admission is $25 per person includes a dinner buffet featuring sirloin tips, baked scrod, chicken parmigiana, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, salad, fruit, rolls, chocolate cake, coffee and tea. A cash bar is also available. Please register online now at www.saugusriver.org. For more information contact the Saugus River Watershed Council at 781-233-5046 or [email protected] Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].