Education

OAR believes that by increasing public awareness, stewardship will naturally result. With this in mind, OAR offers a variety of opportunities to get involved, enjoy and learn about the river. OAR’s educational programs offer both kids and adults the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the environment.

For adults, we periodically offer lectures and workshops in our watershed communities that encourage dialogue on the many complex issues that affect the river. By bringing expert speakers, authors, scientists and government officials into our town halls and schools, we offer communities an opportunity to continue their education on important issues that affect them and the environment. As a community, natural resources provide us with clean air, clean water, recreational opportunities, and a sense of place. Our workshops are designed to help people to be better equipped to make informed decisions. The decisions we make today will affect the world we pass on to our children.

Our Water Wise Workshops offer kids a chance to use their sense of adventure and heighten their awareness of the mysterious creatures that live in the river, how their actions affect the habitat of those creatures and how they can make a difference. Our goal is to create young stewards of the environment to protect it for future generations!

OAR is also working in collaboration with towns in the watershed and the Acton Stream Team, to install educational stream signs at 40 sites throughout the watershed. This project aims to increase awareness of the Assabet River and its smaller, less known tributary streams. Signs are currently installed in Stow, Westborough, Maynard, Hudson, Berlin, and Northborough and will be going up in Marlborough and Westford shortly.

Programs Currently Being Offered:
• Water Wise Workshops
• River Restoration and Dams
• Stream Signs
• Intel-OAR Environmental Innovators Contest