Below is an announcement from the Ipswich River Watershed Association:
IPSWICH, MA — About a year ago, IRWA began discussing ways to recognize the watershed’s unsung heroes, the folks and groups doing the quiet work in the background for nothing more than the love of the river and its ecosystem. We came up with the River Hero program, an award to highlight exactly these people and organizations. During the nomination process, we loved reading about the work that groups are doing throughout the watershed. After lengthy discussions, we settled on our inaugural River Hero of the Year, Harley Monteiro.
A Wilmington native, Harley grew up in a home by Lebanon Swamp. With wetlands in his backyard, these early formative experiences gave him a unique perspective on not just nature and the role it plays in our daily lives, but specifically on Lebanon Swamp and its unique habitat. Lebanon Swamp, once home to Atlantic White Cedar, is now a struggling ecosystem damaged by logging, deer overpopulation, and development. Seeing this change happen in real time, Harley felt the need to take action.
Reaching out to the Wilmington Conservation Commission, Harley utilized his restoration background as a former National Park Service employee and began restoring a small section of six acres in the swamp. This project soon ballooned into a much larger undertaking, as Harley took his campaign to social media and amassed a sizable following of folks interested in his restoration work. Learning about his audience both in person and online, he began crafting his story, and the story of the swamp, to appeal to different audiences with different interests. To audiences invested in the environment and natural habitat, Harley shared the stories of all of the animals and plants in the swamp that can no longer live there, and the negative impact that has not only on them but on us as well. To audiences interested in history, Harley shares the rich past the Swamp has, the role it played for residents in generations past, and the history we are making now for future generations.
This critical combination of both storytelling and restoration know-how lead to one of the most critical components to any undertaking: volunteers. Each week, Harley is joined by volunteers who help with invasive removal and reintroducing native plants, small steps in restoring the Lebanon Swamp to being a sustainable ecosystem for everyone. We heard from many of these volunteers who nominated Harley for the River Hero of the Year award, and we couldn’t agree more that he is more than deserving. Thank you, Harley, for all of your work restoring the Lebanon Swamp.
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