It wasn’t until I joined the cross-country team in high school that I began to pay closer attention to the Merrimack River and Valley that I called home. I used the winding paths along the Merrimack to challenge and build my running endurance while training for my first 5k race. I’ve seen bald eagles soar above me while commuting along the river to and from my classes at University of Massachusetts Lowell. The Merrimack River is a beautiful place: when the Pawtucket Falls freeze over in midwinter, the rushing of snowmelt come spring transforms the steady flowing river into raging rapids that bring life to the connecting wetlands and streams.
But even the most beautiful places can quickly lose their charm. My father has long lived along the Merrimack River and tells me stories from his childhood of seeing people use the river as a dumpsite; dumping their appliances, tires, construction materials, etc. Years later we have all become a little wiser and realized from our carelessness that we do indeed all live down stream. Read more
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