With its headwaters located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Blackstone River has a reputation as a heavily developed, urbanized river. The most heavily urbanized areas are located in Worcester, MA; Woonsocket, RI; Central Falls, RI; and Pawtucket, RI, all of which are also home to mapped Environmental Justice populations. The Blackstone is also the ancestral homeland of the Nipmuc Nation, recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a sovereign people. Marsh Institute Research Scientist and Blackstone Watershed Program Manager Stefanie Covino recently received funding from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation for the project Incorporating Underserved Voices to Improve Capacity and Structure in the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative, which will improve organizational capacity and allow the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative to deeply engage with under-represented populations in the watershed.

For more information on the Blackstone Watershed Collaborative, visit their website.