In this episode, Julian Morley, a senior Environmental and Earth Sciences major at Fitchburg State, examines the modern history of the Nashua River, which bisects the North Central Massachusetts home of Fitchburg State University.

The Nashua River used to be one of America's most polluted waterways due to industry in Fitchburg using it for waste disposal. So how did it change? Julian shares a history of the Nashua and Marion Stoddart, the woman who started the cleanup over 50 years ago.

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Episodes in this series were produced and edited by the Fitchburg State University students in Professor Kisha Tracy's Storytelling and the Oral Tradition course (ENGL 2890) in the Spring 2025 semester.

"Saxifrage" is the Fitchburg Your Story theme music. Music by Prof. Robin Dinda, Text by Prof. DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld. Performed by Fitchburg State University Choirs with Alanna Rantala (piano) and Prof. Jonathan Harvey (conductor).

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Episode transcript here.

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Additional mixing and mastering by members of the Perseverantia staff.

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