Marion Stodart. (Courtesy photo)

Anyone who has lived in this area for 30 years or more will remember when the Nashua River was synonymous with pollution. At the lowest point of its life, in the 1960s, the smelly, green, sludge-filled river was named one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the country.

Coursing through Lancaster, Harvard, Groton, and Dunstable, and eventually wending its way to the Merrimack River, the river left a “dead zone” in its wake. Some people recall that the river not only ran green, but also ran red, yellow, and blue from the dyes discharged into it from nearby paper plants. The putrid smell from its waters was reported to cause paint to peel on homes near its banks.

It was also in the 1960s that Marion Stoddart, who had grown up and gone to school out West—where waters usually ran clean—moved to Groton. From where she lived she could see and smell the dirty river, and it preyed on her mind. She told people that one day, while listening to an inspirational radio program, she heard a speaker say, “One person can do the work of 1,000,” and realized that what she really wanted to do—clean up the Nashua River—might actually be within her reach. Thus began 40 years of activism, which eventually led to the Nashua River we know today—a river running clear and clean, providing sustenance for wildlife and enjoyment for people who want to fish its waters, ride its currents, or hike along its shores. Her efforts eventually led to the creation of the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA), for which she served as executive director and now serves as a member of the board of directors.

The woman behind this amazing turnaround captured the attention of videographer Susan Edwards in 2007. Edwards decided that the story of Marion Stoddart and the Nashua River was a story that needed to be told. She is producing a documentary film about Stoddart’s life and work called “The Work of 1,000.” Her goal is to promote environmental stewardship and inspire others with Stoddart’s example of how an “ordinary” person can bring about extraordinary change.

In a recent interview, Edwards said that she met Stoddart while working as a community volunteer for the NRWA, creating video clips to promote the organization’s work.
“I knew her as an amazing hero—so positive,” Edwards said. “She gave people hope. People had given up hope on the river; it was declared biologically dead.”

Edwards said that the documentary, sponsored by Documentary Educational Resources and the NRWA, is about two characters: the Nashua River and a mother and housewife, both at low points in their lives. Stoddart was looking for some meaning in her life, said Edwards, and had a “profound sense of guilt that she wasn’t doing enough” in the world. “I wanted to tell the human side of this hero,” she said.

Edwards said that Stoddart had educated herself—and then community leaders, town officials, leaders of the Chamber of Commerce, and anyone else who would listen. She mobilized people to act.

“She didn’t recognize that she was different,” said Edwards. “She’ll always say, ‘I’m just an ordinary person.’ But she collected thousands of signatures on a letter she sent to the U.S. secretary of environmental affairs, who ultimately came to see the river. The federal government eventually used the project [the cleanup of the river] as a model for what could be done.”

According to publicity information for “The Work of 1,000,” Stoddart’s years of advocacy resulted in state laws being written and federal laws being enforced. Stoddart was profiled in National Geographic magazine and was awarded the United Nations Global 500 Award, which recognizes “successes on the front lines of global environmental action.”

Edwards has worked for months on the film. “We know that what this project can do is bring the spotlight on natural resources in the region,” she said.

In a letter supporting the documentary, Larisa Schelkin, chief executive officer, president, and executive director of the DOME foundation, an organization that supports diversity and outreach in mathematics and engineering, said, “Massachusetts citizens and Americans are facing uniquely 21st-century challenges. Globalization, worldwide climate change, environmental and human health concerns are not just ‘out there.’ They are literally right at our doorstep. We need this commentary and educational outreach program to inspire us.”

Edwards said that Stoddart is still passionate about the river, and looks at it as “one of her children,” adding, “Marion likes to say, ‘I want people to take the river into their hearts, to love it and care for it.’” She “epitomizes ‘think global, act local,’” said Edwards.

Edwards noted that she is on track for raising the final funds for the project through a variety of fundraisers. The film itself is on track for completion as well, she added, with the final shoot for the documentary scheduled to take place on the Nashua River June 27.  Paddlers are invited to participate. (Registration is required; call 978-433-6335 or send an e-mail message to celebratetheriver@gmail.com.) Peter Rhodes, who has edited programs for “Frontline,” “Nova,” and other programs on PBS, will edit the program over the summer.  A kickoff event to preview the film trailer is scheduled for Nov. 4 at Lawrence Academy in Groton.

For more information about the documentary visit www.workof1000.com.