RI E-IQ = Rhode Island Environmental Information Quotient
What do you know about Rhode Island's natural environment?
I've just spent a little time looking for locally produced lists of Rhode Island rivers and native mammals, and I am not satisfied with the results. I don't want to rely on Wikipedia for this information ~ some Rhode Island organizations probably have reliable, comprehensive resources that would interest both children and adults, with photos and details about habits, diet, etc., of native mammals. Surely the RI Natural History Survey has a good list of native mammals. I'm sure some of the many water-related groups have the list of rivers. This is standard almanac info, and of course it's in printed reference books. But web searches on >>"RHODE ISLAND" RIVERS<< and on >>"RHODE ISLAND" "NATIVE MAMMALS"<< do not produce nice, neat complete lists.
I'd like to be wrong about this! So if you can find comprehensive lists of RI rivers and native mammals online let me know!
It should be easy for anyone to find the answers to the following questions with a quick online search, don't you think? Online answers turn up quickly for the first two questions, but the last two questions, not so much.
What are the names of the islands in Narragansett Bay? A search on >>"NARRAGANSETT BAY" ISLANDS<< easily turns up a list on providenceri.com (City of Providence website) with historical information about the approximately 30+ islands in the bay. This was written by Stuart O. Hale in the 1980s or earlier. Very interesting and informative, only it lists 22 islands, not the 30+ mentioned at the top of the chapter. Maybe the rest are smaller than Whale Rock? .... How many bay islands can you name? What islands can you see from Colt State Park?
Where are the boundaries between watersheds in Rhode Island? A search on >>"RHODE ISLAND" WATERSHEDS<< turns up a lot of resources, but I almost drowned in the flood of information I found. Excellent maps are easily located, however: The RI Critical Resources Atlas has very informative maps of each watershed. I count 12 watersheds at this site.
What are the names of Rhode Island's rivers? Search on >>"RHODE ISLAND" "RIVER NAMES"<< and the top 10 results in Google turn up a lot of wikis plus Twin River Gambling Casino. I'll ask the river experts I know and compile this list soon...
What mammals are native to Rhode Island? A search on >>"RHODE ISLAND" "NATIVE MAMMALS"<< results in lots of detailed info and many references to a 1900 book available online, but no concise, illustrated list of animals. I have a resource we use in the Master Gardener Learning Landscape program that would be a good model for such a web page.
What else should we know about Rhode Island's natural world? Amazing quantities of data are available. Let's also make it easy to grasp the basic facts about our environment.
Recently I spent about two weeks in Denmark and Sweden. It's inspiring to see what can be done differently regarding environmental policy implementation.
I think someone should arrange to send every Rhode Islander, and
especially our political leaders, to Copenhagen or Stockholm or Malmo to live
for a few days with residents and Danish/Swedish planners and civic leaders. We would learn a lot by discovering firsthand how they set up their
infrastructures and provide public services. Visitors can't help noticing millions of bikes and
wide, separate bike lanes raised a bit from the auto lanes; frequent on-time
buses; no overhead wires! buried utility wires except for street lights; compact cities and farms everywhere else,
it seems; cows grazing just outside the Copenhagen airport; wind
turbines lined up along the Copenhagen shore and near the Oresund
bridge.... Take a look at this fabulous Flickr
image of the bridge and turbines. This is within sight of Copenhagen
and Malmo, Sweden.
Click on photos to enlarge.
The first photo shows, from the
left, a Copenhagen sidewalk, separate bike lane (atypically empty but there is a
bike with front cart coming along), parked car lane and auto lanes, with
minimal overhead wires needed only for street lights. The second photo, taken not far from
the Little
Mermaid's spot (she is at the World's Fair in China at the moment ~
Shanghai'd so to speak), shows the
Copenhagen skyline toward the harbor with some wind turbines just offshore.
Denmark and Sweden are world leaders in environmental matters. Of course they have much smaller land areas and populations than the United States. However, they can be models for Rhode Island if we take a closer look at them. Both the Copenhagen and Stockholm urban areas have populations about the same or double that of Rhode Island, and like Rhode Island, they have significant waterfront and water features -- notably canals all over Copenhagen, and islands -- 24,000 of them -- in the Stockholm archipelago. It's worth exploring the similarities and differences between Rhode Island and Scandinavia as we work toward restoring Rhode Island's economy by incorporating environmental industries and sustainable ways of life.
Until this recent Great Recession, Denmark had extremely low unemployment and a robust economy. It still is one of the strongest economies in the European Union. Sweden has had a similarly strong economy but is experiencing more strain from the recession. I heard more than once that many young Swedes are going to work in Norway, where jobs are more plentiful and the pay is better.
Nevertheless, these nations were able to reach substantial internal consensus
years ago on transportation and energy policy, recognizing the importance
of self-sufficiency and the need to collaborate and cooperate for the
public good. Why can't we learn some things from them? Once you see Copenhagen and Stockholm, you'll see it's obviously possible to implement sustainable environmental policies AND maintain a robust economy. Can't Rhode Islanders find the willpower to create our own sustainable and robust economy?
We set goals, and then things happen. It always seems to take longer to achieve success than we can ever imagine.
That's what struck me as I reviewed my notes from the 7th Annual Land & Water Summit held on March 27, 2010, at URI. Tom Horton, the keynote speaker, has made the Chesapeake Bay's restoration his life's work. He described how the goal date for cleaning up the Chesapeake has slipped from 2010 to 2028. Voluntary compliance doesn't work well, he noted. Legislation with teeth, plus the money and will to enforce the law, are required for success. Adequate legislation and enforcement, in turn, rest on long-term monitoring and research. So restoring a large watershed like the Chesapeake (and our Rhode Island watersheds around the Narragansett Bay) takes a lot of time, money, and willpower.
For Horton, Chesapeake Bay, like Narragansett Bay, is a magnificent ecosystem coping with pollution and the overharvesting of its fish and crustacean resources, yet still resilient despite increasing human activity in and around it. He quoted Aldo Leopold ~ that "the oldest task in human history [is] to live on a piece of land without spoiling it." He stressed that grow-or-die economic models are simply unsustainable. It's all well and good for each of us individually to reduce our carbon footprint. But if the population around the Chesapeake is growing at the rate of 2 million per decade, how can enough people offset their carbon footprints enough to offset this population growth? Think about that for a moment.
We need to convince people there are viable alternatives to the never-ending-growth model, that the options are multifaceted and not either/or ~ either overeat or starve to death. Our own Greg Gerritt, who writes extensively on this topic in Prosperity for Rhode Island, could be seen nodding his head in agreement every time Horton drove this point home.
As I continue to digest all the fascinating ideas from the Summit, I've found the link to the Chafee Memorial Lecture in Washington DC in January 2010 that Horton stressed repeatedly. This lecture, "A New American Environmentalism and the New Economy," was given by James Gustave Speth, dean emeritus, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The session was videotaped and posted on the web, so we can view it when we want. [FYI, It took a long time to download on my high-speed internet connection, and there's a bit of an introduction before he starts speaking, but hang in!] Horton urged the 325 Rhode Island conservationists present at the Summit to see environmental issues in a larger, systemic context, to ally with others working for political reform and for social justice projects,... and to CONTINUALLY QUESTION "GROW OR DIE" ASSUMPTIONS.
A quote of a quote from the Chafee lecture: "Anyone who thinks that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist." ~ Kenneth Boulding
Here's a shorter interview with James Gustave Speth, The Environment and Economy in Conflict to whet your appetite for the Chafee lecture:
I began this post with a sigh, but I'll end with a story that illustrates our state's motto, Hope, which Horton describes as not being able "to see your way through the tall grass." He told of a short-legged dog that actually learned to jump up high enough to get his bearings when lost in the tall grass. Encountering Tom Horton's thought is to learn to leap up for a better view.
P.S.: In light of all this rain we've endured since the weekend, here's another idea from his talk we can implement: Let's pass impervious surface tax legislation in Rhode Island.
For other reports on the 2010 Land and Water Summit, see ecoRI and search for "Conservation Summit Focuses on Land
and Water Issues"
Some day they will complete the I-Way construction project, and India Point Park will be more accessible again. But what will the view be at the waterfront when the dust settles?
Friends of India Point Park urge all interested Providence residents and Rhode Islanders to voice their views at some or all of the waterfront charrette sessions being held at Johnson & Wales University June 9-12, 2008. The sessions are also listed in What Grows On in Rhode Island, the state's most comprehensive environmental calendar. FIPP writes:
Next week's citywide waterfront charette is a crucial chance to speak out about waterfront public space and the future of the city's greatest natural asset. PLEASE COME!
WHEN: Mon-Thurs, June 9-12, day & evening sessions.
Most important session: TUES, June 10, 2-4pm on waterfront public use.
Other workshops important for public space issues: -- evening sessions, 6-9pm, on consultant's four scenarios for the waterfront -- Tues, 11:30-1:30: examples of waterfront mixed uses in other cities -- Wed, 2-4: revenues from the waterfront
WHERE: Johnson & Wales Harborside Campus, 265 Harborside Blvd in Fields Point. [Directions]
WHY: Broad public support is essential to creating a public Gateway at the head of the Bay.
WHO: All interested citizens are welcome. Pick & choose sessions you want to attend.
THE VISION: The Shooters site offers a golden opportunity to create a public destination that will benefit the city and region for generations to come. Its unique advantages include:
Geographic: the intersection of interstate highways, major bike paths, and riverfront greenways at a deepwater port half a mile from the Jewelry District and downtown Providence.
Historic: Our city's 300-year maritime tradition can be revitalized with a recreational boating center, in tandem with keeping the working waterfront on Allens Avenue.
Economic: A Bay-front destination will encourage tourism and full use of India Point Park for festivals, concerts, and regattas that bring millions of dollars to other mid-size cities.
Scenic: Sweeping views down the Bay attract visitors and residents, and generate real estate values as far into the city as views of the Bay can be seen.
PUBLIC SUPPORT: Two indications of broad public support for our vision:
1 The priorities_charts filled out by participants at the Fox Pt neighborhood charrette, May 8. The item with the most dots reads, "Encourage the development of the former Shooters site for public use."
The two items with the next highest number of dots call for 1) keeping any development of the Brown warehouses next to the Radisson Hotel low enough to preserve water views from I-195, and 2) connecting a pedestrian way from Blackstone Park around India Point to the Providence River.
2 - PROJO ARTICLE excerpt about turnout urging public use of the Shooters site at the charrette, May 7.
One thing about Callery pear trees, at least the ones in front of my house, is that they don't give up their leaves easily. That's why I was raking just before the snow fell last Thursday, and why I'll rake again when and if all that ice melts away. My shoveled sidewalks are covered in the leaves that blew off during the high winds last weekend. Well, it's always something. You'd think there wouldn't be any gardening/yard work to do this time of year.
During December, The Providential Gardener is focusing on other projects, but the new year will see a fresh burst of growth. In January those seed catalogs will start arriving, and we can dream and plan for spring in earnest once the holidays are past.
Meanwhile, I wish you a joyous holiday and a happy new year. Take care of yourself and your pocketbook, find some people to cheer up, step back from the busy rush. And if shopping for Christmas presents is still in your future even though it's December 19th, Save the Bay and the New England Wild Flower Society have some ideas for you. And don't forget the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, which has its Nature Mall and a nature shop at the Education Center in Bristol. Or go shopping with some gift money after Christmas.
There are many fine organizations to join in Rhode Island, and maybe a membership in, say, Southside Community Land Trust or The Rhode Island Rose Society would be just the thing for someone on your list! See the side panel for a list of more than 50 organizations, many of them nonprofits and located in Rhode Island.
SAVE THE BAY's recent email newsletter has these ideas (verbatim):
Spread the joy, make it a season celebrating the Bay
Give the Gift of Membership Starting
as low as $35, you can introduce family and friends to Save The Bay.
They'll appreciate this very "green" gift and benefit from discounts on
Save The Bay programs, events and merchandise. Buy now online.
Make a Personal Donation
There are several ways to give. With the calendar year winding down and
April 15, 2008 not far away, this is the perfect time to make a
tax-deductible gift. Donate now. You might consider a planned giving donation by becoming a member of the Save The Bay Seagrass Society. Another option is a year-end Gift of Stock. If you click here, you can review all our giving choices.
Give the new RI Environmental Education License Plate
A portion of the $40 one-time fee for the new plate goes to Save The
Bay to support our Explore The Bay education programs. We have gift
certificates that make it easy. The happy recipient will think of you and the Bay whenever he or she hits the road. Order now.
Shop Save The Bay
Our online store now features top-quality Save The Bay casual wear, a
nifty golf umbrella, Nalgene bottles and a great children's gift, Joel
Harper's inspiring kids' book, All the Way to the Ocean.Shop now online. Drop by the Save The Bay Center, where more merchandise is for sale.
And here are some last minute shopping ideas for gardeners and outdoor lovers verbatim from the New England Wild Flower Society:
We thought you might welcome last minute gift giving suggestions for GREEN gifts that support New England Wild Flower Society and our internationally recognized native plant conservation programs.
There are so many events coming up as part of Coastweeks 2007—A Celebration of the Coast, from September 15 through October 13, that I must give you fair warning!
Take out your calendar and check out their calendar on the Rhode Island Sea Grant website and make your plan. Here is some of what's growing on along the shore during those weeks:
Historic Lighthouse Tours
Boat tours of the Blackstone River Valley
Hikes, walks through salt marshes, preserves, and along the shore,
Kayak trips
Lectures on aquaculture, oyster gardening, Bay water quality
Coastal cleanups
Shoreline Biathlon
Book discussions
Garden tours
Commercial Fishing Trawl
FOOD!
Several birding events
Fairs, Harvest Festivals
Prudence Island Bicycle Tour
Waterscape/Streetscape Symposium in Newport
Wow! I will put some of this into the Providential Gardener Calendar, but scan through the Coastweeks events list and enjoy our great little state's 400 miles of coastline this fall.
Update from Clean the Bay, and news of their next cleanup:
Thank you for a job well done at Brush Neck Cove, we have had greater attendance at every cleanup.
Project Clean Sweep has great news! We
have been officially awarded a second $170,000 grant from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue the project! Cleanups activities will now cover more areas of the Bay throughout the end of the fall, and into next year's navigable season.
Our next cleanup is scheduled for:
Thursday August 9, 2007
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Rock Ave. Warwick, RI
Directions to Rock Avenue:
From the North - Take 95 S to EXIT 14B-A to merge onto RI-37 E toward US-1/WARWICK. Take Exit 5A for POST RD. SOUTH merge onto POST ROAD.. Turn left onto AIRPORT RD. AIRPORT RD becomes RI-117/W Shore Rd. Turn Left onto ROCK AVE. and park at the end of the street.
From the South- Take 95 N to EXIT 13 toward US-1 / T. F. GREEN AIRPORT. Merge onto AIRPORT CONNECTOR RD E. Take the POST ROAD / US-1 ramp. Turn RIGHT onto AIRPORT RD. AIRPORT RD becomes W SHORE RD / RI-117. Turn LEFT onto ROCK AVE and park at the end of the street.
Audubon Society of R.I. Cruises Offer Memorable Food for Thought and the Palette
SMITHFIELD/BRISTOL, R.I., JULY 26, 2007 – Relax while sailing in the warm caress of evening bay breezes, sampling light, gourmet fare from around the world. That’s the charted course during five, August cruises offered by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island aboard the Sea Princess out of Wickford. Every Audubon cruise on Narragansett Bay promises fun, excitement and delicious food along with educational and inspirational evenings, each Wednesday during August. You’ll discover the rich summertime tapestry of Narragansett Bay from the comforts of the Sea Princess.
Cool sea breezes and ocean scents will be your companions aboard the Sea Princess, which has a broad stable deck with chairs for comfortable seating. The trips include a detailed scenic tour of local, historical and cultural attractions, such as the west bay lighthouses. Each trip will last two hours and depart at 7 p.m. from Wickford Town Dock, located at the end of Main Street in Wickford. The Sea Princess captain asks that guests wear soft-soled shoes and bring a jacket.
Due to the necessity of advance food purchases, all registrations are final three days before each trip is scheduled to run. Space is limited so please register early. If a particular cruise is full, you are encouraged to sign up for Audubon’s waiting list. The Society will run additional sessions if interest warrants. The fee is $42 per ASRI member and $49 per non-member. Recommended age is 21 and older.
Italian Antipasto Cuisine, August 1 Italian foccacias and calzones made by Wickford’s finest chefs, paired with an Italian olive tasting, will get you in the mood to cruise to Italy. All this is topped off with a taste of Italian wine to complete this gourmet sampling adventure. Summer Hors d’oeuvres from the Garden, August 8 Summer is the time of garden bounty. Experience these garden delights during this evening’s gourmet sampling: light and lovely canapés using seasonal and fresh organic vegetables. A selection of cheeses also will be on hand. This delicious offering is paired with a taste of California wine. Greek Island Canapés, August 15 Greek cuisine has a unique style all its own, which features a myriad of flavorful spices. This evening’s assortment captures the flavors of this region, featuring canapés made from Greek olives and cheeses, and roasted vegetables of the Mediterranean garden. All complemented with chilled white wine A Taste of the Mediterranean, August 22 Wickford’s finest chefs have created yet another sampling of fabulous food from this unique region of the world. Experience, experiment and enjoy. Add a little wine, and your delightful evening on the bay is complete. Savory Scones and Biscuits, August 29 Join Audubon for an introduction to the newest trend in hors d’oeuvres: gourmet scones. Enjoy fabulous miniature scones and biscuits filled with an interesting array of meats, cheeses and herb-flavored butters. This savory selection is rounded out with wine.
For registration or more information on any of the Audubon’s summer evening cruises on Narragansett Bay please call the Audubon Society of Rhode Island at (401) 949-5454 or visit www.asri.org.
Our next cleanup is scheduled in partnership with the Buckeye Brook Watershed Association for:
Wednesday July 25, 2007
10 a.m. 1 p.m.
Brush Neck Cove
Suburban Pkwy. Warwick, RI 02889
Please wear closed-toed shoes and bring water, and sun protection. We will provide gloves and bags.
Directions to Brush Neck Cove:
From the North- Take 95 S to exit 14B-A to merge onto RI-37 E toward
US-1/Warwick. Take the Post Rd South exit, merge onto Post Rd. Turn
left onto Airport Rd. Take a right onto Warwick Ave. Follow Warwick
Ave, and bear right onto Oakland Beach Ave. Take a right onto Suburban
Parkway. Park in one of the lots along the dunes.
From the South- Take 95 N to Exit 10 for RI-117 E. Continue to follow
117 (West Shore Rd). Turn right onto Oakland Beach Ave and a right onto
Suburban Parkway. Park in one of the lots along the dunes.
Make sure to check www.cleanthebay.org
for pictures of past cleanups. If anyone knows of a beach or shoreline
in need of cleaning in the Warwick, Cranston, Providence, East
Providence or Portsmouth areas let me know!
See you at the beach,
Vanessa Venturini
Clean The Bay Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02903 vanessa.venturini@dem.ri.gov
(401) 222-3434 ext 4401
visit our website www.cleanthebay.org
Where are the boundaries between watersheds in Rhode Island? A search on >>"RHODE ISLAND" WATERSHEDS<< turns up a lot of resources, but I almost drowned in the flood of information I found. Excellent maps are easily located, however: The RI Critical Resources Atlas has very informative maps of each watershed. I count 12 watersheds at this site.
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