What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Apply for the John H. Chafee Conservation Leadership Award ~ Due by February 16, 2011

The Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) Education Fund is honored to announce the opening of the application period for the John H. Chafee Conservation Leadership Awards for 2011.  Honoring the memory of the late Governor and US Senator for his dedication to preserving the environment, The ECRI Ed Fund honors 4 Rhode Island organizations each year for their work in improving the health of the Rhode Island environment.

Recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges based on applications received from RI businesses, non profits, municipalities, and educational institutions that highlight specific projects and programs related to conservation.  Past winners include businesses that eliminated polluting discharges, recycling programs, renewable energy projects, sewage treatment facility upgrades, land conservation, and projects providing hands on environmental education for Rhode Island children. This list is not meant to be an all inclusive list. All projects that improve the health of the RI environment are encouraged to apply.

Sign Up for Bee Schools ~ February & March 2011

Why do people keep bees?

It's a good hobby for people who love nature and enjoy watching and learning about bees and the flowers they pollinate and gather nectar from. It insures that you will always have good pollination in your gardens. Some people keep bees because they love honey! Some people even keep bees because they have arthritis and wish to get stung to alleviate arthritic symptoms.

The Rhode Island Beekeepers Association teaches beginner beekeeping classes every year in February and March.

Topics covered include:

• Getting started
• The honeybee life cycle
• Choosing an apiary
• Buying bees and equipment
• Installing package bees
• Catching Swarms
• Bee diseases and pests
• Spring Inspections
• Getting ready for the honeyflow
• Wintering bees

There will be a variety of beekeeping equipment displayed and demonstrated each week. Beekeeping catalogs and other handouts will be distributed and several beekeeping videos will be shown.

2011 Bee School Schedule - 3 Courses

Rhody Native Project ~ Grow Native Plants! ~ January 8, 2011

Learn about the Rhody Native Project at the next RI Wild Plant Society meeting!

Rhody Native is an initiative to make indigenous plant material available to homeowners and organizations involved in habitat restoration. The Rhode Island Natural History Survey, along with the University of Rhode Island, Outreach Center, Master Gardeners Association, and the Plant Sciences Department, as well as the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, have partnered to source native plant material from Rhode Island wild stock through seed collection and stem cutting, to be grown and sold by the RI nursery industry. At present, much of the native plant material sold in Rhode Island, is sourced from material grown around the country in ecotypes that differ from those of Rhode Island. Differences in phenology place plants on time schedules that differ from those of our native flora and fauna. Rhody Native is an opportunity to promote local Rhode Island businesses, educate the public about RI’s native biodiversity, and improve our natural environment. The initiative is made possible by an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant, administered through the United States Forest Service, and awarded to the RINHS in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

The speaker, Hope Leeson, is currently the botanist for the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.  Her lecture is presented by the RI Wild Plant Society at Providence Country Day School in East Providence. See What Grows On in RI for all the details.

Save the Bay Seal Watch Tours & Exploration Center Hours ~ January 2011

What Grows On in Rhode Island lists all kinds of events, including Save the Bay's Seal Watch Cruises and the hours of their Exploration Center and Aquarium in Newport. January's theme is Planet Plankton. Check out the Calendar today!

Maria Mitchell, Astronomer ~ January 7, 2011

The monthly Skyscrapers Meeting shines a spotlight on Maria Mitchell, recognized as America's first woman astronomer. If you have ever been to Nantucket, you may have been to her observatory near her birthplace.

Weather does not look ideal for star gazing this weekend, and the Seagrave Memoral Observatory has already canceled their viewing for Saturday but keep in mind:

Did you know there are (at least) three observatories open to the public in Rhode Island? The Ladd Observatory of Brown University, located at Hope St & Doyle Ave in Providence is open Tuesdays, weather permitting. On Fridays, see the stars at Frosty Drew in Ninigret Park, Charlestown, and on Saturdays, go out to North Scituate to the Seagrave Memorial Observatory.

See What Grows On in Rhode Island for hours, and links to these observatories.

 

Reminder ~ Funding Info Sessions for Farm & Woodland Owners ~ January 5 & 6, 2011

Natural Resources Conservation Service is holding three info sessions January 5 and 6 concerning financial aid for improving soil health, water and air quality, plant productivity, and animal and forest management. If you know of any farm or woodland owners, please forward this blog post to them so they can read the story about funding for such projects. NRCS has money to help Rhode Island farms and forests!

Newport Green Drinks ~ January 6, 2011

Newport Green Drinks is kicking off 2011 at Forty 1 [degrees] North this upcoming Thursday, January 6th. You are invited to join us at 5:30pm for complimentary appetizers, and a cash bar. We’ll also be getting an overview of Forty 1 North’s green initiatives, including information about their LEED certification and how it was obtained, from one of the hotel’s green experts.

For more on Green Drinks in Rhode Island, see the December 16 Weekly Update from Providential Gardener.

 

Deborah Gist is Keynote Speaker at RI Environmental Education Assn Annual Meeting ~ January 11, 2011

Join the RI Environmental Education Association for Our

Annual Meeting on January 11, 2011!

We are pleased to welcome Deborah Gist, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education who will speak to us about the relationships between Environmental Literacy, STEM, and Race to the Top.

Refreshments will be served $5 for 2011 RIEEA Members $25 for everyone else – 2011 RIEEA membership included. Register using the attached form (Organizational Memberships detailed on registration form).

Tuesday, January 11, 2011
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
LaPerche Elementary School
11 Limerock Road
Smithfield, RI 02917

Beach Program 2011 Water Use Survey ~ January 2011

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) Beach Program is coordinating a water use survey for the calendar year of 2011.  We are looking for year round water users to participate (surfers, swimmers, etc.)   We are looking for individuals who are generally in the water at least once a month, year round.
 
Participation is completely voluntary.  The survey consists of a short 3-5 minute survey following each water exposure.  If an illness is observed there will be an additional short 3-5 minute survey.  The survey may be completed online, in writing, or over the phone.  The information gathered in this study will help HEALTH to better understand state wide year round water use and associated health risks.
 
We will be signing up participants in January 2011.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or are interested in participating.
 
Thank you,
 
Lauren S. Russo
Program Assistant
Beach Program
Rhode Island Department of Health
3 Capitol Hill, Room 203
Providence, RI 02908
Phone (401) 222-1406
Fax (401) 222-4775
Lauren.Russo@health.ri.gov