What Grows On in Rhode Island ~ News Blog

Waterfowl Migration ~ October 18, 2009

From Appalachian Mountain Club ~ Narragansett Chapter

MIGRATION EVENT AT SACHUEST POINT

The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club will be enjoying a special view of bird and waterfowl migration from the scenic shores of Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown on Sunday October 18 at 10:30 am.  Commentary will be provided by naturalists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  This is a great way to learn about the birds that only stop here during migration and are therefore a treat to see.
Please contact Jack by phone 331-4553 or email jschempp1@msn.com for mandatory registration and more information.

The Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. Information about the 2,600-member Narragansett Chapter’s activities can be found at www.amcnarragansett.org.

 

Tree-Killing Pests: Asian Longhorned Beetle ID ~ October 5, 2009

From North Smithfield Conservation Commission:

TREE KILLING PESTS ~ How to identify the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Monday, October 5th @ 6p.m. NSPL library

Speaker will be Kate Sayles from the Rhode Island Tree Council

Sponsored by the North Smithfield Public Library and North Smithfield Conservation Commission

Discussion will include how to identify and  help stop this tree killing pest.

For further info: email albfreeri@gmail.com  or call 401-764-5885

Norman Bird Sanctuary’s 35th Annual Harvest Fair ~ October 3-4, 2009

From Norman Bird Sanctuary:

Celebrate the Harvest!

Cross the monkey bridge, brave the mud pit, scale the greased pole, ride the “Mabel Express”, paint pumpkins…just a few of the activities at the Norman Bird Sanctuary’s 35th Annual Harvest Fair! Featuring over 80 crafters, a Home and Garden competition, field games, contests of strength and skill, food, and family-oriented entertainment, this weekend-long event is a good old-fashioned country fair. Come celebrate the fall season and see why so many have made the NBS Harvest Fair a favorite family tradition!

EVENT: Norman Bird Sanctuary’s 35th Annual Harvest Fair
LOCATION: Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Road, Middletown, RI 02842
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 3rd, and Sunday, October 4th 2009
10am – 5pm

TICKETS: $6 Adults $3 Children (ages 3-12) Under 3 free
For further information please call 401-846-2577

Wildlife Flocks to Restored Salt Marsh ~ Gooseneck Cove, RI

From Save the Bay:

This great egret (photo by Jack Kelly) found an eel for lunch in the recently restored salt marsh of Gooseneck Cove.

He is just one of many species of wildlife returning to the cove since the completion
of a 13-year effort to restore a degraded salt marsh, which had sunk a significant three inches since 2004 and lost 14 acres of vegetation over the last 70 years.

See the results firsthand on this YouTube video.

On September 14, members of the state and federal delegations, including Senator Jack Reed and RI Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, joined project partners and about 30 local Newport residents to celebrate the completion of this landmark project. Read the press release.

Visit our Gooseneck Cove Web page to learn about the history of this restoration project, view construction photos and a panoramic photo of the restored salt marsh, courtesy of Chris Blake, AerialVr.

Raptor Weekend Video

Audubon's Raptor Weekend is September 12-13. Free flight raptor demonstrations both days!

Check out this short video on Raptor Weekend featuring Anne Dimonti, Director of the Audubon Environmental Education Center . . . and, don't forget to stop by this weekend to see the Barred Owl and many more raptors up close.

Thanks to Jeffrey Hall at Audubon for sharing the link to the video!

Raptor Weekend ~ September 12-13, 2009

From Audubon Society of RI:

Owls, falcons, eagles and hawks….winged creatures with long sharp talons, hooked beaks that slice and tear, and highly developed eyesight and hearing. They’re raptors, the superior hunters of the avian world. Birds of prey with keen adaptations that provide speed and accuracy for the hunt.  And they’re coming to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Environmental Education Center for Raptor Weekend, September 12 and 13, 2009.

West Nile/EEE Status Update for Rhode Island ~ August 28, 2009

The Department of Environmental Management announces that test results from all 114 mosquito pools, or samples, from 36 traps set statewide during the week of August 17 are negative for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
 
            DEM notes that it is the height of the mosquito-borne disease transmission season and the possibility of disease transmission is increasingly likely. West Nile Virus has been found in mosquito samples in New England states, including neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut. 

            Throughout the mosquito season, residents are encouraged to protect themselves by eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and avoiding mosquito bites. Personal protection is the first line of defense against mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus and EEE and is by far the most effective way of avoiding infection.

Roger Williams Park Zoo Events ~ 2009-2010

What Grows On in Rhode Island Calendar now lists the upcoming events for toddlers through teens, plus lots of Halloween fun and Santa sightings for the holidays. Check out the Children's subcalendar and search through the events by keyword. The events link through to the zoo's website so you can find out even more details.

Programs for toddlers and preschoolers focus on animals, such as giraffes and bats. The big kids (ages 6-12) have lots of opportunities ~ Zoo Explorers, KidzArt, Roots & Shoots ~ but some of the clubs have very limited enrollments so sign up soon. Same goes for teens ~ Teenns for Planet Earth (ages 13-17) has a class size of 5 to 8, so if this interests your teen, sign up very soon.

FYI, Audubon Society of RI events are also in the Calendar through September, and they also require registration and experience high demand. Because both Audubon, Zoo, and other groups' events are integrated into What Grows On in Rhode Island, along with adult and general environmental activities, it helps families plan being more active outdoors.

RI DEM Hearing on Proposed Waterfowl Season, Falconry, Park, and Management Area Regulations ~ August 27, 2009

DEM TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED WATERFOWL SEASON, FALCONRY, PARK AND MANAGEMENT AREA REGULATIONS ON AUGUST 27

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management will hold a public hearing on proposed regulations governing the upcoming migratory waterfowl hunting season and the practice of falconry, and park and management area regulations on Thursday, August 27. The hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the North Kingstown Community Center on Beach Street in North Kingstown, off Route 1A just south of Wickford. As in past years, the Division will also conduct a presentation on the breeding status of waterfowl in the United States and Canada.

Audubon Announces 2009 RI Butterfly Count Results

Butterfly numbers drop; cool, rainy year the likely cause

(July 29, 2009) The final results for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s 6th annual North American Butterfly Association Count have been released, and are available on the Audubon website at www.asri.org. Officially representing the state, sites in the East Bay were surveyed on June 27, and sites in the West Bay were surveyed on July 11. Over the two survey dates, 72 participants recorded a total of 2484 butterflies, down 30% from the 2008 tally. 48 butterfly species were observed, slightly less than 2008’s total of 51.