What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Is Your Earth/Arbor Day Event in What Grows On in Rhode Island?

What Grows On in Rhode Island has compiled the most comprehensive online Earth Day calendar for Rhode Island in 2011, with dozens of cleanups, celebrations, films, nature/outdoor activities, and tree plantings, but it is not complete. IS YOUR EVENT LISTED?

WHY ADD YOUR EVENT TO WHAT GROWS ON IN RHODE ISLAND?

• Hundreds of people see this calendar.
• Events listed here show up on ecoRI and several other websites automatically.
• What Grows On in RI email newsletter reaches more than one thousand interested Rhode Islanders.
• Events listed in the Earth Day/Arbor Day Calendar will be on twitter @provgardener and on Facebook.com/whatgrowsonri
• Listings are free and indexed for easy searching.
• The calendar is being widely promoted this month, giving your event more visibility.
• Show the world how many Rhode Islanders care about our state.
• The sum is greater than the parts.

CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR ORGANIZATION's EARTH DAY EVENTS ARE LISTED HERE. Sort by your town or organization to see if your events are listed. (The indexing may not be complete for organization, but the indexing by town/city is complete.)
http://www.whatgrowsonri.com/earth_day_arbor_day.html

N.B.: CHECK FIRST BEFORE ADDING! A couple of events have been added three times. Send me updates and corrections and I'll fix existing records.

IF YOUR EVENT IS MISSING, PLEASE ADD YOUR FREE LISTING HERE:
http://www.whatgrowsonri.com/add_event.html

It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out this form, and many hundreds of Rhode Islanders will notice your event if it is in the calendar. Many hands make light work! At the moment, I am the entire staff maintaining this calendar!

With the huge number of events to be listed at this time of year, it is important for each group to add their own events. If you just send an email to me and ask me to add a new event, I may not have time to add it. I will correct existing listings, though. If there are errors in current listings please let me know. [email protected].

Please forward this post to others who may be interested or better able to add their events to the RI EARTH DAY CALENDAR.

Thank you for what you are doing for Rhode Island's environment!

Cheers,

Sue Korté, Managing Editor
What Grows On in Rhode Island

2011 Earth Day and Arbor Day Calendar for Rhode Island

Is there a cleanup or celebration for Earth Day in your Rhode Island community this year? Are you celebrating Arbor Day in Rhode Island this year?

Many groups have already added their events to the What Grows On in RI Earth Day/Arbor Day calendar, but I'm sure there are lots more! Add your event to the most complete listing of Earth Day and Arbor Day events in Rhode Island!

Narragansett Bay Watershed Project Funding Opportunity ~ Deadline May 7, 2011

THIS IS UNIQUE TARGETED FUNDING TO WORK WITH PARTNERS IN THE
NARRAGANSETT BAY WATERSHED

New Funding Opportunity for the Narragansett Bay Watershed

Initial project summaries are due May 2, 2011.

On April 14, 20, and 26, EPA will be hosting information sessions via conference call.

I am very pleased to announce that EPA New England has just released an RFP seeking initial proposals for projects that target the Narragansett Bay watershed under the 2011 Healthy Communities Grant program. I have posted the official announcement at the end of this message. The purpose of my message is to highlight that the Narragansett Bay watershed is one of the priority areas targeted for funding in this year’s solicitation, and to make sure interested parties are aware of the requirements specific to a Narragansett Bay watershed proposal.

The summary information below is excerpted from the full RFP announcement to provide information pertaining specifically to eligibility and project requirements for proposals addressing the Narragansett Bay watershed investment and program area, which is one of several identified in the RFP. For detailed information on the eligible geographic area and for insight into watershed priorities for the Narragansett Bay watershed, please see the watershed map and draft Narragansett Bay Region Integrated Plan available at nbep.org. Applicants should review and comply with all official requirements for submitting applications and guidance on the full suite of investment and program areas, including the Narragansett Bay watershed, found at http://epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/pdfs/2011-HC-Application-Guidance.pdf .

For projects addressing the Narragansett Bay watershed, eligible applicants may submit initial project summaries for proposals up to $25,000 for single-state projects taking place in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, and up to $40,000 for projects with a Narragansett Bay bi-state (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) watershed focus. In either case, a 25 percent match on the total proposal budget is required. Based on the quality of eligible initial submissions, EPA will invite finalists to submit full project proposals for further evaluation. Project periods will be for one or two years, starting no earlier than August 1, 2011.

Initial project summaries are due May 2, 2011. On April 14, 20, and 26, EPA will be hosting information sessions via conference call to explain the grant program and application process to potential applicants. You must register to participate.

To request a copy of the Healthy Communities Grant Program Application Guidance, please contact Jennifer Padula, Healthy Communities Grant Program, US EPA New England, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (OEP06-2), Boston, MA 02109-3912, by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 617-918-1698.

Volunteer Training for Piping Plover Season ~ March 19, 2011

THE 2011 PIPING PLOVER SEASON IS ABOUT START… and we are looking for volunteers!
 
Our new Piping Plover Coordinator, Erin King, will be holding a volunteer training Saturday March 19th at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Rd, Charlestown (401-364-9124) from 10:00-11:30. If you are interested in volunteering please join us!

Great Backyard Bird Count ~ February 18-21, 2011

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. The count website wi'll be adding updated GBBC materials for the next count as they become available.

The bird count is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Celebrate Rhode Island Recycles Day ~ November 20, 2010

Shred and Recycle Personal & Confidential Papers Free

Drop off HHW, E-Waste and Plastic Junk

“If you’ve hesitated to recycle papers that contain your Social Security number or your medical history, this is the perfect time to safely and securely recycle those types of documents that you no longer need,” said Sarah Kite, director of recycling services at RIRRC.   “Household shredders can only shred two-to-three papers at a time.  This shredder can destroy years’ worth of stored up documents in seconds, and we’re pleased to offer this convenient service for free.”

Examples of sensitive documents include bank statements, cancelled checks, tax returns, mortgage applications, credit card statements, paycheck stubs, credit reports, and medical records.  RIRRC will accept only these types of documents at the shredder, and will limit drop-offs to three recycling bins per person.  Other non-sensitive papers, such as magazines, file folders, mail, prospectuses, etc., will be accepted for recycling but will not be shredded because they do not pose identity theft dangers. 

RIRRC will also accept all types of plastic for recycling, not just #1 PETE and #2 HDPE, which can be recycled in every municipality.  On November 20, people can recycle just about every plastic object found in a household at no cost.  This includes bulky kiddie furniture, infant car seats, baby bottles, plant pots and trays, laundry baskets and buckets, margarine and yogurt tubs, election campaign signs, and countless other plastic items.

Pawtuxet River Cleanup at Belmont Park ~ November 20, 2010

Saturday November 20, the Pawtuxet River Authority will conduct a huge river clean-up at Belmont Park in Warwick and also across the river in Cranston on Perkins Avenue. Both sites have much debris left over debris from the spring flooding.  FEMA is paying for the dumpsters and PRA is mustering volunteers.
 
We will work from 8:30 to 12:30 and then have pizza for lunch.  Folks can certainly keep working after lunch if they wish.
 
We will meet at Belmont Park (as you head south from Providence on Elmwood Avenue, take the first left after crossing the river). Some folks (like those with kids) can stay at Belmont Park and others can go over to Cranston where the debris is heavier and more difficult to get to.  We will have gloves, but folks can bring their gloves too.

Roger Williams Park Rose Garden Work Day ~ November 13, 2010

It's that time of year again to put our favorite rose garden in Southern New England to sleep for the winter. On Saturday, November 13th we will meet again to put the garden to bed for its long winter nap.

This year the RI Rose Society has a lot of fun and exciting events planned after we close the garden, and everyone is invited to join in. We have our annual Chili Cook-off Contest, Rose Raffle, Group Photo, and be sure to order your 2011 calendars if you haven't done so. Gather up your pruners, rakes, gloves, shovels, chili entries, and unwanted roses (other perennials, garden-related items), and RIRS spirit. The garden closing is a rain-or-shine event, but in the event of severe weather, please check the website for cancellations, or give Andy Vanable a call at 401-663-3777.

Our agenda for the day is as follows:

Recycle Those Campaign Signs! ~ November 3, 2010

From Sarah Kite, RI Resource Recovery Corporation

As the campaign season races to a close, I’ve received a few calls from candidates and voters wondering what to do with their campaign signs on November 3rd.
 
The small, corrugated lawn signs are recyclable, but they should *not* be tossed in the standard residential blue bin.
 
As you know, the signs are generally made from corrugated plastic with metal stakes. The plastic part is a “mixed rigid” plastic and needs to be kept separated from the household materials. The stakes are also recyclable as scrap metal.
 
All the resident, volunteer, or candidate needs to do is remove the metal stake from the sign and bring both materials to either their local recycle center or here to the Central Landfill. The plastic signs will go in one container, and the metal stakes will go into a different container. There is no charge to recycle either material.
 
Here is a list of local municipalities that have stated they will accept both materials (once pulled apart) from their residents:
 
Barrington: 86 Upland Way; Open M-Sa 8AM-4PM, Su 8AM-Noon
Burrillville: Whipple Ave Compost Facility; W, Sa 9AM-1PM (Fall Hours)
Charlestown: CRCC, Sand Hill Rd.; M, Th, F, Sa 8AM-4PM
North Smithfield: 281 Quaker Hwy; M-F 7AM-3PM
Woonsocket: 943 River St.; Open M-F 7am - 3:30pm and Sat 8am -12pm
Warwick: 925 Sandy Lane; Open M-Sa 7AM – 3PM
 
As always, we will accept the signs and stakes for recycling here at the Central Landfill. The residential recycling area at the Central Landfill facility is open Monday through Friday 6:00 AM to 3:45 PM, and Saturday 8:00 AM to Noon. Directions can be found here: www.rirrc.org/directions
 
Please also consider holding a post-election recycling event at your headquarters to facilitate the recycling process. If you’d like assistance with organizing such an event, please give me a call.
 
I would greatly appreciate this message being forwarded to the local party chairs, and to any other interested people or groups. Thank you very much for your attention!
 
Sincerely,
 
Sarah Kite
Director of Recycling Services
Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
65 Shun Pike
Johnston, RI 02919
[email protected]
401-942-1430 ext. 112

International Coastal Cleanup in RI ~ September 25, 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

9:00 am - noon*

 *Some cleanups occur on a different date or time; check individual listings for details

 

Each year, volunteers around the world show they care about their coasts by flocking to the beaches to clean up and document the trash they find. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is proud to coordinate cleanup efforts for the Ocean State. If you would like to volunteer, please contact one of the local cleanup leaders listed below. For general questions, contact July Lewis at 401-949-5454 x3044 or [email protected]. This is a rain-or-shine event, but may be postponed in the event of a severe storm. Cleanups that especially need help are in red and marked “**”.

 

Bring a pair of gloves and come prepared to make a difference!