What Grows On in Rhode Island News

RI's Natural Environment Stimulates Tourism

DEM Press Release: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR JANET COIT ACCEPTS TOURISM SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD AT ANNUAL TOURISM/HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY EVENT

            PROVIDENCE –Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit was presented with an award for DEM’s exceptional impact on Rhode Island’s tourism industry at the 27th Annual Tourism Unity Luncheon and Travel Exchange held today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.
 
            The 2012 Special Recognition Award was given in recognition of DEM’s development, maintenance and enhancement of the state’s natural assets that make Rhode Island a more beautiful place for residents and visitors.  Governor Lincoln Chafee presented the award to Director Coit at the event, which celebrated the tourism and hospitality industry’s many contributions to the state’s economy and its role in promoting Rhode Island’s beauty, history, and culture to visitors locally, regionally and around the world.
 
             “Visiting our parks, beaches, farms, historic sites, and bikeways is an experience that brings joy to your life,” said Director Coit as she accepted the award.  “These spectacular natural places are what make Rhode Island truly special, and sharing them with family, friends and visitors creates memories that will last a lifetime.”
 
The theme of DEM facilities promoting tourism and economic development was highlighted throughout the event as several speakers took the podium, including Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who spoke about the preservation of the Rocky Point shoreline; Bob Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council who spoke about the Blackstone Bike Path; and Myrna George, President of South County Tourism who spoke about state beaches and parks in South County.
 
Director Coit said, “Our state hosts an incredible diversity of natural resources, and I am humbled and honored to accept this award on behalf of DEM staff for the work they do every day to maintain these magnificent places for the public good.” Director Coit noted that she is particularly proud of how our state facilities are accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. “Every time I go on the East Bay Bike Path, hang out at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, or visit Lincoln Woods or other state parks, I smile and feel grateful that these areas are available to all and well-loved by everyone.”
 
Honorees at the event were congratulated for helping to make travel and tourism a $5.2 billion industry in Rhode Island that supports more than 41,000 jobs. Increased visitation equals job growth for Rhode Island. Every 187 visitors create a new job in the state, according to an IHS Global Insight study of 2010 Rhode Island tourism results.
 
This year’s luncheon theme of “Beautiful Rhode Island” focused on the beauty and enjoyment of the state’s natural, cultural and historical gems.  Director Coit credited Governor Lincoln Chafee for inspiring the “Beautiful Rhode Island” slogan because he remarks so often about Rhode Island’s unique beauty, physical attributes, and natural assets.
 
 “From the quiet white pine forest in Western Rhode Island, to the sandy barrier beaches of South County, to the rocky shores of Little Compton, we have a lot to be proud of in Beautiful Rhode Island,” said Director Coit.

National Food Day & RI Food Assessment Report Release ~ October 24, 2011

RI DEM Press Release:

“OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION” SUMMARY OF THE RHODE ISLAND FOOD ASSESSMENT TO BE RELEASED AT STATE HOUSE EVENT CELEBRATING NATIONAL FOOD DAY NEXT MONDAY
 
            PROVIDENCE – Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit will join First Lady Stephanie Chafee; Department of Health Director Michael Fine, MD; Senator Susan Sosnowski; Henry Herrera, MD, general manager for Dig Deep Farms & Produce, a project of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Activities League; and others to launch the RI Food Policy Council and release a summary of the RI Food Assessment on Food Day – Monday, October 24.
 
            The 10 a.m. State House event is planned to focus attention on the importance of ensuring a healthy, affordable, sustainable, and locally-grown food supply.  Promoting healthy diets and increasing access to fresh, safe, and affordable food is critical to improving residents’ overall health, and benefits low-income populations in particular.

Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Grant

The Rhode Island Association of Conservation Districts (RIACD) has been awarded $148,853 in grant money by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The grant is called a Beginning Farmer Rancher Development grant. This type of grant is used to help beginning farmers or ranchers in ways that makes it easier for them to get answers to their questions as well as help them learn about the business of farming in today’s ever changing world.

The RIACD will partner with URI, UCONN, and a number of private and public entities to help beginning farmers in three basic ways. There will be a feasibility study done to determine if an equipment bank would be financially viable in the State of Rhode Island as well as Eastern CT and Southeastern MA. There will also be a web tool created that will allow beginning farmers to ask questions and be directed to places where they can access answers to those questions. Lastly, there will be a series of modules that will teach the beginning farmer about his or her business and how to create a financial plan.

For additional information, please contact:

Richard Went, RIACD President
2283 Hartford Avenue
Johnston, RI 02919
401- 934-0840 or 401-345-3974
[email protected]

Volunteers Needed ~ Norman Bird Sanctuary 5K ~ June 18, 2011

Press Release:

Contact: Lesley Muir, Norman Bird Sanctuary Development Director
[email protected], 401-846-2577 ext. 17
 
Volunteers needed for Norman Bird Sanctuary 5K

 
The 5th Annual Norman Bird Sanctuary 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for Saturday, June 18th. Volunteers are needed! Some areas include registration, monitoring the race course, handing out t-shirts, and parking. Flexibility is a must since there is a lot of “hurry up and wait”…but what better place to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning than at NBS! Time commitment is from @6:45am – 10am. In appreciation, all volunteers will receive a weekend pass to this year’s Harvest Fair on October 1st & 2nd!
 
To volunteer: Please contact Lesley Muir at 401-846-2577 ext. 17 or             
[email protected]
 
 

 

DEM to Host 2nd Great Outdoors Pursuit Event Sunday, June 12, 2011

Via email

From: "Gail Mastrati"
Date: June 9, 2011 3:50:09 PM EDT
Subject: DEM to Host 2nd Great Outdoors Pursuit Event Sunday, June 12

News Advisory
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TTY/711 www.dem.ri.gov


Date: Sunday, June 12, 2011
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Haines Memorial State Park, East Providence, RI
Event: RI Great Outdoors Pursuit Event #2


RI Great Outdoors Pursuit to Hold Second Event Sunday at Haines Memorial State Park

Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management will hold its second event for the 2011 Great Outdoors Pursuit at Haines Memorial State Park on Sunday, June 12th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The event will have a host of activities geared towards children and their families to encourage outdoor play and more physical activity. Children will be able to touch and feel sea creatures captured in Narragansett Bay at the EPA's touch tank, create art using seaweed from Rhode Island beaches, climb a 35-foot rock wall, and bike, walk, or rollerblade on a picturesque stretch of the East Bay Bike Path! East Providence Cycle and REI will also provide free bike safety checks and tune-ups to registered participants. A full list of activities and schedule appears below.

The event is free and open to the general public but teams that register for the Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit are eligible for raffles. Registration is free.

For more information, visit www.riparks.com , contact Terri Bisson at (401) 222-3434, or email [email protected].

Eco-Depot Collection in Smithfield ~ June 18, 2011

RIRRC offers free service for Rhode Islanders
 
JOHNSTON, R.I.  – On Saturday, June 18, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, together with the Town of Smithfield, will hold an Eco-Depot collection for household hazardous waste (HHW).  From 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Rhode Islanders can drop off their assorted poisons, propane gas tanks and mercury products at the Smithfield Department of Public Works at 3 Spragueville Road.

This program is a free service for Rhode Island residents, and appointments are required to reduce customer waiting times.

“We are excited to work closely with RIRRC at this event,” said Lori Gagnon, Recycling Coordinator for the Town of Smithfield.  “It’s a great opportunity for Smithfield residents to clean and clear out their hazardous waste and dispose of all their unwanted products conveniently and properly right here in the town.”

Eco-Depot is the popular household hazardous waste program run by RIRRC.  Nearly all households have some amount of HHW stored in sheds, garages, and basements.  Any product that is flammable, combustible, explosive, toxic, corrosive, poisonous and hazardous to health qualifies as HHW.  Examples of common HHW include oil-based paint, fluorescent light bulbs, lawn chemicals, pesticides, antifreeze, pool chemicals, turpentine, muriatic acid, propane gas tanks and fire extinguishers.  They are banned from landfill disposal because they can pollute the environment if discarded improperly.
For a complete list of eligible materials, go to www.rirrc.org.  To make an appointment, click on the Eco-Depot button at the bottom of the page or call 942-1430 x241.   Follow on Twitter @RIRRC.
 
Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation is the quasi-state environmental agency dedicated to providing the public with environmentally sound programs and facilities to manage waste. The agency helps fund and promote the state’s recycling program, and owns and operates the Materials Recycling Facility and Central Landfill in Johnston.

--------

Press Release

Contact: Sarah Kite, 401-942-1430 x112

Backyard & Container Gardening Workshops ~ June 11 & 29, 2011

As part of its mission to enable Providence residents to grow more of their own food, Southside Community Land Trust invites the public to attend two free Plant Providence workshops this month. “Affordable Backyard Gardening” will be offered Saturday, June 11th from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the backyard of a home at 563 Public St.; “Container Gardening” will take place Wednesday, June 29th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at 9 Hammond St. on the city’s west side. Both workshops will be taught by experienced gardeners and/or Community Land Trust staff and will give people the confidence and basic information they need to get started gardening on a small scale.
 
“Affordable Backyard Gardening” is aimed at homeowners in Providence who have available space in front of or behind their houses that could be used as a garden. Growing your own food is already a big cost savings, but this workshop will show people how to do so even more efficiently and provide tips on where they can find inexpensive materials. For those who do not have yards, or those who rent, the “Container Gardening” workshop will illustrate the ways that it is still possible to grow herbs and even vegetables in pots, hanging baskets, and other containers placed on balconies or in windows.
 

Rhode Island is 8th Best on Solutions to Oil Dependence ~ May 2011

... But More is Needed
 
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND -- Rising gas prices are hitting drivers across Rhode Island, but a new report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council with the Sierra Club demonstrates that Rhode Island is a leader in smart transportation policies that can help drivers feel less pain at the pump.  The 2011 edition of “Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States’ Gasoline Price Vulnerability and Solutions for Change”, analyzes state and federal policies to help drivers. According to the report, Rhode Island is among those states doing the most to get off oil, coming in at 8th nationally, due in part to its adoption of strong state vehicle emissions and clean fuel standards as well as its policies that prioritize more efficient, sustainable transportation systems.
 
"Our oil dependence costs us more each day, whether it’s the price at the pump, the dangerous pollution in our air, or the risks we take with our waterways that result in tragedies such as last year’s BP oil spill disaster.” said Nicholas Oliver, Conservation Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Rhode Island Chapter.  “Rhode Island has made great strides to move beyond oil, however we need the Obama Administration to step up and increase vehicle fuel efficiency standards to 60 miles per gallon by 2025.”
 
"There is no immediate solution to high gas prices, but smart transportation polices can reduce gas bills for all drivers, no matter where they live,” said Deron Lovaas, NRDC’s federal transportation policy director. “Better state policies that give residents transportation options, such as transit assistance and telecommuting options, can provide relief. Federal action -- such as increasing vehicle fuel efficiency standards to 60 miles per gallon -- would reduce oil price vulnerability across the board. We know we can’t drill our way toward lower gas prices, so policies like these deliver.”
 
On the federal level, in addition to calling for a 60 mpg standard, the new report recommends stronger investment in public transportation and in the maintenance and repair of decaying infrastructure, as well as the establishment of a national oil-savings objective. The report further recommends that states establish policies that reduce sprawl, reduce the number of miles that citizens need to travel in vehicles to get to work or school or other daily tasks, and promote accessible public transit systems.
 
“Rhode Island is already at work with good policies, but with the increasing consequences of our oil dependence, it’s clear we still need to push forward and Rhode Islanders need to urge President Obama and his administration to do its part,” said Nicholas Oliver. “Adopting a standard of at least 60 mpg for our cars and trucks would be the greatest step America has ever taken to reduce our oil dependency. That’s an opportunity we just can’t afford to pass up.”
 
The full report is available at: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/states/contents.asp. More information about adopting a minimum 60 mpg fuel efficiency standard is available at: http://www.go60mpg.org.
 
###
 
The Rhode Island Chapter of the Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization that represents over 2,000 Rhode Islanders and works to inspire the public to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet.

Press Release

Contact: Nicholas A. Oliver, Conservation Program Coordinator
Sierra Club - Rhode Island Chapter

P: 401-521-4734
F: 401-521-4001
[email protected]
www.go60mpg.org

RenewableNow.TV ~ Wednesdays Beginning on May 11, 2011

New Web-based Show, ReNewable Now,

Focuses on the “Business Side of Green”
 

On May 11, the creators of Arpin Renewable Energy will debut a new Web-based show, ReNewable Now, an eco-conscious series dedicated to the “business side of green.” Peter Arpin, partner of Arpin International Group and award-winning green business advocate, hosts the program at ReNewableNow.TV.
 
“Businesses today are only just beginning to realize the substantial cost savings that ‘going green’ can create for them,” said Peter Arpin. “Our show features discussions with experts at the intersection of green technology and business, who offer valuable data and convincing arguments for why companies should adopt environmentally friendly programs and how they can take steps to implement them.”
 
The show will be launched through a world premiere broadcast on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at ReNewableNow.TV. Every week, a new episode will premier live and then be made available “on demand” the next day.
 
The inaugural show will feature guest Julian Dash, director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation’s Renewable Energy Fund, who will discuss how his organization is helping businesses move towards a greener economy.
 
ReNewable Now brings together government officials, business leaders, community groups, inventors, activists and others from around the world to shed light on ways in which companies can introduce green technologies, programs and practices for conducting activities in an environmentally and economically responsible manner.
 
During each broadcast, Peter Arpin and his guests will explore ways to help companies around the world progress toward sustainable development and engage in environmentally smart practices. The ReNewable Now series challenges viewers to recognize how effective environmental management can positively impact corporate profitability and sustainability.
 
ReNewable Now is currently inviting guests from companies, non-profits, and government organizations from around the world who have a story to share about the “business side of green.”  To be featured on an upcoming episode, visit ReNewableNow.TV and click on the “Become a Guest” button to submit your application.
 
About Peter Arpin
Peter Arpin is part of the fourth generation of family members to run Arpin Group, the U.S.-based moving and storage company first established in 1900. Via his company, Arpin Renewable Energy, Peter Arpin currently leads a team which conducts low-carbon growth research and develops initiatives for businesses. Visit Peter Arpin’s ReNewable Now Blog.

4th Annual Urban Pond Procession ~ May 21, 2011

...to be held Saturday, May 21, 10AM-1PM from Reservoir Avenue

to Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI

The Urban Pond Procession (UPP) returns to Providence this spring, on Saturday, May 21, (rain date May 22) to celebrate the protection of our Pawtuxet watershed and raise awareness about the history and health of the ecosystems in and around some of our city's most beloved ponds. Over 150 participants are expected in this year's procession, including school-aged children, artists, environmental groups, musicians, and more.

The UPP will begin at the boathouse at the southern tip of Mashapaug Pond, tucked behind Ocean State Job Lot—and wind its way through Reservoir and Elmwood neighborhoods to Roger Williams Park, mimicking the path of the water it celebrates.

Participation in UPP has expanded this year to include the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum community reflecting on the significance of Mashapaug Pond in their history and students from Community Prep who are making a public art fence to warn people not to swim in the pond or eat its fish. These two groups will start off the procession by giving presentations on the shores of Mashapaug Pond. Students at Sophia Academy and Nathan Bishop Middle school have been creating percussion instruments out of reclaimed materials to augment the venerable sounds of Providence's internationally recognized Extraordinary Rendition Band and What Cheer? Brigade who will be leading the procession from the Boat House and from Liberty Elm Diner, respectively.  The procession, having been joined by Providence's own Big Nazo Puppets starting at Liberty Elm, will then pause at Roosevelt Lake at the entrance of Roger Williams Park around 11:15 am where nearby residents will share poems inspired by water and connections. Continuing on, the procession will march to the Temple to Music, its terminal stop, where the New England Drummers will be waiting to provide a triumphant welcome and segue into an enlightening speaking and performance program.

The entertainment portion is scheduled to include presentations by New England Native singers, Sophia Academy, Nathan Bishop after school "Build UPP the Beat" group, a play by Green Stage Program at The Met and the Hispanic United Development Organization (HUDO) Dance Academy. Representatives from the City of Providence and the State Departments of Health and Environmental Management will be present to speak about efforts underway to address the environmental conditions of the ponds as well. The festivities will conclude with free food donated by area restaurants and grocers.
 
 In preparation for this year's procession, artists and concerned citizens from across the area came together to learn about environmental history of the Lower Pawtuxet Watershed and organize a series of in-depth art workshops meant to help educate the public about the issues facing the ponds. Additionally this year, UPP invited Loren Spears, Director of the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum to help inform UPP artists, educators and students about the sustainable ways of living with the land and waters her ancestors have espoused for centuries. Art and informational public workshops have been taking place throughout the city at local community events and gathering spots.

For more information and event updates, visit www.urbanpondprocession.org