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Moonlight Cruise on Narragansett Bay

4th annual – Join us for another magical moonrise over Narragansett Bay on the Prudence Ferry while dancing to music under the stars.

Our annual “not to be missed” event! The Warren Land Trust will have Music! Dancing! Stunning Sunset! and Exquisite Moonrise! as we enjoy our picnics on the Prudence Ferry. We’ll dance under the stars to live music of Brother Breen and the Castaways, with special guests Miss Maness and Lily Rhodes.

Bring your favorite food and beverage, as well as a folding chair. Dress casual, including an extra layer.

Tickets on sale on Eventbrite.

Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative 2024

photo credit: Jason Jaacks

We are very grateful to Warren Land Trust for permission to study the breeding ecology of Saltmarsh Sparrows (SALS) at Jacob’s Point (JP) which has provided stakeholders (RIDEM, Save The Bay, USFWS) with baseline data that provides valuable guidance in generating management strategies.
These saltmarsh-obligate birds are heading precariously close to extinction, primarily due to flooding with secondary nest failures due to predation. On this 7 year composite map (below) that Jim O’Neill created, waterfall icons represent flooded nests; solid dots are depredated nests; bird icons reveal successful nests.

Based upon this data, we will determine where to lift nests that are at the highest risk for flooding in 2024, using coffee filters as nest protectors which are mounted upon stakes that will be raised above the flooding threshold.

It has been a busy “off season” while writing grant applications, submitting papers for publication, measuring museum specimens of SALS to compare to modern birds, securing funding for student interns, and presenting findings at Audubon’s annual Conservation Symposium.

Raised nest with protective coffee filter. photo credit: Deirdre Robinson

The sparrows returned to JP during the first week in May, when we began the search for cryptic nests and test the hypothesis that nest lifting can postpone their date with extinction. If this novel intervention is successful at JP, we hope that our protocol will be scalable to saltmarshes from VA to ME, where Saltmarsh Sparrows exclusively breed.

As E.O. Wilson famously said, “Conservation biology is a discipline with a deadline.”

Thanks to the Warren Land Trust for allowing us to postpone the extinction deadline for this valuable bird who is an indicator species for the health of the saltmarsh ecosystem.

-Deirdre Robinson, SSRI Co-Director

 

 

 

 

 

map created by Jim O’Neill

The Sowams Heritage Area Project Hosts the Next Round of Community Conversations

The Sowams Heritage Area Project invites members of the community to participate in a community conversation to discuss the significance of Sowams, the ancestral homeland of the Massasoit Ousamequin who welcomed the Pilgrims in 1621, and the extraordinary array of resources that can be found on its landscape.

Free to the public, the conversation will be held twice:
  • March 26, 2024, at 3:30pm at the Seekonk Public Library
  • March 27, 2024, at 7:00pm at Mt. Hope Farm

 

Haile Farm Preserve Plant Inventory

WLCT is excited to share a report from the New England Botanical Society in their efforts to enhance the herbarium records for Bristol County, RI.

You can access the full list of species from the collection foray here.

Society members collected and analyzed 49 vascular plant species at Haile Farm Preserve. 22 species (45%) had never been documented in Bristol County, and 13 had not been documented in the last century! Specimens are stored at Brown University and New England Botanical Society at Harvard University Herbaria.

Thanks to the entire team at New England Botanical Society! As shared by Lisa A. Standley PhD,  NEBS Curator of Vascular Plants: “These results are tremendously valuable to our knowledge of the distribution and status of plants in New England.”

How can you help? Join iNaturalist and contribute your observations to the Biodiversity at Haile Farm Preserve project! 

An Exciting Opportunity! Pre-register NOW

Join the Warren Land Conservation Trust and the Rhode Island Land Trust Council for an brief talk on Friday, August 21 at 6pm by entomologist Ben Gagliardi, followed by a self-guided walk at Haile Farm Preserve to kick off Land Trust Days 2020!

The Haile Farm Preserve, one of the signature properties of the Warren Land Conservation Trust, is comprised of 60 acres and has approximately two and a half miles of easy walking trails.  It is remarkable for its variety of ecosystems ranging from upland forests (including numerous stone walls) to tidal marshes. Several trails lead to outstanding views of the Palmer River.  The new Jade Trail, completed this spring, leaves from New Industrial Way and provides an opportunity for an interesting “loop” walk.

Ben will give an introduction about local insect diversity and include some examples/photos/descriptions/stories about insects that he has encountered along the Haile Farm Preserve trails. Following the talk, attendees will guide themselves along the preserve’s trail systems and then reconvene at 7:15pm to review our discoveries.

To make the walk even more interesting, bring your smart phone to take pictures of interesting things you see along the trail and upload them to a project on the iNaturalist app and/or collect live specimens in jars/containers that you can bring along! We will set up a table for touchless viewing.

All participants must wear a face covering. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring bug spray. This event is FREE and suitable for all ages. Leashed dogs are welcome.

This event will be limited to 25 attendees to allow for adequate distancing during the talk & along the trail. All attendees (including guests – limit 2) must be pre-registered on the MeetUp event.

Rain Date: Saturday, August 22 at 6pm.

Questions? Contact:  Michael Gerhardt (Cell:  401-529-0563)  
email:  mgerhardt39@yahoo.com

Directions & Parking There is adequate parking at the entrance — which is at the end of New Industrial Way, Warren.