Outside Source

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is actively investigating the former Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (CNALF) under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS). CNALF is currently Ninigret Park and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in Charlestown. A Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is one of many methods USACE may use to facilitate public participation. Details on how to be part of the RAB in post.

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When: Saturday, June 8 from 12 p.m to 4 p.m
Where: Ninigret Park
What: Dancing – Music – Shopping – Food
Tomaquag Museum is Rhode Island’s only museum entirely dedicated to telling the story of the Indigenous peoples of this land.

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Parade on Old Post Road on Sunday
When: Sunday, May 26 at 1 p.m.
Where: Starts at the South Kingstown line and ends at Charlestown Liquor Store

Parade in Carolina on Monday
When: Monday, May 27 at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Starts at the Richmond-Carolina Fire Station and ends at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown.

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Learn About the Birds  of the Salt Ponds in an online meeting and then take a guided bird walk from the Quonnie Breachway.
Zoom Meeting: Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 PM
Bird Walk: Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 AM
More details and links to register in the post.

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When: Friday, May 17 at 9:00 am
Where: Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown
What: Release of two seals back to the wild
Gnocchi is young male gray seal and Ditalini is a juvenile male harp seal.
Please remember that seal release dates and times may change without notice.

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The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island announce their 24th Annual Amateur Photo Competition to highlight the beauty of the five refuges that comprise the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Amateur photographers are encouraged to enter their existing refuge color photos or to take new ones. Photos and a $10 entry fee per photo must be received by September 5, 2024.

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Rhode Island’s seven native turtle species are on the move to find nests and resources after spending the winter in brumation, their own version of hibernation. When turtles leave their safe winter homes under mud or leaf litter, their search for resources and nesting spots often takes them across dangerous roadways. Read the post to learn how you can help turtles.

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Charlestown voted 829 in favor to 330 against.
Richmond voted 782 in favor to 798 against
Hopkinton voted 705 in favor to 1278 against.
All three towns needed to pass the bond for it to be a success. Because Hopkinton decisively turned down the bond, the bond has failed.

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When: Friday, May 10 at 9:00 am
Where: Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown
What: Release of two seals back to the wild
Rotini is a female harbor seal yearling and Manicotti is a female gray seal.
Please remember that seal release dates and times may change without notice.

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When: Saturday, May 11, 8:00 a.m. to Noon (come early for the best selection)
Where: St James Parish Center, 2079 Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free parking and admission
This Plant Sale features flowering annual plants, hanging baskets, vegetables, herbs, and perennials from members’ gardens. There will also be Mother’s Day gifts and a raffle. Again this year will be a soil-testing table run by their Master Gardeners; please bring a cup of your soil for analysis.

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It’s Not Whether You Stock, but Where. Turek says he has no objection to hatchery fish being stocked in waterbodies that don’t have native trout already living there. Corayer believes the focus of trout management in Rhode Island should shift from recreation to conservation. “I firmly believe that our state would be far better served by teaching people about the beauty of our natural surroundings and the potential to catch a gorgeous brook trout in the woods or along the side of the road as opposed to just dumping fish in a pond and letting them succumb to predation and starvation.”

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This letter was written by Gina Picard, Chariho Superintendent of Schools, to explain the May 7 referendum. “For the district to become more efficient, we must address the issues of our aging elementary school facilities. The cost of operating four aging buildings will be the same, and in some cases more, than embarking on new construction. Unfortunately, some believe you will save taxpayer dollars by saying “no” to this bond. The reality is that saying “no” to the school bond will cost the taxpayers more as the needs of the facilities continue to increase.”

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This capital improvement plan has a strategic focus on the elementary schools. It lays the groundwork for a significant long-term investment in the District to improve facility infrastructure, increase fiscal and operational efficiency, and enhance educational spaces. The Chariho proposal is a $150M bond with 76-81% state aid over an estimated 25-year term.

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Natural Resources Conservation Service in Rhode Island announces a third application sign up period for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program RI Forest Health Works. Apply by May 17, 2024, to be eligible for the third round of fiscal year 2024 funding.

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Insects and their importance to migratory birds is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day on May 11. Charlestown is part of the Atlantic Flyway, one of the main routes for both the north and south bird migrations. Our town is home to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, which was established to protect migratory birds. The numbers of birds migrating through Charlestown is significant.

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When: Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown RI
Find spring ephemerals and early blooming perennials and shrubs, perfectly timed for early pollinators and nesting birds, along with ferns and grasses.

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With or without the May 7 Bond, the estimated yearly obligation in the Chariho operating budget would be approximately $2.3 Million for all three towns. Charlestown’s share would be approximately $553,254 per year. The big difference is that by passing the bond, Chariho will receive $112 Million from the state. The May 7 school bond is the most fiscally responsible and educationally sound plan for the district.

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Early in-person voting is taking place now at Town Hall, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from now to May 6. Tuesday, May 7 is the all day Referendum. With or without the Bond, the Chariho operating budget will be the same, rejecting the bond will not save money. Please read the post for more details.

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When: Monday, April 29, from 6 p.m to 8 p.m.
Where: Quonochontaug Grange, 5662 Post Road, Charlestown
What: Charlestown’s State Representative Tina Spears and RI State Senator Victoria Gu, who represents the southern and most western parts of Charlestown, are holding an informational meeting on Climate Resiliency.

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A URI-led team of researchers has found direct evidence of a species – the American woodcock, a migratory shorebird from eastern and central North America – that overlaps periods of migration and reproduction, a rare breeding strategy known as “itinerant breeding.”

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Early in-person voting will take place at Town Hall, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 17 to May 6. Tuesday, May 7 is the all day Referendum. With or without the Bond, the Chariho operating budget will be the same, rejecting the bond will not save money. Please read the post for more details.

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Voters Passed the Chariho budget during Tuesday’s referendum. Charlestown voted 372 in favor to 78 against. Total District voters voted 1203 in favor to 949 against. Thank you to all who voted!

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The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with RI Department of Environmental Management, is hosting the Cinder Worm Workshop, now in its fifteenth year. There will be an evening class in fly tying instruction and one weekend evening of fly fishing, all free and without charge to registrants. The course syllabus is a treasure chest of comprehensive knowledge and instructional excellence. Dates and details in post.

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The Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife is seeking the public’s help to identify Bald Eagle nests throughout the state. With your help, they can keep the nesting database up to date to better inform conservation in Rhode Island. Contact email to report your nest sightings is in this post.

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DEM is reminding Rhode Islanders to remain vigilant for invasive species as their lifecycles progress and they emerge during the spring. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) and Winter Moth are two invasive species that remain the focus of DEM’s Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment’s Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) and Forest Health Program efforts to monitor and limit the spread of pests which represent a tangible threat to Rhode Island’s agriculture and forests.

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The commission studying forest management and fire prevention in Rhode Island’s forests has released its final report, recommending that the state allocate considerably more resources to mitigating the risk of wildfires. With forestry staff at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management cut by 75% since 1990, the agency has been able to manage just 1% of the state’s forests.

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2024 Earth Day Celebration
When: Saturday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Ninigret Park
What: Free activities for the whole family

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Submit your information at the “Make the Green Bond Greener” link in this post, and the Rhode Island Land Trust Council will deliver a postcard on your behalf to your RI state legislators to let them know you support returning money for land preservation to conserve important landscapes, watersheds, and farms to the “Green Bond” that will be on the 2024 state-wide general election ballot.

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