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Did you miss the March 30 meeting about loss of local control over zoning and land use? We’ve included a video of the meeting in this post in case you would like to see the discussion.

Voters Passed the Chariho budget during Tuesday’s referendum. Charlestown voted 579 in favor to 102 against. Total District voters voted 1741 in favor to 1324 against. Thank you to all who voted!

Ph.D. student Madison Geraci receives a Nature Conservancy award to study microscopic organisms that reveal how local salt marshes respond to restoration and change.

When: Wednesday, April 29 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.

Join URI PhD student Christopher Hickling and the Charlestown Land Trust for an engaging look at the interaction of bobcats and human land use in Rhode Island.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with RI Department of Environmental Management, is hosting the Cinder Worm Workshop, now in its 17th 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.

When: Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m.
Where: Ninigret Park
What: A 5K to commemorate Deerfoot (Tarzan Brown)
Cost:  $25 – Link to register in post

When: May 1, from 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: Francis Carter Preserve, Charlestown
Cost: Walk is free and open to the public
Registration: Preregistration is required (link to preregister in post)
Who: This walk is organized by the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

Hone your observation skills and improve your ability to identify wildflowers.

When: Thursday, April 16 (Rain Date: April 17) 3:30 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown
Cost: This event is free and open to all – No pre-registration required
Warm up with hot cocoa and join arborist Dan Weise for this next event in CLT’s 2026 Speaker Series! Dan will lead a guided forest walk featuring tree and shrub identification and much more.

When: Thursday, April 16 at 5 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.
Join the Charlestown Land Trust for a presentation with landscape architect and arborist Michael Cavanagh on invasive plant management. A focus on the native plant communities that are used to support local ecosystems and to minimize invasive plant problems.

When: Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: Special Town Council Meeting to review, and possibly change the 2026-2027 town budget

On April 1, the Town Council will have its first look at the municipal budget recommended by the Budget Commission for the coming year that begins July 1. At the meeting, the Council will review the budget, and may make revisions.

The Department of Environmental Management is reminding Rhode Islanders to remove potential food sources from their properties as black bears emerge with warmer weather. Bird feeders, unsecured trash cans, livestock feed, and other easily available household and backyard food sources attract bears primarily in early spring, during droughts, or in the fall when they are trying to put on weight for hibernation.

When: Monday, March 30 at 6:30 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: Public workshop of the Town Council and representatives of other impacted towns

The workshop, proposed by Councilor Bonnie Van Slyke, will begin an in-depth conversation about issues surrounding housing and state mandates.

Let the Rhode Island Senate know that you support Senator Victoria Gu’s bill to protect our environment and natural resources. This bill would give local communities greater control over the density of housing developments built on public drinking water supply watersheds and groundwater so clean it is classified as suitable for drinking without treatment. Sample email to send in post.

In addition to our in memoriam post, there is also now an obituary for Donna Chambers where you can leave messages for the family.

When: Tuesday, April 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: All-day referendum on 2026/2027 Chariho Regional School District Budget
Under the state law governing Chariho, a majority of the citizens of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton must approve the Chariho School District Budget by referendum in order for the budget to be adopted.

What: 401Gives Statewide Day of Giving
When: April 1, 2026 (4-01!) (March 31, 6:00am through April 1, 6:00pm)
Why: 401Gives brings people together to make a difference for local nonprofits that protect our beautiful community that is so rich in natural resources. 401Gives unites and offers everyone a safe, comfortable, and familiar virtual fundraising experience, all while giving nonprofits unrestricted funds that strengthen our community.

When: Monday, March 30 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Cost: Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.
Join the Charlestown Land Trust for a presentation with RI DEM Forest Health Program Coordinator Alana Russell for a presentation exploring how warming temperatures are influencing beetle populations and what this means for Rhode Island’s pitch pine forests.

With the sad passing of Donna Chambers there is now a vacancy on the Chariho School Committee. Donna was one of Charlestown’s four representatives to the Committee. The Charlestown Town Council will appoint someone to fill this position at the April 27 Town Council meeting. The appointee will serve until the November election.

At the March 9 Town Council meeting, Councilor Bonnie Van Slyke introduced a resolution in support of Representative Megan Cotter’s and Senator Victoria Gu’s bills to protect our drinking water. Our zoning is designed to protect our drinking water, but enormous housing density bonuses put our drinking water at risk.

Scott Millar is an Environmental Scientist and Land Use Planner who worked in leadership positions at the RI Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) and Grow Smart Rhode Island. In this post he explains why watersheds for public surface water and groundwater drinking water supplies are not appropriate for high-density development.

It is with heavy hearts that we must report the passing of Donna Chambers. Donna served on the Chariho School Committee representing Charlestown from 2013 to the present. Throughout her tenure, Donna was one of the most qualified members of the Committee. Donna and her husband Michael were among the founding members of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance and she always remained dedicated to good government and the protection of Charlestown’s beautiful natural resources.

RI DEM Onsite Wastewater Treatment System rules focus on individual system compliance rather than cumulative impact analysis. While designed to prevent individual failures, they fail to address the collective, long-term nutrient loading from high-density, individual septic systems on groundwater and coastal watersheds.

This year Charlestown voters will elect the individuals who will lead our town into the future, and it matters who is elected to town government. Much of what has been created and protected is at risk if people who cherish Charlestown’s beautiful, natural character do not stand up and volunteer to guide our town. Needed are individuals who understand that protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources are critical to maintaining our quality of life and our low tax rate.

When: Saturday, March 7 from 10 am to 12 pm
Where: The Caf Bar, 5153 Post Road (The Venue at Wilcox Tavern)
Who: Stephen McCandless, Charlestown GIS Coordinator and Coastal Geologist; and Charlestown’s State Representative Tina Spears
The purpose of this act is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to fund coastal preparedness and resilience projects that protect Rhode Island’s communities, critical facilities, and natural systems