We welcome people of all botanical abilities at our events.
Beginners or experts, amateurs or professionals ...
we all come to enjoy and learn about wild plants.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
for all events with fees (and sometimes for those without fees). Register by contacting the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 (if you leave a message, we'll get back to you on
the next business day, or office@riwps.org. Registration closes 48 hours before the walk or as soon are the maximum number of people register, so please register early.
FEES: Members pay $5, Non-members, $10. Some programs have a higher fee; others may be free. We appreciate receiving your payment in the mail prior to the walk.
This reserves your place in the program. Send check to RIWPS, PO Box 414, Exeter, RI, 02822.
WAITING LISTS: If an event is full when your registration is
received, you will be asked if you wish to be on the Waiting List.
CONFIRMATION: Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more details
by e-mail or telephone. Please be sure we have your email address, if you have one, as this is both the quickest and most efficient way to receive a quick response.
Remember we often have a waiting list for the walks and programs, so it is to your benefit to complete your registration as soon as possible.
CANCELLATION:
If you must cancel, please contact the office via email or leave a voicemail message (401-789-7497) as soon as possible so that we may notify those on the waiting list.
REFUNDS: No refunds unless RIWPS cancels. |
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WALK NOTES |
SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2010 WALKS & LECTURES HANDOUT
Click HereWALK NOTES & GUIDELINES
Click HereMost of our programs can accommodate only a limited number of participants, so we ask that you do the
following to secure your spot:
ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for all events with fees (and sometimes for those without fees). Register by
contacting the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 (if you leave a message, we'll get back to you on the next business day, or
office@riwps.org. Registration closes 48
hours before the walk or as soon are the maximum number of people register, so please register early.
FEES: Members pay $5, Non-members, $10.
Some programs have a higher fee; others may be free. We appreciate receiving your payment in the mail prior to the walk. This reserves your place in the
program. Send check to RIWPS, PO Box 414, Exeter, RI, 02822.
WAITING LISTS: If an event is full when your registration is received, you will be
asked if you wish to be on the Waiting List.
CONFIRMATION: Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more details by e-mail
or telephone. Please be sure we have your email address, if you have one, as this is both the quickest and most efficient way to receive a quick response.
Remember we often have a waiting list for the walks and programs, so it is to your benefit to complete your registration as soon as possible.
CANCELLATION:
If you must cancel, please contact the office via email or leave a voicemail message (401-789-7497) as soon as possible so that we may notify those on the waiting list.
REFUNDS: No refunds unless RIWPS cancels.
DIFFICULTY: For your guidance, our walks are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous
for healthy people of average physical ability. Our leaders are volunteers with no special training in first aid; participants assume full responsibility for their own well being.
DRESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS:
Dress appropriately, usually in long pants, socks (for protection from poison ivy, briers and ticks) and sturdy shoes. Other options depending on the season, weather, and subject: insect repellant, hat, rubber boots, during hunting season an orange vest, field guides, hand lens, small notebook, hiking stick.
INCLEMENT WEATHER: Most events are held regardless of the weather. In case of cancellation or postponement you will be notified.
PLEASE HELP US PROTECT OUR NATURAL AREAS: No smoking, no collecting, and no pets at our events. |
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VEGETATION OF THE SUCCOTASH SALT MARSH
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, September 18, 2010 1 to 3 pm
Rain date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
1 to 3 pm
Come and explore the diverse plants of the tidal
marsh habitat. Many of the species are found only in this ecosystem where some have adapted to daily inundation by saltwater in the low marsh, and others
to the sandy, dry conditions of the upland border. We will visit the marsh at low tide; however expect footwear to get muddy. So plan to wear old shoes or
rubber boots that won't be ruined by the mud and salt water.Leader: Carl Sawyer
Moderate
Pre-registration required at least 48 hours prior.
Fee: Members $5, Non-members $10.
Minimum 8, maximum 15
Directions and meeting place will be sent to those who have registered. SEED COLLECTING, SAVING, AND SHARING
Portsmouth Library
2658 East Main Road
Portsmouth, RI
Saturday, September 25, 2010
9:30 – 11 am
Fall is a grand time to plan for changes to be made in your garden. Collecting and saving the seeds from
your favorite plants is a good way to begin and can be a rewarding experience. Sharing your extra seeds will help someone else expand their garden pallet.
Come to this lecture to learn how to collect seeds, what storage treatment they may need and to find out when to start planting the seeds so they will be
just the right size when spring arrives again. The presenter, Marty Fisher, enjoys blooming plants along with ripening seed heads in her garden. All of her
plants have been grown from seeds that she has saved, collected, or bought. The fun of propagating seeds continues year after year. Attendees are invited to bring seeds to share. Leader: Marty Fisher
Pre-registration required at least 48 hours prior.
Minimum 8, maximum 30
Fee: No fee. TOUR OF HARVARD FOREST AND FISHER MUSEUM
Petersham, MA
Sunday, September 26, 2010
12 noon (on site) to 3:00 p.m.  This will be a memorable afternoon, spent with John O'Keefe, co-author of New England Forests Through Time, and long-time
Coordinator of the Fisher Museum. The tour will begin with a video and discussion of the history and mission of Harvard Forest, followed by an interpreted tour of the Museum's main exhibit,
the internationally acclaimed dioramas portraying the history, conservation and management of central New England's forests. Finally, we will take a walk into one of the most
intensively studied tracts in North America, the 3,000-acre site for Harvard Forest studies and long term ecological research. We will see a variety of woodland
communities and the different species composition patterns resulting from 270 years of varied land use.
Leader: Garry Plunkett
Moderate
Pre-registration required at least 48 hours prior.
Fee: Members $10, non-members $20.
Minimum 8, maximum 15
Directions and car pool arrangements will be sent to those who have registered.
MUSHROOM WALK AT ALTON JONES
Alton Jones Education Center
West Greenwich, RI
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
3 – 5 pm
Rain date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010
3-5 pm  Fungus is everywhere, but mostly we only notice it when it
decides to send out its spore producing fruit, the mushroom. At the Nettie Marie Jones Nature Preserve the variety of habitats, from the mixed hardwood forest to streams and old
fields, should give us a diversity of mushrooms to look for and learn about. We will pick one of each type and try to identify it to a major group. There is NO collecting on this foray. You are
advised never to eat a wild mushroom unless you are positive of its species. Many mushrooms look alike, but some are deadly.
Leader: Noel Rowe, experienced amateur Mushroom Enthusiast
Easy
Pre-registration required at least 48 hours prior.
Fee: Members $5, non-members $10
Minimum 5, maximum 15
Directions will be sent to those who have registered.
FALL FOLIAGE IDENTIFICATION
Pulaski State Park
West Glocester, RI
Sunday, October 17, 2010
1 to 3 pm
Rain date: Sunday, October 24, 2010
1 - 3 pm
 This program is the fourth and final event in the Paul Dolan Tree Identification series for
the 2009-10 season. This time he will take us to Pulaski Park in northwestern RI -- one of the best areas in the state to see fall color. The kaleidoscope of changing leaf colors
contrast with the woods around Peck's Pond to remind us how fortunate we are to live in this part of New England. Access for most people will be via Route 44. Leader: Paul Dolan
Moderate
Pre-registration required at least 48 hours prior.
Fee: Members $5, Non-members $10.
Minimum 5, maximum: 15
Directions and meeting place will be sent to those who have registered. Leave plenty time to get there! Save the Date
RIWPS General Meeting
November 13, 2010 Guest Speaker: Scott Ruhren, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Conservation at the
Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Location tbd.
Past Events MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE FIELD AND FOREST
Carolina Management Area
Saturday, June 26, 2010 (Registration CLOSED)
9:00-11:00 am
Leader: Liz Hassinger, DVM
Join herbalist and holistic veterinarian, Liz Hassinger, on a walk to discover the many native medicinal plants that grow in southern Rhode Island. We will discuss the historic
and modern uses of plants as medicines. Please dress for tick prevention. Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org | Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7
Min. 5, Max. 15
Weather date: Sun., June 27, 9:00-11:00 amTHE LEDGES OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
Charlestown, RI -- (Burlingame State Park)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
~ 9:00am - 12:00 noon
Leader: Doug McGrady
***AND***
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Same time/same place
Leader: Doug McGrady  Late spring in Burlingame has many geological as well as
botanical features. The terrain at the north end is quite varied. These variations create habitats favored by particular plant communities. From the Atlantic White Cedar
Swamps to the Red Cedar Rocky Summits, we'll make an effort to explore as many habitats as we can. We will look closely at the hilly areas of Oak / Heath forest where the
bedrock seems never far from the surface. In places that bedrock is exposed as vertical ledge and sometimes as broad expanses of flat rock.
The sunny, flat rocks are somewhat characteristic of the area. They create generally harsh micro-habitats that support plant communities unexpected in the forest.
Moderate – Strenuous
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org | Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. 5, Max. 15
Weather Date: Sun., June 20, 9:00- noon
A MEMORIAL WALK FOR MARTHA MARSHALL
Memorials, Memories and Martha
Sunday, May 30, 2010
10:00am – 12noon
Caratunk Wildlife Refuge
ASRI
Seekonk, MA
Join Kathy Barton at Caratunk Wildlife Refuge for a spring wildflower walk in memory of Martha Marshall, Marine sergeant, past president of RIWPS and a long time employee
of the Audubon Society of RI. Bring your memories of Martha and if you didn't know Martha, come and meet an extraordinary woman. Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email:
office@riwps.org
| Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. 5, Max. 15
Weather Date & Time: Mon., May 31, 10:00-12noon LATE SPRING BLOOMS AT TRUSTOM POND NWR
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, May 29, 2010
1:00-3:00 pm
Field Trip
Leaders: Dave & Nancy Clayton
(USFWS Volunteer Naturalists)  Join experienced naturalists in the search for wild flowers in bloom. This refuge has a variety of habitats, including
upland, grassland, coastal deciduous hardwood forest, fresh, and brackish-water marshes and a wooded swamp. Flowers we might see include Anemone, Verbascum,
Wood Betony, Thalictrum, Skunk Cabbage, Tall Meadowrue, Marsh Marigold, Jack-in-the-pulpit, False Hellebore and maybe a rare orchid.
Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org
| Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. 5, Max. 15
Weather Date: Sun., May 30, 1:00-3:00pm GREAT SWAMP SAUNTER
A Walk on the Wild Side in memory of Norman Boyer
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, May 22, 2010
1:00-3:00 pm
Leaders: Anne B. Wagner and Francis Underwood
Norm Boyer used to slowly drive the back roads of Rhode Island, noting the plants as he went. On this field trip we will saunter along a road in an open section of the Great
Swamp Wildlife Management Area noting the plants we see and learning about the habitats we pass through. Every year is a little different, depending upon the weather.
Come along with us to see what conditions are like this year. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide and a hand lens are always useful to have with you. Boots are optional; the trail is usually dry. Moderate
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org
| Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. 5, Max. 15
(Raindate: Sunday, May 23, 1:00 -3:00 pm)
UNDERSTANDING NEWCOMB'S WILDFLOWER GUIDE
47 Sawmill Rd., Harmony
Saturday, May 8, 2010
10:00am - 12:30pm
Garden Walk and Lecture
Leader: Cheryl Cadwell  In order to effectively use any plant guide, you need to be
familiar with the anatomical terminology and the variations that can often be frustrating when using a key. This class will be aimed at beginners, but should make a good refresher
session for those with more experience. Bring a wildflower guide, preferably Newcomb's, a magnifying glass and wet weather gear in case it rains. Cheryl's beautiful garden will
provide many specimens for practicing your keying skills.
Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org | Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. #5, Max. #20
Rain or Shine
EVOLUTION OF AN URBAN FOREST
Rhode Island College, Providence
Saturday, April 24, 2010
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Field Trip
Leader: John Campanini This walk will follow the campus Tree Map developed as part of the college's 50th year celebration in the Mount Pleasant area of Providence.
Our leader, John Campanini, is currently Technical Advisor to the RI Tree Council. John was formerly Providence City Forester. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at
URI. John is an inspiring teacher of arboriculture. We will be viewing selected trees that represent a sample of those found on the site
50 years ago, as well as some of the trees planted as new buildings were built. Approximately forty percent of the trees on campus are native species. This walk will
cover most of the 60 marked trees compiled by former RIWPS Board member Dr. Jerry Melarango. We too will learn from Jerry's valued legacy. Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: Members $5., Non-members $7.
Min. 5, Maximum 18
Weather Date: Sunday, April 25, 1:30 – 3:00 pm RHODE ISLAND VIOLETS
15 Evergreen Drive, Johnston
Saturday, April 24, 2010
10:00am - 12:00 noon
Leaders: Helen Lusi and Kathy Barton  Join Helen and Kathy in exploring the world of Rhode Island's native violets in Helen's garden. These two women have many years of experience in growing,
searching for, writing, leading walks about and sharing their knowledge of our state flower, Viola sororia, and many more of our state's native violets. We will walk in
the garden, look at slides and maybe even taste something made by Helen using her famous violet syrup.
Easy
Members $5, non-members $7
Min. 5, Max. 15 "A SENSE OF WONDER"
A film about the compelling story of Rachel Carson's appreciation of the natural world and her fight to protect it.
Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island
Movie followed by discussion.
North Kingstown Library, 100 Boone St.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
2:00 pm
This film begins in Miss Carson's summer home as she was preparing to leave. Fighting cancer, she fears this may be her last visit to her beloved Maine coast. The story
continues two months later in the furor over her book Silent Spring. Carson is simultaneously battling the chemical industry, the government, and the press to get
her message to Congress and the American people. It is an inspiring story of her courageousness, and the impact her tenacity and voice have had on the environment Easy
No registration necessary. Open to the public - invite your friends!
Fee: Free
Max. 50 TREE ID IN SPRING
Scituate
Saturday, April 10, 2010
10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Field Trip
Leader: Paul Dolan February may make you shiver, but April sunshine will warm your hearts. As spring starts emerging, our trees and shrubs will be awakened. This field trip will inform you
on what buds and leaves are emerging, You will learn how to identify our natives, invasives and cultivars, by their leaves, buds, and flowers. Come for a stroll in the
northwest corner of our state in the Scituate reservoir watershed. Our leader is an enthusiastic forester and teacher. This will be the second trip in Paul's seasonal Tree ID series.
Easy
Pre-registration required 48 hours prior.
Email: office@riwps.org | Voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee : Members $5., non-members $7.
Min. #5, Max. #15
Weather date and time: Sun. April 11, 1:00 - 3:00pm NEEDLES AND CONES
Portsmouth Library
Sunday, March 21, 2010
1:30 - 3:30 pm
Lecture, with photos and cut specimens
Leader: Garry Plunkett  Northeastern woodlands are enlivened in winter by an
array of evergreen trees and this program will freshen your knowledge of our native conifers. Join us to rediscover the delight of flat, friendly firs and square,
sticky spruces. You'll go home knowing the difference between larches and tamaracks, why some hemlock needles are upside down, and wondering why gymnosperm seeds are naked.
Easy. Rain or shine
Pre-registration required
Email: office@riwps.org or voicemail: 401-789-7497
Fee: none
Max. 30
WALK NOTES |
MARCH-APRIL 2010 WALKS & LECTURES HANDOUT
Click HereMost of our programs can accommodate only
a limited number of participants, so we ask that you do the following to secure your spot: ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
for all events with fees (and sometimes for those without fees). Register by contacting the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 (be sure to leave a message – we'll get back to you within 24 hours) or
office@riwps.org, or on occasion, the person listed as a contact. Registration closes 48 hours before the walk, and may fill up even
sooner, so please register early.STANDARD FEE
for members is $5, for non-members, $7. Payment must be made 48 hours prior to the walk. If you have a program credit, be sure to let us know. Send check to RIWPS, PO Box 414, Exeter, RI 02822.
CONFIRMATION:
Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more details by e-mail or telephone. Email is the most efficient and timely way to receive a quick response. Remember we often have a waiting list for the walks and programs, so it is to your benefit to complete your registration as soon as possible.
DIFFICULTY:
For your guidance, our walks are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous for healthy people of average physical ability. Our leaders are volunteers with no special training in first aid; therefore, participants assume full responsibility for their own well being.
CANCELLATION:
If you must cancel, please notify the person with whom you registered as soon as possible so that we may notify those on the waiting list. Leave a message if no one answers. If you cancel within 24 hours of an event, or on a weekend, call the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 and leave a message.
DRESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS: Dress appropriately, usually in long pants, socks (for protection from poison ivy, briers and
ticks) and sturdy shoes. Equipment options might include insect repellent, hat, rubber boots, field guides, hand lens, small notebook, and/or hiking stick. PLEASE HELP US PROTECT OUR NATURAL AREAS: No smoking, collecting, or pets at our events. |
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ANNUAL MEETING
North Kingstown
Saturday, March 13, 2010
North Kingstown Senior Center
44 Beach St., North Kingstown 02852
For directions go to www.northkingstown.org1:00 pm- Business meeting & Induction of new officers and Board of Directors
2:00 pm -Refreshments & fellowship
2:30 pm - Guest Speaker
If your last name begins with the letters A-M please bring refreshments to share. Forests in Transition: Conservation Challenges for the Future
Speaker: Thomas J. Rawinski
 Rhode Island supports a rich variety of plant life,
including trees of many kinds. But forests are under threat as never before from insect pests, tree diseases, invasive plants, and overabundant white-tailed deer. Tom Rawinski, a U.S. Forest
Service botanist, will discuss forest health and biodiversity conservation issues in Rhode Island. Concerned citizens can play an important role in mitigating these threats,
and conserving Rhode Island's wondrous natural heritage. Tom is a US Forest Service botanist based in Durham, NH. His work focuses on invasive plant issues in the
New England-New York region. He began his professional career in 1982 with The Nature Conservancy, classifying New England's natural communities and conducting field studies throughout
the Northeast. In recent years Tom has worked for the Massachusetts Audubon Society as their director of ecological management. In 2001 Tom received the
New England Wild Flower Society's Conservation Award. RIWPS Annual Meeting is Free and Open to the Public
Seed Propagation of Native Perennials:
A Lecture and Demonstration
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Presenter: Marty Fisher
10:00 am - 12:00 noon Location: Portsmouth Library
2658 East Main Rd.
Portsmouth, RI Weather Date: Sat., Jan. 30, 2-4pm
 The propagation of native plants from seed is not a difficult
process. There are a few special techniques that will make it easier for the gardener to be successful. This lecture and demonstration will cover ways to prepare the seed, soils to
use, and the care and transplanting of the delicate seedlings. Our presenter, Marty Fisher, had a native plant nursery in Colorado, growing wildflowers for the retail and wholesale
trade. Since moving to Rhode Island she has continued to explore the wildflowers here and to grow many of them from seed.
A great way to get the cold of winter to pass quickly is to
dream of beautiful summer wildflowers, check through your seed catalogs and then come to the Portsmouth Library and hear Marty, now Rhode Island's talented propagator.
Min. #5, Max. #30
Fee: FREE - Pre-registration required
Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more details by e-mail or telephone. RIWPS JANUARY GENERAL MEETING
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Dr. Rebecca Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Rhode Island
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Location:
South Kingstown Land Trust Barn
17 Matunuck Beach Rd.
South Kingstown, RI
Talk: "Survival of the fittest: Native and Naturalized grasses in High-stress Environments"
Dr. Brown's talk will focus on the work she has done with the adaptations that grasses, both native and naturalized, have developed in order to survive. This talk will
cover the different stresses these plants encounter and why in some cases native plants are the best adapted and in other cases introduced plants out-compete the natives. TREE ID IN WINTER
120 Nipmuc Rd., Foster, RI
Sat., Dec. 5, 10:30-noon
(weather date: Sun., Dec. 6, 1pm-2:30pm)
Leader: Paul Dolan
Bundle up for the weather and join RIWPS Board Member Paul Dolan for a tree walk in
Foster. He will introduce us to the native trees on his own property in northwest RI. We will learn how to identify over twenty deciduous and evergreen trees. He will
discuss tree cultivars and invasive species in the woods. This is a great opportunity to learn from an experienced forester. Paul is the Deputy Chief of the Division of Forest
Environment of the RI Department of Environmental Management. Bring your tree guide if you have one. Min. #5, Max. #15
Fee: $5 Members; $7 Non-members. NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Guest Speaker: Keith Killingbeck, Professor of Biological Sciences & Associate Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island
Adrift on the wind: the Chemistry and Charisma of Autumn Leaves
"Imagine a rainbow of colored leaves drifting on the crisp air of a bright autumn day. A
New England treasure, no doubt, but why aren't they green? More importantly, why are they crimson … or lead-pencil yellow … or that burnt orange of sassafras in early
evening light? Conservation of nutrients and water is the simple answer to both questions. What is more complicated is the actual physiology of color change. As we
explore all aspects of the metamorphosis of autumn leaves, the question of whether charisma trumps chemistry may well disappear. Both have their own allure."
1:00 – 1:30 pm Business Meeting
1:30-2:00 pm Refreshments & Fellowship
2:00-3:00 pm Program
RI Historical Society
Aldrich House
110 Benevolent St.
Providence, RI
Street parking only (no parking lot)
ROARING BROOK
Arcadia, Exeter
Sat., Oct. 24, 2009
~ 9:00am - 12:00 Noon
Leader: DOUG MCGRADY
The area around Roaring Brook and Teft Hill is a mature hardwood forest with rich,
moist soils. Several small streams carry water through the forest and fill the ponds. American Beech, Sugar Maple, Tulip Trees and Red Oaks are the dominate tree
species. This is not a typical environment for Rhode Island. The presence of Sugar Maples indicates less acidic soils. We will look for late season flowers and ferns, and
whatever else is still green. Moderate. Min. #5, Max. #15
Fee: $5. Members; $7. Non-members. CELEBRATE OUR COAST!
Joint program of RIWPS & the US Fish & Wildlife Service
Sachuest Wildlife Refuge, Middletown
Sun., Oct. 18, 2009
~ 3:00-5:00pm
Leader: JANIS NEPSHINSKY, Visitor Service Mgr., USFWS, Sachuest Wildlife Refuge
Our Leader will explore with us the dramatic coastal setting at Sachuest Point. She will point out native plants and invasive species in the brushland, grassland, pebbly
beaches and rocky shores. Inside you can check out the educational exhibits, while outside you have the spectacular views of the Sakonnet River and the Atlantic Ocean. Easy.
Min. #5, Max. #15
FREE! But registration is required. MUSHROOM WALK: Open to Members Only
West Greenwich
Thurs., Oct. 1, 2009
~ 3:00-5:00pm
Leaders: NOEL ROWE, experienced amateur Mushroom Enthusiast
Fungus is everywhere, but mostly we only notice it when it decides to send out its
spore producing fruit, the mushroom. At the Nettie Marie Jones Nature Preserve the variety of habitats, from the mixed hardwood forest to streams and old fields, should
give us a diversity of mushrooms to look for and learn about. We will pick one of each type and try to identify it to a major group. There is NO
collecting on this foray. You are advised never to eat a wild mushroom unless you are positive of its species. Many mushrooms look alike, but some are deadly. Easy. Min. #5, Max. #15
Fee: $5, Due to overwhelming response in the past – this program is being offered to RIWPS members only. SEED EXCHANGE WORKSHOP
Exeter
Wed., September 30, 2009
~ 10:00am-12:00 Noon
Coordinators: JOAN PILSON & KAREN ASHER
Learn how to harvest, clean, and store the bounty of your native plant garden in this
hands on workshop. We will focus on ripeness of seed, collection methods, proper cleaning, drying and storage techniques. Each participant is invited to bring native
seeds from their garden to share. Everyone will go home with seeds they have planted, additional seeds to plant at
home and instructions on how to treat and care for them. Hand outs will be provided. The four instructors are experienced members of RIWPS Seed Starters groups. Easy.
Min. #5, Max. #15
Fee: $5.00 Members; $7 Nonmembers. STILT GRASS PULL
A RIWPS Volunteer Service Project
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Charlestown
Saturday, September 26, 2009 NEW DATE!
~ 9:45am - 12:00 Noon
Leader: NEIL ANTHES, Experienced "Puller"
Here is a chance to help in the attack on invasive plant, Japanese Stiltgrass
(Microstegium vimineum). Stiltgrass is an annual grass that is easy to ID and easy to pull. Work was done this summer, but a few specimens are still waiting for us. We are
needed to help remove them BEFORE they drop their seed! Gloves and bug spray provided. Wear long sleeves, long pants and rugged closed shoes or boots. Bring water. Easy. FREE! But registration required, so we can contact you with further information or changes if necessary.
Please e-mail office@riwps.org to register and for more information or call (401) 789-7497 and leave a message. Registered participants will receive directions to the
site and more details by e-mail or telephone. Min. #4, Max. #15
NO RAIN DATE! SUMMER EVE PADDLE ON THE WOOD RIVER
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
5:00 to 7:30 pmLeader: DENISE POYER, Program Director, Wood-Pawtucket Watershed Assoc.
Mid-summer is the perfect time to see blooming wetland plants and late day is a wonderful time to enjoy the Wood River. Join Denise Poyer on this easy paddle to look
for floating hearts, pickerel weed, button bush, and may other beautiful and interesting water dependent plants. Along the way we may observe dragonflies,
damselflies, ducklings, great blue herons and beaver. This event is open to WPWA and RIWPS members only. Single person kayaks are available for rent for an additional $10.
This paddle is suitable for beginners.Fee: $10. Limit: 12. Pre-registration required at least 48 hours in advance.
To register, contact Denise Poyer at 401-539-9017 or email
denisep@wpwa.org.
Address is 203 Arcadia Rd., Hope Valley, RI 02832. SIN AND FLESH BROOK
Sunday, June 14, 2009
9:30 am to 12 noon
Tiverton, RI
Leader: GARRY PLUNKETT, Habitat Manager, Tiverton Open Space Comm.
The loveliness of this meandering brook belies its lurid name, given to it in colonial
times, following a bloody encounter between resident Pocasset Indians and a Quaker preacher in transit to Newport. The stream flows through the beautiful eighty-acre
maritime hardwood forest of Fort Barton Woods, a site reeking with history and plant diversity. Streamside wetlands, vernal pools, and glacial upland soils provide an
opportunity to see an excellent array of wild flowers and native ferns. NOTE: the walk is over 2 1/2 miles of terrain that is rugged so it requires good stamina and
sure-footedness and sturdy shoes. Strenuous walk.
Fee: Members: $5. Non-members: $7. Min. 4, Max. 12. FERNS IN THE LANDSCAPE ASRI
Saturday, June 13, 2009
10 am to 12 noon
Bristol, RI
Instructor: CHERYL CADWELL
Our native ferns can be found in all types of habitats and they add a rich dimension to
any landscape. In this workshop you will learn ways to use ferns in the landscape, as well as how to grow, identify and propagate them. The session will be a training for
those signed up for the ASRI woodland garden project. Easy walk.
Fee: Member rate, RIWPS or ASRI; registration required, but pay at the door. A VISIT TO NORCROSS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
10 am to 2 pm + travel time
Monson, MA Instructor: LESLIE DUTHIE
Min. 6, Max 15 Registration and payment REQUIRED by June 3
Leslie Duthie was the excellent speaker at our Jan. 09 General Meeting. She will be our walk leader from 10 to 12 noon. We can have our lunch in the picnic area and then
check out some more of the 6000 acres sanctuary on our own. There are walking trails, wooded hills, wetlands, lakes and streams. The purpose of the Sanctuary is the
active conservation of wildlife; this is accomplished by preservation of habitats and propagation of native plants. The gardens and walking trails represent habitats found
throughout New England. There are natural history exhibits and museums on the property. We will get to Monson by carpooling. Registration and payment is required by
June 3, so that there is time to arrange the cars and drivers from different parts of RI. Please indicate if you are willing to drive when you register.
www.norcrossws.org. Moderate walk.
Fee: $5. Members, $7. Non-members, plus share of the gas. RI WILD PLANT SOCIETY'S ANNUAL PLANT SALE
Saturday, June 6, 2009
9:00 am – 12:00 noon, rain or shine
URI Greenhouses
Flagg Road
Kingston, RI
Best Native Plant Sale in RI! Unique sale of native wildflowers, shrubs, ferns, pond plants and more. Ecologically grown for you by RIWPS members.
MORE INFO
OPEN GARDENS AT GLEANER GARDENS
May 23-25, 2009 - Memorial Day Weekend
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
299 Gleaner Chapel Road
North Scituate, RI
Gleaner Gardens, in conjunction with the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, is pleased to invite you to its tenth annual Open Gardens at Gleaner Gardens in North Scituate.
Come see the gardens that have been featured in several local and national magazines, with over 300 Rhododendrons and Azaleas in bloom and over 100 varieties.
Stroll the garden and woodland paths and see the restoration in progress of these 50-year-old gardens!
A $2 donation per person to benefit the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society is being requested. Contact Cindy and Chuck at (401) 934-9212 or gleanergardens@cox.net for info. LATE SPRING BLOOMS AT TRUSTOM POND NWR (co-listed with USFWS)
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, May 23, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 24)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm Leaders: DAVE & NANCY CLAYTON, USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Join experienced naturalists Dave and Nancy in searching for wild flowers in bloom, such as Wood Betony and maybe, if we are lucky, a species of "Concern", the Arethusa bulbosa. Easy walk.
Fee: $5 members, $7 non-members
SPRING WILD FLOWERS ON THE BEN UTTER TRAIL
Exeter, RI
Saturday, May 16, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 17)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm Leader: DOUG McGRADY
This scenic trail is a wonderful spot for seeing a variety of woodland wild flowers. May is a great time to go because many of the plants bloom before the leaves come out.
Along the river there are rich, moist areas with Marsh Marigolds, Anemones, Bellworts, Dwarf Ginseng and Canada Mayflower. We will detour to a rocky, upland Sugar Maple
forest, where the soils are richer and less acidic, not typical for Rhode Island. There we will see some unusual ferns, including Maidenhair and Rattlesnake, along with some
uncommon Violets and Bellworts. Moderate walk.
Fee: $5 members, $7 non-members RHODE ISLAND WILD PLANT WEEK
May 10-16, 2009 HIKE A NEW TRAIL!
(co-listed with Richmond Land Trust)
Richmond, RI
Sunday, May 3, 2009
~ 10:00 am to 12:00 noon Leader: DENISE POYER
This new trail, developed by the Richmond Land Trust, is short and easy. It has some
interesting wild flowers, which will be shared with us by Denise Poyer, the Program Director of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association and board member of the Richmond Land Trust. Easy walk. Fee: standard for each organization. Pre-registration required. Call RLT office 401-539-9017 HOW HISTORY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MIX
OF PLANTS AT CANONCHET FARM
Friends of Canochet Farm
Ann Hoxie Lane
Narragansett
Sunday, April 26, 2009
~ 1:00-3:00 pm Leader: FRANCES TOPPING
Explore the habitats of this area and learn how history has combined to produce a
varied landscape, with a mixture of native, non-native and invasive plants. Early spring sees trees and shrubs leafing out and some early spring flowers emerging. Join Frances
Topping , a member of the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, on a leisurely walk through the property identifying and discussing these plants.
FREE. NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Questions? friendscanonchet@aol.com; Phone: Kathy, Secretary of FCF, 783-3951; map on web: http://canonchet.org SHADBUSH STROLL (co-listed with USFWS)
Trustom Pond Wildlife Refuge
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, April 25, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 3)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm
Leaders: DAVID & NANCY CLAYTON, USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Spring in southern RI is marked by the bloom of the Shadbush. Dave's guess for this year is that on Sunday, the 26th, we will be rewarded with some in bloom, maybe
even the allee out to Osprey Point will oblige. He points out there are other reliable wild flowers on the refuge which we will find in early bloom. Come celebrate the real
arrival of spring with Dave and Nancy! Easy walk. Standard fee. TREES & SHRUBS OF SWAN POINT CEMETERY
Blackstone Boulevard
Providence, RI
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
~ 10:00 am to 12:00 noonLeader: KELLY PERRY, Horticulturalist
The Swan Point Cemetery in Providence is renowned for its trees and shrubs. We are delighted to have Kelly Donnelly Perry, their horticulturalist, lead us on a walk to see
some of the highlights of this 200-acre facility. We hope to catch the new buds and other signs of spring in this beautiful spot, as well as have a peek into some of the
greenhouses. Easy walk. Standard fee.
TREE ID IN PARKER WOODLAND
George B. Parker Woodland
Coventry, RI
Saturday, March 21, 2009
(Snow Date: Sun., March 22)
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Leader: FRANCIS UNDERWOOD
Join Francis Underwood, one of RIWPS' most knowledgeable tree lovers, to learn to
identify the trees and shrubs of ASRI's Parker Woodland by examining the bark, buds, habitats and communities, without the leaves and flowers to distract you. Bundle up,
bring your guidebook and expect to enjoy the outing on this geologically and historically interesting preserve. Moderate walk. Standard fee. RIWPS ANNUAL MEETING
Kettle Pond Nature Center
Charlestown, RI
Sunday, March 15, 2009
MORE INFO
PLANNING A WATER GARDEN FOR YOUR BACKYARD
North Kingstown, RI
Saturday, March 7, 2009
(Snow Date: Sun., March 8, 2009)
10:00 am to 12:00 noon Leader: BARNEY WEBSTER
Barney will demonstrate a variety of options for building a simple pond. He will show you how to incorporate simple shelves to avoid the rock necklace look. Emphasis will
be on using native plants and maintenance-free set-ups, upflow filters and pump cages. Standard fee. WATER LILIES – A SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION
Peace Dale Library
Peace Dale, RI
Saturday, January 24, 2009
(snow date: Sunday, January 31)
~ 2:00 pm Leader: SINDY HEMPSTEAD
Sindy will present a slide show illustrating her adventures in learning about the biology
and ecology of water lilies. In addition, members are invited to bring up to 10 slides each to share with the group. Fee: $5 for members; $7 nonmembers.
Advance registration required 48 hours in advance.
Call Jackie at RIWPS office 401-789-7497. NATURE JOURNALING WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN (co-sponsored with Blithewold)
Blithewold Mansion & Garden
Bristol, RI
Saturday, January 24, 2009
~ 2:00-4:00 pm Instructor: CHRIS KALINA
Join us for an afternoon of nature study. Children will explore a variety of nature
printing techniques and create a hand-made nature field guide. This program combines nature exploration with creative arts. Each field guide will be unique and individual.
Dress appropriately as we will be using acrylic paints. Appropriate for students in grades 3 through 5. Fee: $10 plus $5 material fee to be paid on the day of the workshop.
Advance registration required. Register at http://www.blithewold.org
For additional information or questions, contact Jackie at the RIWPS office – 401-789-7497. WINTER WALK IN WEETAMOO WOODS
... NEW 2008 TRAIL
Tiverton, RI
(Specific directions provided at time of registration)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
~ 1:00-3:00 pm Leader: GARRY PLUNKETT
This 650-acre preserve of maritime hardwoods and wooded swamp is at the heart of an on-going effort to protect an unusually large, unfragmented forest on the southern
New England coast. Its primary natural community is coastal oak-holly forest that surrounds a remnant Atlantic white cedar swamp. We'll practice winter tree and shrub
ID, while checking out footprints from the past – cellar holes, slab bridges and the remains of a 19th century sawmill and stone arch bridge on Borden Brook. Moderate walk.
Fee: $5 for members, $7 nonmembers.
Advance registration required 48 hours in advance.
Call Jackie at RIWPS office 401-789-7497. EXPLORE ARCADIA'S BLACK SPRUCE BOG IN WINTER
Arcadia Wildlife Management Area
Exeter, RI
Saturday, February 7, 2009
(Snow Date: Sun., February 8)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm Leader: DOUG McGRADY
Bogs form in kettleholes, or depressions, that have poorly-drained soils. Unlike swamps and fens, bogs lack flowing water. The water that does collect becomes acidic and
low in oxygen, resulting in poor growing conditions for most plants. The lack of oxygen also slows decomposition. This allows generations of Sphagnum moss to gradually fill
the kettlehole, creating a spongy mat of peat. Some plants do well in their peaty "soil". Black Spruce, found in only fourteen states, is one that tolerates these
conditions, and is quite uncommon in RI. Other plants include Leatherleaf, Highbush Blueberry, Rhodora, Sheep Laurel and some carnivorous plants. Moderate+ walk. Standard fee. RHODE ISLAND SPRING FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW
RI Convention Center
Providence, RI
February 19-22, 2009
MORE INFO |
