Join us for a walk to PIC-WIL Nature Preserve. This 17-acre preserve of forest, field, salt marsh and coastal dunes on the east shore of the Providence River in Barrington.
The terrain is gentle but may be wet in places. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear. You may wish to bring a walking stick or poles to assist you when crossing wet areas.
The walk will last about an hour and a half. All ages are welcome. Advance registration is required.
The walk is part of Land Trust Days, a two-month series of programs offered by land trusts across the state who are members of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council.
Once home to a bottling facility owned by Deep Water Rock Company, the property was donated to the Nature Conservancy by Catherine Picerelli in December of 1986 and deeded to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust in 1987, to be preserved in perpetuity as a nature preserve.
The donation was made in memory of the families of Peter J. Picerelli and Clifford M. Wilson: thus the name “PIC-WIL.” Although the property is generally closed to the public due to its status as a nature preserve, the Land Trust opens PIC-WIL periodically for guided walks.
The forest includes a wide variety of deciduous trees. The property is home to deer, coyote, fox, weasels, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits.
Purple Martins nest here in late spring and summer. Common birds of the marsh and tidal creeks include Mallards, American Black Ducks, Snowy and Great Egrets, Green-backed Herons, Great Blue Herons, and Osprey. Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Belted Kingfishers and various shorebirds are other likely visitors of the wetland.
Nesting birds of the forest and its shrub border include Song Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, Flicker, Cardinal, Goldfinch, Robin, Red-eyed Vireo, Mockingbird, Catbird, Brown Thrasher and others.
Three plants at PIC-WIL have “special interest” status in the state of Rhode Island: Creeping Spikerush (Eleocharis rostellata), Maritime Seablite (Suaeda maritima) and Robust Bulrush (Scirpus robustus).
For more information on the Barrington Land Conservation Trust, email Executive Director Cindy Elder.