Recent Posts
Day After Thanksgiving Walk at Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve
On the day after Thanksgiving, walk at your own pace and discover one of Barrington's rarely seen wilderness areas with the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. On Friday Nov. 29, between 11 am and 1 pm, Land Trust volunteers will be stationed at waypoints to guide visitors through the Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve, a 32-acre expanse of field, forest and wetland between Sowams Road and the Palmer River. REGISTER FOR THE EVENT. Dogs are not allowed because of the birds and animals that make this wildlife preserve their home. You may arrive anytime between 11 am and 1 pm. Johannis Farm [...]
Student Stewardship Team Creates Teaching Garden
On September 10, 2024, while many of their parents were voting in the primary election, 14 members of the Student Stewardship Team of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust planted 275 native pollinator plants to create a new teaching garden at the Barrington Middle School. The idea was the brainchild of BMS teacher Julia Texeira, who was looking for ways to engage students in the natural world and help them understand the fragile habitats adjacent to their own school. A beautiful wetland populated with native plants was established when the new Middle School opened in 2019. Now, on higher ground bordering [...]
Join the Tuesday Trails Team!
The Barrington Land Conservation Trust is always looking for volunteers to help to preserve the natural resources of Barrington, Rhode Island and adjacent areas including water resources, streams, ponds, marshlands, woodlands, and scenic and natural sites, as well as the plant and animal life. Here are some ways you can get involved. REGISTER FOR THE TUESDAY TRAILS TEAM Join the Tuesday Trails Team The Tuesday Trails Team for adults ages 18 and older meets on the second Tuesday of every month from 10 am to noon. On occasion, the date will be changed due to schedules and weather. The Tuesday [...]
Protect Your Family & Dog
Any dog lover will tell you, dogs love to run free in meadows and woods. Unclip the leash, and your dog will bound across the grassy meadow, ears flapping, tail wagging, happy as can be. But you may be putting your dog and your family at risk if you let the dog off leash in wild places. If you walk your dog in natural areas where dogs are permitted, they must be leashed according to Town Ordinance and you should not venture off trail, where ticks and poison ivy are abundant. Off-leash dogs can easily collect ticks as they romp [...]
Join the Student Stewardship Team
Registration is now open for the Student Stewardship Team of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. Students aged 14-18 earn community service hours for their time and take an active role in preserving Barrington’s natural environment. The Student Stewardship Team contributes hundreds of hours of volunteer time in each year. Projects have included: Maintaining and improving nature trails in Barrington’s public preserves Planting native trees and plants Removing invasive plants Assisting in management of cleanups Building protective screens for the Terrapin Conservation Project Photography and filmmaking Website design and updates Managing registration for the Land Trust Learning Series Research and writing [...]
D’Ambra Realty Donation Expands Nature Preserve
Mike and Gary D'Ambra stand at the edge of the property just donated by their company, D'Ambra Realty. There’s a corner of Barrington along Wampanoag Trail where you can look across the highway to Osamequin Nature Preserve, but you can’t find a wilderness trail on your side of the road. That’s about to change. Barrington resident Gary D’Ambra of D’Ambra Realty Corp. recently donated more than two acres of open space to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. The land abuts a nine-acre parcel D’Ambra donated to the Town several years ago, creating 12 acres of uninterrupted open space. [...]
Dziedzic Family Preserve
The Dziedzic Family Preserve was donated to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust in September 2023. The property is not yet open to the public as trails are now being mapped and constructed. We expect to open the trails to the public by the summer of 2024. The following story appeared first in the Barrington Times. Left to right: Victor Lerish, chair of the Land Trust's Stewardship Committee, Paul Dziedzic, Mary (Dziedzic) D'Arrigo, Joe Dziedzic, and Mary's husband, Joe D'Arrigo, gather on the property their family has donated to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. More than 100 years ago, [...]
#GivingTuesday 2023
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Winter Wellness Walks in December
As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, it’s tempting to curl up inside by a fire or exercise indoors. Research shows, however, that outdoor exercise can boost your physical and mental wellness during the winter. To encourage healthy time in the outdoors this winter, the Barrington Land Conservation Trust is offering a series of “Winter Wellness Walks” at conservation properties throughout Barrington. “These walks will be different than our traditional guided walks,” says Land Trust Executive Director Cindy Elder. “Since it’s cold outside, we’re going to keep moving at a moderate pace rather than stopping to explain the [...]
Elizabeth Rush Book Tour: The Quickening
2023 Land Trust Learning Series Register to Attend the Presentation IN PERSON Register to LIVESTREAM the Presentation Elizabeth Rush joins us to celebrate the release of her new book, The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth. Books will be available for sale beginning at 6 pm. Pulitzer-prize nominated author Elizabeth Rush tackles three daunting topics in her new book: Antarctica, climate change and motherhood. Author Robin Wall Kimmerer describes The Quickening as “an immersive journey through both exterior and interior landscapes, deftly crossing the boundaries between the frigid Antarctic and the warm heart.” In 2019, fifty-seven scientists and crew [...]
Leave the Leaves – Pollinators Will Thank You!
Barrington’s Pollinator Pathway is growing, join us in this exciting movement to amplify BLCT’s efforts to preserve biodiversity and bolster resiliency in our community. Visit our Pollinator Pathway page to explore resources, watch a recording of the project launch, explore an interactive map to find neighbors already on the Pathway, and add yourself if you haven’t joined yet! With the days getting shorter and temps getting cooler, you may be wondering where those fascinating pollinators you enjoyed watching this summer will spend the upcoming winter. A few well-known species like hummingbirds, monarch butterflies and painted lady butterflies will make a [...]
Land Trust Issues FY23 Annual Report
The Barrington Land Conservation Trust had a busy year in Fiscal Year 2023 (June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2023). Find out how volunteers and philanthropic work made it possible for us to manage nearly 300 acres of open land, host hundreds of people on public walks, provide a free lecture series, andoffer free programs in our schools. Flip Through the digital version of our FY23 Annual Report. We need your help in the year ahead to continue preserving land and engaging the public in conservation issues. Your support is greatly appreciated! Support the Barrington Land Conservation Trust Thank you!
iNaturalist – An Essential Tool for Citizen Scientists
By Norman Dudziak, P.E., I.M. Science Liaison, Barrington Land Conservation Trust & Sally Johnson, Native Plant Horticulturalist Owner, ecoastal design The crown jewel of citizen science for biological nature observations is “iNaturalist,” a social network with over 2.6 million participants. Using iNaturalist, accessible at www.iNaturalist.org, a growing community of citizen scientists is expanding our knowledge about the wild living world by crowdsourcing data collection and identification. “Citizen” in this context is shorthand for “Citizen of the World” and does not relate to legal status. Norman Dudziak photographed this invasive autumn olive at the Seaview Marsh on October 1, 2020 [...]
Land Trust Elects Four New Board Members
Annual Meeting reflects on a year of community building and progress The membership of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust elected four new board members to its Board of Directors at its annual meeting on Wednesday, June 7, at the Barrington Public Library. All are Barrington residents who bring a diversity of qualifications and life experience to these leadership roles. The Trust also honored three departing board members who have volunteered their skills for many years: Mary Grover, Co-Chair of the Education Committee; Debra Provolo, Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair; and Michael Gorfinkle, Secretary. Departing Board Members Mary Grover, Michael [...]
Discover Barrington’s Open Spaces This Summer
Meet Land Trust volunteers who steward these natural places Hundreds of acres of wild open space have been preserved by the Barrington Land Conservation Trust and the Town of Barrington. This summer, you can discover five of these protected areas and meet the volunteers who help to care for them. Guided walks in June and July will introduce you to Andreozzi Nature Preserve, Lombardi Park, PIC-WIL Nature Preserve, Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve and St. Andrews Farm. The walks are free and open to the public, and all ages are welcome. Advance registration is required as parking is limited. REGISTER FOR [...]
Uli Lorimer Presents Earth-Friendly Plants for Gardens
2023 Land Trust Learning Series REGISTER HERE Join us for a special presentation by Uli Lorimer, author of The Northeast Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden and Director of Horticulture at the New England Wild Flower Society. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 13, at 7 pm in the Salem Family Auditorium at the Barrington Public Library. A livestream option is available (see below). Delaware native Uli Lorimer grew up with an interest in all things green. He’s transformed that passion into a career. If you want a garden that makes a real difference, Uli will help you choose plants [...]
Land Trust Launches Student Stewardship Team
(Left to right) BHS Students Abby Goblick, Sid Gupta, and Emma Pautz co-founded the Barrington Environmental Establishment (BEE), and worked with the Land Trust to launch the Student Stewardship Team for high school students. Students age 14 and older can obtain community service hours and help preserve the Barrington’s natural environment by participating in the new Student Stewardship Team launched by the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. The opportunity was introduced in April at Barrington High School in coordination with a student-led group, Barrington Environmental Establishment (BEE). Members of the Barrington High School Interact Club and Environmental Science Club [...]
An Indigenous Perspective on Native Plants
2023 Land Trust Learning Series REGISTER HERE Virtual option available - only a few seats remaining. Join us for a special presentation by Lorén M. Spears, Narragansett Tribal Nation citizen and Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum. Explore native plants and discover their uses in the traditional life ways of the Narragansett People with one of Rhode Island's most recognized and acclaimed Indigenous leaders. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 7, at 7 p.m. at the Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road, Barrington, RI. The presentation will last approximately 1 hour and will be followed by a short reception. [...]
Welcome to Citizen Science Month – See What a Difference You Can Make
By Norman Dudziak, P.E., I.M. Norman Dudziak photographed this Tusukuru hartlandianus dwarf tree spider during “The Search for Neodietrichia” citizen science project. This is now the iconic photo for this species on iNaturalist. April is Citizen Science Month! You can join a growing community of “citizen scientists” who help to expand our body of scientific knowledge by crowdsourcing data collection. “Citizen” in this context is shorthand for “Citizen of the World” and does not relate to legal status. Spring has arrived and you may be itching to get outside — citizen science projects may provide the perfect activity. [...]