Education has always been a primary focus of the Narrow River Preservation Association. NRPA, as a steward for the watershed, seeks to provide informational and educational support to the public living in the watershed or using the river for recreation. Here are some of our programs:
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Watershed Workshops
for Educators
In 2013 NRPA partnered with the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association to produce a new series of workshops to provide teachers with science content about watersheds and water quality issues along with activities and lessons teachers can use in their classrooms. The workshops are FREE.
The workshops were based on nationally recognized curriculum and include correlations to the new Next Generation State Standards. Each workshop awarded a certificate to participants that can be used for Professional Development Credits. Under the new Teacher Evaluation instrument, teachers must set Professional Goals, and support attaining those goals with evidence. The workshops was partially funded by the Rhode Island Rivers Council.
AWEsome
NRPA and the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association have cosponsored teacher workshops using the the Active Watershed Education Program (AWEsome) curriculum since 1996.
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Learning Events at
Middlebridge
NRPA and Narrow River Land Trust, in cooperation with the Town of Narragansett Department of Parks and Recreation, are offering a series of free Saturday morning programs at the town property at 95 Middlebridge Road.
The Middlebridge Education and Activity Center is located at 95 Middlebridge Road in Narragansett, the former Eddy property purchased by the Narragansett Land Conservancy Trust in 2012 for open space and recreation.
The center is a joint effort of the Narrow River Preservation Association and Narrow River Land Trust, in cooperation with the Town of Narragansett Department of Parks and Recreation.
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College Scholarships
NRPA initiated a college scholarship program in 1993 to promote and reward initiative in environmental stewardship and excellence in scientific course work.
In June, NRPA awarded 2016 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships to:
♦ Hayley Hebert, South Kingstown High School
♦ Tyler Kumes, The Prout School
♦ Tracy Kurdziel, North Kingstown High School
Learn more about the NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships, including recent scholarship winners.
Science Fair Awards
In order to encourage the curiosity of young scientists and to help them gain respect for the environment, NRPA members have judged high school and middle school science fairs in towns in the watershed for NRPA Science Fair Awards since 1989.
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Narrow River Handbook
Have you ever looked out your window during a heavy rainstorm and wondered where the water goes? Have you ever watched as streams of water run down the street, picking up dirt and litter and maybe some of that oil off the driveway? After a storm, have you ever looked at the river—the Narrow River?
It’s easy to look for sources of pollution from industry or sewage treatment plants, but here in the Narrow River Watershed there are no such sources. Land use in the Watershed is almost exclusively devoted to residential housing, which means pollution in the Narrow River comes from us—our homes, our yards, and our boats. Download the Narrow River Handbook to learn how you can protect the watershed.
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Bay Friendly Backyards
Save the Bay has published a wonderful pamphlet called Bay Friendly Backyards, which describes best practices for lawn care and landscaping to reduce the harmful levels of nutrients and bacteria that find their way into Narragansett Bay and the rivers that flow into it.
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The Top Ten
Check out these ten tips on how watershed residents can personally make a difference in improving the water quality of the Narrow River. All the efforts to date by NRPA, R. I. Department of Environmental Management and other organizations will be much more successful if individual residents take personal responsibility for protecting the river.
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