Fish and Wildlife Seeks Public Comment
on Restoration Plans

As described in the two most recent issues of Narrow River Notes, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service plans to use thin-layer spraying of dredge sediment and other techniques to enhance the resiliency of salt marshes in the John H. Chafee Wildlife Refuge in the lower Narrow River. The agency is inviting public comment on a Draft Environmental Assessment which describes the proposed actions. The Draft Environmental Assessment and other documents are available at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center in Charlestown and on the Wildlife Refuge website. The public comment period ends November 30, 2014.

44th Annual Meeting

Jason Considine is 2014 Friend of the River

Richard Grant, President of the Narrow River Preservation Association (near right), presents Jason Considine of South Kingstown with the 2014 W.E.R. La Farge Memorial Friend of the River Award at the 44th NRPA Annual Meeting on October 2. The award recognizes Jason’s “leadership in founding and hosting the annual Pettaquamscutt Paddle each year since 2008, and for his generous support of NRPA’s annual kayak fundraising program.” Jason is the owner and operator of Narrow River Kayaks in Middlebridge, and is a member of the NRPA Board of Directors. 

Year in Pictures

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More about the Friend of the River Award

2014 Kayak Raffle

Sandra and Mark Crevier had the winning ticket in the 2014 NRPA Kayak Raffle drawn at the Annual Meeting on October 2.

And while they seemed pleased with their new Old Town Heron 9XT, their dog Scarlet is reserving judgement.

Many thanks to Jason Considine, who contributed the kayak and paddle for the raffle.

Exploring Garrison House Acres

On Saturday, September 27, David Borkman and Rick Enser of the Narrow River Land Trust led a guided walk to Garrison House Acres, a beautiful 26-acre coastal property nestled along the Narrow River in South Kingstown. The "Garrison" was a fortified house built on the site by Jireh Bull and destroyed by the Narragansetts in December 1675 during King Phillip War.

This property has been managed by the Narrow River Land Trust since 1990 and is of particular ecological interest because of its variety of habitats and because it abuts other conserved lands including the 554 acre John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge at Pettaquamscutt Cove (managed by US Fish & Wildlife) and land conserved by the Audubon Society. Together these conservation properties form a contiguous band of wildlife habitat along Pettaquamscutt Cove and the lower Narrow River.

The one-mile walk followed a loop trail through deciduous woodlands, freshwater marshes, open fields and along salt marsh fringing the Narrow River. You can enter the trail from the south side of Middlebridge Road near the bridge on the South Kingstown side of the river. 

Art on the River

The event was led by local artist Pati Sylvia (left), who gave instruction to adults in drawing and painting scenes of the Middlebridge area, and Board member Veronica Berounsky, who showed children how to make seaweed prints.

Layla and Sydney Morris (above) did not wait for instructions from anyone and got to work right away sketching river scenes.

View more photos from Art on the River.

The final event in the series is a guided walk at Garrison House Acres on September 27.

Kayakers Enjoy Sunset Tour of Narrow River During 7th Annual Pettaquamscutt Paddle 

On Saturday, July 12, more than 50 kayakers enjoyed a guided tour of Pettquamscutt Cove and the Narrows, witnessed a spectacular sunset and the rising of July's "Super Moon," and then returned to Narrow River Kayaks for refreshments, all part of the Seventh Pettaquamscutt Paddle.

Many thanks to Jason Considine and the crew at Narrow River Kayaks for sponsoring and running this always enjoyable annual event to benefit NRPA.

Graduation Season in the Watershed

NRPA Awards Four $1,000 Scholarships

Congratulations to the 2014 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Shannon Emrich and Kyle Sayre of North Kingstown High School, Omar Zaki from South Kingstown High School and Gennifer Keller from Narragansett High School.

Here are some photos from award nights and graduations at the three schools: 

Shannon Emrich and Kyle Sayre with NRPA Board member Lynn Wolslegel who presented the awards at North Kingstown High School.

Shannon Emrich will attend the University of Miami in fall. She plans to major in Environmental and Civil Engineering.

Shannon was a member of the NKHS National Honor and Spanish Honor Societies, and was on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams. An animal lover, she has devoted many hours volunteering at the North Kingstown Animal Shelter.

Kyle Sayre will attend the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he plans to major in Environmental and Civil Engineering. Kyle was a varsity athlete in tennis and outdoor track, in addition to being a member of the National Honor and Foreign Language Honor Societies.

Kyle is an active member of the local community through volunteer work, as well as through his participation with Boy Scouts of America. He recently completed his Eagle Scout project.

See NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarship recipients from previous years.

Sally Sutherland had the honor of presenting the scholarship award to Omar Zaki at South Kingstown High School.

Omar Zaki will be attending Yale University in the fall. He plans to major in applied physics or molecular biochemistry with an eventual goal of MD/PhD.

Omar was a NRPA river monitor for the past four years as well as an earlier NRPA Youth Environmentalist Award winner. In addition, Omar was the Principal Bassoonist at the School’s Top Orchestra, captain of the Academic Decathlon, a varsity swimmer and an Eagle Scout.

Veronica Berounsky congratulates Gennifer Keller at the Narragansett High School graduation.

Gennifer Keller will study environmental science at the University of Rhode Island, which is not surprising as Gennifer was an NRPA water quality monitor and was an active member in Future Farmers of America serving as both a state officer and RI national representative delegate.

Gennifer also competed in the Rhode Island Envirothon, winning First Place in both Soils Competition and Environmental Issues.

Young Scientists Discover
"What Lives in the River?"

NRPA and Narrow River Land Trust started their second season of educational events at Middlebridge with “What Lives in the River?” on Saturday morning, June 14.

"What Lives in the River?" is an all-ages introduction to common fish, shellfish, crabs and other inhabitants in the river. This year's program featured:

♦ Hands-on seining with experts to catch river creatures

♦ Guided walks along the intertidal zone and salt marsh to observe the inhabitants

♦ River-water tanks and microscopes to examine river creatures, and guidebooks to help identify them

♦ Posting of a running tally of the creatures identified

♦ Experts to discuss the importance of estuaries as nurseries for fish & shellfish, the fascinating migration of river herring, and the role of river plants in the food web.

View more pictures of What Lives in the River.

Next up at Middlebridge, the Pettaquamscutt Paddle on July 12 and Art on the River on August 16.

Off to a Great Start

27th Narrow River Road Race is the first in a great lineup of
warm weather events sponsored by NRPA.

 

Runners setting out from the 5K start at Treaty Rock Park on Middlebridge Road in South Kingstown in the 2014 Narrow River Road Race on May 10 included Lee Stover of Bangor, Maine (#1024, second from the left), whose time of 19:50 was the best in the event. Go to the Narrow River Road Race page for more pictures and complete results.

NRPA has a great lineup of warm weather events to help you forget the long, snowy winter of 2014!

It started with the Narrow River Road Race on Saturday, May 10. This was the 27th running of the Road Race, which includes 10K run, 5K run and a 5K walk on USA Track and Field certified course between the Narragansett Beach and Treaty Rock Park on Middlebridge Road in South Kingstown. Coming in June is Narrow River Turnaround Swim and then the Pettaquamscutt Paddle in July.

And once again we are partnering with Narrow River Land Trust for a series of educational events at Middlebridge. Here are the dates and links to event information and registration:

♦ Narrow River Road Race, May 10. Check in at Narragansett Town Beach after 8:30 a.m. for the 10:00 start.

♦ "What's Lives in the River?" June 14, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Meet at 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett.

♦ Narrow River Turnaround Swim, June 28. Check in at Campanella Rowing Center, North Kingstown after 7:45 a.m. for the 9:00 start.

♦ Pettaquamscutt Paddle, July 12. Please register in advance for this sunset kayak tour sponsored by Narrow River Kayaks.

♦ Art on the River, August 16, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Meet at 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett.

♦ Guided Walk through Jireh Bull Garrison Acres, September 27, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00. Meet at 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett.

March 30 Rains: Culverts Fail to Control Runoff
at Gilbert Stuart Road

On Sunday, March 30, NRPA Board member Craig Wood recorded the impact of the heavy rains at the head of Narrow River near the Gilbert Stuart Museum. Craig writes, "One of the many problems [associated with climate change] is that existing roadway culverts are not sufficiently sized to handle the increased runoff volumes associated with the increased rainfall intensities we are experiencing. This morning the three culverts under Gilbert Stuart Road at the entrance to the Girl Scout Camp were overwhelmed diverting water down the access road and caused a massive silt plume into Narrow River just downstream of the Gilbert Stuart/Carr Pond Dam."

Play Part One of the Video

Play Part Two of the Video

11th Land and Water Conservation
Summit Presentations

Andrew Motte Receives NRPA Science Fair Award

NRPA Board member Lynn Wolslegel presents South Kingstown High School student Andrew Motte with a 2014 Science Fair Award certificate and cash prize at the March NRPA Board of Directors meeting. Andrew was recognized for his exhibit “Behavior of Harlequin Ducks” at the school’s Science Fair in January.

Four projects were awarded Honorable Mention:

• Emma Lauzon-Ardito, “Effects of Winds and Currents on Trash in the Bay”
• Emily Daly-Labelle, “Study of Narrow River Water Samples”
• Rachel Curran and Emma Mather, “Purity of Water”
• Linda Foreman, “How Do Fungi Affect the Ecosystem?”

Read more about Science Fair Awards and other NRPA education programs.

Next On Pettaquamscutt

Join us on Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:00, at the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library, 35 Kingstown Road, Narragansett for the final installment in this year's On Pettaquamscutt Winter Speaker Series.

Hear Kathie Kelleher and David Smith of the Friends of Canonchet Farm talk about the group's Habitat Restoration project at Lake Canonchet across Boston Neck Road from the Narragansett Town Beach. Learn about the problem of invasive vegetation in South County, and what volunteers have accomplished in the southeast corner of the Narrow River Watershed.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. So we are asking you to sign up in advance. Click the Register button for online registration at the library for the March 30 presentation: