On Sunday, March 26 On Pettaquamscutt wrapped up its 2017 season with a presentation by historian Tim Cranston on Industry in the Narrow River Watershed. View the slides from his talk.
On Pettaquamscutt, February 26
View Nancy Karraker's presentation on amphibians and reptiles in the Narrow River Watershed.
Watch a short film on Habitat Restoration at Lake Canonchet
On Protecting Canonchet #1
The Master Plan
On Protecting Canonchet #2
Appropriate Uses
On Protecting Canonchet #3
Management of the Park
On Protecting Canonchet #4
Finance Issues
Photos:
Cleanup at Lake Canonchet
September 10, 2011
Charlie Lee Remembrance
February 6, 2011
Canonchet History
Who was Canonchet?
by Richard Vangermeersch
Canonchet Farm Master Plan
Town Council Holds Workshop on Planning Board Report
Our Response
October 21, 2010
Our Vision and Recommendations for Canonchet Farm
April 2009
Pictures
Guided Walks Fall 2010
Beech Grove Cleanup Complete
Cleanup - Day 4
October 31, 2009
Beech Grove
Cleanup - Day 2
October 9, 2009
Tom Wessels
Guided Walk
October 10, 2009
Other Links
Narrow River Preservation Association
Park Designs, Tool Tips and a Scoop of Brickley's
Come celebrate Gansett Days with us on Saturday, September 16, from 9:00 to 2:00 with our "open house" at Lake Canonchet directly across from the Narragansett Town Beach South Pavilion. Join Friends of Canonchet Farm volunteers as we wrap up our habitat restoration work for the season. See how well our two-year-old plants are doing and learn how this project is in preparation for creating a linear park, and have a scoop of ice cream. See times and other details.
Habitat Restoration at Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond
Tuesday Evening Work Sessions
Start June 6
In seven scheduled work sessions on Tuesday evenings, we will be clearing invasive vegetation from the edge of Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond and promoting the re-growth of native species in this wonderfully diverse habitat. New and returning volunteers are always welcome. We meet at the end of Anne Hoxsie Lane across Boston Neck Road from the Narragansett Town Beach at 4:00 p.m. and work until about 7:00, when we enjoy some pizza and other refreshments. We provide gloves, tools, instructions and plenty of encouragement. The work dates are:
June 6, June 20 and June 27
July 11 and July 25
August 8 and August 22
The Tuesday works session run from 4:00 to 7:00. Parking is available in the West Parking Lot on Anne Hoxsie Lane. Stop at the Friends of Canonchet tent for a parking pass.
Note: A great deal of progress was made last season with suppression of the phragmites at Lake Canonchet and we are now removing the dead plants from the water's edge. Please bring waterproof boots or shoes if you want to join in that task. If not, there are plenty of dry feet jobs to be done.
Starting in September, the work sessions will be on Saturday mornings.
URI Class to Develop Plans for Linear Park at Lake Canonchet
At its regular meeting on April 3, the Narragansett Town Council approved a request from the Friends of Canonchet Farm and the Parks and Recreation Department to accept a proposal from a URI landscape architecture class to generate 15 conceptual plans for a linear park at Lake Canonchet for future consideration and development by the Town. (What is a linear park?)
Students in Professor Richard Sheridan's third-year Landscape Architecture course have already visited the site, discussed the project with town staff and Friends of Canonchet Farm representatives and began preparing conceptual plans for the park to be presented at the end of April. This partnership and project will provide the next phase to project a vision to the Town Council of a linear park that creates a link between active recreation at the Town Beach to passive recreation at Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond.
This project is based on the June 27, 2011 Town Council approval of the Canonchet Farm Master Plan Executive Summary including specific elements of the plan such as the linear park around Lake Canonchet. Portions of this work with CRMC assents have been accomplished to date with volunteer labor and financial resources from the Friends of Canonchet Farm. Examples of the work since 2012 are invasive vegetation removal, concrete and storm debris removal, elimination of employee parking in the southern extremity of the site, installation of native plants and trees, trail maintenance, general maintenance and care of the property. This partnership and project will provide the next phase to project a vision to the Town Council of a linear park that creates a link between active recreation at the Town Beach to passive recreation at Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond. The Friends of Canonchet Farm is funding projects related costs.
March 25, 2017
Youth Movement along the Canonchet Farm Trail
Seven members of the Alpha Phi Omega service group from URI pose for a team photo after clearing invasive plants from in front of a stone wall along the Canonchet Trail on Saturday, March 25. Meanwhile two other APO members who had no time for such photo ops were vigorously uprooting privet further down the trail. The APO members dropped the mean age of the group of 23 that worked the trail. Another work session is scheduled for next Saturday (April 1), and it is open to all ages. See the Habitat Restoration page for details.
Here are more some pictures from the work session. Click a picture to enlarge it and see the progress along the trail.
Maintaining the Canonchet Farm Trail, Volunteers WelcomeWork continues along the Canonchet Farm Trail every Saturday morning throughout the winter, with volunteers removing invasive species and improving the safety and usability of the trail.
Please e-mail Kathie Kelleher at friendscanonchet@aol.com or call 401-783-3951 if you are interested in volunteering. |
On Pettaquamscutt 2017
Nancy's research has examined the impacts of habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species and disease on biodiversity in North America and Southeast Asia. That research has included field studies with her students at Canonchet Farm. For more about On Pettaquamscutt visit our Events page. |
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Thanksgiving Stroll
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The URI Rowing Team takes a bow after completing four hours of work |
Scott Turner reflects on a walk at Canonchet Farm
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Maintaining and Improving the
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The trail work sessions are scheduled for every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the winter and are cancelled when the weather is prohibitive. Volunteers meet at the South County Museum parking lot, 115 Strathmore Street, Narragansett for sign-in, instruction, and tool distribution.
Join us on Sunday, February 26, for the second presentation in sixth season of On Pettaquamscutt Winter Speaker Series when Dr. Nancy Karraker, URI Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Science, (shown on the right leading a guided walk in Canonchet Farm in April 2015) will describe the wide variety of amphibians and reptiles that thrive in the Narrow River Watershed. 
An unconventional walk in the woods renewed my spirit near the end of a disagreeable election season.
Well, Fall is here! and invasive remediation sessions around the coastal ponds are over for this year. Now we turn attention to Canonchet Farm Trail maintenance as soon as possible to get as much done before bad weather interferes. In fact, we have already had two work sessions this month and there is plenty of work to be done.
The future of Lake Canonchet, as envisioned 41 years ago... |
New Sign Honors Charlie Lee, Celebrates Native Plants Along Lake Canonchet
Installed near the intersection of Boston Neck Road and Anne Hoxsie Lane, the sign features an illustration by Frances Topping and honors the memory of Charlie Lee, founding member the Friends of Canonchet Farm.
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THE FRIENDS OF CANONCHET FARM was created in 2007 by a group of Narragansett residents who recognized this forgotten parcel of land could be preserved as a natural space for the community to enjoy. The group has evolved into a partnership with the Town to provide funding and volunteers for enhancing the property. We are committed to help create a natural park for the enjoyment and education of Narragansett residents and visitors.
Today Canonchet Farm is a green space unlike any other in Rhode Island. Comprised of 175 acres of fresh and saltwater wetlands, forests,brooks, and ponds abutting Pettaquamscutt Cove on Narrow River, the land is habitat for a wide variety of birds, plants, animals, and insects. The John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge owns ten acres of the land, while the remaining 165 acres belong to the Town of Narragansett. The original open fields of farmland have, over the years, grown into a thick forest of native and invasive plants and trees. Visitors and members will enjoy learning about the area on our popular guided walks, led by experts in the fields of nature, culture, and the sciences. With 1.5 miles of walking trails and proximity to the South County Museum, Canonchet Farm is a perfect venue for a day's outing.
HISTORY
Canonchet Farm's earliest inhabitants were the Narragansett Indians, followed by the first colonial settlers and farmers of the area. In 1865 Governor William Sprague and his wife, Kate Chase Sprague, purchased the property and constructed a sprawling sixty-eight-room mansion. They called the farm"Canonchet" after the renowned sachem of the Narragansett tribe. In 1909 the mansion burned to the ground. Now,only the stone framework remains from the original stable, which burned in 1960's.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
With the ongoing habitat restoration program, made possible by the support of donations and volunteers, the ponds are becoming visible from Boston Neck Road. A proposed linear park along the shores of both ponds with a landscape design of native plants begins to take shape. We also plan to install educational signage, offer programs for children, and hold courses in forestry management.
BECOME A MEMBER
Whether your interest is a quiet walk through the forest or the hands-on experience of preserving the environment, we invite you to join Friends of Canonchet Farm, and help support the natural development of this unique place in Rhode Island.
Photos by Bill Krul
The mission of the Friends of Canonchet Farm
is to improve, manage and
preserve Canonchet Farm
in partnership with the public
for the enjoyment
of present and future
generations.
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