Spring 2025
Newsletter

Invasive Plants in
Canonchet Farm

View Canonchet
Farm Video

Plans for the
Linear Park

Trail Guides and Maps


Latest Map of Canonchet Farm


History Trail Guide and Map


Geology Trail Guide and Map

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

South County Museum

On Pettaquamscutt 2023

Narragansett Chamber of Commerce

Sitemap

Posted May 7, 2025

Talk and Walk: Saturday, May 24, 1:00 p.m.

History of Canonchet Farm

Jim Crothers, Executive Director of the South County Museum emeritus, returns with his popular and informative history of Canonchet Farm from colonial days to the 20th century. Meet us inside the South County Museum‘s Metz Exhibition Hall for a brief talk before taking the walk.

Friends of Canonchet Farm is sponsoring this guided walk and it’s free and open to the public.

Please click this link to register at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-of-canonchet-farm-tickets-1355811431489?aff=oddtdtcreator

 


Posted April 9, 2025

Saturday, April 19, 1:00 p.m.

Vernal Pools

Join Friends of Canonchet Farm for a guided walk led by Ethan Paiva from Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Ethan will lead us to the largest vernal pool on the property where he will share this year’s monitoring program and identify various reptiles and amphibians that inhabit this ecosystem.

Please meet at the South County Museum. Click on the Eventbrite link below to register for this free event:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vernal-pools-tickets-1318187888459?aff=oddtdtcreator


Posted March 23, 2025

Sunday, April 6, 1:00 p.m.

Canonchet Farm Geology Rocks!

Join Beth Laliberte, Teaching Professor in the URI Geosciences Department, for a brief presentation on the geologic history of Rhode Island followed by a guided walk along the Canonchet Farm Geology Trail. Highlights include a “sheep rock,” puddingstone, a historic cemetery and a granite quarry.

Meet at the picnic tables by the South County Museum parking lot, 115 Strathmore Street in Narragansett. The walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public.To register for this event, click this Eventbrite link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/canonchet-farm-geology-rocks-tickets-1298086805579


The Sheep Rock at Canonchet Farm


Posted March 3, 2025

Register now on the Narragansett Library Calendar page
for the March 30 On Pettaquamscutt presentation,
Environmental Toxin Exposure in Rhode Island Wildlife,
with Dr. Blaine Hymel.
Go to https://narlib.org/calendar/
(and scroll down to March 30)

Dr. Blaine Hymel:
Environmental Toxin Exposure in Rhode Island Wildlife
Blaine Hymel, Veterinarian at the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, is a graduate of the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. She will talk about what can be done to alter the impact of toxins on local wildlife.
Sunday, March 30, 1:00 p.m.
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library
25 Pier Marketplace, Narragansett, R.I.

On Pettaquamscutt is a collaboration between the Friends of Canonchet Farm, Narrow River Preservation Association, South County Museum, and the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library. All talks are free and open to the public. For more information, visit OnPettaquamscutt.org.

 


Posted February 1, 2025

Register now on the Narragansett Library Calendar page
for the February 23 On Pettaquamscutt presentation,
Mending Matters, Historical Perspectives
on Textiles and the Environment
, with Rebecca Kelly.
Go to https://narlib.org/calendar/

Rebecca Kelly:
Mending Matters, Historical Perspectives on Textiles and the Environment

Rebecca Kelly, Deputy Director and Curator at the South County Museum, will explore what we can learn from the clothing and textiles practices of our Colonial ancestors, such as natural dyeing, to better care for our environment.
Sunday, February 23, 1:00 p.m.
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library
25 Pier Marketplace, Narragansett, R.I.

On Pettaquamscutt is a collaboration between the Friends of Canonchet Farm, Narrow River Preservation Association, South County Museum, and the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library. All talks are free and open to the public. For more information, visit OnPettaquamscutt.org.

 


Posted January 7, 2025

Register now on the Narragansett Library Calendar page
for the January 26 On Pettaquamscutt presentation,
Landscape Care with Climate Change Resilience in Mind,
with Kate Venturini Hardesty.
Go to https://narlib.org/calendar/.

Kate Venturini Hardesty:
Landscape Care with Climate Change Resilience in Mind

Kate, Educator and Program Administrator at the URI Cooperative Extension, says January is a great time to plan sustainable lawn and plant care practices for the coming spring and summer. Kate's On Pettaquamscutt presentation is sponsored by the Friends of Canonchet Farm.
January 26, 1:00 p.m.
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library
25 Pier Marketplace, Narragansett, R.I.

On Pettaquamscutt is a collaboration between the Friends of Canonchet Farm, Narrow River Preservation Association, South County Museum, and the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library. All talks are free and open to the public. For more information, visit OnPettaquamscutt.org.


Posted December 22, 2024

Remembering John Miller (1932-2024)
A Volunteer for All Seasons

From the very start of the Friends of Canonchet Farm, John Miller always showed up when there was work to be done. Here's John (left) joining in a 2011 clean-up along Lake Canonchet. In 2009 (center), he removed asphalt from the Beech Grove on Anne Hoxsie Lane. And in 2016 (right), he helped clear bittersweet and other invasive vegetation from the Canonchet Farm Trail. John always had a big smile as he put his back into the job, and good stories to share when it was time to take a break. We will miss John, who died on December 16, 2024 at the age of 92, and will always appreciate his generosity and care for Canonchet Farm and all of Narragansett.
Click here to read John's obituary.


See the Friends of Canonchet Farm Home Page in 2024.

See the Friends of Canonchet Farm Home Page in 2023.


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.

photo by Bill Krul

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.


Glacial Erratic


Map of Canonchet Farm
Shows trail heads and points of interest
For more information about the Friends of Canonchet Farm,
email Tom Hoagland (tom.hoagland963@gmail.com).
Copyright © 2007-2025 Friends of Canonchet Farm
Last modified: May7, 2025