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
Posted June 6, 2025
Sunday, June 1, 1:00 p.m.
Narragansett Community Center
2025 Friends of Canonchet Farm
Annual Meeting
Please join us for the 2025 Friends of Canonchet Farm Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Event on Sunday, June 22, starting at 1:00 p.m. at the Narragansett Community Center at 53 Mumford Road.
We will serve food and drinks, and we will feature a short presentation from Sonia Silva Thomas, a URI Master Gardener, leader of the Pettaquamscutt Community Garden and member of the Narragansett Tribe. Sonia will discuss the history of the Narragansetts in South County, their famous sachem Canonchet, the achievements of the current Pettaquamscutt Community Garden and what to expect from the additional location soon to open in Canonchet Farm in 2026.
Come join us to meet fellow members and Board members and hear more about the exciting next steps for the Friends of Canonchet Farm.
Thomas Hoagland, President
Friends of Canonchet Farm
Posted May 24, 2025
Guided Walk: Sunday, June 1, 1:00 p.m.
Edible Foraging in the Forest
Brett Mayette, local natural foods expert, will lead a walk along part of the Canonchet Farm Nature Trail and along the fields identifying native edible plants and explaining their preparation and nutritive value.
Brett Mayette as seen in the "Where the Wild Things Are,"
South County Life, August 1, 2014.
We will meet in the South County Museum parking lot for a brief talk and perhaps a tasty sample of a native plant.
Friends of Canonchet Farm is sponsoring this walk and it’s free and open to the public. Please register at Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edible-foraging-in-the-forest-tickets-1378367216449?aff=oddtdtcreator
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.
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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