Guided Walks
this Fall
Saturday, October 5
Rebecca Kelly
Saturday, October 19
Jim Dolan
Saturday, November 2
Tom Hoagland
Alan Woodmansee
Posted September 23, 2024; Updated October 3, 2024
Three Walks this Fall at Canonchet Farm
The Colors of Canonchet Farm:
A Walk and Talk about Dye Plants
in New England
Saturday, October 5 at 1:00 p.m.
Come join us for The Colors of Canonchet Farm: A Walk and Talk about Dye Plants in New Englandwith South County Museum's Executive Director and Curator Rebecca Kelly. The talk begins in South County Museum's fiber shed. Rebecca will share information about her ongoing research and natural dye practice. The museum is currently dyeing linen fabric in preparation for its community quilt project. The fall is a great time to forage for dye plants. Come and join the fun.
This talk and walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more information and to register for The Colors of Canonchet, visit the event listing on EventBrite.
Identifying Our Local Forest Trees
Saturday, October 19, 1:00 p.m.
Paul Dolan, Board member of the Rhode Island Tree Association, will lead a walk along the Canonchet Farm Trail and identify the trees encountered including Oaks, Maples, Sassafras and Beech and share his knowledge with participants. The trees should be in full Fall foliage, so this walk promises to be quite beautiful.
This in-person event will take place at the South County Museum and Canonchet Farm Nature Trail in Narragansett R.I.where you'll have the opportunity to explore the beautiful grounds and put your newfound knowledge to the test. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or just curious about the world around you, this event is perfect for anyone interested in trees and the environment. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to deepen your understanding of the natural world.
We will meet and begin our walk at the South County Museum parking lot. This talk and walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more information and to register for Identifying Our Local Forest Trees, visit our event listing on EventBrite.
What’s New Along the Nature Trail 2024
Saturday, November 2, 1:00 p.m.
Friends of Canonchet Farm President Tom Hoagland and Trails Chair Alan Woodmansee will lead a walk along the Canonchet Farm Trail and showcase the work of our volunteers, including removing invasive plants and cutting new trails. We will also see the rebuilt stone walls and boardwalks, and discuss what further initiatives will be undertaken in the next several years. Friends of Canonchet Farm is sponsoring this talk and walk, and it is free and open to the public.
Posted August 30, 2024
Join us for a Mushroom Walk!
Guided Walk at Canonchet Farm,
Sunday, September 8, 2024
10:00 a.m. to Noon
Get ready to explore the fascinating world of mushrooms! Ryan and Emily Bouchard of The Mushroom Hunting Foundation will lead the group along the farm's trails to find diverse summer mushrooms in their natural habitats, demonstrating helpful tools and techniques for collecting. They will discuss mushroom science and safety rules, putting special emphasis on the edible summer species that are considered "safe for beginners" to cook with. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with the natural world and discover the wonders of mushrooms! Meet at Metz Hall at the South County Museum.
This walk is sponsored by the Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public.
Sign up for the event today; visit our post on Event Brite.
Posted March 13, 2024; Updated April 5, 2024
Four Guided Walks for Spring 2024
Saturday, April 13, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The Naturalist Explores Amphibian Life
in Canonchet’s Vernal Pools
You won’t want to miss this afternoon talk and walk with noted science writer and environmental educator Bruce Fellman. We’ll start with an introductory talk inside South County Museum in Narragansett, followed by a walk to the vernal pools. While there are no guarantees as to what we’ll find, if you’ve explored with Bruce before, you know you can count on an entertaining and very informative experience.
Our walks are open to all ages, and school-age children (8 to 12 years) will especially enjoy this one!
Flashlights for looking into shaded pools and rubber boots might be a good idea. This guided walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more details and to register, click on this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bruce-fellman-explores-amphibian-life-in-canonchets-vernal-pools-tickets-861146701967.
Saturday, April 20, 10:00 a.m.
Canonchet Farm: A Tale of Money, Power,
and
the Public Good with Jim Crothers
Jim Crothers, former Executive Director of the South County Museum (and accomplished blacksmith!) brings a wealth of knowledge and interesting anecdotes to tell the story of Canonchet Farm. He’ll begin with the Narragansett Indians, colonial times, and take us through to the present day preservation of this woodlands treasure we have in the heart of Narragansett. Along the way, we’ll learn the changes made to the land by former users and owners.
Meet inside the South County Museum's Metz Building, 115 Strathmore Street in Narragansett. This is a rain or shine event and is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm. It is free and open to the public. For more details and to register for this event, click on this Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/canonchet-farm-a-tale-of-money-power-and-the-public-good-tickets-861747920227.
Saturday, May 18, 10:00 a.m.
Avian Life at Canonchet Farm with
Lauren Parmelee
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island comes to Canonchet Farm! Meet us inside the South County Museum’s Metz Building for a brief introductory talk, followed by a birding hike on our trails. Lauren Parmelee, Audubon’s Senior Director of Education, will share her vast knowledge of local birds and tips for learning how to identify them.
Bring binoculars if you have them or borrow a pair from Audubon. This guided walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more details and to register for this event, click on this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/avian-life-at-canonchet-farm-tickets-861797548667.
Saturday, May 25, 10:00 a.m.
Silvermoon LaRose: Native American Heritage and Sustainability in Canonchet
We are delighted to host Silvermoon LaRose, Assistant Director of the Tomaquag Museum. For thousands of years, the Narragansett Tribe hunted, fished, gathered and farmed this area. She will share history, culture and traditional ecological knowledge. Her particular focus on this walk will be the ways Narragansetts revered and still practice sustainable use of the land.
Silvermoon will meet us and begin our walk at the South County Museum parking lot. This guided walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more details and to register for this event, click on this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/native-american-heritage-and-sustainability-in-canonchet-tickets-861813275707
Posted December 11, 2023; Updated January 3, February 1 and March 1, 2024
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Mark your 2024 calendar for the eleventh season of On Pettaquamscutt, Presentations on the Environment and History of the Narrow River Watershed and join us for three great Sunday afternoon talks (all starting at 1:00) at the brand new Narragansett Library: |
January 28: Dressed for Life and Leisure, 1870 to 1920
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February 25: Restoring Salt Marsh in the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge
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March 24: History of the Watershed in Maps and Aerial Photos
Click the Register button to reserve a seat at the March 24 presentation.
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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. You can register at OnPettaquamscutt.org or at the calendar page of the library website to reserve a seat. Registration will open at the beginning of the month for each presentation. For more information or to see presentations from the first ten seasons, visit OnPettaquamscutt.org. |
Nick Ernst, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Ben Gaspar, Restoration Ecologist at Save the Bay, will update us on the sediment placement projects in the Narrow River and other refuge locations to stave off the threats from sea level rise to salt marshes – and the salt marsh sparrow.
Peter Stetson, President of Education Mapping Service, will show us interactive GIS mapping centered on the South County Museum and the Narrow River Watershed, and their history through aerial photography.
Improving the Canonchet Farm Trail
In October, Friends of Canonchet Farm volunteers returned to working along the Canonchet Farm Trail, removing invasive vegetation and making the trail safer and more enjoyable. The work continues every Saturday (whether permitting through the spring, when work shifts back to restoration of the area along Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond.
- Read Alan Woodmansee's description of the project as a URI Master Gardener Direct Education Project in an article adapted from from the Master Gardener newsletter.
Please meet at the Friends of Canonchet Farm trailer located on the grounds of the South County Museum at the end of Strathmore Street, which is off Kingstown Road in Narragansett. We will gather at 9 a.m. and walk to the area of the trail where we will be removing privet, multiflora rose, bittersweet and other invasive plants. As always, we provide tools, snacks, drinks, gloves, instruction and fun. You'll meet wonderful people who share your concern for the preservation and improvement of Canonchet Farm.