Meshanticut Erosion Control Project

Josh Wood — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:17:27 EDT

On Saturday April 28, fifteen volunteers helped Steve Stycos and the West Bay Land Trust plant trees and shrubs in an effort to reduce storm water runoff at Meshanticut Lake.

Because of the paved surfaces surrounding the lake, rainfall doesn't get absorbed and the resulting runoff erodes the topsoil in key places along the shores. Removing the pavement and adding vegetation will allow the water to properly filter back into the soil and ease the erosion.

A triangle of pavement was removed at the intersection of Dean Street and Lakeview Drive on the southeast corner of the lake. The sandy soil that was exposed was amended with loam, and two Red Oaks, a Pin Oak and several inkberries were planted. Grass seed was then raked into the soil and bales of hay were positioned to stabilize the new plantings. All of the plants are native to Rhode Island.

A Red Maple was planted in an open space closer to the water's edge where it could tap the moisture from the lake.

Red Oaks are one of the biggest trees in eastern North America. Early settlers found the timber so useful that it was introduced in Europe as early as 1740. Inkberries are native evergreen hollies.

This is the third consecutive year that an erosion control project has been completed on Meshanticut Lake. Initially the project was part of the ExploreCranston "All About Water" program. The project was made possible by a RI DEM trails grant.

To learn about upcoming events and projects like this one, sign up for email updates. You can also 'like' our Facebook page to get updates there.

Here's a slideshow of the project:

Cranston's First Community Garden Opens in Edgewood

Josh Wood — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:02:56 EDT

With help from Friends of the Pawtuxet and West Bay Land Trust, the neighbors in the Edgewood section of Cranston have created the city's first cooperative community garden. Read more.

Fireflies

Josh Wood — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:36:46 EDT

To see fireflies fill the evening sky like blinking, earth-bound stars makes an indelible memory, especially for a kid brought up in California. Fireflies can’t live outside the humid regions of the East and Gulf Coasts. Fireflies are becoming harder to find even in the east. This is especially true in the urban core of Rhode Island.

The lower Pawtuxet River basin is still one of the great places for watching this beetle. It’s free of light pollution, is surrounded by wetlands, and offers decaying material for the larvae to live in. The Friends of the Pawtuxet and West Bay Land Trust are hosting a walk through this area to see the fireflies in action.

There are 20-30 species of fireflies living in New England, some of which can be identified by the color and frequency by their flashing lights. Firefly flashes are actually complex signals mostly intended to attract mates; sometimes intended to deceive and attract victims.

For reasons unknown, firefly populations have been declining around the world. Some of the possible causes include pesticides, lawn care chemicals and light pollution. Firefly.org offers these suggestions for making your yard firefly-friendly:

Turn off outside lights at night.
Let logs and leaves accumulate.
Create water features in your landscape.
Avoid the use of pesticides.
Use natural fertilizers.
Don’t over-mow your lawn.
Plant trees.
Introduce earthworms.

See this magical beetle on the Firefly Walk this Thursday, June 16 at 8:45 pm.

- Josh

photo by quit007

Help Us Hunt the Kudzu of the North

Josh Wood — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:58:35 EDT

As the landscape greens-up over the coming months, help us find this invasive vine. It's called mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata), and it's been spotted in three locations in Rhode Island. One of those locations is in the Furnace Hill watershed in Cranston, where the plant was first noted in 2009. The coverage of the plant in Cranston was wide enough to prompt the Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS), The URI Department of Plant Sciences and the US Department of Agriculture to release of 8,000 weevils (Rhinoncomimus latipes) in hopes of eradicating it.

Here's a University of Connecticut flyer with an ID guide.

The reason mile-a-minute vine has been a priority for these agencies is because it's just beginning to get a toe-hold in Rhode Island, and has yet to make it into northern New England. The Cranston infestation of the vine is especially tricky because of the waterways in the area. From Wikipedia:

Water is also an important mode of dispersal for mile-a-minute weed. Its fruits can remain buoyant for 7-9 days, an important advantage for dispersing seed long distances in stream and river environments. The long vines frequently hang over waterways, allowing fruits that detach to be carried away in the water current. During storm events the potential spread of this plant is greatly increased throughout watersheds.

The RINHS asks that you report the vine by filling out this form.

Photo by Todd Mervosh, CT Agricultural Experiment Station

Land Trust Website Keeps Tabs On City's Environment

Josh Wood — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:59:05 EST

Working closely with Board members Joyce and John Holscher of the Good Earth Organic Gardening Center, the West Bay Land Trust launched their new website on Saturday.

Josh Wood, who is replacing newly elected City Councilman Steven Stycos as president, was there to hit the first key.

The membership for the WBLT has seen a marked increase as they have expanded their scope. Founded in 1999, they have preserved more than 300 acres in Cranston from development.

Initially, the Land Trust was organized for the sole purpose of saving large tracts of land on the western side of the city for open space, and much of the initial acreage was farmland.

Read more in the Herald.