tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46787769091265808782024-03-13T11:19:13.727-04:00Tides Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00751901493744634258noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-85217474244730537722018-11-05T17:00:00.000-05:002018-11-05T17:00:02.380-05:00Rebecca Doran: Shows the Many Ways to Save The Bay<i>by Jackie Carlson, membership and individual giving manager</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Longtime Save The Bay member, swimmer, and supporter Rebecca Doran is, for the 12th time, taking the plunge to swim 1.7 nautical miles across Narragansett Bay as part of the 42nd Annual Save The Bay Swim in August. The water and Narragansett Bay have always been a large part of life for Rebecca, who began competitively swimming at age seven. She recalls spending countless hours as a child enjoying the Bay, swimming, of course, but also quahogging and kneeboarding with her brothers and exploring various spots around the Bay, including Prudence, Patience and Block Islands, Newport and Jamestown. To this day, Rebecca enjoys the Bay all times of the year, and has added yoga, kayaking, paddle-boarding and surfing to her Bay activity list.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“In addition to the summer, I visit the water frequently in fall and winter; I take every opportunity I get to be outside and near the water,” Rebecca said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Because of her lifelong connection to Narragansett Bay, fundraising for the Save The Bay Swim has always been important to Rebecca, who completed her first Save The Bay Swim at age 16 at the recommendation of her father. After college in California, where she continued her open-water swimming, Rebecca returned to Rhode Island and participated in the 2009 Save The Bay Swim and every Swim since. When last year’s Swim was canceled due to high winds, she did her “alternative swim” in Newport from First Beach to Second Beach, once again raising important funds to support Save The Bay’s mission and work.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Even beyond the Swim, Rebecca has been supporting Save The Bay for more than 30 years, attending other fundraising events, including Taste of The Bay, Artists for the Bay and the International Coastal Cleanup. She also recruits family and friends to come out with us for Seal Tours and visits to the Exploration Center and Aquarium. She does her part developing future stewards of the Bay by promoting our summer BayCamps among her social circles. Through her activities with us, Rebecca shows the many different, active ways to support Save The Bay.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">And while Rebecca does her part, her employer, Amica Mutual Insurance Company, increases her impact by participating in a generous Matching Gifts program for its employees. Many of Save The Bay’s members, donors, supporters, volunteers and swimmers take advantage of their own companies Matching Gifts programs as well. We are so very fortunate to count Rebecca, and all our supporters, as part of the Save The Bay family, and would like to thank her for her tremendous support of Save The Bay over the years.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-16351889701429160812018-10-29T12:14:00.000-04:002018-10-29T12:14:19.262-04:00Geanne Griffith: You've Got a Friend at the Aquarium<i>by Cindy Sabato, director of communications</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">When Geanne Griffith, her husband, and their two cats moved to Rhode Island three years ago, Geanne didn’t wait long to jump right into the water—the water at our Exploration Center and Aquarium, that is.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Geanne has been a volunteer docent at the aquarium for nearly the whole three years she’s been in the Ocean State—a perfect fit since she worked in her children’s elementary school for years, first as a substitute teacher, then as a special education teaching assistant, and finally helping in third-grade science classes. “We did many units that remind me of going to the Exploration Center every day,” she said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">At the aquarium, Geanne wears many hats—helping guests at the touch tanks, leading children on scavenger hunts, preparing craft activities, making sure guests see every animal, and always stepping in when the center is short-staffed. “She’s amazing. She has a wonderful connection with our guests, always has a warm smile, and has an extensive knowledge about our animals,” said Outreach Coordinator Celina Segala.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">In fact, Geanne says, “One of the best things about volunteering there is how much I’ve learned, certainly about the animals, but about environmental issues surrounding the Bay also. I get asked a lot of questions, and now I have answers to most of them, although I still get asked a new one now and then.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Her favorite part of the gig? “I love working with the kids who come in and enjoy seeing them get excited about things they are seeing and learning about. And I love having a child who is really hesitant to touch the animals at first. We take it slow, maybe starting with just holding an empty shell. Nine times out of 10, we work our way up to them being fully involved. Kids are curious and you just have to tap into that,” Geanne said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The Griffiths moved here from Connecticut, where they lived and raised their family for 18 years, after their youngest child headed off to college at Roger Williams University. They’ve always loved being around the water, vacationing on the Jersey Shore every summer and visiting Newport frequently. So, when it came time to make a move, the Griffiths’ decision to move here was an easy one.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Geanne’s interest in protecting the environment came early, first as a child with a father who loved hunting and fishing and instilled in her a respect for rivers and forests and the animals that live there. Then, those summers on the Jersey Shore “was during a time when there were a lot of problems with waste in the water and coming up onto shore. Sometimes we weren’t allowed in the water because of the waste, which wasn’t fun with two young children,” Geanne said. “I have always realized it is important to take care of our natural resources so we can continue to enjoy them.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-84786586105956620732018-10-25T18:08:00.000-04:002018-10-25T18:08:28.521-04:00Why Vote Yes on Question 3?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>by Topher Hamblett, director of advocacy</i><br />
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As a native Rhode Islander, I'm proud of our state's history of voting for major investments in the cleanup of Narragansett Bay. We have always stepped up for the Bay, as well as clean drinking water, open space and recreation, farmland protection, and the cleanup of polluted industrial sites.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV1VmDAUd-I/W9I8lcsF4gI/AAAAAAAACZ0/QAfyLSXKK6wVHoLpvFSjXWRi-NPS-4emwCEwYBhgL/s1600/VoteYeson3RI%2B2018%2BFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV1VmDAUd-I/W9I8lcsF4gI/AAAAAAAACZ0/QAfyLSXKK6wVHoLpvFSjXWRi-NPS-4emwCEwYBhgL/s320/VoteYeson3RI%2B2018%2BFB.png" width="320" /></a>Election Day on November 6 presents another opportunity for voters invest in the best of Rhode Island. <a href="http://dem.ri.gov/greenclean/">Question 3 - The Green Economy & Clean Water Bond</a>, is a $47.3M package that will build upon our past success of environmental protection. It also looks to the future with funding to help cities and downs adapt to the rising seas, coastal erosion, and flooding that come with climate change.<br />
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Save The Bay has been leading a coalition of more than 80 organizations who understand the value of our natural resources and the importance of protecting and improving them. Rhode Island's network of waterways, open spaces, farmland, bikeways and recreational places are vital to the state's economy and way of life. Every year, these resources delight millions of visitors and generate jobs and revenue that support state and local economies. At Save The Bay, we're especially excited about the bond's investments in coastal resiliency and public access to the shoreline in the face of increased flooding and major storm events and in improvements to drinking water and wastewater treatment systems that will ensure our drinking and recreational waters are clean and safe.<br />
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Imagine what Narragansett Bay would be like if we, the voters, had said "no" to investing in Bay cleanup and restoration. It's unlikely that the Providence River, once choked with raw sewage and industrial waste, would today be teeming with bluefish and striped bass chasing menhaden right into Waterplace Park. The river would be void of community boating, sailing, recreational fishing boats and families walking its shorelines to enjoy a day on the Bay.<br />
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But Rhode Islanders have consistently, emphatically said "Yes!" to ballot measures the restore the Bay.The results have been spectacular. Our progress is worth protecting and building upon. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-5921891212453256142018-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-25T08:00:10.807-04:00Visions from the season's first Nature Cruise<i>by Eric Pfirrmann, fleet captain</i><br />
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The 2018-1019 seal season is underway, and our first Westerly Nature Cruise down the Pawcatuck River on October 13 was a great start. Ten nature lovers braved a little drizzle and were rewarded with all kinds of fantastic wildlife.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pawcatuck River is a beautiful spot for fall foliage.</td></tr>
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Cruising down river surrounded by the first of the fall foliage, we spotted red tailed hawks, turkey vultures and a number of ducks, and had a lively conversation about the habits of cormorants—the double-crested variety so far, as the great cormorants are still a few weeks away. Belted kingfishers, which tend to aggregate on the river during their fall migration, were easy to identify with their bright colors and "flap-flap-flap-glide" patterns. The tree lined shores of the Pawcatuck River is a perfect habitat, and we saw a dozen or more of these beauties feeding on the peanut bunker—juvenile Atlantic menhaden—still crowding into the river.<br />
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Farther down the river, we started to keep our eyes peeled for visiting harbor seals. Dave Prescott, Save The Bay's South County CoastKeeper, had spotted a couple of seals in early September, so we were hopeful we'd be lucky on this early season trip. We were not disappointed. Just off Barn Island in Little Narragansett Bay, we spotted three to five harbor seals bottling in the calm waters.</div>
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Harbor seals are the most common marine mammal in New England and by far the species we're most likely to see on our trips. Roughly human sized, with a cute "puppy dog" face, they are always a crowd pleaser. We generally see seals either "hauled out," resting on rocks above the water line, or in the "bottling" position, floating upright in the water like a glass bottle. For the seals, both of these are resting behaviors that give the seals time to regain energy and regulate their body temperatures, so we are careful not to get too close. Binoculars, which we provide on our tours, bring them into perfect detail for our guests.<br />
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While we were checking out the seals, one of our guests spotted the highlight of the trip, a bald eagle perched in a dead tree on the Barn Island shore! The bald eagle population in our area is steadily increasing, but a sighting is still a huge thrill. Little Narragansett Bay and the Pawcatuck River in the fall seem to be favorite spots for our national bird; we have been lucky enough to see them on a number of our trips.<br />
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The sun even made a brief appearance during our first Nature Cruise of the season as we slowly made our war back upriver to Westerly. All in all, it was a great way to start the season with many more tours to come. Westerly Nature Cruises will continue every Saturday through the end of the year. Our Newport Seal Watch tours are just around the corner as well, with weekend trips beginning on November 10. Hope to see you out there!</div>
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For our full schedule and to buy tickets visit our website at <a href="http://www.savebay.org/seals">www.savebay.org/seals</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-52766448217511969462018-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-19T09:34:05.568-04:0050 Ways We've Saved The Bay: Changing the Oil Industry<i>by Chris Cassaday, communications intern</i><br />
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Fifty years ago, Save The Bay was founded by a group of Rhode Island residents who, concerned about the risks of oil spills in Narragansett Bay, fought hard to stop the proposed construction of an oil refinery in Tiverton. Sadly, that victory wasn't enough to stop a deluge of oil from making its way into our water years later. But our efforts surrounding three devastating oil spills in 1989, 1996 and 2000, led to the alteration of the oil transportation industry that diminishes the likelihood of another catastrophic oil spill. Our advocacy brought GPS technology to large ships and reinforced the hull strength of oil tankers making business in Rhode Island waters. These changes are now felt globally and have brought about a much-needed reformation to the industrial sector.<br />
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The 420,000-gallon fuel oil spill by <i>World Prodigy</i> in 1989 was the first of the spills that caused Save The Bay to challenge federal laws and regulations. Recognizing that integrated GPS technology would help prevent ships like World Prodigy from inadvertently veering off course and causing preventable disasters, Save The Bay’s then-Executive Director Trudy Coxe led the charge. Coxe issued a proposal during a special hearing at Salve Regina University, urging the government to implement what was then an experimental state-of-the-art tracking system in ships and military satellites. This “Differential Global Positioning System” would allow the Rhode Island Coast Guard to keep track of ships within the Bay and notify their captains when a ship was running off course.<br />
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By the end of the year, Save The Bay, advocating for GPS integration in large vessels, had begun a campaign before the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. In July 1990, Congress passed a series of oil spill prevention laws and nominated Narragansett Bay to be the first testing ground of the GPS. Thanks to Save The Bay’s efforts, oil tankers and other large ships globally are now linked with Department of Defense satellites. <br />
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Still, human error can trump the best precautions. January 19, 1996, <i>North Cape</i> ran aground off Moonstone Beach in South County, spilling close to a million gallons of home heating oil and, as a result, killing millions of animals throughout 250 square-miles. Many Rhode Islanders still remember the stench of oil and decaying marine life that perished during this event.<br />
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After the devastating spill, Save The Bay denounced the oil industry’s tanker parameters, as most ships at the time were only outfitted with a single hull. Single-hulled ships contain their cargo just beyond the watertight hull; if the hull is breached, the contents can immediately leak into the water. Double-hulled ships, on the other hand, contain two separate watertight hulls, with the cargo located within the secondary, interior hull. If a ship suffers a collision, the chance of a spill is much smaller. <br />
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We teamed up with then-R.I. State Senator Charles Fogarty and then-U.S. Senator John Chafee. As a result of our advocacy, effective June 1, 1997, the Oil Spill Prevention and Control Act required all large vessels transporting oil or hazardous materials to have double-hulls or escort tugs. The subsequent Federal Oil Pollution Act required the phase-out of all single-hulled tank vessels by 2010—a monumental victory for Save The Bay.<br />
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Four years later in 2000, an estimated 9,700-14,600 gallons of oil spilled in the East Passage off Middletown. Penn. Maritime Inc. from Stamford, Conn. claimed responsibility. While the earlier North Cape spill pushed Save The Bay to advocate for double-hulled barges, Penn. Maritime—though small—furthered our agenda. Had both of these vessels been equipped with double hulls, these spills could have been avoided.<br />
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Over the course of these three disasters, Save The Bay fielded over 4,000 calls and prepared an estimated 1,500 volunteers in coastal cleanup and marine bird rescue training to assist with state and federal agencies. We lost hundreds of birds to these spills, but were it not for the volunteer force, the number would have been much higher. Our role in the North Cape spill led to the Rhode Island Coast Guard nominating Save The Bay as the official oil spill volunteer coordination center. Rhode Island’s citizens stood against the threats with everything they had. After the spill of ‘89, President George H. W. Bush recognized Save The Bay’s efforts and named us as the 76th of a “Thousand Points of Light” on February 26, 1990, an immense honor, especially for a small nonprofit based in the smallest state of the country. <br />
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2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the World Prodigy disaster, the 23rd of North Cape and the 19th of Penn. Maritime. We at Save The Bay strive to ensure that our waters stay clean and safe for the millions of people who live within the watershed; when disaster strikes, we are ready to take the call. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-82136770138116866682018-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-11T08:00:09.954-04:00One Man's Trash is Another Man's Labor<i>by Chris Cassaday, communications intern</i><br />
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With over 400-miles of accessible coastline, Rhode Island is aptly named the “Ocean State.” Sadly, many do not understand the importance of keeping our beaches clean, and leave their trash for gulls to fight over. On Saturday, Sept. 15, Save The Bay coordinated Rhode Island’s participation in the International Coastal Cleanup. Hundreds of volunteers took to Rhode Island’s beaches to remove all the trash they could find. In 2017, Save The Bay led 90 cleanups across 25 towns, collecting over 16 thousand pounds of garbage! How much will we clean this year?<br />
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I personally witnessed the cleanups at Compass Rose Beach in North Kingstown and Scarborough State Beach in Narragansett. Compass Rose is set right within the industrial park of Quonset and, as a result, can become pretty filthy very quickly. The early morning sounds of birds and the lapping of waves is lost to the trucks and heavy machinery that echo across the quiet waters. <br />
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Beach Captains Kathy Vigness-Raposa and Walter Berry made certain the volunteers knew the risks with certain types of industrial trash, such as sharp metals, glass and possibly even medical syringes. Rubber earplugs used by the industry workers are tiny and easily lost when they bounce out of pockets; they are one of the most common items to lookout for at Compass Rose. The danger they pose to wildlife is severe, as they can easily be swallowed by birds or large fish, which can be fatal.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfwfcBeleJk/W7d2B-OX0WI/AAAAAAAACV4/AHpOdbPZyMIi-lDRzX1IjhwdYQj4qoB7QCEwYBhgL/s1600/ICC2018%2B-%2BCompass%2BRose%2B-%2BChris%2BCassaday_28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfwfcBeleJk/W7d2B-OX0WI/AAAAAAAACV4/AHpOdbPZyMIi-lDRzX1IjhwdYQj4qoB7QCEwYBhgL/s320/ICC2018%2B-%2BCompass%2BRose%2B-%2BChris%2BCassaday_28.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Though my visit to Compass Rose was short, I was fortunate to meet several of the 26 local volunteers who came to the beach to help clean North Kingstown’s waters. Many families brought their children to educate them about the importance of trash cleanup and the effects pollution has on the environment.<br />
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All in all, the volunteers were able to clear roughly 45 pounds of trash from the small beach. I’ve lived in North Kingstown for 16 years and I could not be more proud of my local community members for giving their time to help keep our town in pristine condition.<br />
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The sun broke free of the morning clouds as I made my way south to the next beach on my list. Unlike Compass Rose, which is cramped between a ferry port and a shipyard, Scarborough State Park stretches across 60 acres of land. To cover so much acreage, we needed a lot of manpower. Thanks to the combined efforts of 74 volunteers, including the University of Rhode Island Girl’s Tennis Team, North Smithfield High School’s Girls Volleyball Team, volunteers from BlumShapiro Accounting Firm, and Beach Captains Julia Hallworth (left) and Lisa Pannozzo (right), we managed to clear 210 pounds of garbage.<br />
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When I first arrived at the beach, I kicked off my sandals and trekked down to the north end, speaking with volunteers and picking up whatever I could find along the way. The early afternoon rays of sunlight danced on the surface of the water. Soft sand eventually gave way to piles of red, rotting seaweed that I tried to avoid stepping in. But that didn’t deter several of North Smithfield’s high schoolers from diving in and searching for whatever they could find. Seaweed piles are havens for coastal insects and birds that feast on them. They are a unique ecosystem of their own.<br /><br />
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Volunteers collected everything from small pieces of plastics and beer bottles to netting and abandoned lobster cages. Tons of trash was scattered across Scarborough’s parking lot, dunes, jetties and the prominent ruins at the north end of the beach. I’m amazed and saddened at how much was found.<br />
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The number of discarded beer bottles and the like within the sand dunes was heartbreaking. The dunes play an integral role for the beaches as they prevent erosion and create safe havens for shoreline animals. Trash build-up prevents plants from taking root or growing and can become harmful to the animals that make the dune plants their home. The lone exception may be the mouse that we scared out of her beer box home. Sorry, Minnie, your nest was made of our trash.<br />
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This was my first time participating in a beach cleanup, and I will no doubt be volunteering again. If you want to help, you still have time! Head over to <a href="http://www.savebay.org/icc" target="_blank">Save The Bay's website</a> to sign-up for more cleanups that will be taking place over the next month. If you can’t make any of the dates, grab a bag and some gloves and take a walk along a beach of your choice. Anything you can do to help our beaches stay clean year-round is greatly appreciated not only by us at Save The Bay, but for the millions of animals that inhabit our waters. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-89393245880494415512018-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:002018-10-08T09:00:11.892-04:00BYO... Reusable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>by David Prescott, South County Coastkeeper</i><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMTErJkwkiw/W7UqzU172ZI/AAAAAAAACUk/F0Lkp4hMqqY-JDcHVrjMgNfl5U8Ernm4wCEwYBhgL/s1600/ProvRiver.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMTErJkwkiw/W7UqzU172ZI/AAAAAAAACUk/F0Lkp4hMqqY-JDcHVrjMgNfl5U8Ernm4wCEwYBhgL/s320/ProvRiver.JPG" width="320" /></a>Plastics have dominated environmental conversations lately. They litter our beaches, pollute our oceans and Bays, contaminate our drinking water. Plastics are everywhere—from our cell phones, to our sunglasses, to our cars, to our homes. Plastics have made our lives easier. However, all plastics eventually break down into smaller and smaller pieces that get mistaken for food by wildlife, attract toxins, and contaminate our water and food supplies. Or they just fill up our landfills. While the plastic issue can be overwhelming, we can do a lot as individuals and as a community.<br />
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But sometimes, trying to make the right decision about what to do, how to help, is challenging, and sometimes, even decisions that seem right at first end up potentially being the wrong one. Like trying to unravel the differences between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable. With so many eco-friendly options out there, things can get confusing. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">Recycling:</span></h4>
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Most of us have been doing it for decades. We take our glass bottles, aluminum cans, plastic containers, and newspapers, magazines, and junk mail and toss them into the recycling bin. From there they are sent to a recycling facility, where they are sorted. For more info on what, exactly, we should be recycling, check out the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation’s website at <a href="http://www.rirrc.org/">www.rirrc.org</a>. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">Biodegradable:</span></h4>
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These products sound great on the surface. Biodegradable basically means that the product is capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, and they should be placed in the garbage. However, not all landfills have the bacteria and microorganisms necessary to help break down that product within a reasonable time period.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Compostable:</span></h4>
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Compostable products are becoming more and more popular. However, in order to be broken down into the organic matter that makes them so attractive, they have to be sent to an industrial composting facility, which operates at very high temperatures to help break down the compost. You cannot recycle compostable products; a landfill will not break down compostable products; and most backyard composters do not get hot enough to turn them into organic matter.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">So, what’s the best option for the environment and our local waters?</span></b> </div>
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<b><br />
</b> <b>BRING YOUR OWN.</b> Whether it is a refillable water bottle, coffee mug, stainless steel straw, canvas shopping bag, or bamboo utensils, each one of these options can be used over and over and over. No filling up trash cans and landfills. No breaking down into tiny plastic pieces. The possibilities for reusable products in place of disposable are endless. And many local businesses have stepped up and have started selling them. <br />
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You may be asking, what’s the problem with one extra plastic straw out there? Well, last year alone, Save The Bay and our volunteers collected over 4,500 straws during International Coastal Cleanup in Rhode Island (over 643,000 straws were collected worldwide during the event)—and these were just the straws littering the ground. Imagine how many are taking up space in our landfills! Refusing a straw at your local watering hole can be one small decision that can have a huge impact on the health of our local waters and the animals that live there.<br />
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Finally, stay tuned for the launch of our Bay-Friendly Businesses program. We are recognizing restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and other establishments that made the important decisions to protect our environment by eliminating straws, styrofoam containers, plastics bags, and other single-use products in their establishments. Look for the Bay-Friendly Business seal on the window of your favorite spots. Together each one of us can help our local environment by making smart, informed decisions about the products that we purchase.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-26944749074495176272018-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-04T08:00:01.304-04:00A view of summer BayCamp from the Captain's seat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>by Meghan Kelly, Save The Bay educator</i></div>
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Summer out on Narragansett Bay is probably the best summer one could ask for. What is better than heading out on a boat, going to an island, dropping anchor and getting to explore and swim for the whole day? At Save The Bay’s summer BayCamps, that is exactly what we do! This summer, I got a new look at our BayCamps, from a different seat on the boat. <br />
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For the past four summers, my view of our summer camps has been from the educator’s perspective. Spring would roll around, and I would get excited to find out what camps I was on and start planning what we would do each week with the campers. The schedule for each week would be full of games, swimming, exploring habitats and learning and seeing all the different animals that call Narragansett Bay home. As an educator, I always knew it had been a good day at camp when parents told me the next morning at drop-off that their camper was so tired they couldn’t even finish their stories from the day because they had fallen asleep. Some of my favorite summer days have been when we take the campers to a salt marsh. At first, as I put peat, or salt marsh mud, all over my face and arms, the campers look at me like I have 10 heads. But within minutes, the campers are elbow deep in the peat with no signs of wanting to stop. I may smell like peat for the rest of the day, but seeing the smiles and hearing the campers’ laughter makes it all worth it. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3NpWH5cLWk/W7UN5Cae9RI/AAAAAAAACT4/-DzgKh0dc8M_E9v0hynCQrQj9y8BtvBeQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="349" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3NpWH5cLWk/W7UN5Cae9RI/AAAAAAAACT4/-DzgKh0dc8M_E9v0hynCQrQj9y8BtvBeQCEwYBhgL/s400/Picture1.png" width="225" /></a> My view of summer camp changed a little this past summer. I was fortunate enough to use my captain’s license to drive our education vessel, Swift, a 26-foot Old Port that can hold up to 15 campers. For five weeks, Swift is based out of Wickford and spends its final week of summer in Bristol. As boat captain, my mornings were a little quieter than past summers. I’d arrive at the boatyard before camp, hop into my kayak with my gear—trying not to start my day by falling in the water—and paddle out to the mooring where Swift is kept. On many of these mornings, the harbor was glass calm, and I’d have the chance to enjoy the stillness around me. On several mornings, a cormorant would pop up right next to me on its morning swim. When I got to Swift, I would do my daily checks and prep for the day, then take it over to the Wickford dock to wait for the campers to arrive from Wilson Park. I could always tell when they were getting close because I could hear them talking, and on some mornings even singing! <br />
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When the campers were all settled on Swift, we headed out of the harbor for a new adventure. We got to explore places like Cornelius, Prudence, Dyer and Rose islands. Anchoring Swift was a whole new adventure for me! Learning the water’s depth and where the rocks were around the island was a task that brought me closer to the Bay. I also developed a love-hate relationship with the wind; the best kind of wind was no wind at all. On the few occasions when I was approaching the dock and got blown off, the kids would say “where are we going?” I would reply with, “We were having so much fun, we wanted to go back out for more!” <br />
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Knowing that I had a wonderful team of educators at my back made my job a lot easier. The campers would work together to help offload all the gear, and then their exploring would begin. During my first four summers at Save The Bay, as an educator, I would offload the boat and not give it a second thought for the rest of the day. This summer was a little different. As the tides shifted, I would have to adjust the boat; sometimes we would dock at Prudence and have to raft up with one of our other education vessels. When the day was coming to its end, we would all work together to load up Swift again and head back to the dock. Many times our boat rides home were much quieter than on the way out, as many campers were so tired from their day’s adventures that they’d fall asleep. My view from where I was standing during summer camp this year may have changed, but one thing that didn’t change was the fun and excitement that Save The Bay Summer Camps offer to everyone! <br />
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-73525232402771638242018-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-01T08:00:00.826-04:00Where the Rain Meets the Road<h2>How Urbanization and Climate Change Are Affecting Our Waters</h2><div><i><br />
</i> <i>by Wenley Ferguson, David Prescott, Cindy Sabato</i></div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;">Within the Narragansett Bay watershed, the water in 162 miles of streams, 57 square miles of estuarine waters where freshwater and saltwater mix, and 4,800 acres of ponds and lakes is too polluted for aquatic life, according to the <i>State of the Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i>report. Location matters; the report tells us the water is more polluted in urbanized areas than rural areas and gets cleaner and safer the further south it flows.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: normal;">Why? One big factor in water pollution is how we use our land, and that is very much tied to location. More and more development within the watershed has turned forest land and open space into streets, buildings and parking lots, spurring two important changes in the way rainfall affects our waters. When rain falls onto natural areas of land, it soaks into the soil, where excess nutrients, bacteria and other pollutants are filtered out naturally. When rain falls onto parking lots, streets and roofs, it can’t soak in, and instead runs right off, picking up and carrying pollutants into our rivers and the Bay in higher-than-normal volumes and velocity. This is commonly known as “polluted runoff.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p2"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L6_LMuYe9KE/W2R0aZIyM7I/AAAAAAAACI4/lBFp7m2mXeUIEHc14CiOAHEsFLjhdl7QwCLcBGAs/s1600/Providence%2B3.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="1600" height="121" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L6_LMuYe9KE/W2R0aZIyM7I/AAAAAAAACI4/lBFp7m2mXeUIEHc14CiOAHEsFLjhdl7QwCLcBGAs/s400/Providence%2B3.tif" width="510" /></a></div><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: normal;">Water quality begins to become degraded when more than 10 percent of the land in a watershed is hardened by roadways, parking lots, driveways and roofs. According to the <i>State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i>report, 14 percent of the watershed is covered by hard surfaces, and more than one-third of its residents use septic systems and cesspools, “some of which are thought to be significant sources of nutrients and contaminants entering rivers and the Bay.” Unfortunately, more and more forested land around the watershed is being developed, particularly in the Taunton River and Pawtuxet River basins.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: normal;">Climate change also brings with it some important changes to precipitation patterns, making the effects of urbanization on water pollution even worse. According to the report, Providence has been getting nearly half an inch more rain every decade since 1895. Climate models predict that number will go up to three inches per decade in the future. What’s more, most of the increased precipitation comes during intense downpours, which have more than doubled in frequency since 1950. More intense rainfall, combined with increased volume and velocity of runoff carrying pollution over hard surfaces into our waters, is all bad news for water quality. On top of that, rain and snow are coming more often in large events with drier spells in between. When all of this rainfall runs off the hard surfaces of our cities and neighborhoods directly into our rivers and the Bay, our groundwater is not replenished, and we suffer from more frequent droughts.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: normal;">The broad, cumulative effects of increased development and precipitation changes include more pollution and more beach closures, adding to Save The Bay’s sense of urgency to address the problem of polluted runoff. We have been partnering with multiple municipalities and other organizations over the last decade to reduce the impacts of polluted runoff from the Bay’s watershed:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8RWxG9o_Ang/W2R0QvgGdKI/AAAAAAAACJE/SGtd0y8d1jIM8ixmhngQ1NLyJs7EbSiMwCEwYBhgL/s1600/RWPark%2BPond.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1200" height="276" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8RWxG9o_Ang/W2R0QvgGdKI/AAAAAAAACJE/SGtd0y8d1jIM8ixmhngQ1NLyJs7EbSiMwCEwYBhgL/s400/RWPark%2BPond.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers plant a buffer around Roger Williams Park Pond, to reduce<br />
polluted runoff going into this Pawtuxet River tributary and to<br />
discourage people from feeding geese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">In Providence’s Roger Williams Park Pond,</span> </b></span>a tributary of the Pawtuxet River, we have collaborated with the City of Providence Parks Department on planning, installing and maintaining planted areas where polluted runoff from the park and neighborhood roads is diverted and absorbed into the ground. We continue to work with the City to restore buffers along the pond to improve water quality and discourage geese feeding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqXGTQ3Zo5I/W2R0OSb-GfI/AAAAAAAACJA/to4dHiG55e88TkTh9CDD0VjJ726GPhQMgCEwYBhgL/s1600/NEW%2BSTILLHOUSE.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqXGTQ3Zo5I/W2R0OSb-GfI/AAAAAAAACJA/to4dHiG55e88TkTh9CDD0VjJ726GPhQMgCEwYBhgL/s400/NEW%2BSTILLHOUSE.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newly installed stormwater infiltration area along Narragansett<br />
Boulevard in Cranston filters polluted runoff before it flows down into<br />
Stillhouse Cove.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="color: red;"><b>At Stillhouse Cove in Cranston, </b></span>we partnered with a local watershed organization, the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association and the City of Cranston on a stormwater management plan for the Stillhouse Cove watershed. Last fall, along the edge of Narragansett Boulevard, we installed a catchment area designed to capture and infiltrate the first flush of polluted runoff, removing bacteria and nutrients before they reach the cove.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">We are working with the City of Warwick</span> </b></span>to treat stormwater at several sites and improve the quality of local waters. At Oakland Beach, we have helped the City maintain a new infiltration area along Suburban Parkway and contributed conceptual designs for another stormwater infiltration area north of the beach. We are helping the city identify sites where low-lying pavement at the end of coastal roads can be removed and stormwater can be treated.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">Along the Seekonk River in Providence,</span> </b></span>runoff flows untreated down a steep bank, causing significant shoreline erosion. We are working with the City of Providence Planning Department on a project to address the erosion and to reduce the impacts of polluted runoff by installing infiltration areas further inland.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KRc9k-qhgDY/W2R0MJDnTWI/AAAAAAAACI8/SH3oXfg8M9ciOmVt5reh3hTGdlN4M0mOACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/NEW%2BPAGE%2B16.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1125" height="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KRc9k-qhgDY/W2R0MJDnTWI/AAAAAAAACI8/SH3oXfg8M9ciOmVt5reh3hTGdlN4M0mOACPcBGAYYCw/s320/NEW%2BPAGE%2B16.tif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Barrington Town Beach, the parking lot was moved<br />
back, a filtration area installed at the edge of the lot, and<br />
beach grasses planed between the lot and the beach,<br />
all to reduce polluted runoff going into the Bay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: normal;"><span class="s1"><b><br />
</b></span></span> <span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">At Barrington Beach,</span> </b></span>we are working with the Town and the University of New Hampshire’s Stormwater Center to address stormwater that flows from neighborhood streets down to Barrington Beach, causing beach erosion and water quality problems. We have installed infiltration areas and replaced a section of the beach parking lot with a protective dune of beach grass. We are now looking further inland to identify areas where we can reduce the volume and velocity of the runoff that flows down to the beach from neighborhood streets.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div class="p2"><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b></span> <span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">In Bristol,</span> </b></span>we continue to work with the Town to manage stormwater that discharges into Bristol Harbor from the Silver Creek watershed. Students from Mount Hope High have installed rain gardens on the campus adjacent to Silver Creek.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div class="p2"><span style="font-size: normal;"><span class="s1"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">In North Kingstown,</span> </b></span>at the end of the Calf Pasture Point bike path, asphalt was removed and an infiltration area installed. We are working with the Town of North Kingstown to address the high erosion rate in this area that is threatening the lower sections of the infiltration area.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b></span> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY60wVgeocQ/W2R0SI1MRZI/AAAAAAAACJI/TCrKQFSUOZE94DZ-VDmGF_bxAQ_0vq97QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Warren%2Binfiltration%2Barea%2B4.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1500" height="260" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY60wVgeocQ/W2R0SI1MRZI/AAAAAAAACJI/TCrKQFSUOZE94DZ-VDmGF_bxAQ_0vq97QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Warren%2Binfiltration%2Barea%2B4.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New infiltration areas along Water Street in Warren filter polluted runoff<br />
before it flows into Warren Town Beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">In Warren,</span> </b></span>we are helping the town restore a stream corridor to enhance its flood storage capacity and to manage and treat polluted runoff along the Warren River and Belcher Cove. We are also identifying low-lying coastal roads subject to saltwater flooding to carve back and install stormwater management practices.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: normal;"> <style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span class="s1"><b> </b></span></span> <span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">With a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Charlestown</span> </b></span>is partnering with Save The Bay, the University of Rhode Island, and the Salt Ponds Coalition on a number of strategies to reduce nutrient pollution in groundwater and surface water in Green<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>Hill, Ninigret and Quonochontaug ponds. Fifteen substandard septic systems are being replaced with newer systems that utilize nitrogen-reducing technology. Save The Bay is installing six rain gardens to promote stormwater infiltration and serve as public demonstration projects. And our <i>Bay-Friendly Living </i>guide is being distributed to homeowners.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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</b></span></span> <span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="color: red;">In Newport,</span> </b></span>in partnership with the city, University of Rhode Island Sea Grant and University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center, we worked on conceptual designs for a stormwater infiltration area along an access path to the Cliff Walk, where erosion from stormwater was affecting accessibility and discharging to a local beach. And Rogers High School biology students worked with Save The Bay to plant rain gardens to filter runoff from the school parking lot.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><i></i><style type="text/css">
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-9687632461729471112018-09-19T10:17:00.000-04:002018-09-19T10:17:24.119-04:00Save The Bay works toward a sustainable Atlantic herring fishery<i>by Mike Jarbeau, Narragansett Baykeeper</i><br />
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You may remember that last fall, Save The Bay joined a coalition of like-minded partners to advocate for strong, ecosystem-based management measures in the Atlantic menhaden fishery (see Fall 2017 <i>Tides</i> article). The importance of menhaden and other forage fish to the health of Narragansett Bay cannot be denied. They perform the critical function of converting plankton and other tiny nutrients into food for larger fish to eat, and abundant menhaden support healthy levels of fish, birds and seals. While while our preferred measures were not adopted, we gained significant support and hope to see an ecosystem-based approach to managing this fishery in the next few years. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Emr0ikDeSUU/W6JZs3eoYyI/AAAAAAAACSA/AoJFhqOAbxItvlAhvOIM6zQqD08NfsFIQCLcBGAs/s1600/atlherring300x103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="103" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Emr0ikDeSUU/W6JZs3eoYyI/AAAAAAAACSA/AoJFhqOAbxItvlAhvOIM6zQqD08NfsFIQCLcBGAs/s1600/atlherring300x103.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altantic herring (<i style="background-color: white; color: #092667; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Clupea harengus</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #092667; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">)</span></td></tr>
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In the meantime, we have another opportunity to protect another key forage species—the Atlantic herring. Like Menhaden, Atlantic herring are a keystone species and the mainstay in the diets of striped bass, tuna, cod, and many of the birds and mammals that live in the Narragansett Bay watershed. Unfortunately, Atlantic herring aren’t doing very well. A new stock assessment this summer showed that the population is struggling, leading the New England Fisheries Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service to <a href="https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/nr/2018/August/AtlHerringACLreduction.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">take an emergency measure reducing the 2018 allowable catch catch by more than 50 percent</span></a>, from 110,000 metric tons to 49,900 metric tons. <br />
<br />
The New England Fisheries Management Council has been working on an amendment to the herring management plan for many years. Like last year’s menhaden proposal, the herring plan includes a measure that would set catch limits based upon the fish’s role as a forage fish, which Save The Bay supports. Under the current structure, Atlantic herring limits are largely based on past catch totals, which can lead to wide stock variations from year to year and extreme uncertainty regarding the future health of the fishery. <br />
<br />
We also support the Council’s consideration of an inshore “buffer zone” that will protect Atlantic herring from the localized depletion and conflicts caused by large, industrial midwater trawlers, which can quickly harvest hundreds of thousands of pound of fish from a small area. Their harvest techniques affect other species that feed on herring, as well as the recreational fishermen, charter boats and others who make a living on the water. We believe a 25-mile buffer that includes the waters off of Narragansett Bay will help protect the Bay ecosystem, including river herring that gather offshore to make their way up our rivers and streams and are often caught by midwater trawl vessels as unwanted “bycatch.” <br />
<br />
Opponents of these changes come mostly from the commercial fishing industry. Atlantic Herring are an important bait for the lobster fishery, and some in the industry are concerned about unintended side-effects on other fisheries. This is exactly why all fisheries need to take ecosystem considerations into account; in the end, all stocks will benefit from these science-based management techniques and reduce year-to-year uncertainty about the populations of fish. <br />
<br />
We recently met with Gov. Raimondo’s staff and R.I. Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit to share our views on Atlantic herring. Rhode Island took a strong lead in advocating for menhaden protections last year, and we encourage the state’s delegation to the New England Fisheries Management Council to do the same when they meet at the end of the month to consider these new herring management measures. A healthy, vibrant Narragansett Bay depends on forage fish like Atlantic Herring and benefits each and every one of us.<br />
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-48917319803123681662018-09-10T16:00:00.000-04:002018-09-11T15:42:48.328-04:00A Blue Crab Rescue in Westerly: What a Way to Spend a Summer<i>by Mary Klimasewiski, Save The Bay educator</i><br />
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This summer, Save the Bay partnered with Tower Street School in Westerly and the Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative to offer a summer camp experience that combined marine science and summer fun. What could be better?<br />
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Over the course of six weeks, students visited six different publicly-accessible shoreline locations in Westerly, Watch Hill and Weekapaug, each one giving the students a different ecosystem to explore and learn about right in their backyards. In a directly hands-on experience with the plants and animals that live in their own hometown, the students learned what a watershed is, tested the water chemistry, completed plankton tows, learned about buoyancy and density, built aluminum foil boats, learned how to use a seine net and caught many native and invasive species of crabs, shrimp and fish. Some students even experienced their first boat ride when we pulled up lobster traps to see what kind of marine life lives beneath the water's surface and used binoculars to identify marine birds in the area. It was a busy summer! <br />
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The most memorable day of the summer though, was when a group of students using the seine net caught two blue crabs. The students were very excited with their catch, and at first glance, they thought the blue crabs were fighting. However, upon closer examination they soon realized that both of the blue crabs had tangled themselves up in fishing line and in fact were now attached to each other. <br />
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Immediately the students realized it was now their duty to help these two blue crabs. We grabbed a pair of scissors, cut the fishing line and untangled both of the blue crabs. Both blue crabs were happily released back into their water. Right away, the rescue of these two crustaceans brought to life for the students the concept of a watershed (a topic often difficult for students to fully grasp) and acted as an anecdote that helped these future Bay stewards understand that our actions on land do indeed have an impact on the life in the water.<br />
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At the end of our six week, the students were equally sad to know the BayCamp was coming to an end, excited to look back on all they had learned and accomplished, and hopeful to think about next year and the many more “blue crabs" out in the world needing their help. And since each location the students experienced during camp publicly accessible, they can go back to on their own time, any time, and of course bring along family and friends to share their newfound knowledge of the habitat that exists right in their own backyards.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-65642825354022150212018-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:002018-09-06T08:00:06.669-04:00Narragansett Bay: Always Changing, but Not Too Clean<i>by Mike Jarbeau, Baykeeper</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">The question of whether Narragansett Bay has become too clean to sustain a healthy fishery was the main topic of the annual Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Symposium, held at the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus in December. While there was certainly no consensus among the communities present in the room, one theme was clear: the Bay has been changing since humans first settled in New England, and changes continue to occur today. But what are those changes? And is there a “Goldilocks” level of nitrogen or other nutrients to which the Bay should be managed?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">In the science and research communities, Narragansett Bay is often touted as the most studied estuary in the world. State and federal agencies work closely with local colleges and universities to gather and interpret data in all reaches of the Bay. The University of Rhode Island’s Fish Trawl Survey, for example, began in 1959 and is one of the longest continuous records of marine species abundance in existence. And anyone who spends time on the water is also familiar with the many buoys, probes and gauges dotting the Bay that collect information to help us understand its complex dynamics.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program’s recent </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">report does a great job summarizing what we know about the Bay, illustrating changing conditions and highlighting areas that need more investigation.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZFsyMSJuTM/W2Rm0hWJjsI/AAAAAAAACIM/84K2h45Vz9IrT6lt0BuY30vrbxFGHWg4gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Algae%2Bbloom.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1254" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZFsyMSJuTM/W2Rm0hWJjsI/AAAAAAAACIM/84K2h45Vz9IrT6lt0BuY30vrbxFGHWg4gCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Algae%2Bbloom.tif" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Save The Bay staffers Joan Abrams and Topher<br />
Hamblett pull up mats of <i>Cladophora</i> macroalgae<br />
littering Little Narragansett Bay.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">One major success has been a reduction of nutrients—nitrogen and phosphorus—entering the Bay from many sources, but particularly from the process of treating human wastewater. Just as nutrients in fertilizer cause our grass to grow, excessive amounts of nutrients in our water stimulate algae growth. Too much algae starves the water of oxygen as it dies and decomposes, harming marine life that needs that oxygen to survive. The good news is that the amount of nutrients going into the Bay has gone down by almost 60 percent over the last 15 years. But this success has led to questions about whether these nutrient reductions are negatively affecting fisheries by starving the Bay of its productivity.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">We must not be confused by the discussions. No, Narragansett Bay has not become some sort of dead zone incapable of supporting marine life. Yes, the Bay of several decades ago was different. And yes, we hear stories of the glory days gone by and the difficulty of making a living on inshore fisheries today. But we must take into account that many factors have caused the types and numbers of fish and shellfish in our waters to change. We can’t ignore decades of closed beaches and stories of ear infections or other health issues still felt by people who spend time in the water. And we must remember the extensive shellfish closures that are just now beginning to be lifted in parts of the Upper Bay, opening up new opportunities for fishermen.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">Reports from the 1800s tell us that Narragansett Bay was teeming with fish and natural resources readily available for harvest. Researchers point to many reasons why fisheries in the Bay have changed since then. But changed by what?</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">Habitat quality is a critical component of a healthy ecosystem, and our Bay habitats have changed significantly over the past century. A Bay high in nutrients is not natural or conducive to the growth of critical habitats that support an abundant fishery. Much of the nuisance seaweed that washes up on our beaches in the summer is a result of excess nutrients. Eelgrass beds that were once plentiful all over the Bay floor, supporting a robust oyster population and providing habitat for fish and other shellfish, are scarce now, killed off by pollution, disease, and scallop trawls, despite significant</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">efforts by Save The Bay and others to restore native beds.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5RbmMnCpzx0/W2Rm0AXoMNI/AAAAAAAACII/nEX_ajWqRJAiQnMxYx6wNUN__AIjY1vogCEwYBhgL/s1600/fishcommunities.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5RbmMnCpzx0/W2Rm0AXoMNI/AAAAAAAACII/nEX_ajWqRJAiQnMxYx6wNUN__AIjY1vogCEwYBhgL/s400/fishcommunities.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A timeline and description of changes in the<br />
Narragansett Bay fish community as water temperature have risen.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">Water temperature also influences the types and abundance of fish in Narragansett Bay and surrounding waters. The water in Narragansett Bay has risen almost four degrees Fahrenheit since 1960. This temperature change is believed to have had a large effect on the types of fish that live in the Bay. In the 1960s, colder water temperatures supported a high abundance of bottom fish such as winter flounder. But in the next few decades, populations of these bottom fish declined as temperatures rose and allowed lobster and crab populations to grow. Finally, scientists say, in the last several decades, warmer-water species, such as black sea bass and scup, typically found in Mid-Atlantic waters (see illustration) have become more common.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">The fact is: spawning conditions, habitat availability, pollution, and fishing pressure are among the many factors at play when we consider the current health and productivity of the Bay. As noted in the </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">report, more study is needed to fully understand the complexities of our marine ecosystem. We have many questions about how evolving Bay conditions affect the health and productivity of the microscopic phytoplankton that forms the basis of the entire marine food chain. More study is also needed to characterize the Bay’s response to improving conditions and how weather and water flow patterns influence offshore nutrient inputs, among many other topics.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: normal;">While we may not be able to pinpoint a “Goldilocks” scenario where conditions in the Bay are “just right” for every interest, there is no question that recent efforts are moving us closer to a Narragansett Bay that is fully fishable, swimmable and accessible. The Bay has been changing for centuries, requiring us to adapt to evolving conditions and new opportunities, just as we have always done. We should all be proud of the fact that beach closures are down, shellfish beds are reopening, and our investments in a cleaner Bay are paying off.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gFvs3VswBmI/W2Rm1Zyxl9I/AAAAAAAACIE/GMYY_b3Pw8gtckkQRWg2-DaL2EJdbXxywCLcBGAs/s1600/algal%2Bbloom%2Bbeach.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gFvs3VswBmI/W2Rm1Zyxl9I/AAAAAAAACIE/GMYY_b3Pw8gtckkQRWg2-DaL2EJdbXxywCLcBGAs/s400/algal%2Bbloom%2Bbeach.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Algae blooms, caused by excessive nutrients in the water, can be seen along<br />
the shores at Sabin Point.</td></tr>
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-87848520130959546002018-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-23T08:00:11.883-04:00Critter Tale: Are Diamonds Forever?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>by Chris Joseph, communications intern</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jewtzKGyfjQ/W3woqK8whfI/AAAAAAAACOk/SOLOL6PiDjA8YEW7r8s8Iv5FUOu_P3uywCLcBGAs/s1600/Jerry_diamondback%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1600" height="303" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jewtzKGyfjQ/W3woqK8whfI/AAAAAAAACOk/SOLOL6PiDjA8YEW7r8s8Iv5FUOu_P3uywCLcBGAs/s400/Jerry_diamondback%2Bcropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
They say that what is beautiful does not last. Such a statement may certainly be true of the diamondback terrapin, the endangered turtle whose Rhode Island populations are now dangerously low. The geometry of the terrapin’s trademark shell is unmistakable; it is one of the most striking patterns in nature. Its stands a fair chance of soon joining dozens of others in the catalog of discontinued designs. Alphabetically, you’d look for it between toad (Toad, Golden: Extinct 15 May, 1989) and tiger (Tiger, Tasmanian: Extinct 7 September, 1936). Beside "Terrapin, Diamondback," there might be a caption: “Its majesty was unmatched. Its noble pattern continues to inspire.”<br />
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We might take a lesson from the terrapin; in Rhode Island, anyway, it's a lot like us.<br />
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Of all the turtles in the world, the terrapin is the only species that lives exclusively in coastal marshes. Some turtles are equipped to come and go from brackish waters, but the terrapin thrives in tidal marshes, where fresh and salt water mix. Its special salt gland is the only adaptation of its kind. It must live its whole life right where the ocean meets the land. <br />
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Rhode Islanders, does this sound familiar? <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7vUHv16dCIc/W3wqFeKfaeI/AAAAAAAACO0/EyBk72APSRIc30VNDCoVcyTeMFuoB_TgQCLcBGAs/s1600/P5170030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7vUHv16dCIc/W3wqFeKfaeI/AAAAAAAACO0/EyBk72APSRIc30VNDCoVcyTeMFuoB_TgQCLcBGAs/s320/P5170030.JPG" width="320" /></a>We are also bound to the coast. Some of us would leave no more easily than the terrapin, whose biology compels it to stay. Our compulsion runs as deep as a good genetic design. That much we have in common with the terrapin: we are both coastal creatures. <br />
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Yet life on the coast is precarious. The terrapin inhabits the thinnest sliver: the tidal marshes that hang between the rivers and the Bay. These delicate environments are trapped between waterfront developments and rising seas. As storms strengthen, they are drowned and destroyed, and the terrapins are cast out where only roads and crowded waterways greet them. The loss of their coastal habitat is their downfall. Without a home in Rhode Island, our terrapins cannot last long. Humans might take a lesson from the terrapin.<br />
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Luckily, Save The Bay has acquired two diamondback terrapins, and is keeping them at the Exploration Center and Aquarium in Newport, Rhode Island. The first of the turtles, Jerry, was found without an upper jaw, rendering him unable to feed himself and survive in the wild. Consequently, the state Department of Environmental Management issued a permit allowing Save The Bay to keep the turtle. <br />
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The second turtle, Phyllis, was donated to the aquarium by a family that had mistakenly taken the terrapin as a pet. Phyllis’s time spent out of the wild similarly reduced her chances of survival, and so DEM issued a second permit allowing Phil to join Jerry at the aquarium. The two recently got a new addition to their tank—a giant sandbox that aquarist Adam Kovarsky hopes will set the stage for a few new additions to Rhode Island's diamondback terrapin population. Both are still getting used to it, but the conditions in the enclosure are perfect for Phyllis to lay eggs when she’s ready. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OlEQMftnBrM/W3wl5ZzfyuI/AAAAAAAACOE/L2p0ptBJ2O0R7auAy6P_wdRxUayqOjPJgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180728_101715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OlEQMftnBrM/W3wl5ZzfyuI/AAAAAAAACOE/L2p0ptBJ2O0R7auAy6P_wdRxUayqOjPJgCEwYBhgL/s400/20180728_101715.jpg" width="400" /></a>Today, the turtles are happy and healthy. With any luck, they will mate and bring healthy offspring. But the truth is that they are two among the last of their kind in Rhode Island. Individuals like Phil and Jerry will lead long lives in captivity, but wild terrapins face sinking ground if they continue to call the Rhode Island coast their home. <br />
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The loss of a coastal habitat is a warning shot to all coastal creatures. The diamondback terrapin have been among the first to face local extinction because it is a sensitive species, but the destruction of its wetland habitat signals the beginning of widespread coastline erosion. High seas and strong storms may threaten us, too, if we do not restore our coastal ecosystems and adapt our towns to changing conditions. <br />
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These corrections will not be quick or easy, but the story of the terrapin proves they are worthwhile like the turtle, our home is beautiful, but fragile. <br />
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Community members can visit Phil and Jerry, at Save The Bay's Exploration Center and Aquarium, located at 175 Memorial Blvd. in Newport, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily through Labor Day and on weekends during the rest of the year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-49552539979851000982018-08-20T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-20T08:00:14.614-04:00Make a World of Difference<i>by July Lewis, internship and volunteer manager</i><br />
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Can you imagine 800,000 people picking up 20 million pieces of trash in one giant global beach cleanup? You don’t have to imagine it—you can be a part of it! This year's International Coastal Cleanup is Saturday, September 15, and you can sign up to join it right here. <br />
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The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is a simple but powerful concept: volunteers all over the world clean up the shore and record what they find. <i><a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Building-A-Clean-Swell.pdf" target="_blank">The resulting report</a> </i>is a key weapon in the global fight against the trash that is filling up our oceans. We use the report to raise awareness of the problem, to argue for better products and policies, and to find solutions. <br />
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Save The Bay is proud to coordinate the <a href="http://www.savebay.org/file/web-site-pdfs/ICC-Brochure-2017-FOR-WEB.compressed.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Rhode Island’s participation</i></a> in the International Coastal Cleanup. Anyone can become a citizen scientist researching this issue. Here’s how to get involved!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">SIGN UP FOR A CLEANUP</span></b><br />
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As always, we have a <a href="http://volunteer.savebay.org/international-coastal-cleanup/"><i>list of cleanups</i></a> to choose from on September 15, and anyone can sign up. Alternate dates are available throughout September and October if you can’t make it on the “big day.” This is a great activity for groups and families, so feel free to recruit others to come with you. No prep is needed—just bring yourself, some sturdy shoes and a reusable bottle of water to stay hydrated. We’ll provide the rest!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">LEAD A CLEANUP</span></b><br />
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It’s easy to lead a cleanup! Your cleanup can be a big event or even small group of friends and family. It’s up to you! <b>Step 1)</b> Coordinate a date and location with me. <b>Step 2)</b> Pick up a Save The Bay cleanup kit. <b>Step 3)</b> On the day of your cleanup, give some easy instructions to your group and do the cleanup, gathering the trash together in a pile for pickup (I will arrange permission and disposal with the town or park). <b>Step 4) </b>Return the kit, and you’re done! <br />
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<a href="http://volunteer.savebay.org/need/detail/?need_id=313597" target="_blank"><i>Sign up for cleanup leader training</i></a> on Thursday, August 30, 6-7:30 PM at 100 Save The Bay Drive, Providence. If you need more details or information, c<a href="mailto:jlewis@savebay.org" target="_blank">ontact me at jlewis@savebay.org.</a> <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>USE THE CLEAN SWELL APP</b></span><br />
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Download The Ocean Conservancy’s CleanSwell app, and you can do mini-cleanups wherever you go! Take a bag with you the next time you go to the shore and spend a few minutes cleaning up and recording what you find. Just tap the icons for straws, cigarette butts, food wrappers, etc. to keep track as you pick up. The app will automatically record your location, the distance you walked, the time you spent cleaning up, and the weight of your items. Hit submit and all the data goes to the Ocean Conservancy to be included in their database. You can even take a photo and post it to social media with your results!<br />
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<b><i>JUST REMEMBER:</i></b> Any cleanups of more than a few people, or where a large volume of trash is being picked up, must be arranged ahead of time with the park or the town. Don’t fill up the park’s trash barrel (if they have one) or leave bags on the curb – be prepared to take your trash home with you!<br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/clean-swell/id985692119?mt=8"><i>Download the Clean Swell app for iPhone</i></a>.</div>
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<i><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.oceanconservancy.cleanswell">Download for the app for Android</a>.</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?</span></b><br />
<br />
So please come out and join us for the International Coastal Cleanup, whether it’s joining a cleanup, leading a cleanup, or using the Clean Swell app. And please spread the word—every bit of trash we keep out of the Bay makes a difference!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-75789548344750278032018-08-17T12:06:00.000-04:002018-08-17T12:06:56.217-04:0050 WAYS WE'VE SAVED THE BAY: Before we could save the Bay, we had to save a community<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<h2>
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</div>
<i>by Katy Dorchies, Marketing and Graphics Specialist</i><br />
<br />
In January 1970, at the end of a five-hour town council meeting, a sole voice of opposition stood against an otherwise unanimous vote to renew a permit. The renewal, requested by the Northeast Petroleum Refinery, Inc. was the company’s first step toward building an oil refinery in Tiverton, R.I. The voice of opposition belonged to a new councilwoman, Louise Durfee.<br />
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By August of that same year, Northeast Petroleum Refining Inc. presented its proposal for an oil refinery along the northwestern coast of Tiverton and immediately launched a persuasive public relations campaign. The company hosted parties throughout the Sakonnet River area, distributing—what the opposition began calling—“those glossy brochures” that boasted a long list of benefits that would accompany the refinery’s construction: an increase in employment opportunities, a decrease in taxes, explosions in the housing and banking markets.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9mX_JwwjE6bq6_kD3Dh08XdSBxasKEgNn2lwQtTSjKDrT3G_Rh4OfSXE57Jb4tOCgwFSPSRw7Xq1w6CpBqO_erafT1ciTTsLw4VJEbKroPejRCQZdUNuNYmvAWjr2xeiOyKQnca0-NQ/s1600/NortheasternPetroleumProposalModel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9mX_JwwjE6bq6_kD3Dh08XdSBxasKEgNn2lwQtTSjKDrT3G_Rh4OfSXE57Jb4tOCgwFSPSRw7Xq1w6CpBqO_erafT1ciTTsLw4VJEbKroPejRCQZdUNuNYmvAWjr2xeiOyKQnca0-NQ/s400/NortheasternPetroleumProposalModel.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This early model depicted Northeastern petroleum's proposed refinery plans.<br />
(Image credit: Herald Times, August 12, 1970)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, the brochures neglected to address what Durfee and her acquaintances knew to be larger concerns: threats to air quality, the infamous crude oil stench, and, above all, a compromised local ecosystem.<br />
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Long before a simple Google search could retrieve these facts and statistics for curious residents, and without regulatory bodies like the Department of Environmental Management or Coastal Resources Management Council to monitor the proposal, Durfee and the rest of the opposition had to take extraordinary measures to inform Tiverton’s residents about the risks associated with Northeast Petroleum’s proposed project.<br />
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The day after the proposal went public, Durfee, who had once worked with an oil company in New York, John Canulla, a retired IRS officer who had traveled the country collecting and writing reports on oil refineries, John Scanlon, a public relations consultant, and others met in Durfee’s home to strategize.Their efforts resulted in the creation of Save Our Community, an organization with two simple goals. First, they endeavored to circulate a petition of the project. Second, they set about collecting donations to fund an objective investigation into the economic and environmental impacts of the Northeast Petroleum refinery. They wanted the community to know the information that wasn’t on “those glossy brochures.”<br />
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From September to November of the same year, Save Our Community held a series of public hearings and put their hired attorney, Jim Edwards, at the helm. Edwards worked tirelessly on the case for months and treated the hearings like a courtroom. He brought in biologists, ecologists and economists to address the lack of refinery safety precautions, the ability of the town to respond to a fire or spill, the inflation of Northeast Petroleum’s production and employment projections, and, of course, the irreversible impacts of the refinery on the local environment.<br />
<br />
Support for the refinery began to plummet. In papers across the region, letters-to-the-editor and reader-submitted cartoons opposing the project flooded the weeklies’ pages. Canulla’s reports from spills around the nation ran alongside them, serving as cautionary tales, and United States Senators Claiborne Pell and John O. Pastore made statements against the project.<br />
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Finally, in a frighteningly close 4-3 vote, the Tiverton Town Council defeated the project by rejecting the zoning request presented by Northeast Petroleum in November 1970. <br />
<br />
But this was just the beginning, and while members of Save Our Community celebrated a victory in their initial challenge to defeat the Tiverton refinery, they could not ignore the feeling that similar battles were on the horizon, not only in Tiverton, but across Rhode Island. The grassroots organization resituated itself to serve all of Narragansett Bay, changed its name to Save The Bay, appointed Scanlon as its first Executive Director. In later years, Durfee would serve as the organization’s fifth Board President.<br />
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While the locations of the battles, the nature of the threats, and the individuals involved may have changed over the years, many things remain the same. Those involved with Save The Bay remain tireless. They seek to inform and be informed. They recognize that the responsibility of protecting and improving a resource as great as Narragansett Bay is not one to be taken lightly. And they continue, though perhaps now in a more metaphorical sense, to track down the information missing from the “glossy brochure” and share it with all who will listen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00751901493744634258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-30594093732272922762018-08-13T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-13T08:00:00.185-04:00Scenes along the Mattatuxet: A dam goes out; wildlife come in<i>by Kate McPherson, Riverkeeper</i><br />
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An American eel rests on the edge of the rock, covered in muck. I carefully climb down the rocks to the pool where it is resting, trying to remember if eels bite. I’m fairly certain they don’t, but I’m pretty sure they are slippery. What I know is that this eel needs my help getting out of the construction zone that is being actively dewatered so this dam can come down.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--gwOXVtnzc0/W2yP4rdYmZI/AAAAAAAACLk/3oAeXURiNR4cf8wq81mwhW70X8laseqAQCEwYBhgL/s1600/eelmud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--gwOXVtnzc0/W2yP4rdYmZI/AAAAAAAACLk/3oAeXURiNR4cf8wq81mwhW70X8laseqAQCEwYBhgL/s400/eelmud.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I rest one hand on what is left of the old spillway of the Shady Lea dam and reach for the eel, right behind the gills. I am not quick enough, and it swims under a large boulder, into deeper liquid muck. On my hands and knees reaching under the rock, with dark water swirling up my arm past my elbow as I feel around for the eel, I beam up at Ashlee Tyce and tell her without any irony at all that I love my job.<br />
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I recall my first visit to this stretch of the Mattatuxet River in North Kingstown, located about a mile and a half upstream of Gilbert Stuart’s birthplace on Carr Pond. It was my first week as Save The Bay's Riverkeeper, and on that particular day, I was meeting with the owner of Shady Lea Mill, neighbors, and engineers to facilitate the start of the second phase of dam removal. <br />
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The habitat behind Shady Lea mill is a secluded stretch of wide shallow river, with white oak and red maple trees shading the water on the southern bank and highbush blueberry, sweet pepperbush, and green briars tucked between the trunks. Cinnamon ferns nod at the riverbank edge and an occasional skunk cabbage crops up along the wooded bank. That warm spring afternoon was a chorus of birdsong. As we discussed backhoe access to the river, a blue-gray gnatcatcher flitted from branch to branch looking for small arthropods, a great crested flycatcher flamboyantly announced its presence from a nearby low branch, and warbling vireos sang at the pond edge. Deeper in the forest to the south, ovenbird, eastern towhee and black and white warbler sang. A pine warbler stopped to consider if the deciduous canopy would meet his nesting requirements as we considered the logistics of taking down this historic, but high-hazard, dam.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5KYxOqk2nQ/W2yQl8EfBCI/AAAAAAAACLs/ISmJDCtJVrcJV9aYcBqJJDnyMOy2y4uyACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180723_101612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5KYxOqk2nQ/W2yQl8EfBCI/AAAAAAAACLs/ISmJDCtJVrcJV9aYcBqJJDnyMOy2y4uyACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20180723_101612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I suppose that warbler must have found a nice patch of white pines this summer, since it’s now mid-July and I haven't heard him sing since. The dam is now halfway out at Shady Lea, and will be replaced by four granite rock weirs over which the river will cascade down and fish will swim up. For the first time in 200 years, wildlife, including species that are not terribly mobile, will be free to move up and downstream.<br />
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This will mean changes to the wetland habitat upstream of the old dam, but change is constant in a river system, and already the Mattatuxet River is adapting. Seeds trapped in what was the mucky pond bottom have a chance at life and new plants have emerged. Deep areas previously hidden by the pond have been revealed and may provide new breeding habitat for wood frogs and spotted salamanders. <br />
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After my eel adventure, I walk upriver to what’s left of the old impoundment, where the water collected above the dam.The painted turtles and green frogs I’ve seen here won’t mind the changes to the river, for they are equally at home in permanent ponds and small rivers. I hike through some fragrant sweet pepperbush at the wetland edge, and the gray catbirds, irritated, glare and scold. I startle a musk turtle on the move! A rare treat, musk turtles are shy aquatic species that prefer slow moving muddy bottomed waters. This turtle is moving north into the deep marsh upstream. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bPwyt4HwMw/W2yRKzLYMSI/AAAAAAAACL0/7c4d8EauZRcr62zkLxlg44avYfkN9l3_gCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180711_092001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bPwyt4HwMw/W2yRKzLYMSI/AAAAAAAACL0/7c4d8EauZRcr62zkLxlg44avYfkN9l3_gCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20180711_092001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Now that the dam is on its way out, this turtle’s offspring will be able to find their own habitat downriver to slow-moving muddy habitat in Carr’s pond. Opening up the river will hopefully mean anadromous fish—fish such as alewife and blueback herring, which spawn in freshwater rivers and return to the ocean—will be able to bring a new generation of fish in the waters behind Shady Lea mill. Observing the changes, I can’t help but feel optimistic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-55707697057308923652018-08-09T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-09T08:00:02.313-04:00The Delight of the First Visit to the Aquarium<i>by Mia Chiappone, communications intern</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Tuesday morning was bright, beautiful and warm, and I was going to
spend it volunteering at the Save The Bay Exploration Center & Aquarium.
Driving down Memorial Boulevard in Newport, R.I., looking out over the blue
ocean and white sand at Easton’s Beach, I knew it was going to be a good day
away from my busy work life. I knew this, because I had no idea what to
expect—and I’ve learned the best things happen when you don’t expect them.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">The location of the aquarium on Easton’s Beach is unreal. In
between beautiful cliffs and positioned on the beach facing the ocean, I had no
idea what this circular building was holding on the inside. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Octopuses? Sharks? Nemo?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">No, this aquarium doesn’t
contain tropical, bright fish (except a few that are swept up with the Gulf
stream and cannot survive Rhode Island’s cold winters) or dolphins or penguins
that are kept in tanks their whole lives. Instead, the Save The Bay Exploration
Center and Aquarium exclusively features species native to Narragansett Bay.
The critters are given to the aquarium by fishermen and scientists and are
released within a year if they are healthy.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Having grown up in Rhode Island and being a huge ocean person, I
was surprised to see so many species I'd never seen before and didn't even know existed
right here in my own backyard. Did you know, for example, that those little golden pouches you often see washed up on the beach are mermaid purses—the egg sacks of baby little skates that will grow to the size of a
steering wheel?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">When I walked into the aquarium, I felt very welcomed by the
volunteers and the manager, Adam Kovarsky. I looked around the front area and saw
beautiful artwork and was eager to go tank to tank.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">I was not expecting to ask as many questions as I did. A huge
difference between the Save The Bay's cozy Exploration Center and Aquarium and other
aquariums I have visited is the level of individual attention from the staff. I learned more here than at any other aquarium I’ve visited. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">The animals ranged from tortoises and crabs to all sizes of fish,
sharks and eels. And the best part? You can touch many of the creatures</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Visitors can pet critters in three touch tanks, each stationed
with a volunteer docent to answer questions. The children around me were far braver
than I was at picking up the spider crabs and touching the skates, although I
did stay at the dogfish shark tank for about two hours petting the little guy
who kept poking his head out of the water. I was intrigued by the two-foot,
gray shark and wondered why he never went below the surface. I came to learn he
was “spy hopping,” a reaction to all the vibrations in the room caused by our voices, our
footsteps, and everything inbetween. The dogfish shark could even feel our heartbeats when our hands were in the water.
Strong sensory receptors along the shark's sides sense these vibrations and stir an innate curiosity to visualize its surroundings above the water. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had the best time, and I felt like one of the little children
running around going tank to tank and asking a million questions about every
creature. I also realized I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Many adults
came in without kids to check out the creatures we all swim with in
Narragansett Bay. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-1405810767800830972018-08-06T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-06T08:00:16.558-04:00The State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed<i>Contributed by the staff of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We’ve been asked: Isn’t the Bay saved already? The answer isn’t so cut-and-dry. In fact, the Bay is so much cleaner than it once was. And, it’s not as clean as it could, or should, be. What’s more, while many former threats, such as industrial factory waste, have been remedied, new and more complex threats are emerging. Skeptics may ask: how do we know?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Beginning in 2014, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program brought together more than 50 environmental practi-tioners from universities, state and federal agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to collaboratively produce the 2017 <i>State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i>report. This robust and well-rounded collective of experts gathered and analyzed the best available data and put together a comprehensive, 500-page technical report on the status and trends in 24 topic areas that describe the conditions of the Bay and watershed and the stressors that threaten them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The findings in the 2017 <i>State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed </i>report offer a new and unique understanding of the changing conditions in this important region. The incredible value of the report is that agencies, organizations, and individuals can use this information in their decision-making to ensure that the benefits provided by the Bay and watershed are sustained and enhanced for future generations.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The Good News<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></h2>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVm3Y2zUvy4/W2RgcewO52I/AAAAAAAACHU/k2S14tfCoYMlMRv8yl9OW-glDyowXi1mQCLcBGAs/s1600/h2oclarity2.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVm3Y2zUvy4/W2RgcewO52I/AAAAAAAACHU/k2S14tfCoYMlMRv8yl9OW-glDyowXi1mQCLcBGAs/s320/h2oclarity2.tif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">The water in the Bay is getting cleaner.</span> </b>Over the past several decades, major investments in wastewater facilities and restrictions on harmful chemicals have paid off in a dramatic drop in pollution. Discharges of bacteria, often from human and animal waste, excessive nutrients that lead to insufficient oxygen for marine life, and such legacy toxic pollutants as metals, PCBs, and pesticides have declined.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Scientists are tracking changes in the ecosystem after recent reductions in pollution from wastewater treatment facilities.</span> </b>Scientists are looking at biology, chemistry, and physics to understand how nutrient reductions are impacting our ecosystem. Additionally, research is looking at the cause of lower dissolved oxygen concentrations and how the fish populations are changing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Conditions vary greatly among places in the Bay and watershed, generally improving with distance from urban areas.</span> </b>But, urbanized areas are expanding. This spreading of the human population has spurred changes in land use, including loss of forests, that negatively affect rivers and the Bay. Conditions in the Bay also improve with distance from the Providence, Fall River and other highly urbanized areas.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Major Stressors Currently Threatening Progress<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Climate change shifts.</span> </b>Decades of scientific data show that local air and water temperatures have warmed, rainfall has increased in volume and intensity, and sea level has risen. These changes are already happening and will continue into the future. Rising temperatures and increased rainfall stresses local stormwater systems, negatively affects human health and may change the species that inhabit the Bay and freshwaters. By understanding these changes, we can make better decisions and implement better policies to help protect land, communities, and infrastructure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Sea level rise</span> </b>is stressing low-lying areas— particularly developed areas where people live and work. Additionally, salt marshes are drowning in place and have little room to retreat to higher ground. Salt marshes play important roles in the ecosystem by providing shelter, nurseries, and feeding grounds for fish and shellfish and protection from storms and flooding for coastal communities. Sea level rise will bring more frequent flooding to low-lying coastal areas which could displace homes, roads and coastal habitats.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Urbanization.</span> </b>Population has increased over the last 20 years. People are spreading out, moving to more rural areas. Urban areas are expanding at the expense of forested lands. Demands for infrastructure such as roads, waste management, and power lines have increased, and habitat has been fragmented. More urbanized areas mean more impervious surfaces such as roads and buildings which can lead to warmer temperatures, more polluted runoff into waterways, and less natural habitat for animals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Degradation of water quality.</span> </b>Significant advances in stormwater management, wastewater infrastructure, and policies aimed at reducing pollution have improved water quality significantly. However, water quality is still under threat from emerging contaminants, polluted runoff and climate change. High nutrient levels lead to low dissolved oxygen, which threatens fish and shellfish and can cause significant loss of life. Additionally, emerging contaminants such as personal care products and medications have unknown impacts on the natural ecosystem.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Looking Toward the Future</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The work does not stop here. We need continued monitoring to better understand the effects of nutrient and bacteria reductions on the Bay. Reducing nutrient pollution from Taunton River Estuary wastewater treatment facilities and from nonpoint sources will be crucial to the overall health of the Bay going forward. Finally, we need to enhance the watershed’s resiliency to climate change impacts.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-7902720618480117812018-07-26T13:00:00.000-04:002018-07-26T13:00:00.364-04:00Swimming for the Bay: Open Water Swimming Tips from Elizabeth Beisel<i>by Elizabeth Beisel</i><br />
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I am ecstatic to finally be a part of the Save The Bay open water Swim! I got my start in swimming simply because I grew up in the Ocean State and my parents wanted me to be safe in and around the local waters. The love I developed for Rhode Island waters turned into an Olympic swimming career and I couldn’t be more grateful for everything this state has provided me.<br />
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I am fortunate enough to now have a platform to give back to the state and bring awareness to the pollution and litter in and around our beaches, and that is why I am most excited to join Save The Bay this August 4 in their 42nd annual open water Swim. </div>
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We, as Rhode Islanders, must protect our waters in order to preserve them for the generations to come. I was able to swim in Narragansett Bay my entire childhood because of the efforts of people who came before me. Now it is my turn to pay it forward. </div>
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Join me on Saturday, Aug. 4, as we support Save The Bay’s efforts to make our Bay a swimmable and safe place for everyone, and follow these simple open water swimming tips.<br />
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<b>1. Warm up.</b> Waters can be especially cold up here in New England, but no matter what the temperature is during your race or swim, you always want to make sure your body is warm and loose before you start. If the event coordinators allow it, hop in the water for 10 minutes before the start and loosen up. This will help your body acclimate to the water and relax the muscles, which is huge for preventing injuries. If there is no warm-up allowed, do some stretching and get your heart rate up by jogging or doing a few jumping jacks. You will swim faster and your body will thank you for it.<br />
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<b>2. Fueling.</b> Chances are, you won’t be swimming with a water bottle attached to you during your event. Start hydrating your body a bit more a day or two before your swim to avoid dehydration. Eat something before your swim. If you can’t stomach a lot of food early in the morning, eat a high calorie bar or smoothie that is easy to digest and won’t make you feel too full. Food is our energy source and you definitely want to be fueled up before a grueling swim.<br />
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<b>3. Equipment.</b> If you are doing an open water swim, you want to be as comfortable and confident as possible in your gear. If you are wearing a wetsuit or a suit that might rub your skin, rub baby oil or Vaseline on your skin where chaffing might occur. This will decrease the chances of your skin being raw after the swim and will make the event itself much more enjoyable. I suggest wearing two layers of caps: first cap, then goggles on, then second cap. This will help your goggles stay on during the swim.<br />
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<b>4. Sighting.</b> This is a crucial part of open water swimming. Because you have no line on the bottom to follow, you must become comfortable with lifting your head straight ahead to see where you’re going. Practice this skill in the weeks prior to your event; it will make it easier on your neck come race time and you will be comfortable knowing how to spot your course. Be familiar with your course before you dive in for your swim so if you get separated from your pack, you are able to still swim calmly and confidently in the right direction. Make sure you have a good pair of goggles that won’t fog up or blur your vision.<br />
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<b>5. Pace yourself.</b> Open water swimming is never a sprint. Start off at a comfortable pace and slowly start picking it up as the swim goes on. Keep your heart rate steady and under control so that you finish the swim strong and feel good the entire time.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00751901493744634258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-30083574123156513782018-07-16T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-16T08:00:02.658-04:00Homeschool is Cool on Narragansett Bay<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>by Rachael Lewin, communications intern, Save The Bay</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Homeschooling began to grow in popularity in the 1970s when educational theorist John Holt advocated for the reform of public schools. Holt asked parents to consider schools without walls, where kids can learn at their own pace in their own environment. This experiential-based approach has grown significantly over the years and n</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ow more than 2 million U.S. children are being taught from home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2008, Save The Bay added a new program, Homeschool is Cool, to its robust set of marine science environmental education courses. Once a month from September to May, children ages 6-14 meet for two-hour sessions to explore Narragansett Bay through its various creatures, watershed and habitats. Learning progress is tracked in journals that students use to take notes and draw pictures of their observations. All of Save The Bay’s education programs are linked to national science standards and Rhode Island’s grade span and grade learning expectations, making Homeschool is Cool a win for parent-teachers and students alike.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On a typical chilly day in February, some 25 children from kindergarten to third grade arrive at the Bay Center abuzz about the day’s activities. Educators have already been down to the dock to gather microscopic plankton from the Providence River, and the lesson starts with a primer on these tiny organisms. The students learn that plankton are the most abundant species in the Bay, and can range in size from miniscule to larger than a human. With older kids helping the younger ones, microscopes in the plankton lab at the Bay Center give these young marine scientists the chance to look at the different types of plankton up close, and then the students draw what they see in their observation journals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">C</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">raft activities help reinforce the marine science lesson as students “make” a plankton out of Play-Doh and spaghetti. And since plankton float, rather than swim, in the water, the students are challenged to make spaghetti plankton that actually float. Contagious excitement fills the room as the students cheer and clap for the “plankton” that looked like they might actually float. In the end, spaghetti and Play-Doh prove to be less-than-buoyant and all the plankton eventually make their way to the bottom of the container.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Programs like this are so great because they allow for my kids to have some real hands-on experience with the animals they’re reading and learning about. They come home eager to share what they learned and inspired to continue learning about the Bay and all the different aspects that make it so special,” said a mother of an excited third grader.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On a hazy March afternoon, homeschoolers and their families gather on the dock at Bowen’s Landing in Newport. After the group receives life jackets and safety guidelines, the excursion to look for seals begins. Before heading out to visit the seals at their favorite hangout spot, the educators introduce Sealia, Save The Bay’s life-size harbor seal model. On the outside, Sealia is simply a stuffed animal, but on the inside she is anatomically correct, with removable plush organs. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The educators break down the replica, explaining how the seals’ six inches of blubber along with a metabolic rate higher than land mammals, keeps them warm. The children learn that Narragansett Bay is an ideal location for seals’ winter vacationing because it is a safe place to rest, free from common predators, with a bounty of fish to eat. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As the boat makes it way to one of the seals’ favorite spots, Citing Rock, underneath the Newport Bridge, the educators talk about the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which helped raise the seal count in the Bay each winter from less than 20 to more than 500. Once the rock is in sight, the children swarm over to the side of the boat to catch the best view. The rocks seem to be overflowing with the majestic mammals, with a few bobbing around in the water seemingly approaching the boat to say hello. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The parents, marveling at the large number and beauty of the animals, stand back to allow the youngsters to be in front. Some hold up their phones to take pictures, some chat amongst themselves about the days activities. Homeschooling has become much more than just parents teaching their children at home. An aunt of one of the students pointed out that when enrolled in traditional schooling, weekends feel so hectic and busy, especially if sports and other extracurricular activities are a part of the schedule. Homeschooling, she said, allows for more family, time whether during the week or on the weekends, and that doing programs like this during the week eliminates the worry of weekend crowds. Parents work together to connect classroom lessons and experiences, creating communities of families who use this style of education and programs that make these experiences possible. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A father of one of the young adventurers shared his memories of struggling through school and constantly feeling behind his peers, so when it came time for his own kids to go to school, homeschooling was the answer. He and his wife quickly realized that this style of educating is a learning experience for the parents just as much as the kids, but seeing his son’s passion and excitement for learning makes the extra work worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Our homeschool programs further our mission to connect all students in Rhode Island to Narragansett Bay” said Grainne Conley, Save The Bay education program manager. The longest lasting memories come from experiences, fond memories of time with family or friends. So why not intertwine them with education? For more information on all of the programs Save The Bay offers, visit www.savebay.org/education.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-2945560025637754282018-07-09T09:00:00.000-04:002018-07-09T09:00:08.535-04:00Olympic Swimmer Elizabeth Beisel joins the Save The Bay Swim<i>by Katy Dorchies, marketing and graphics specialist</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Swimmers and kayakers have myriad reasons for participating in Save The Bay’s annual Swim fundraiser—for some it’s about pushing their physical limits, while for others it’s simply about helping to protect the Bay. For Save The Bay’s first community Swim Ambassador, it’s all about giving back to the hometown waters that helped her reach her goals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">“I grew up on the beaches of Narragansett Bay, which is where I fell in love with the water,” said three-time Olympic medalist and Rhode Island native Elizabeth Beisel. “That love helped me accomplish my dreams to represent Rhode Island and the United States in the Olympics.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">As Save The Bay’s first Swim Ambassador, Beisel will offer welcoming remarks to participants in Newport on August 4 before jumping in the water and tackling the 1.7-nautical-mile swim challenge alongside other swimmers and kayakers. She will then present final awards from the Swim’s finish at Taylor Point in Jamestown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Swimmers and fans, however, won’t have to wait until August to hear from Beisel. In the summer months leading up to the event, she will teach two youth swim clinics, share open-water swimming tips through Save The Bay’s blog and social media and participate in a takeover of Save The Bay’s Twitter account.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">“I feel so fortunate to now have the chance to give back to the waters I learned to swim in, and that’s why I’m so excited to participate in the Save The Bay Swim,” said Beisel. “It’s so important to protect and restore our shorelines, beaches and Bay, and this is a perfect and seamless way for me to get involved. Let’s help save the Bay for the future Olympians of Rhode Island.”</span></div>
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<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-6706932810640145042018-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-02T08:00:03.641-04:00A Love Affair with Landscape<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">by Lorena Pugh, painter</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have worked for years as a contemporary still life artist, rethinking the traditionally narrow definition of still life. I've enjoyed a comfortable degree of success, particularly for my four-foot pears wrapped in translucent tissue. Being<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a mid-career<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>artist with national or international recognition, as I am, switching subject matter is a big deal after working for years to gain a following.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>But it was love</b>. A love affair that began two and a half years ago in a rural village in France, where I painted the beautiful landscape for seven weeks. Coming home to Narragansett Bay, I saw endless opportunities to grow as a landscape painter. I wanted to paint big waves and little coves, octopi and cormorants. I reached out to Save the Bay about some kind of collaboration for a show.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I thought of Save the Bay because in the summer of 1986, I did my first swim across Narragansett Bay. That was in the early days when kayaks and wetsuits weren’t ubiquitous. You dodged ores from 100+ rowboats and shivered in your skimpy suit, but it was wonderful, and I was hooked on open-water swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, I have developed a deep appreciation for all that Save the Bay does to make our Bay a good place to dive into.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Supporting Save the Bay with my paint strokes as well as my swim strokes meant we needed a venue, preferably a large space for those BIG waves I wanted to paint. The art gods smiled on us, because in a matter of weeks, the director of Dryden Gallery in Providence asked if I would like a solo show in their Grand Gallery—300 liner feet of wall space for paintings I had yet to create. I said yes, and grasping the enormity of what I just agreed to, nearly blacked out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dryden Gallery was more than happy to share proceeds with Save the Bay and so the biggest professional undertaking of my life began.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started painting small <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">plein air</i> pieces in January 2017. Plein air painting is done outside, entirely at the sight, and over the past year and a half, I have relished spending time just looking and recording what I see along the shores, observing the changes in the water and air and the migration of life around the Bay.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the winter, I finally got those BIG, life-sized waves out of my head and onto canvas. One is 24 feet; the other is 16 feet. And a painting of a cloud reaches about 10 feet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I bought a nautical map of Narragansett Bay and have put stickers in areas I have painted and in areas I want to paint. It will be included in the show so guests can find where each painting originated.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, with the good weather and only three months until the October 6<sup>th </sup>opening, I am heading back out to paint like the wind!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will have close to 200 paintings by October, yet there are hundreds more I would love to paint. Our Bay is so rich with life and beauty; I hope you will come celebrate that with me at Dryden Gallery on October 6 for the benefit of Save The Bay and Narragansett Bay.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLzWGY788C0/WzKl7of1cnI/AAAAAAAACEo/m182758Gtho6cBeUv4x0cMsvkz3pCPk5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="1600" height="97" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLzWGY788C0/WzKl7of1cnI/AAAAAAAACEo/m182758Gtho6cBeUv4x0cMsvkz3pCPk5wCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_2235.JPG" width="520" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-72488815580802977352018-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:002018-06-25T11:00:21.701-04:00A Sandy Simulation<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A Technology-Enhanced Sandbox Helps Rhode Island Youth Understand Watershed, Erosion and Topography</span></h4>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">by Katy Dorchies, marketing and graphics specialist</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvIQEmMJtY4/WyQe_f7S5jI/AAAAAAAACAE/x-seDHoxwo8N-wueEQj0rPxytY1Bpb2AgCLcBGAs/s1600/AR%2BSandbox_Dorchies_4-18-18_8980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvIQEmMJtY4/WyQe_f7S5jI/AAAAAAAACAE/x-seDHoxwo8N-wueEQj0rPxytY1Bpb2AgCLcBGAs/s320/AR%2BSandbox_Dorchies_4-18-18_8980.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In an effort to illuminate watershed issues, Save The Bay educators are breaking into the virtual world with their newest technological acquisition: the AR (augmented reality) Sandbox. The first of its kind in the state of Rhode Island, this hands-on exhibit and learning tool goes online in Save The Bay lessons starting this month.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“The concept of a watershed is not necessarily as easy to understand as some of us think,” said Save The Bay Education Specialist Lauren Farnsworth. “The most important part of using the sandbox in our lessons is that students get in there and have the opportunity to manipulate the land, the rainfall, and really get an idea of how water flows.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“We want students to understand that anything they do on land has the potential to affect all of their water resources, from drinking water and irrigation to recreation,” said Save The Bay Education Specialist Letty Hanson.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The complete AR Sandbox structure includes a seven foot projector stand and a raised 3.5’ long, 2.5’ wide and 8” deep sandbox. A digital projector is affixed above the sandbox, directed towards the surface of the sand. While not in use, the equipment could appear simplistic; however, when educators turn the machine on, a new understanding of this exhibit comes to light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Using a 3D camera and a video projector, the technology in the AR Sandbox works with the sculpted sand beneath it to produce a light-and color-based topographic overlay. As students shift the sand in the sandbox, the topographic map adjusts in real time, using a spectrum of colors and contour lines to bring the mock landscape below to life. The simulation adds bright blue pools to represent bodies of water at the sandbox’s lowest points, and those interacting with the sandbox can even use hand gestures under the projector to prompt a rainfall simulation.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9XTTgYreOk/WyQe-q9hbSI/AAAAAAAACAA/ebTnAU4d3HsHOcinaHCOsuzG63N6RJabgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9XTTgYreOk/WyQe-q9hbSI/AAAAAAAACAA/ebTnAU4d3HsHOcinaHCOsuzG63N6RJabgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_2449.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“The AR Sandbox is an appealing blend of cool technology and get-your-hands-sandy learning,” said Save The Bay’s Lead Captain Eric Pfirrmann. “Students will be able to explore the concepts assisted by the technology, not driven by it.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The technology in the AR Sandbox was initially developed in 2013 as part of an open-source program at the University of California, Davis by researchers looking to improve the instruction of earth sciences. Save The Bay’s education staff first set their sights on acquiring the sandbox in 2016, and their efforts were finally realized when funding was acquired in late 2017.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Pfirrmann, assisted by volunteer Don DeLuca, began the physical construction of the sandbox in December 2017. By the following February, the sandbox was ready for its augmented reality technology. This final stage of preparation revealed the true complexity of the sandbox system, requiring the installation of three software packages, two types of hardware calibration, and the configuration of a Linux operating system. Now, the AR Sandbox is ready to be used by Save The Bay educators as they introduce students to watershed issues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“It adds another layer of hands-on learning while helping students develop the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills that are so crucial to their success. This resource will help students develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills when it comes to their place in the watershed, and our program will encourage them to incorporate solutions to everyday challenges we face in the Narragansett Bay watershed,” said Save The Bay’s Education Director Bridget Kubis Prescott.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">During lessons at the Bay Center, students will be asked to consider all of the forces at play within a watershed—from the pull of gravity and the consequences of rainfall to the complexity of tributaries—while gaining the vocabulary needed to describe coastal features.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“Since Save The Bay’s mission is to protect and improve Narragansett Bay, teaching students about watersheds is crucial so that they can make informed decisions when it matters,” said Hanson.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-60041712513130897252018-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-18T08:00:06.705-04:00Critter Tale: The Mighty Short Bigeye
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<!--StartFragment--><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">By Julia Gentillo, communications intern</span></i><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJdMKmp_aE8/WyQbCuPaEsI/AAAAAAAAB_g/9MAYnZDHjZ8bVDwzCVsoj1xwOwx2yTJMQCLcBGAs/s1600/short%2Bbigeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1600" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJdMKmp_aE8/WyQbCuPaEsI/AAAAAAAAB_g/9MAYnZDHjZ8bVDwzCVsoj1xwOwx2yTJMQCLcBGAs/s320/short%2Bbigeye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Welcome into my humble abode, a spacious
tank for me at the back of Save The Bay’s Exploration Center and Aquarium. I’m
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only </i>Short Bigeye here, but I’m
not lonely at all; even in my natural habitat, I am usually by myself. Before
making my way to Rhode Island, I lived in tropical waters, as my species is
most populous in the Caribbean Sea, West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">How did you make it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all the way</i> up here from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all
the way</i> down there, you must be asking? A Gulf stream current swept me up
when I was young and carried me all the way to these northern waters. Once a
small fish or egg is caught in the current, they really can’t escape. Believe
it or not, I am not the only fish here that got caught in the current and made
its way into the Bay. Some of my tropical stray neighbors at the Exploration
Center include the striped burrfish, crevalle jack, scamp grouper, pinfish and
the colorful spotfin butterflyfish. My fellow tropical strays and I were found
by local fishermen and Save The Bay students who brought us into our new cozy
tanks. Together, we make up the “Bay of the Future” exhibit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although finding tropical strays in the
Bay is fascinating, our presence here is an indication of climate change. In
the last 100 years, the average temperature of the Bay has risen four degrees. While
tropical strays cannot survive a harsh Rhode Island winter, each year we have
been arriving to Narragansett Bay earlier and surviving longer into the colder
months. Climate change is aggressively changing the environment and ecosystems
in Narragansett Bay. The “Bay of the Future” exhibit poses the important
question: “What will the Bay look like in 1,000 years?” Perhaps the warming
water temperatures will mean the end of winter flounder, sea stars and clams in
Narragansett Bay. Or perhaps, as tropical fish like me continue to populate the
Bay, we’ll outcompete the native fish altogether once waters continue to warm
even more.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwxk5tHLkSQ/WyQbCi761VI/AAAAAAAAB_c/DOWHyvMwfqo35AjaW-68zpHe_o0dCEp5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwxk5tHLkSQ/WyQbCi761VI/AAAAAAAAB_c/DOWHyvMwfqo35AjaW-68zpHe_o0dCEp5wCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_2774.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">For now, we are able to survive the winters only
from the warmth of our tanks at the Exploration Center, where we also help
teach visitors about climate change. The ultraviolet light in my tank makes it
difficult for you to tell, but I am actually bright red, critical to my survival.
In the wild, I like to hang out around 650 feet deep. As light penetrates down
into the water from the surface, red light waves are filtered out first, so I
appear black to other fish. With my camouflaged coloring, I am able to sneak up
on my prey and snatch them in my upturned mouth without them even noticing me. I
am nocturnal, so my big eyes help me see at night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">During the day, I </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">love</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> to sleep in shallow rocky areas
where my natural predators can’t see me. In fact, I was napping in a shallow
rocky area off of Fort Adams when I was rescued by a Bay-Camper. Once night
falls, I leave my safe place and scour for food with a cloak of invisibility. I
think you all should come and visit me and the other tropical strays this
summer at Save The Bay’s Exploration Center and Aquarium at Easton’s Beach in
Newport.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678776909126580878.post-21610122391120045082018-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:002018-05-03T08:00:06.929-04:00Restoring Sabin Point<div class="p2" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><i>by Elizabeth Droge-Young, communications intern</i></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tucked away in a charming East Providence neighborhood, Sabin Point Park has been a favorite spot on the Bay for generations. In the Facebook group “The Love for Sabin Point Park,” older residents reminisce about crisply-uniformed sailors walking the beach in the summer of 1945, while newcomers recount recent visits and hunts for horseshoe crabs. But despite the panoramic view of the Bay as it washes onto the park’s sandy beach, visitors are confined to the shoreline. The beach hasn’t been swimmable in generations—but Save The Bay is working with the City of East Providence to restore the water quality of the beach so that someday, Sabin Point can become the northernmost swimmable point in Narragansett Bay.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lohVn0uj_o0/WrQGKor6RnI/AAAAAAAABwY/0Runm3UoM8klvBZsbZL2qF_XDUj0wGe4wCLcBGAs/s1600/Sabin%2BPoint%2BJune%2B2014-inside.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1450" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lohVn0uj_o0/WrQGKor6RnI/AAAAAAAABwY/0Runm3UoM8klvBZsbZL2qF_XDUj0wGe4wCLcBGAs/s320/Sabin%2BPoint%2BJune%2B2014-inside.tif" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabin Point beach-goers enjoy the beach,<br />
but the water is off limits to swimming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Although water quality at Sabin Point has steadily improved with decades of investment in wastewater treatment in the upper Bay, bacteria levels remain high at the beach. The culprit? A few improperly installed road drainage pipes that carry polluted runoff directly onto the beach.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“I got the story from three separate neighborhood residents, this crazy story, that every time it would rain, the ground would rumble and then a huge plug of stinky water and material would pour out of those pipes,” recalls Tom Kutcher, former Save The Bay Baykeeper.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">After Save The Bay worked with East Providence city engineers to pull up blueprints for the pipes, roughly two feet in diameter, the cause of the beach bacteria levels and the post-storm rumbles became clear. Instead of being angled downhill toward the beach, the pipes had been pitched back toward the park. At every high tide, Bay water, along with seaweed and waste from geese, washed into the pipes. Making matters worse, the pipes collected polluted runoff from Sabin Point neighborhood streets.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“They were big pipes, so they could hold a lot of seaweed. It was basically a bacteria breeding ground,” Kutcher said. During a big rain, the pipes would fill with enough polluted runoff to push the plug of decomposing material onto the beach.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipes discharge polluted runoff from neighborhood<br />
streets directly onto Sabin Point beach.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">To assess the effects of the discharge, Save The Bay and the Rhode Island Department of Health partnered to sample the water quality at Sabin Point beach. “We learned that bacteria levels exceeded swimming standards in the vicinity of the pipes, while further away from the pipes, the water met swimming standards,” said Save The Bay Director of Habitat Restoration Wenley Ferguson.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Once the bacterial source was identified, Save The Bay went to work with the City of East Providence to find funding to treat the polluted runoff and to rectify the decades-old engineering flaw. The overarching goal is to treat polluted runoff that drains to the beach and remove the drainage pipes. Save The Bay developed a conceptual stormwater management plan that was used to secure a $47,000 grant from the Bay and Watershed Restoration Fund for the development of a comprehensive stormwater management plan covering the entire watershed and the design and installation of a shallow basin, called a sand filter, within the park. The sand filter, to be installed in fall 2017, slows and filters runoff from the neighborhood streets and Sabin Point’s parking lot and redirects water away from one of the discharge pipes at the beach.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The City of East Providence and Save The Bay sought and won an additional $100,000 grant in 2015 for the construction of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-indent: 15px;">additional stormwater infiltration areas in the Sabin Point Park neighborhood to reduce the amount of runoff that makes it to the beach. That grant, awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Southeast New England Program and administered by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, represents important federal funding crucial to the Sabin Point project and many other local environmental and infrastructure initiatives.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="text-indent: 15px;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea lettuce, a type of seaweed that grows abundantly in waters<br />
with high nutrients, accumulates on the beach at Sabin Point.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The grant also included water quality monitoring, which has been taken on by the Department of Health and Brown University researcher David Murray, a Sabin Point Park neighbor. He contacted his neighbor Jeanne Boyle, then-director of planning for the City of East Providence, and what began as a neighborly chat while raking leaves, blossomed into a monitoring plan spearheaded by Murray. “I thought Sabin Point Park could be a nice place to spend time if we moved the storm drain pipes that empty onto the beach,” Murray recalls. “The projects now underway at Sabin Point have the potential to make a tremendous improvement,” he said.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Although Boyle has left her position in East Providence, the partnership forged with the city continues. Ferguson and the city collaborated on a third grant in 2017 for design and construction to “daylight” the runoff in the large pipe that leads to the beach into a series of a infiltration basins further inland. The long term goal is for the pipes that discharge on the beach to be removed. “The city’s commitment runs deep, from dedicating both staff time and expertise and actual funds to match the state and federal grants” said Ferguson.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“East Providence is committed to continuing the partnerships among state and federal agencies and Save The Bay towards the goal of returning Sabin Point Park to a swimmable beach,” said City of East Providence Acting Planning Director Diane Feather.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The watershed plan is being used as a blueprint to treat and manage stormwater from this urban watershed, and local, state and federal funds are needed to achieve the goal of opening the beach for swimming.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“The massive strides to make Sabin Point Park swimmable shows the commitment of everyone in the state: from voters and municipalities supporting wastewater treatment improvements, to years of stringent permitting efforts by the Department of Environmental Management,” Ferguson says.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kutcher echoes this sentiment, “It would be a huge victory for Narragansett Bay, and for all partners working really hard to clean up the Bay. This will be an important milestone.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sabin Point Park is just one example of how Save The Bay partners with local government to improve Narragansett Bay quality and accessibility. A similar effort is underway at Stillhouse Cove in Cranston, and communities throughout the state are pursuing projects to improve local waters through stormwater management. Thirty years ago, residents described grease balls, mixed with human waste, washing ashore. “Now, the upper Bay is alive with activity from the community boating center at India Point Park, to kayakers paddling along the shoreline and people gathering at WaterFire, where historically the smell of the urban river would have driven people away,” Ferguson says.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">All of these successes rely on diverse players, including citizens supporting bond measures to fund water quality improvements, supportive local government agencies to execute plans and provide matching funds, and ongoing federal funding of the EPA and the EPA’s Southeast New England Program—both of which are currently under threat at the federal level, where commitment to environmental protections is waning.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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