Gooseneck Cove

Gooseneck Cove-Ocean Avenue, Newport Rhode Island 02840 

Left side of cove, many people stop to take pictures of this area

This 58 acres of land has been restored with the help of the Aquidneck Island Land Trust and the City of Newport. This area used to be subject to algal blooms and was a poor environment for many species. After the restoration efforts, it is now a suitable habitat for many animals and also a picturesque landscape. 

Picture of the cove behind the land trust sign. 

Interview with Jan Eckhart

As I mentioned below, Sweet Berry Farm is an extremely important part of the local community. It offers produce, musical concerts, christmas trees, pumpkins, and so much more. There is such a friendly environment at Sweet Berry which draws so many residents in. I briefly interviewed Jan Eckhart, the owner of the farm to hear his view on the importance of ALT and open space in general.

Morton Park

Morton Park-Spring Street, Newport Rhode Island 02840
Morton Park is 12.1 acres of protected land that is perfect for sledding, picnicking, playing on the swing set  or walking the dog. It is a great place for children and families. I grew up playing on this park and getting dizzy on the tire swing.

Picture oft the playground at the park. Swings, slides, and benches

Picture of the left side of the park. In the winter, this area is a popular destination for sledding

Card in the Car

I found this card in my car and I believe it fits in nicely with the message of my blog.
The picture below is of Third Beach. There has been much debate over putting in a 200 foot boat ramp/pier at this public beach, which would disrupt the environment of this coastal haven. Because of this threat to the environment, this card is calling residents to speak out against this issue.

PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE

O'Neill

Berkeley Avenue, Middletown Rhode Island
8.23 Acres of protected land. Important buffer for the Maidford River. Conserving this land not only saved the land itself but also helped protect the drinking water on the island.

Sign in front of the conserved property

Land behind the sign

Newport National Golf Club

Newport National Golf Club-Stretchs through Middletown and Portsmouth Rhode Island. Mitchell's Lane, Wapping Road, Wyatt Road (near Wyatt Fields)
This 300 acres of land includes 2.2 miles of the Sakonnet Greenway Trail. This trail is perfect for walking and enjoying the outdoors. It is free and open to the public. At the beginning of the trail, one can see the beautiful 18 hole golf course. It also provides a safe home for many endangered species, similar to the Norman Bird Sanctuary. Barn Owls, Northern Harriers, and Snowy Egrets are all species who need to be protected.

Map of the trail, property conserved by the ALT is in light green

Picture of the first stretch of the trail

Picture of the 18 hole golf course

Norman Bird Sanctuary/Third Beach

Red A is the entrance to the Bird Sanctuary

Norman Bird Sanctuary/Third beach-583 Third Beach Road, Middletown Rhode Island
The Norman Bird Sanctuary is a beautiful piece of land that provides a safe haven for endangered species. It also is a great place to hike, especially to "hanging rock", which is a rock that overlooks the reservoir and beaches. The Norman Bird Sanctuary also hosts a series of "Bird Camps" for children and an annual Harvest Fair for the local community. I love the Harvest Fair, especially the kettle corn. This 23.87 acres of land protected by the ALT also includes a cattail marsh and a small tidal estuary. Third Beach is a public beach located across from the cattail marsh. It is a popular place to swim, sail, and relax. I love going to third beach because it is usually less crowded and is a very calm atmosphere.

Third Beach
http://cozybeach.com/rhodeislandpics/middletown-beach.jpg

Students working in the marsh

This is site of the Harvest Fair. To the left is a much more wooded area

Demery Memorial Park

ALT sign posted below park sign. Partners in preservation!

Demery Memorial Park-Riverview Avenue, Middletown Rhode Island
There were many ideas surrounding how this piece of land should be used. Fortunately, with the help from the ALT, this 6.28 acre plot of land is a beautiful natural park perfect for walking, sitting, or enjoying the scenery. From time to time there are even wild, golden raspberries that grow!

View from the left side of the park, healthy green space

View from right side of the park, many benches to sit and relax 

Sign at the entrance on the park. 

Overhead shot of park

Wyatt Fields

Wyatt Fields-Wyatt Road, Middletown Rhode Island.
The ALT has conserved 13.98 acres to be used for local recreation among the residents. In season, this space is usually filled with various soccer teams and their families. I grew up playing soccer on the fields and I am so grateful to have this open space. It is a a great area for children to play outside.

This is a picture of just one of the fields. There are other fields to the left of this space as well. 

Here is an overhead shot of Wyatt Fields. You can see the faint lines of the soccer field. 

Sweet Berry Farm

It was such a beautiful day today so I decided to take pictures of some of the land that has been saved by the ALT.
Sweet Berry Farm-915 Mitchell's Lane Middletown Rhode Island 02842

This is one of the many stretches of produce growing on the farm

     The first place I visited was Sweet Berry Farm, a beautiful piece of land of about 80 acres. Sweet Berry Farm is a very popular place among the local residents, including myself. The farm sells everything; organic fruits and vegetables, christmas trees, flowers, ice cream, sandwiches, pumpkins and much more. It is always filled with people talking, laughing and simply enjoying all that Sweet Berry has to offer. In 2010 it was voted Best Locally Grown Food and Best Local Grower in 2011 by Newport Life Magazine. 
Here is the link to the Sweet Berry Farm home page. Sweet Berry Farm Website 

This is the main building. The farm used to sell its produce simply out of a tent but now it has expanded to accomodate more people and food.

I took a screen shot to show the land that is used at the farm. The red A is the entrance of Sweet Berry

What a Road!

 The image I found on google earth with the ALT sign is on this road. Because of the views and open space, this street is one of my favorites on the island. Thanks to the ALT, many are able to enjoy all the beauty this route has to to offer.

Here is a shot of the view from the top of the road. 

Here is another shot of the road before it leads to the water. 

I went on google earth to look at some images of the open space on the island and randomly zoomed in and ended up seeing a piece of land with an Aquidneck Island Land Trust sign on it! This piece of land has been saved by the organization and it will never be developed. What a nice site to see every day!

Appreciation

I have always been fascinated by how we as humans view nature. I believe that no two people have the same perceptions of the natural world and because of this, there are so many mixed views and opinions. I think that the environment we grow up in has a strong impact on the way we view certain topics. I know that my parents have influenced me greatly and my upbringing has caused me to really appreciate my natural surroundings.  I also think growing up on the island has caused me to realize how sacred the land and waterfront truly are. After hearing about the acres of land rapidly disappearing all over the globe, I have taken a little more time each day to notice and appreciate the beautiful scenery around me. After being home from school, I was driving along a road that I have driven millions of times, I could probably drive it with my eyes closes (but i won't!!). After being away for a few months, I realized that in the past I had taken this road for granted. It had become a routine part of my hectic life that I had failed to notice its ever-changing beauty. I had failed to notice the reddish orange leaves, the towering branches, and at the end of the road, the long stretch of sand and ocean waves. After that ride, I promised myself that I would never again overlook these works of art in my own backyard. It is so important to appreciate what is available to us as humans because if we do not at first appreciate the world around us, how are we expected to love and respect it? 

"Together saving the island we love"- ALT

To help save this land, there have been a series of fundraisers on the island. I have both taken part and    noticed this local action being taken. Every year there is a 5k run/walk race for open space. There is also the Aquidneck Island Paddle race which was founded by a family friend. Participants must raise 100 dollars to enter and either kayak, stand up paddle or traditional paddle all the way around the island with other members from their relay team. The teams work in shifts and take turns but one person must always be in the water. Another very popular event is the Fiesta Verde Summer Party. It is an eventful night filled with dancing, food, raffles, jewelry and other gifts! There is also a golf tournament at the Newport National Golf Club. What makes all  of these events so wonderful is that they help show the natural beauty of Aquidneck Island. The 5k race takes place on the Sakonnet Greenway trail, the largest nature trail on the island. The Fiesta Verde Party overlooks Cliff Walk, a beautiful winding path displaying Newport's coastline. The golf tournament takes place on property that is conserved by the land trust. These events allow the residents to see exactly what they are saving. I think it is a very wonderful thing. I strongly suggest visiting the website linked below. Here you can find more information about this worthy cause.

ALT Logo. Look for it!

Aquidneck Island Land Trust

The Aquidneck Island Land Trust (ATL) is a non-profit organization that was started by a group of passionate and committed local individuals in 1990. This organization is responsible for saving over 2,000 acres of precious land across the island. The members and trustees hope to “ save the natural character, environmental health and economic value of Aquidneck Island”.  Along with saving this valuable land, the ALT also promotes and protects

·      Clean drinking water,

·      Wildlife habitats and biodiversity

·      Agricultural resources

·      Reduced greenhouse gases and energy consumption

·      Scenic visits

·      Recycling

·      Green electricity

·      Educational opportunities

I will soon post some pictures of the land that has been saved to the efforts of these local people! 

Aquidneck Island Land Trust Page

Leopold Inspiration

"Think like a Mountain" 

Land Ethic

As Leopold discusses in A Sand County Almanac, we have an ethical obligation to treat the land with respect. All creatures, big and small, should be granted the right to simply exist. Leopold also talks about the importance of conservation and how has a human race we should preserve these natural wonders in our own backyards.

    "A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity" (Leopold, 221).

I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wishes to learn about the importance of working with the land and not against it.

Aldo Leopold-"Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect" 

View from above

Aerial shot of Aquidneck Island 

The definition of conservation as defined by dictionary. com is 

con·ser·va·tion

  

1.

the act of conserving;  prevention of injury, decay, waste,or loss; preservation: conservation of wildlife; conservation ofhuman rights.

2.

official supervision of rivers, forests, and other naturalresources in order to preserve and protect them throughprudent management.

3.

a district, river, forest, etc., under such supervision.

4.

the careful utilization of a natural resource in order toprevent depletion.

5.

the restoration and preservation of works of art.

The definition of preservation:

pre·serve

1.

to keep alive or in existence; make lasting: to preserve ourliberties as free citizens.

2.

to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare.

3.

to keep up; maintain: to preserve historical monuments.

4.

to keep possession of; retain: to preserve one's composure.

5.

to prepare (food or any perishable substance) so as toresist decomposition or fermentation.

as you can see, the definitions are quite similar. they both mention protection. 

Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.
Aldo Leopold

Welcome!

Hello my name is Julia and welcome to my blog! I hope to spread my own personal knowledge about the conservation efforts taking place on Aquidneck Island.  Aquidneck Island consists of three towns, Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport. Each area has its own natural beauty that incorporates breathtaking farmland along with stunning coastline. I was born and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, a small coastal community enriched with history and beautiful landscapes. I grew up swimming and surfing at the local beaches along with hiking and exploring the land around me. I feel so fortunate to have been raised in such a picturesque environment and I hope to convey this natural beauty here in my blog. Even though much of the scenery and landscapes have been saved because of the efforts of local people, in my lifetime I have seen this land fall victim to housing developments and other projects. I hope to capture these various landscapes and views in order to encourage others to take part in their own conservation efforts. I am anticipating my trip home to Newport where I can further show you my natural surroundings from the perspective of a local.