The woods were scoured, the waters were trolled and everyone is OK. (And nobody got lost for more than two hours). Most of the Explorers seemed to enjoy themselves, and the second event of the Explore Cranston series, Nature Close Up, was a success.
The day began with downpours at dawn, ratcheting up the mud and mosquito factor. But by mid-morning the sun had remerged, filling the trails with steam and hikers.
Fishing on the Pawtuxet was slow – zero fish exactly, but plenty of water weeds, tree limbs and a baby snapping turtle. The cormorants were trying their best to mock us by insisting that fish could only be caught with webbed feet and stellar diving skills.
A big thanks to Lenny and his infinite patience the Rhode Island DEM’s Aquatic Resource Education program.
The third and final event, Take Yourself To Sea, falls on Saturday, August 8. US Sailing Certified Instructors will get you sailing in a comfortable classic Rhodes19 keelboat. No experience is required. Sign up at ExploreCranston.org
Pictured above: Explore Cranston event organizer Steve Stycos and crew of young Explorers
[where: 02910]The proposed Pontiac Secondary Bike Path would arc from Cranston to Warwick along an abandoned Providence and Worcester freight rail bed. Currently the trail is shrouded in Japanese Knotweed and tall grass, but it has the potential to connect to the planned South Elmwood Bike Path in Eastern Cranston, and... more
Weather, darkness and whatnot Saturday night’s instant 14.5 inches of snow at TF Green was the most for any day in December since records began. Providence only averages 36 inches of snow a year, so we can break it down in two ways: either we’re almost halfway done with this... more
To mark Blog Action Day, here’s the Nature Conservancy’s Carbon Footprint Calculator. The calculator will estimate how many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your lifestyle choices create each year. Don’t lie about your burger habit. Photo by David Shankbone
Almost one year ago, a larva of one of these exotic bugs appeared in some Cranston cordwood shipped from Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester has long since been under quarantine to keep these pests from spreading to other parts of the region, and the Cranston larva almost got away. Meet the Asian Longhorned... more
So if you live anywhere near a tree, a garden or a patch of grass, you probably hear what reminds you of a soundtrack to a jungle movie outside your window. They’re bugs, and they’re great. They really get rolling in the humid August weather and then crescendo towards the end of the month. You possibly also hear your actual neighbors. They’re not in this guide.
more