We welcome people of all botanical abilities at our events.
Beginners or experts, amateurs or professionals ...
we all come to enjoy and learn about wild plants.

WALK NOTES SPRING-SUMMER WALKS & LECTURES HANDOUT Click Here Most of our programs can accommodate only a limited number of participants, so we ask that you do the following to secure your spot: ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for all events with fees (and sometimes for those without fees). Register by contacting the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 (be sure to leave a message – we'll get back to you within 24 hours) or office@riwps.org, or on occasion, the person listed as a contact. Registration closes 48 hours before the walk, and may fill up even sooner, so please register early. STANDARD FEE for members is $5, for non-members, $7. Payment must be made 48 hours prior to the walk. If you have a program credit, be sure to let us know. Send check to RIWPS, PO Box 414, Exeter, RI 02822. CONFIRMATION:  Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more details by e-mail or telephone. Email is the most efficient and timely way to receive a quick response. Remember we often have a waiting list for the walks and programs, so it is to your benefit to complete your registration as soon as possible. DIFFICULTY: For your guidance, our walks are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous for healthy people of average physical ability. Our leaders are volunteers with no special training in first aid; therefore, participants assume full responsibility for their own well being. CANCELLATION: If you must cancel, please notify the person with whom you registered as soon as possible so that we may notify those on the waiting list. Leave a message if no one answers. If you cancel within 24 hours of an event, or on a weekend, call the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 and leave a message. DRESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS: Dress appropriately, usually in long pants, socks (for protection from poison ivy, briers and ticks) and sturdy shoes. Equipment options might include insect repellent, hat, rubber boots, field guides, hand lens, small notebook, and/or hiking stick. PLEASE HELP US PROTECT OUR NATURAL AREAS: No smoking, collecting, or pets at our events.

 PLANT FORM – A SERIES OF THREE WORKSHOPS
Three 3-hour workshops on Saturdays, 9:30 to 12:30

• Saturday, July 11, 2009
  "Bud, Flower, Leaf & Stem"
  Leader: HOPE LEESON, Ecologist and staff RINHS
• SEPT. tba "Flower, fruit, rhizome & root"
• NOV. tba "Bark, bud, branch & architecture"

Fee: $10. Limit: 12. Pre-registration required at least 48 hours in advance.
To register, contact Denise Poyer at 401-539-9017 or email denisep@wpwa.org. Address is 203 Arcadia Rd., Hope Valley, RI 02832.

Past Events

 SIN AND FLESH BROOK
Sunday, June 14, 2009
9:30 am to 12 noon
Tiverton, RI

Leader: GARRY PLUNKETT, Habitat Manager, Tiverton Open Space Comm.
The loveliness of this meandering brook belies its lurid name, given to it in colonial times, following a bloody encounter between resident Pocasset Indians and a Quaker preacher in transit to Newport. The stream flows through the beautiful eighty-acre maritime hardwood forest of Fort Barton Woods, a site reeking with history and plant diversity. Streamside wetlands, vernal pools, and glacial upland soils provide an opportunity to see an excellent array of wild flowers and native ferns. NOTE: the walk is over 2 1/2 miles of terrain that is rugged so it requires good stamina and sure-footedness and sturdy shoes. Strenuous walk.
Fee: Members: $5. Non-members: $7. Min. 4, Max. 12.

 FERNS IN THE LANDSCAPE ASRI
Saturday, June 13, 2009
10 am to 12 noon
Bristol, RI

Instructor: CHERYL CADWELL
Our native ferns can be found in all types of habitats and they add a rich dimension to any landscape. In this workshop you will learn ways to use ferns in the landscape, as well as how to grow, identify and propagate them. The session will be a training for those signed up for the ASRI woodland garden project. Easy walk.
Fee: Member rate, RIWPS or ASRI; registration required, but pay at the door.

 A VISIT TO NORCROSS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
10 am to 2 pm + travel time
Monson, MA

Instructor: LESLIE DUTHIE
Min. 6, Max 15 Registration and payment REQUIRED by June 3
Leslie Duthie was the excellent speaker at our Jan. 09 General Meeting. She will be our walk leader from 10 to 12 noon. We can have our lunch in the picnic area and then check out some more of the 6000 acres sanctuary on our own. There are walking trails, wooded hills, wetlands, lakes and streams. The purpose of the Sanctuary is the active conservation of wildlife; this is accomplished by preservation of habitats and propagation of native plants. The gardens and walking trails represent habitats found throughout New England. There are natural history exhibits and museums on the property. We will get to Monson by carpooling. Registration and payment is required by June 3, so that there is time to arrange the cars and drivers from different parts of RI. Please indicate if you are willing to drive when you register. www.norcrossws.org. Moderate walk.
Fee: $5. Members, $7. Non-members, plus share of the gas.

 RI WILD PLANT SOCIETY'S ANNUAL PLANT SALE
Saturday, June 6, 2009
9:00 am – 12:00 noon, rain or shine
URI Greenhouses
Flagg Road
Kingston, RI
Best Native Plant Sale in RI! Unique sale of native wildflowers, shrubs, ferns, pond plants and more. Ecologically grown for you by RIWPS members.

MORE INFO

A $2 donation per person to benefit the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society is being requested. Contact Cindy and Chuck at (401) 934-9212 or gleanergardens@cox.net for info.

 LATE SPRING BLOOMS AT TRUSTOM POND NWR (co-listed with USFWS)
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, May 23, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 24)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leaders: DAVE & NANCY CLAYTON, USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Join experienced naturalists Dave and Nancy in searching for wild flowers in bloom, such as Wood Betony and maybe, if we are lucky, a species of "Concern", the Arethusa bulbosa. Easy walk.
Fee: $5 members, $7 non-members

 SPRING WILD FLOWERS ON THE BEN UTTER TRAIL
Exeter, RI
Saturday, May 16, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 17)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leader: DOUG McGRADY
This scenic trail is a wonderful spot for seeing a variety of woodland wild flowers. May is a great time to go because many of the plants bloom before the leaves come out. Along the river there are rich, moist areas with Marsh Marigolds, Anemones, Bellworts, Dwarf Ginseng and Canada Mayflower. We will detour to a rocky, upland Sugar Maple forest, where the soils are richer and less acidic, not typical for Rhode Island. There we will see some unusual ferns, including Maidenhair and Rattlesnake, along with some uncommon Violets and Bellworts. Moderate walk.
Fee: $5 members, $7 non-members

 RHODE ISLAND WILD PLANT WEEK
May 10-16, 2009

 HIKE A NEW TRAIL!
(co-listed with Richmond Land Trust)
Richmond, RI
Sunday, May 3, 2009
~ 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Leader: DENISE POYER
This new trail, developed by the Richmond Land Trust, is short and easy. It has some interesting wild flowers, which will be shared with us by Denise Poyer, the Program Director of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association and board member of the Richmond Land Trust. Easy walk.

Fee: standard for each organization. Pre-registration required. Call RLT office 401-539-9017

 HOW HISTORY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MIX
OF PLANTS AT CANONCHET FARM
Friends of Canochet Farm
Ann Hoxie Lane
Narragansett
Sunday, April 26, 2009
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leader: FRANCES TOPPING
Explore the habitats of this area and learn how history has combined to produce a varied landscape, with a mixture of native, non-native and invasive plants. Early spring sees trees and shrubs leafing out and some early spring flowers emerging. Join Frances Topping , a member of the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, on a leisurely walk through the property identifying and discussing these plants.

FREE. NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Questions? friendscanonchet@aol.com; Phone: Kathy, Secretary of FCF, 783-3951; map on web: http://canonchet.org

 SHADBUSH STROLL (co-listed with USFWS)
Trustom Pond Wildlife Refuge
South Kingstown, RI
Saturday, April 25, 2009
(Weather Date: Sun., May 3)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leaders: DAVID & NANCY CLAYTON, USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Spring in southern RI is marked by the bloom of the Shadbush. Dave's guess for this year is that on Sunday, the 26th, we will be rewarded with some in bloom, maybe even the allee out to Osprey Point will oblige. He points out there are other reliable wild flowers on the refuge which we will find in early bloom. Come celebrate the real arrival of spring with Dave and Nancy! Easy walk. Standard fee.

 TREES & SHRUBS OF SWAN POINT CEMETERY
Blackstone Boulevard
Providence, RI
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
~ 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Leader: KELLY PERRY, Horticulturalist
The Swan Point Cemetery in Providence is renowned for its trees and shrubs. We are delighted to have Kelly Donnelly Perry, their horticulturalist, lead us on a walk to see some of the highlights of this 200-acre facility. We hope to catch the new buds and other signs of spring in this beautiful spot, as well as have a peek into some of the greenhouses. Easy walk. Standard fee.

 TREE ID IN PARKER WOODLAND
George B. Parker Woodland
Coventry, RI
Saturday, March 21, 2009
(Snow Date: Sun., March 22)
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Leader: FRANCIS UNDERWOOD
Join Francis Underwood, one of RIWPS' most knowledgeable tree lovers, to learn to identify the trees and shrubs of ASRI's Parker Woodland by examining the bark, buds, habitats and communities, without the leaves and flowers to distract you. Bundle up, bring your guidebook and expect to enjoy the outing on this geologically and historically interesting preserve. Moderate walk. Standard fee.

 RIWPS ANNUAL MEETING
Kettle Pond Nature Center
Charlestown, RI
Sunday, March 15, 2009

MORE INFO

Fee: $10 plus $5 material fee to be paid on the day of the workshop.
Advance registration required. Register at http://www.blithewold.org
For additional information or questions, contact Jackie at the RIWPS office – 401-789-7497.

 WINTER WALK IN WEETAMOO WOODS
... NEW 2008 TRAIL
Tiverton, RI
(Specific directions provided at time of registration)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leader: GARRY PLUNKETT
This 650-acre preserve of maritime hardwoods and wooded swamp is at the heart of an on-going effort to protect an unusually large, unfragmented forest on the southern New England coast. Its primary natural community is coastal oak-holly forest that surrounds a remnant Atlantic white cedar swamp. We'll practice winter tree and shrub ID, while checking out footprints from the past – cellar holes, slab bridges and the remains of a 19th century sawmill and stone arch bridge on Borden Brook. Moderate walk.

Fee: $5 for members, $7 nonmembers.
Advance registration required 48 hours in advance.
Call Jackie at RIWPS office 401-789-7497.

 EXPLORE ARCADIA'S BLACK SPRUCE BOG IN WINTER
Arcadia Wildlife Management Area
Exeter, RI
Saturday, February 7, 2009
(Snow Date: Sun., February 8)
~ 1:00-3:00 pm

Leader: DOUG McGRADY
Bogs form in kettleholes, or depressions, that have poorly-drained soils. Unlike swamps and fens, bogs lack flowing water. The water that does collect becomes acidic and low in oxygen, resulting in poor growing conditions for most plants. The lack of oxygen also slows decomposition. This allows generations of Sphagnum moss to gradually fill the kettlehole, creating a spongy mat of peat. Some plants do well in their peaty "soil". Black Spruce, found in only fourteen states, is one that tolerates these conditions, and is quite uncommon in RI. Other plants include Leatherleaf, Highbush Blueberry, Rhodora, Sheep Laurel and some carnivorous plants. Moderate+ walk. Standard fee.

 RHODE ISLAND SPRING FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW
RI Convention Center
Providence, RI
February 19-22, 2009
MORE INFO