Outdoors in RI: 138th Arbor Day, Princess Kate and access to nature, Winnapaug Pond, Vets fish

Arbor Day – Plant a tree!

Rhode Island Tree Council (RI Tree) will host this year’s celebration of Arbor Day at The Providence Country Day (PCD) School, 600 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI, on April 25th, starting at 11:00 a.m. This free event includes a tree-planting ceremony on PCD grounds, speakers, and a Tree City USA Awards presentation to the host communities. Tulips, London planes, and Elm trees will also be planted on PCD’s grounds as part of a school reforestation effort.

This year’s celebration will be the state’s 138th. Arbor Day recognizes the importance of trees, which provide numerous benefits to residents, including purifying the air, helping cool the earth, boosting property values, and soothing the human psyche. Trees also beautify where we live, work, and play and slow and absorb stormwater, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in annual flood damage and treatment costs. Rhode Island Energy and RI DEM are sponsoring the event. Join us as we recognize the importance of trees on this very special occasion.

Rhode Island has had a long history with Arbor Day. According to the Rhode Island Department of Education records, the first event held in Rhode Island to honor trees occurred on April 29, 1886. The Barrington Rural Improvement Society and took place on public land near the railroad station in West Barrington sponsored the event.

History of Arbor Day

Arbor Day is about celebrating and appreciating trees. The day has grown from a small celebration in Nebraska in the 1800s, through ratification by the Nixon Administration, to now being celebrated all over the world. Today, it’s the most extensive effort of its kind on Earth. Trees clean our air, protect our drinking water, create healthy communities, and feed the human soul, says the Arbor Day Foundation.

Arbor Day is America’s official tree holiday. The country has celebrated it since the end of the 19th century to recognize the importance of trees. The first Arbor Day occurred in Nebraska in 1871. Former Nebraskan Agriculture Commissioner Sterling Morton, a well-respected philanthropist who had earlier founded the Morton Salt Company, organized the event.

The Rhode Island Tree Council has been a leading organizer of the Rhode Island Arbor Day Program since 1998. This year, the Tree Council has had the help of several key partners, without whom this annual endeavor would not have been possible. We appreciate and acknowledge their generous support. They are the United States Forest Service, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and the Rhode Island Energy Company.

About RITree

The Rhode Island Tree Council is a tax-exempt, non-profit group dedicated to improving the state’s tree resources and educating the public on tree benefits. Composed of members, consultants, and volunteers, RITree administers its programs through its Board of Directors, Advisors, and Trustees. The group’s mission is to create healthy urban and community foreststhat underpin the state’s verdant ecological tapestry, support its vibrant economy, and enrich its residents’ lives. Membership is open to all. For more information about RITree or any of its programs, contact Robin Enos, Rhode Island Tree Council, at (401) 764-5885, Email: [email protected], or visit the Rhode Island Tree Council’s website at www.ritree.org.

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Winnapaug Pond, Westerly – more conservation for outdoor enjoyment

Celebrate the conservation of 7.31 acres of coastal land on Winnapaug Pond in Westerly. This effort was made possible by a $2.635 million grant award from the NOAA National Coastal Zone Management Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

The NOAA award enabled DEM to purchase a conservation easement from the Town of Westerly for the Sorensen property, an undeveloped portion of the former Water Wizz family-owned and operated water park.

The property contains nearly six acres of back barrier salt marsh habitat within Winnapaug Pond. This land conservation protects natural open space habitat, will provide improved public coastal access, and helps mitigate the effects of climate change and sea level rise to surrounding communities in a vulnerable area with strong development pressure.

The Town of Westerly and DEM’s Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR) are developing a management plan for the property for a project to support public recreation on Winnapaug Pond, which is expected to be completed in November 2025. A restoration plan will be developed by the project team and Save The Bay which will include regrading the site, the removal of invasive plants and the planting of native vegetation, and stormwater management. The restoration plan will also include the creation of accessible and sustainable public access features including permeable paths and a paddlecraft launch. The conservation of this parcel protects important habitat that supports coastal wetland wildlife migration as sea levels rise due to climate change.  

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Princess of Wales on the importance of the Outdoors and Nature – reinforced by Scouting:

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Free Rhode Island Hunting and Fishing Licenses for 100% Disabled Veterans: 

A Veteran who has a 100% disability rating from the VA is eligible for free Rhode Island hunting and fishing licenses. No cost licenses are available if you are:

To apply in person at DEM, please bring a photo ID and an ORIGINAL DOCUMENT OF THE FINAL DECISION(S). Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (directions)

To apply by mail, please complete an application and mail the application and a copy of your photo ID and the ORIGINAL DOCUMENT OF THE FINAL DECISION(S). Please allow two weeks for processing. The address to obtain your license in person or by mail is:
 DEM Licensing Office
235 Promenade Street, Room 360
, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-3576

To purchase online, you will be required to certify that you have an ORIGINAL DOCUMENT OF THE FINAL DECISION(S). You will also be required to enter the date the decision expires. The Department will audit compliance with the certification and may, at any time, request a copy of the current DOCUMENT OF THE FINAL DECISION(S). Failure to submit the documentation by the date requested may result in the suspension of your fishing and hunting license. Also, Rhode Island General Law 11-18-1 prohibits giving false documents to an agent, employee, or public official. The penalty is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment up to one year.

Rhode Island Hunting and Fishing Benefits for Service Members and Veterans: Rhode Island offers several hunting and fishing benefits to Service members and Veterans. A short description of each is listed below. Applicants are required to show documentation proving eligibility when they apply:

Applicants can apply online at Rhode Island Outdoors, in person at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Office of Boating Registration and Licenses in Providence (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.), at an Authorized In-Person Sales Agent, or they can mail applications to: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, 
235 Promenade Street, Room 360, 
Providence, RI 02908
Phone: 401-222-3576

Learn more about FREE Rhode Island Hunting , Fishing, State Parks, and Golf  Benefits for Service Members and Veterans

https://dem.ri.gov/about–us/dem–offices/boating–registration–licenses/rhodeislandoutdoors#:~:text=If%20you%20qualify%20for%20a,that%20issued%20the%2 0disability%20decision.

Free Rhode Island State Park Passes for 100% Disabled Veterans:  Rhode Island offers the State Park Disability Pass for use at any state-owned recreational facility to disabled Veterans who have a 100% service-connected disability rating from the VA.

If the disabled Veteran cannot drive, the vehicle transporting the Veteran will not be charged. Veterans must apply in person at the Rhode Island State Parks and Recreation Headquarters and are required to show official documentation (dated within the past year) from the VA that states they have a 100% service-connected disability. Rhode Island State Parks and Recreation Headquarters, 1100 Tower Hill Road
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Phone: 401-6676200
Email: [email protected].