Outdoors in RI: DEM Says “Get Wild” This Summer in Rhode Island – Shellfishing – Safe Swimming Grants

by RINewsToday News Team

Get Wild this Summer with DEM’s Fish & Wildlife Adventures

Make the most of summer with a fun, hands-on-program from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Division of Fish and Wildlife(DFW). Get outdoors, try something new, and build skills along the way. There’s something for everyone; from fishing days and hunter education classes to guided nature walks. Most are free and family friendly, and open to all check out the lineup and registration details below:

Aquatic Resource Education Programs: 

Introduction to Freshwater Fly Fishing

Learn the art of fly fishing! Volunteers from Trout Unlimited, Rhody Fly Rodders, and United Fly Tyers of Rhode Island teach what equipment is needed, how to tie flies and knots, how to cast and so much more. Equipment and lunch are provided. Families with children 10 and older are welcome. Space is limited; registration is required and opens April 13.

• Date: Saturday, June 6
• Time: 9 AM – 3 PM
• Location: Addieville East Farm, Mapleville, RI
• Registration: Email [email protected].
• Cost: $30 per person

Introduction to the Hex Hatch – Lecture and Fly Tying

Discover the Wood River’s biggest hatch! Join volunteers from Trout Unlimited, Rhody Fly Rodders, and the United Fly Tyers of Rhode Island for an in-depth look at the largest mayfly hatch. Renowned angler Ed Lombardo, Sr. will present the fascinating life cycle of Hexagenia limbate. All fly-tying materials and vises are provided. Space is limited; registration is required and opens May.

• Thursday, June 11
• Time: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
• Location: DFW Outdoor Education Office, 1B Camp E-Hun-Tee Place, Exeter, RI 02822
• Registration: Email [email protected].
• Cost: $10 per person

Come Clam with Me Events

The Aquatic Resource Education program invites you to “Come Clam with Me!” Learn how to dig for clams, what equipment you need, and what management strategies support Rhode Island’s quahogging industry. Longtime quahogger Jody King teaches the ins and outs of recreational clamming. Space is limited, registration required. $10/person (ages 8+) free for ages 7 and under. To register, please email [email protected]. There are sessions throughout the summer:

• Tuesday, July 14
• Time: 1 – 4 PM
• Location: North Kingstown Town Beach
• Tuesday, August 11
• Time: 12 – 3 PM
• Location: Spink’s Neck Beach, North Kingstown
• Thursday, August 13
• Time: 1 – 4 PM
• Location: Rocky Point State Park, Warwick
• Saturday, September 12
• Time: 2 – 5 PM
• Location: North Kingstown Town Beach

Hunter Education Programs: 

The Great Swamp Shooting Range is open for the season!

We’re excited to welcome everyone back to Rhode Island’s only free, public outdoor shooting range. Located in the Great Swamp Management Area in West Kingston, the range offers archery, clay target, and paper target shooting.

• Hours: 8 AM – 6 PM Monday through Friday and 8 AM – 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday
• The range provides a safe and structured environment to practice using firearms and archery equipment under the guidance of trained range safety officers
• The range is free, but users must obtain a permit beforehand. Find out how to apply for a permit and learn more at https://dem.ri.gov/greatswamprange

Wildlife Outreach Programs:

Summer Bat Night

Bring the family to a DFW bat colony count! Sit back, relax, and learn about the conservation work being done to help these commonly misunderstood mammals. Enjoy kid-friendly crafts before the bats take to the night sky! Bring your own lawn chair and get comfortable as you count bats flying by. This program is FREE, but registration is required.

• Date: Thursday, June 18
• Time: 7:30 – 9 PM
• Location: Carolina Trout Hatchery, Richmond
• Age group: Ages 8 and up
• Cost: Free
• Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/jWaWbAUc3E

Summer Dragon Hunt

In the swampy wilds of Rhode Island, there be dragons! Join DFW staff and special guests Virginia “Ginger” Brown and Nina Briggs on a summer “dragon hunt” in the Great Swamp! Learn all about dragonflies and damselflies, and how they wrote and illustrated the recently published Dragonflies and Damselflies of Rhode Island. Fun, free and full of discovery. Space is limited, and registration is required.

• Date: Thursday, July 11
• Time: 10 – 11:30 AM
• Location: Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area, West Kingston
• Age group: Ages 8 and up
• Cost: Free
• Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/qBJcYJRygm

Volunteer Program:

Diamondback Terrapin Monitoring

Spend time outside looking for turtles. DFW is recruiting volunteers for the annual diamondback terrapin monitoring program. Spend nine weeks surveying an assigned coastal site once a week, scanning the shoreline for Rhode Island’s only brackish water turtle as it surfaces for air. Bring your own binoculars and rain boots, as many sites require walking on uneven marsh terrain. Positions will be filled on a first come first served basis. Register here: https://forms.office.com/g/x2VZw3AcnM

New Furbearer Observation Online Form

Has a bear bumbled through your backyard? Have you spotted a bobcat? Send DFW observations of furbearers of any status (alive, roadkill, dead). Species of interest include: black bear, bobcat, coyote, fisher, gray fox, red fox, beaver, mink, muskrat, river otter, and porcupine but also groundhog, opossum and skunk too. Help us monitor the distribution of these species in Rhode Island by reporting observations at www.dem.ri.gov/reportwildlife.

Herp Observer 

Everyone is ready to enjoy the summer sunshine, including RI’s reptiles and amphibians! Securely submit your sightings of frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, and turtles to RI’s State Herpetologist (reptile and amphibian biologist) through our easy-to-use smartphone app, Herp Observer. Observations of species, both common and rare, are welcome. Your reports will help biologists identify where these animals are in the state, and in turn, where to focus conservation efforts for RI’s scaly and slimy critters – this is a great volunteer opportunity for families! Learn more at www.dem.ri.gov/herpobserver.

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RI Shoreline Areas Open for First Time in Over 50 Years for Shellfishing

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that a 462-acre area along the Portsmouth shoreline just south of the Mt. Hope Bridge is reopening for the first time since 1975. This area has met water quality and shellfish sanitation criteria and will be upgraded from prohibited to approved for harvest on May 23, 2026. Improvements in wastewater management from infrastructure investments have resulted in lower bacteria levels in the area.

Seasonal shellfish area closures will also take effect at sunrise on Saturday, May 23, and will remain in place until Tuesday, October 13. These annual closures are implemented in accordance with federal regulations due to potential water quality impacts from marinas and mooring fields. The seasonal closure areas are within:

• Bristol Harbor
• Dutch Harbor Area, Jamestown
• Fishing Cove, Wickford Harbor
• Great Salt Pond and Trims Pond, Block Island
• Potter Cove, Prudence Island
• Sakonnet Harbor, Little Compton

Small seasonal marina closures in the southern coastal ponds, Fort Wetherill, and the Kickemuit River in Warren will also go into effect on May 23.

“We’re very excited to be able to open a new area in Narragansett Bay to shellfishing. Significant investments in wastewater treatment facilities and statewide efforts to better manage stormwater have led to improved water quality and our monitoring clearly showed the results, allowing us to open up a new 462-acre area for shellfish harvest that has been closed since 1975,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “It’s particularly nice that we can announce this during Quahog Week. Seasonal closures are in place to safeguard public health as more and more boaters get on the water for the summer. DEM will keep on working with our partners to protect our waters and continue investments and improvements in Narragansett Bay, which is so central to the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders.”

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CPSC Announces $4 Million in Federal Grants to Prevent Child Drownings and Entrapments

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is making up to $4 million available to state, local and tribal governments through its grant program to support efforts to prevent drowning and drain entrapments in pools and spas. Drowning in the leading cause of death among children ages one to four and remains a top priority for CPSC.

“Drowning deaths are preventable and strong protections around pools and spas are critical to saving lives,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “These grants help communities to strengthen those protections, and I encourage all eligible jurisdictions to apply.”

The grant awards will range from $50,000 to $400,000, and funds may be used over a two-year period. The program is authorized by the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGB Act). Since 2016, CPSC has provided more than $10 million in grants to recipients supporting drowning prevention efforts, including training pool safety inspectors and enforcement personnel, and expanding water safety education programs. CPSC is also focused on strengthening program oversight and ensuring these funds are used effectively to deliver measurable safety outcomes.

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and U.S. Territories with qualifying pool safety laws under the VGB Act.

Applications are available on Grants.gov under grant opportunity CP-VGB-26-01. Applications will be accepted through July 13, 2026.

Additional information about the grant program and pool safety protections is available at PoolSafely.gov.

Applicants can contact CPSC’s Grants Management Specialist Lydia Glasgow at [email protected], Diet-Tam Rushbrook at [email protected], or Program Manager Cynthia Gillham at [email protected], or call 301-504-7791 for more information.

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