Outdoors in RI: Water watchers, Easter at The Preserve, Title IX, family fish, bow hunt, 2A time

Photo, top: URI Watershed Watch (URI Photo/Bill McCusker)

Water Watchers!

URI Watershed Watch, which has collected water quality data on lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, streams and the marine environment throughout southern New England, for more than 35 years, is seeking volunteers. A program of URI Cooperative Extension, Watershed Watch volunteers help to assess the impacts of droughts and wet weather, stormwater runoff, bacteria and algal blooms on surface water quality and contribute to better understanding how climate change is affecting our nearby waters. 

While volunteers are needed across the state, sites that are in particular need this year include Roger Williams Park Pond, coordinated by the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center, and the Woonasquatucket River system, coordinated by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. Continued data collection helps these organizations, and communities throughout the region, identify problems so they can protect and restore local water resources.

“Becoming a volunteer water quality monitor is a great excuse to get outdoors and do something that helps you to understand local waters while also helping to protect them. It also means becoming part of a community. Our volunteers are integral to the monitoring program and also to the many environmental and community groups that we partner with,” said Elizabeth Herron, director of URI’s Watershed Watch program. 

Since 1988, URI’s Watershed Watch has brought together more than 100 organizational partners and trained thousands of volunteer water monitors. The program maintains long-term partnerships with the state of Rhode Island, 14 municipalities, 23 environmental and sporting organizations, one Native American tribe, 14 lake associations/management districts, and six national organizations. Watershed Watch is also a national leader, connecting and training volunteer program leaders across the nation for more than two decades.

Becoming a volunteer monitor requires no previous experience or scientific knowledge, just a way to access and an interest in monitoring a particular site. Watershed Watch provides the equipment needed to monitor, as well manuals and training. The new volunteer training program includes both a classroom and field session to help new volunteers understand the how and why of monitoring water quality. Training is free, and attendance at a session does not commit participants to becoming a volunteer.

Training

Classroom training sessions will be held Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, and repeated on Wednesday, April 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Field training will be held Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 26. During the field session, volunteers learn to collect data and familiarize themselves with monitoring methods to help them succeed in the field. Both field training sessions offer a morning and afternoon time slot. Volunteers must only attend one field training session in preparation for the May through October monitoring season. 

For more information or to register for the training sessions, contact Elizabeth Herron at 401-874-4552 or at [email protected]. Visit the program’s website for detailed information about the program, the list of 2025 monitoring locations, and to complete a volunteer profile.

Ethan Weiner, a junior sports media major and PR minor at the University of Rhode Island and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this press release.

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Easter at The Preserve

With Easter just over a month away, we wanted to share two events that The Preserve Spring Club & Resort is hosting to celebrate this year on Sunday, April 20.

Annual Preserve Easter Egg Roll and Hunt

• When: 10:00 am to 11:00 am
• Where: The Preserve Sporting Club & Resort
• Event Highlights:

• The Egg Roll is a race where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon. Children will engage in rolling eggs down the lawn with a wooden spoon over a finish line and receive a prize.
• All children will also receive an Easter treat. Surrounding events include an appearance by the Easter Bunny, an Easter craft, and an Easter Egg Hunt where children can win prizes!
• After the activities, families can hop over to the lobby of the resort to take pictures with the Easter Bunny
• Cost:

• $25 per person for in-house guests and members
• $35 per person for non-members
• Parents and family are complimentary
• *Please note: Preserve Clay Members and above are complimentary. Those members should contact Guest Relations to reserve their space.
• Make reservations HERE

After the kiddos have worked up an appetite, head over to Double Barrel Steak for 

Easter Brunch!

• When: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
• Where: Double Barrel Steak
• Highlights:
• Double Barrel promises to bring joy and excitement to families and friends with a full buffet that includes an array of traditional favorites, a carving station, and a salad bar.
• *Full brunch menu beneath my signature

• Guests can indulge in a delectable feast while enjoying the scenic beauty of the surroundings. 
• For those who want to explore the outdoors, wagon rides are available, providing a unique and enjoyable experience.
• The Easter Bunny will also make an appearance at brunch, spreading joy and cheer as families take photos with this beloved character. 
• Cost:

• $88+ – Adult + Children Ages 13+
• $30+ – Child (4-12 years of age)
• Free – Child (Age 3 and Under)
• Make reservations HERE

*Reservations are required for both events. 

Brunch Menu:

Carving station

Prime Rib with creamy horseradish sauce, au jus, assorted rolls & popovers

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Major victory in protecting Women’s K-12 Sports in Rhode Island

In a major victory for advocates seeking to protect women’s K-12 sports in the Ocean State, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL), under threat of legal action and public pressure, has radically altered its rules and regulations that allow biological boys to compete in girls’ K-12 sports.

The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has obtained a March 14 email from RIIL Executive Director, Michael Lunney, sent to all member school principals and athletic directors, advising them of revised guidance and a near complete re-write of its Article 3 Section 3 “gender eligibility” regulations.
While RIIL’s revised policies still allow schools to determine the gender of students wishing to compete in RIIL-sanctioned competitions, the pro-trans-gender regulation has been dramatically weakened and no longer provides legal cover for schools. The revised regulation now shifts legal responsibility to schools, requiring that they determine how to comply with state and federal law in this regard, putting individual schools and school districts at even greater legal peril.

“While we welcome this important step, RIIL still has not completely protected girls’s sports and the safety of female athletes,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “This clever legal maneuver is not enough. Ultimately, RIIL needs to completely prohibit biological boys from ever being able to compete in girls’ sports.”

In addition to ongoing public pressure from crusaders like Robert Chiaradio, an open letter from former prominent Rhode Island student athletes, persistent social media posts, and over 200 petition signers of petition offered by our Center … perhaps the final pressure-items was a federal civil rights complaint filed by our Center’s “Law Centre” naming RIIL (as well as the RI AG, RIDE, and six school districts) as respondents deserving of an Office of Civil Rights investigation for violations of Title IX and federal law.

A full chronology of related actions can be found at RIFreedom.org/titleix.

Noting such “significant attention and focus” on the issue, Lunney’s email confirmed that the Principals Committee on Athletics voted and approved the revisions. Article 3, Section 3B-1 (Determination of Gender Based Eligibility) was reduced from a full page to a single paragraph: “1) The RIIL recognizes the value of participation in interscholastic sports for all member-school student athletes. Member schools are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable state and federal law when determining gender-based eligibility for participation. Per Article 2, Section 3B, “proof of and maintenance of eligibility is the exclusive and continuing obligation of the member Principal.”

Expunged from the rules are the gratuitous statements that recognized the rights of students to compete according to their preferred gender identity, as well as instructions for schools on how they might recognize that a biological boy would be allowed to compete in RIIL girls’ sports.
Lunney’s email concludes by stating, “Moving forward, in order to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, it is our recommendation that member schools consult with their legal counsel when making eligibility determinations for participation.”

About the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity:
As Rhode Island’s leading free-enterprise public policy research and advocacy organization, our Center is nonprofit and nonpartisan. The Center is dedicated to providing concerned citizens, the media, and public officials with empirical research data, while also advancing market-based solutions to major public policy issues in the state.

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RI Bass Bum’s 35th Annual Kids Fishing Derby

C’mon down with the whole family to Slater Park in Pawtucket. Saturday, April 12th from 6am to 10am. Set the alarm – put the coffee’ on – and go! Young little ones will remember it all their lives.

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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]

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Cicadas will not be coming to visit this year – but they’ll be close

Those annoyingly loud bugs will not descend on Rhode Island this year, though there are some indicators that they will head to coastal and wooded areas of Massachusetts about the 2nd and 3rd week of May – so we may find a few who don’t know how to respect borders… and they’ll stick around for 2-3 weeks.

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Take a Hike!

The search for the perfect hiking destination leads to Rhode Island. A new study by Manly Bands reveals the top U.S. states for couple-friendly hiking trails, with Rhode Island securing the #2 spot.

Key Findings:

• Hawaii – 55 trails (1 per 117 sq. miles)
• Rhode Island – 4 trails (1 per 259 sq. miles)
• Connecticut – 11 trails (1 per 440 sq. miles)

Explore the full rankings:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_F0vJmkCdO7w_URNeIRqN1K9NyvKdPc6hsl1LRsDXkk/edit?usp=sharing – This information comes to us from Manly Bands. The company specializes in wedding bands made of different materials – and also for “the rugged, adventure-seeking souls” – those who consider a weekend well spent if it involves a tent, a mountain, and absolutely no cell service. For them, they offer rugged mens’ rings that resonate with love for the great outdoors. These are the rings that won’t mind getting a little dirty on your next wilderness escapade. Please visit:  ManlyBands.com.

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2nd Amendment

Some of the most wide-ranging legislative bills are being considered this year at the RI State House. The overall bill that will ban “assault weapons” is broad and would also apply restrictions to those who already own these weapons legally, including requiring registration, fingerprinting, etc., or turning in of the weapons.

Interestingly enough, there was a news story this week on NBC10 showing that crime with the use of guns is down. So, who are they concerned is having guns – law abiding Rhode Islanders or criminals?

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez talked with NBC 10 News about the departments 2024 crime statistics: He said violent crime offenses in Providence dropped by 10% from 2023, reaching the lowest levels since 1990. The number of assaults, robberies, and shooting victims are reportedly going down, while the number of guns taken off the street are going up.

“The use of a firearm during an aggravated assault also dropped. We had about 100 instances in which a firearm was used in 2023, and in 2024 we had 69 instances,” said Chief Perez. Perez said more guns have been taken off the streets, as police seized 325 firearms in 2024, the highest number since 2006. So far in 2025, Providence police have already taken 62 guns off the streets.

At the RI State House – March 26th

The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee is set to hear multiple gun control bills on March 26th at 2 PM. The group RI Gun Rights is asking people to show up to “push back against this unconstitutional legislation” and show lawmakers that Rhode Islanders “will not stand for further infringements on their Second Amendment rights”. The group is asking gun owners, advocates, and supporters to show up on the 26th in strong support (wear yellow). If you cannot attend you can email testimony to: [email protected]. Written testimony must include your name/organization, bill number(s) and viewpoint (for/against/neither). If you do not want your email address posted with your document, redact your email address, scan the document and send it to the committee email address.

Link to bills being considered this year: https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-20745.aspx

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Cranston Police Gun Range Training Center

Cranston police gun training range will stay at its location, with plans to move off the table – local schools say reports of bad effects on them are not being made and they see no problem with the range, even though a few homeowners have been bringing up the issue of shooting noise for several years. Silencers will be used when they can be, notes police chief.

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Bow Hunter Education

Coming up on March 29th, from 8am to 5pm, at the Manville Rod and Gun, 250 High St, in Manville, RI the RI DEM will hold their Bowhunter Education course.

Through a blend of classroom, and hands on instruction participants will learn… 

• Archery Safety: Understanding the proper use of archery equipment, handling and storage to prevent accidents and injuries. 
• Hunting Ethics and Responsibilities: Emphasizing respect for wildlife, landowners, and other hunters, as well as ensuring sustainable and humane hunting practices. 
• Wildlife Conservation: The importance of wildlife management, preserving habitats, and maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations. 
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: Knowledge of local, state, and federal hunting regulations, as well as responsible hunting practices that support the conservation of wildlife populations. 

The course is ideal for beginners, new bowhunters, and anyone seeking to refresh or expand their knowledge of safe and responsible bowhunting practices. Participants under the age of 16 or those who cannot transport themselves, must have an adult or legal guardian with them for the class duration. To legally bow hunt in Rhode Island, you must be at least 12 years old. 

Upon successful completion and passing a final exam, consisting of 50 questions multiple choice and true and false. Participants will receive a Bowhunter Safety Education certification, which is required to purchase a bowhunting license in the state of Rhode Island. 

This class encourages not only safety and skill but also a lifelong appreciation of nature and the outdoors. 

Registration: https://forms.gle/NKh2XxtpyBKqXHLz5

NOTE: Rhode Island law states that no license to hunt shall be issued to any person unless that person has held a license in a prior year or unless that person presents a hunter education card issued by Rhode Island or under an equivalent hunter safety program adopted by any other state. Persons who are serving in or have been honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard are exempt from the hunter education requirement. 

A previous Rhode Island bowhunter license or a bowhunter education certificate/card from any state is required for those individuals who wish to hunt using archery gear. Those individuals who intend to hunt exclusively with bow and arrow may obtain an “Archery Only” license by completing a bowhunter education course. Those individuals who wish to hunt with firearms, AND archery gear must complete both courses. 

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