On Being Outdoors in Wintry Providence
January 25, 2009 by Susan Korte
Filed under Environment
January 20, 2009, more than two million people spent the day in 20-degree weather and lived to tell the tale ~ and what a tale! What a day! What a sight, to see about twice the population of the state of Rhode Island standing on or near the National Mall during the inauguration of President Obama. No one minded, or at least, folks put the cold out of mind and let their hearts and bodies be warmed by the day’s events. Did anyone get frostbite? Aren’t they glad they were there? Isn’t the memory of that day and their presence in Washington, DC, worth standing for hours in the cold? Two million people would say yes.
So what are we doing inside TODAY? We don’t need a special event or invitation to get outside and enjoy the day. It may even be a bit warmer than yesterday in DC. Are you going for a walk? I’m reluctant to get out there when it’s so icy on the city sidewalks, but the roads in the parks are clear and not too distant. Why don’t I just go over to Roger Willliams Park and take a walk? There are 10 miles of roads there. North Burial Ground is a Providence Parks Department responsibility and it’s closer to me. I can walk there, and it also has 10 miles of roads within it. Cemeteries often have cleared their roads of snow and are beautiful places to walk.
By the way, THANK YOU to all my wonderful neighbors who help me shovel the snow and who shovel their own walks! Way to Go!
And with all this snow there’s sledding! We have lots more snow today than when I took this photo of sledders in Roger Williams Park last week, so it could be even more fun than these folks were having. Make your own memories and have a great time! There’s cross-country skiing, there’s ice skating if the ponds freeze hard enough. RI DEM provides ice safety information for Lincoln Woods, Goddard and Meshanticut State Parks on its 24-hour Ice Information telephone line, 222-2632. They advise us to contact local recreation departments for skating opportunities and conditions in individual communities since DEM does not monitor ice conditions in local communities.
If you do want an invitation to the outdoors, though, check the Outdoors Calendar on the unfinished redesign of What Grows On in Rhode Island! I have been working on a reorganization of the information in The Providential Gardener and What Grows On in Rhode Island to make them more useful, but there’s still a lot to do. It’s keeping me from writing posts for the Providential Gardener. Other Rhode Islanders are writing on other websites, though. You can see there are some news feeds on my test website from various local and national environmental groups…. This aggregated set of feeds is incomplete, to say the least, but it gives a taste of what’s to come.
[Originally published on The Providential Gardener]
Trees 2020 Update – The Urban Forest Grows!
October 14, 2008 by Susan Korte
Filed under Environment
The 500 trees for sale to Providence homeowners at great prices through the Trees 2020 program are gorgeous, good-sized trees, 12 to 15 feet high. Several species are available, so apply early to get the best selection.
Connect Providence featured the Trees 2020 program in an earlier post before the Trees 2020 website was launched, so this update urges readers to check out the new website of this program, which will go on for the next 12 (yes, 12!) years. Our City Forester, Doug Still, is determined to see another 40,000 trees added to our urban forest, and it will take a while to make this happen. Get familiar with this program and consider planting a tree or donating to this ultimate GREEN project.
These trees are for planting in private yards in Providence, unlike the trees available through the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program that provides street trees twice a year. The deadline to apply for next spring’s PNPP street trees is December 1, by the way. The fall planting of the PNPP street trees is going on now in the Blackstone, Charles, College Hill, Elmhurst, Elmwood, Federal Hill, Mount Hope, Olneyville, Smith Hill, Wanskuck, and West End neighborhoods. PNPP could use some help with these plantings so give Liz Downing a call at PNPP, 401-351-6440 x13 or email street_trees at pnpp.org.
Park as Muse ~ City Hall Art Exhibit Features India Point Park
October 10, 2008 by Susan Korte
Filed under Art, Environment, Places
City Hall Gallery
The exhibit will continue until November 28, 2008, Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 4:30. The full press release is on the What Grows On in Rhode Island News Blog.
OTHER NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF INDIA POINT PARK:
The Friends are getting ready to celebrate BRIDGEFEST, the opening of the new pedestrian bridge that crosses I-195 from the Wickenden Street area of Fox Point to India Point Park on Saturday, October 18, from 1 to 4pm (rain date is Sunday, the 19th). Just as they do in the spring cleanup, they’re weeding, painting, and otherwise tidying up the park in their spare time before the 18th and welcome their neighbors’ helping hands. To help out, call Mae Warner, 273-4204.
Trees 2020 ~ Training on September 24, 2008
September 21, 2008 by Susan Korte
Filed under Environment, Events
Trees 2020 is a new tree planting initiative that aims to initiate the planting of 40,000 trees in Providence by the year 2020 to improve our environment. Our tree purchase program offers trees at a sharp discount to Providence property owners to encourage them to plant a tree in their own yards. 
A training date for volunteers with or without tree knowledge is planned for Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 5pm. See below for brief invitation or the flyer and signup form.
From Doug Still, Providence City Forester:
Come be a part of the Tree Team! Volunteers are needed for Trees 2020, a new program to increase tree cover and improve the environment in Providence by encouraging homeowners and property owners to plant trees. Whether or not you have experience with trees, we need you! To learn more and get involved, please read the attached flyer.
TRAINING DATE for Site Assessment volunteers:
When: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 from 5:00 – 6:30 pm.
Where: Chamber of Commerce auditorium, 30 Exchange Terrace (downtown)
Given by: Doug Still, Providence City Forester
Send us your volunteer signup form, or contact Ray Perrault at 351-6440 x14 or by email. Our website www.trees2020.org will be on-line in late September.
T-Shirts and much appreciation for all volunteers!
This is a joint effort of the City of Providence and Groundwork Providence, funded by the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust and the Rhode Island Foundation.
[This post originally appeared on The Providential Gardener.]
Green Jobs Now National Day of Action
September 16, 2008 by Susan Korte
Filed under Government, Organizations
Green Jobs Now Event Kicks Off a National Day of Action in the Ocean State
Contact Denise Parrillo, 331-6972, 864-7974 (cell)
What: Community discussion regarding “Greening the Rhode Island Economy”
“I’m Ready” petition signing and photo opportunities as part of a national day of action that brings together diverse groups and individuals calling on the government to make a greater investment in green jobs and clean energy. Full program available upon request.
When: Saturday September 27, 2008, from 9:30 AM – 11:30AM.
Who:
Welcoming Remarks Greg Gerritt, Founder, Rhode Island Prosperity Project
Introduction of Keynote Speaker and Remarks – David Cicilline, Mayor of Providence
Keynote Speech – The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse, United States Senator (9:45 AM)
Panel of experts
- Mrs. Connie McGreavy, Chair-Elect, RI Green Building Council (also, panel moderator)
- Dr. Joseph Ilaqua, Professor of Economics, Bryant University
- Mr. Al Durand, Business Manager, Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 99*
- Mr. Steven Kitchin, VP Corporate Education and Training, New England Institute of Technology
- Mr. Anthony Hubbard, Program Director, YouthBuild*
- Rep. Art Handy, Sustainable RI Coordinator, Apeiron Institute of Sustainable Living*
* Indicates affiliation with the Green Jobs Alliance
Where: New England Institute of Technology, 2480 Post Road Warwick, RI in the Student Lounge
Green Jobs Now is a national day of action that will bring tens of thousands of people together to stage hundreds of grassroots events throughout the country. People will demonstrate readiness to build an inclusive green economy, strong enough to lift people out of poverty and curb global warming.
To register for the free RI event, please go to http:/www.GreeningRIEconomy.com and click on REGISTER, send email to info@GreeningRIEconomy.com, or call Greg Gerritt at 621-8048.