Join RI Department of Environmental Management Forest Health Program Coordinator Alana Russell for a presentation exploring how warming temperatures are influencing beetle populations and what this means for Rhode Island’s pitch pine forests. Participants will learn how forest stress, climate, and insect dynamics are connected, and what these changes may mean for the future of our forests.

📅 Monday, March 30th
🕒 6pm
🪲 Talk on Forest Pests
📍 Kettle Pond Visitor Center
🎟️ Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.

About Alana Russell: Alana serves as Forest Health Program Coordinator with the RI Department of Environmental Management, where she focuses on monitoring, researching, and protecting the health of Rhode Island’s forests. She has dedicated her career to understanding forest ecosystems and addressing emerging threats, including invasive pests and the impacts of a changing climate. In addition to her professional work, Alana serves as Vice Chair of the Hopkinton Land Trust, where she supports local land conservation.

401Gives is a statewide, online fundraising event designed to bring people together to support RI’s local nonprofits. From March 31st at 6am to April 1st at 6pm, the Charlestown Land Trust will join hundreds of organizations participating in this powerful event, which raised over $4.9 million for 644 nonprofits in 2025. Donations are made through a secure online portal and are tax-deductible, with a minimum of just $5. Every donation makes a difference and will directly aid our conservation efforts! We’d be truly grateful for your support—bookmark our donation page and check back when giving opens on March 31st.

Warm up with hot cocoa and join arborist Dan Weise for a guided walk through the trails at Kettle Pond Visitor Center, featuring tree and shrub identification, fascinating forest factoids, and signs to watch for within the landscape. Along the way, participants will learn how to “read” the forest canopy to better understand past events, current conditions, and what the future may hold. Following the walk, feel free to stay for a presentation with landscape architect Michael Cavanagh on invasive plant management. Please note that this event is weather permitting. Any cancellations due to weather will be posted on our website.

📅 Thursday, April 16th (Rain Date: April 17th)
🕒 3:30pm
☕ Hot Cocoa and Forest Walk
📍 Kettle Pond Visitor Center
🎟️ Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.

About Dan Weise: Dan is an arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts who has worked in the tree care industry since 1998. His background includes experience across a range of tree care roles, as well as impressive qualifications, including ISA Certified Arborist, Rhode Island and Connecticut Licensed Arborist, and a three-time International Tree Climbing Competitor!

Following the forest walk,* stay for a presentation with landscape architect and arborist Michael Cavanagh on invasive plant management. Design, permitting and implementation practices will be shared, reviewed, and discussed with a focus on the native plant communities that we use to support local ecosystems and to minimize invasive plant problems.

*This is a standalone program—you do not need to attend the walk to enjoy the presentation.

📅 Thursday, April 16th
🕒 5pm
🌿 Invasive Plant Management Presentation
📍 Kettle Pond Visitor Center
🎟️ Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.

About Michael Cavanagh: Michael is an arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts, a licensed landscape architect, and a Certified Invasive Plant Manager. He holds a master’s degree from the Conway School of Sustainable Landscape Design and Planning and has worked across diverse landscape contexts throughout New England and beyond.

Join the Charlestown Land Trust in celebrating Earth Day by participating in a rewarding community clean-up event. Come help us remove litter and trash while enjoying a morning outdoors with fellow community members. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

This event is part of the Town of Charlestown’s Earth Day Celebration.

📅 Date: Saturday, April 25th (Rain Date: April 26th)
🕒 Time: 9am
📍 Location: Ninigret Park, 5 Park Lane, Charlestown, RI 02813

♻️ Free and open to all, but please RSVP here to let us know you’re coming. We’ll be meeting at the parking lot—check your email for specifics. (If weather conditions require rescheduling or cancellation, registered participants will be notified by email.)

Join URI PhD student Christopher Hickling for an engaging look at bobcats and human land use in Rhode Island. Christopher’s research focuses on understanding how human disturbance influences the movement and behavior of terrestrial mammalian carnivores, with a particular focus on bobcats. Participants will learn how landscape change, development, and human activity shape wildlife behavior and what this reveals about the health and connectivity of our region’s natural systems.

📅 Monday, March 30th
🕒 6pm
🐾 Talk on Bobcats
📍 Kettle Pond Visitor Center
🎟️ Free and open to all! No pre-registration required.

About Christopher Hickling: Chris is a PhD student in the Quest Lab at the University of Rhode Island. His research focuses on understanding how human disturbance influences the movement and behavior of terrestrial mammalian carnivores.