Dogs Banned From Goosewing Beach To Protect Piping Plovers

Piping Plovers, a threatened shorebird species, need residents help to protect their fragile habitat along Goosewing Beach in Little Compton.

  Dogs are banned from Goosewing beach through Labor Day to help reduce the threat to the federally-protected Piping Plovers nesting at Goosewing Beach. The Piping Plover is a federally-threatened shorebird protected under the Endangered Species Act. These charismatic shorebirds nest and raise their young on Goosewing Beach each spring and summer. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements a piping plover recovery plan which mandates that dogs be prohibited on beaches where pet owners fail to keep their pets leashed and under control. As part of the plover recovery effort, The Nature Conservancy and the Little Compton Police are requesting cooperation from the public to leave their pets at home. To assist with enforcement of the no dog …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (4)

Hundreds Celebrate Dundery Brook Trail Opening [VIDEO]

The new hiking trail in Little Compton opened to coincide with National Trails Day.

The Dundery Brook Trail in Little Compton opened to the public last Friday, June 2, to the rejoice of many hikers and outdoor educators. Wilbur-McMahon School students, town officials and residents gathered in the tennis courts at Veteran's Field for the trail's opening ceremony. Coming off the groundbreaking ceremony from last fall, the approximately 3,208-foot long handicapped-accessible boardwalk and 1.35-mile trail, with a total cost of $485,000 acquired through state, federal and local fundraising. It begins from an entrance to the woods next to the school’s tennis courts, and meanders north toward The Bumblebee Preserve, a 118-acre tract already managed by The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island. Conservancy Director Terry Sullivan …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (6)
• Videos (1)

Public Applauds Dundery Brook Trail Bringing Nature Closer to Classroom [VIDEO]

The town held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Dundery Brook Trail on Friday, Nov. 18. It should be finished in the next three to four months.

Showcasing the future of its conservation efforts, Little Compton marked a milestone on Friday morning, Nov. 18, with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Dundery Brook Trail. Over 100 residents, including students from Wilbur-McMahon School, filled the tennis courts for an event three years in the making. The approximately 3,208-foot long handicapped-accessible boardwalk and 1.35-mile trail, with a total cost of $485,000 acquired through state, federal and local fundraising, will take about three to four months to complete, according to Don McNaughton, trustee with The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island. The trail begins from an entrance to the woods next to the school’s tennis courts, and will meander north toward The Bumblebee Preserve, a…

• Photos (9)
• Videos (1)

Earth Tones By Cindy

The Campaign For The Sakonnet Landscape Meets Its Goals

The Nature Conservancy has made great strides in thier initiative to preserve land in Tiverton and Little Compton

The Nature Conservancy launched "The Campaign For The Sakonnet Landscape" in 2007, a major fundraising effort with a focus on the Tiverton and Little Compton area. Partnering with groups like the Tiverton Land Trust, The Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust, the Sakonnet Preservation Association, and private donors, the conservancy had a three-year fundraising goal of $4 million. Pam Pomfret, associate director of philanthropy at the Conservancy’s Rhode Island Office, said on Thursday that the campaign has reached and exceeded its original goals. Funds were used to save 1,078 acres of land from development to build the Benjamin Family Conservation Center at Goosewing Beach, which opened in July 2010, and to save Ferolbink Farm.  …

• Photos (10)