Turning the Tide in Providence

by Health in Partnership

How long-term community organizing against polluting industry in the Port of Providence is building the infrastructure for co-governance and making progress towards climate justice   Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Health in Partnership. Copyright, healthinpartnership.org. Reprinted with permission.   Monica Huertas was [...]

Much Adoo About Sludge: Why Providence Residents Should Care About Sewage Management

by Emily Smith

What is sewage sludge and how do we dispose of it? Sewage sludge is a disgusting but essential part of the Narragansett Bay Commission’s (NBC) work to manage wastewater and keep Narragansett Bay and Providence clean. After wastewater is cleaned at NBC’s Fields Point Facility [...]

Stormwater Runoff Now Getting City and Resident Focus

by Bob McMahon

This year, it has rained 55 inches in Providence so far, and with the projected rainfall in the remainder of December, the accumulated rainfall will equal 2023’s 58 inches.  Normal annual rainfall in Providence used to be 44 inches.  As more and more storms deliver [...]

South Providence Scrapyard Insists it is Cleaning Up Its Act. Residents Still Have Their Doubts

by Nancy Lavin

The plumes of smoke soaring from a south Providence scrapyard five months ago have cleared. But frustration over the environmental and health consequences for those who live near Rhode Island Recycled Metals still burned brightly Tuesday during a two-hour meeting at the West End Community [...]

PVD’s Urban Farmers Are Feeding the City

by Brooke Warner

The term, ‘produce aggregation’ doesn’t really conjure up a picture of healthy kids and families and farmers bringing good food to communities facing food insecurity. But Southside Community Land Trust’s Produce Aggregation Program is working to do just that. It’s a way to connect urban [...]

Turning the Focus On A Special Neighborhood Garden

by Ellen Welty

You might find yourself doing a double-take at an urban garden. Never mind the buildings rising up around it, or the cars whizzing by; people stop to gaze at the brilliant shades of green, the flowery blossoms, maybe even vegetables.  Someone had the gumption to [...]

The Future of Wind Energy in Providence

by Emily Smith

Whether approaching Providence on the I-95 northbound or braving traffic on the Washington Bridge, it’s hard not to notice six wind turbines as a key feature of our City’s waterfront–. Unlike the controversy surrounding offshore wind farms in Newport and Block Island, the land-based Providence [...]

Fall Birding in Providence Along the Seekonk River

by Leslie Bostrom

In September, October, and November, birds move south at a leisurely pace. Breeding is over, and they are flying to areas where food is abundant. Some birds will pass through Rhode Island on the way to points south, and some will arrive here to spend [...]

Floating Wetland Repurposes Invasive Japanese Knotweed for Ecological Healing

by Tim Lehnert

Roger Williams Park’s Polo Lake is in poor shape: excess phosphorus and nitrogen cause toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms which rob the water of oxygen and make it inhospitable to aquatic life. People (and pets) are warned not to ingest or even touch the water. [...]

Rewilding Roger Williams: How Did Fish Get into the Park’s Ponds?

by Colleen Cronin ecoRI News

On any nice day at Roger Williams Park, among the strollers, bird watchers, and zoo visitors, there’s often a cohort of folks fishing.  In fact, today, June 26th, would-be anglers of all sorts will be there for the Annual Freshwater Fishing Event. Bass, stripers, and [...]