PVD Tree Plan Aims to Bring More Green to Neighborhoods

by Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

It’s been nearly 30 years, and Leandro Castro can still remember how hot his neighborhood was in the summertime. “I’m probably nine years old [at the time], my brother is seven,” Castro recalled. “I’m asking my mom, ‘Mommy can we go out to play,’ and [...]

A Cleaning for the Ages: Addressing Pollution in the Moshassuck River

by Greg Gerritt

The people who lived along the Moshassuck River, before the English removed them, lived in an environment of tremendous richness that sustained their communities and cultures.  We honor the people and cultures who preceded us in this place, and rue the damage that the Europeans [...]

A Big Step for PVD: City Council Passes Major Climate Legislation

by Leah Bamberger

On November 2nd, the Providence City Council passed its first major climate legislation, voting unanimously and enthusiastically in support of a new Building Energy Reporting Ordinance (BERO). The policy is designed to help large building owners better manage their energy use, reduce energy costs, and [...]

There’s Money to Get the Lead Out

by Roseanne Camacho and Bradly J. VanDerStad

Published with the cooperation of Motif Magazine. Providence locals have long boasted that their city tap water is among the best in the country. U.S. News and World Report, however, has other ideas: Rhode Island sits at a middling #21 for drinking water quality in [...]

Monarchs and Milkweed: A Providence Tale

by Leah Bamberger

A few years ago, some Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) sprouted in my front yard. It can be an aggressive plant (hence the weed moniker), but nonetheless, I let it take over my front yard because it is the exclusive host plant for Monarchs. The [...]

Fighting Food Insecurity In PVD

by Brooke Warner

Is it hard to eat healthy on a budget? A common misconception is that fresh produce is out of reach for shoppers on a tight budget. Yet there is help for those experiencing food insecurity. Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a Providence-based local food hub, works [...]

North Burial Ground as Haven

by Annalisa Heppner

As the Director of City Cemeteries, I have a particular fondness for North Burial Ground (NBG), but here I am writing as a resident of Providence and cemetery enthusiast with my own personal beliefs, why cemeteries matter, and how cemeteries can be transformational spaces in [...]

North Burial Ground as Habitat

by Greg Gerritt

Those of us who live in a city occasionally need an oasis away from the throngs, a place that is relatively quiet, has some open space, and offers us information about the place where we live and the creatures we share our city with.  Providence’s [...]

Rest in Peace, Not Pollutants: Green Burials Say ‘No Thanks’ to Chemicals in the Grave

by Mary Lhowe

You couldn’t possibly count the number of places in Rhode Island where you can walk in pure silence except for leaf rustle, moving among drowsing wildflowers, and around shrubs and trees situated by the hand of nature, the landscape free of human objects except for [...]

So You’re Thinking About Going Solar

by Ira Belkin

Talk of “going solar” seems to be almost everywhere these days. If it’s not your neighbors bragging about their solar panels or a news report about government incentives, it’s popup ads on your phone or even your friendly neighborhood solar panel representative knocking on your [...]