South County’s salt ponds are one of our most precious resources — they are not only a unique ecosystem and a fun place to recreate, but also a haven for breeding wildlife and a hotspot for sustainable aquaculture.
But the health of our salt ponds is threatened by rising sea levels, warming waters, encroaching development, increased nutrient loads and invasive species.
WLT, Save the Bay and the Audubon Society of RI have teamed up to do our part to preserve the Winnapaug Pond marshlands by installing a system of runnels to help drain impounded water from the marsh platform. This impounded water can kill native marsh grasses, promote invasive grasses, lower the marsh platform and provide breeding grounds for excessive algae and mosquitoes.
Since installing the runnels in 2019-2020, we have observed a decrease in invasive grasses and seen areas of the marsh platform restored to native marsh grasses! But the work is not done as the runnels require annual maintenance, so we need your help to keep the runnels flowing.
Join WLT and Save the Bay staff on Sunday, June 9th from 8:30am to 11:00am as we unclog the wintertime’s wrack and help the runnels flow free. You will also get to learn more about the salt marsh ecosystem and maybe catch a glimpse of a salt marsh sparrow or tiny baby eels, among other cool creatures.
Work on the marsh requires muck/knee boots and a willingness to get a bit dirty! We will provide the shovels and rakes, but have a limited number/size selection of extra muck boots, so please bring your own if available. If you’d like to join but don’t have the boots, let us know your size and we will see what we can do.
If you are interested in available, we’d love your help! To sign-up please fill out the form below. For more information, please email Marc at [email protected].