The Westerly Land Trust

4th Annual WLT Mini BioBlitz at Champlin Farm Preserve
2025-07-20 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | 64 Boombridge Rd, 64 Boombridge Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Calling all curious humans! Let’s get out there and find all the life that surrounds us, both small and large.

A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on discovering and identifying as many living species as possible. From fungi to trees, mammals to insects, and everything in between, we will try to catch ‘em all– this time at WLT’s latest conserved property, the 90-acre Champlin Farm Preserve!
This is a great opportunity to explore the fields, forests, rocky outcroppings, and riverbank of our newest property. Our stewardship group, the CCC, has been hard at work removing invasives and clearing trails. There is also a 7-acre gravel pit on the property that promises some interesting finds, despite its disturbed nature.
This is a FREE, all-ages, all-abilities, and family-friendly event – it doesn’t matter if you are an expert naturalist or have never stepped into the woods before. The event begins at 10am and we will romp, collect, and explore until 2 pm. If you’d like to explore before the event starts or after it ends, you are more than welcome to! Just let us know so we can make sure you know the lay of the land.
Participants are encouraged to pack a lunch. Light snacks, water, and refreshments will be available as well. We will all take a break, swap stories, and have lunch together at noon.
There are some great tools out there, besides field guides and experts, that can help you identify all kinds of different plants and animals. Be sure to download apps like iNaturalist from the App Store. Play around with them beforehand and be sure to show up with a full battery!
The link to the official iNaturalist project will be coming soon!
If you have any questions, send ’em over to Marc (mdoherty@westerlylandtrust.org)

CCC Volunteer Season Kick-Off!
2025-09-09 08:30 - 11:00 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Rd, Westerly, RI 02891, USA
Interested in joining a community of WLT land stewardship volunteers? Join us as the WLT’s Coffee and Clearing Club kicks off its 2025-2026 volunteer season. Bring your work gloves and loppers and join our weekly work crew! There are many ways to help out, ranging from all abilities!

Coffee is served in The Coop at Barlow Nature Preserve at 8:30 am. Marching Orders are issued at 8:55 am, and volunteers work until 11 am, clearing trails and stone walls, blazing trails, building signs, and more. The CCC works every Tuesday from September through June.

Questions? Email Marc at mdoherty@westerlylandtrust.org.

CCC you there!

Native Seed Sowing Workshop
2026-01-23 16:00 - 17:30 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Discover how to grow native plants and support local wildlife in this hands-on seed-sowing workshop.

As native biodiversity declines and habitat is lost, it is more important than ever that we all make space where we can for native wildlife. Join WLT and our friends from the RI Natural History Survey and the RI Wild Plant Society for an introduction to propagating native plants. Following a brief lecture, attendees will grab a milk jug and sow some native perennial seeds of their own. A great event for all ages!

Registration required; spots are limited.
This event is no cost for WLT members and $10 per person for non-members. Not a member and would like to be? CLICK HERE.

Parking is available in the main lot at Barlow, with overflow parking available in the field up the farm road.

Regenerative Agriculture Conference at the Westerly Armory
2026-01-31 - 2026-02-01 | Westerly Armory, 41 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The Third Regenerative Agriculture Conference returns to the Westerly Armory for a two-day gathering of farmers, gardeners, scientists, and community members focused on soil health, sustainable food systems, and regenerative practices.
Presentations, vendors, demonstrations, a seed swap, and a book table will be featured throughout the weekend. Full schedule, speaker information, and additional details are available in the event flyer below.
Admission

$35 for one day
$60 for both days
Purchase tickets at: https://www.westerlyarmory.com

Contact Ellie with any questions: RegenerativeAgricultureWeekend@gmail.com

****CANCELED*** Volunteer Stewardship Day - Champlin Farm Preserve
2026-02-01 09:00 - 11:00 | Champlin Farm Preserve, 64 boombridge Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
***Due to the snow and forecasted weather, this event has been canceled.
Keep your eye out for another weekend stewardship opportunity in the coming weeks.

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Help WLT remove invasive woody plants at Champlin Farm Preserve

With the trails and parking well established at the new Champlin Farm Preserve, it is time to turn our stewardship efforts towards creating healthy, native ecosystems. Winter is the best time to manage invasive woody plants such as autumn olive and burning bush. Join WLT in removing these shrubs near an old homestead site and creating brush piles for wildlife.
Dress to work outside and bring a water bottle, a pair of work gloves, loppers, and a small pruning saw if available.
Questions? Email Marc at mdoherty@westerlylandtrust.org.

POSTPONED: Winter Tree Identification Lecture
2026-02-26 17:00 - 18:30 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED

Explore how to identify Rhode Island’s winter trees by observing bark, buds, and branches in this introductory lecture.

Identifying trees in the winter might seem like an expert’s task, but familiarizing oneself with bark, branches, and buds builds a strong foundation for seeing our forests for the trees! Join WLT’s Land Stewardship Manager, Marc Doherty, at Barlow Nature Preserve for an introduction to the trees of Rhode Island, their roles in our ecosystem, and how to identify them.
After gaining some knowledge in the classroom, be sure to sign up for one of the upcoming Winter Tree Identification walks at Grills Preserve. Winter Tree ID Walk #1 on Friday, March 6th, at 11 am or Winter Tree ID Walk #2 on Wednesday, March 11th, at 10 am.

Registration required; spots are limited.

Not a member and would like to be? CLICK HERE.

Parking is available in the main lot at Barlow, with overflow parking available in the field up the farm road.

Winter Tree Identification Walk #1
2026-03-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Grills Preserve, 198 Bowling Lane, Westerly, RI, 02808, United States
Explore how to identify Rhode Island’s winter trees on a guided walk using bark, buds, and habitat clues.

To build on our Winter Tree Identification Lecture, let’s hit the trail and see, touch, and even smell the trees at Grills Preserve.
WLT’s Land Stewardship Manager, Marc Doherty, will lead a 1.5-mile walk through a variety of forest habitats where we can reveal tree species by looking at their shape, habitat, buds, branching, and more.
While not required, it is recommended that you attend the preceding Winter Tree Identification Lecture on Thursday, March 6th.

Registration required; spots are limited.
This event is no cost for WLT members and $10 per person for non-members.

Not a member and would like to be? CLICK HERE.

Parking is available on site.

Forest Health Monitoring Volunteer Open House
2026-04-08 17:00 - 18:00 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
WLT is looking to recruit volunteers for its new Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program.

If you are interested in forest health, tree identification and citizen science, this might be an opportunity for you!
Forest Health Monitoring seeks to hit the ground running with this long-term ecological monitoring project this summer at Grills Preserve. We will establish a network of 10-meter radius circular plots, within which we will record observations such a tree species, diameter-at-breast height, mortality, canopy cover and more. To learn more about our methods, check out the Wildlands and Woodlands Stewardship Science page.
While some experience in tree identification would be nice, it is far from a requirement — eager and passionate volunteers are what we are looking for!
At the open house, you will hear from the WLT team leading this project about the motivations and methods as well as get the opportunity to ask and questions and mingle with other like-minded folks.
Things to Know

This event is free, thanks for volunteering with us!
Bring a notebook or another tool if you would like to take notes
Parking is available on site
A restroom is available on site
If you would like to further support WLT’s conservation mission, click here.

Questions? Email Marc at mdoherty@westerlylandtrust.org.

Winter Tree Identification Walk #2
2026-04-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Grills Preserve, 198 Bowling Lane, Westerly, RI, 02808, United States
Explore how to identify Rhode Island’s winter trees on a guided walk using bark, buds, and habitat clues.

To build on our Winter Tree Identification Lecture, let’s hit the trail and see, touch, and even smell the trees at Grills Preserve.
WLT’s Land Stewardship Manager, Marc Doherty, will lead a 1.5-mile walk through a variety of forest habitats where we can reveal tree species by looking at their shape, habitat, buds, branching, and more.
While not required, it is recommended that you attend the preceding Winter Tree Identification Lecture on Thursday, February 26th.

Registration required; spots are limited.
This event is no cost for WLT members and $10 per person for non-members.

Not a member and would like to be? CLICK HERE.

Parking is available on site.
