The Westerly Land Trust

****CANCELED*** Volunteer Stewardship Day - Champlin Farm Preserve
2026-02-01 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | 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.
