The Westerly Land Trust

Wahaneeta 5K Trail Run- Westerly Track & Athletic Club
2023-09-23 | RI
Start times
8:00am: Registration opens
9:00am: 5K race starts
9:45am: Kids 1K race starts
Course Description
The terrain of the course is entirely dirt trails, with some technical single-track. In order to minimize bunching up at the race start, the course will first run across a short grass field before continuing on double-track for approximately one-half mile. Most of the rest of the course will be on single-track and include challenges such as stream crossings on narrow wooden bridges, hills, and rock gardens. During the course of the race, you will cross streams multiple times, with most but not all having bridge crossings. The course is very spectator friendly, as the start/finish is in the same area, and during the course of the race runners will pass through the start/finish area twice before finishing. Runners and walkers are welcome.
Location
5K course starting and finishing at Wahaneeta Preserve. Purchased by the Westerly Land Trust in 2012, this is a 72-acre conservation property that was run as “Camp Wahaneeta” by the Girl Scouts of RI from 1941 to 1996.
For more information and/or to sign up click HERE.

Voices of the Land: Walking Rhode Island
2023-09-13 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
John Kostrzewa writes the “Walking Rhode Island” column for The Providence Journal and has been hiking across the state for decades.

Join us and discover how John started, where he has hiked and what he has learned. He’ll share his observations about the history, geological features, vegetation and wildlife he has found along the trails.
During his talk, he’ll also explain what makes Rhode Island’s trails unique and outline some of the challenges Rhode Islanders face to maintain the state’s public preserves.
Kostrzewa worked for 45 years in the newspaper industry, including the last 29 at The Providence Journal as a business reporter, columnist, business editor, and assistant managing editor. He retired from the Journal in 2017 and spent the last three years as an adjunct professor at Bryant University.
Since launching “Walking Rhode Island” in 2021, he has written more than 100 columns. He is compiling 40 of the hikes into a book, with pictures, GPS coordinates and trail maps, that is set for release in September, 2023.

This event is located at Barlow Nature Preserve.
Parking is available in the main parking lot, with overflow parking in the field behind the outbuildings to the east (up the farm road).
Registration is required.

Discussion is open to WLT members. Our members donate annually. Not a member and would like to be? Become a member today and click HERE.

13th Annual Farm Dinner-SOLD OUT
2023-09-09 15:30 - 19:30 | Winnapaug Farm Preserve, 109-119 Rhode Island 1A, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Thanks to the amazing support of our community, the Farm Dinner is now SOLD OUT!
The 13th Annual Westerly Land Trust Farm Dinner will be held at Winnapaug Farm Preserve on Saturday, September 9, 2023, beginning at 3:30 pm. We’ll dine al fresco at the longest table in Westerly to celebrate the important relationship between land conservation and local, sustainable agriculture.
Due to the nature of this event, we are unable to accommodate individual dietary restrictions.
If you have any questions please contact our office at (401) 315-2610, ext. 2 or e-mail us at elebling@westerlylandtrust.org.

For the 13th Annual Farm Dinner, we are bringing back some of our favorite food producers, but also introducing new (to us) farmers and chefs. Here is a sneak peak of the food heroes and culinary masterminds who are working together to dream up this summer’s menu:
2023 Farm Dinner Food Producers & Contributors
Dick’s World of Wines
Dunns Corners Market
Echo Rock Flowers
Ever-Breeze Farm
Frontier Farm
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island
Long Lane Farm
Narrow Lane Orchard
Quonnie Farms
Seacoast Mushrooms
South County Distillers
Stonyledge Farm
Watch Hill Oysters
Wehpittituck Farm
West Farm Organics

2023 Farm Dinner Chefs
Allyson Mansfield, Vesta Bakery
David Miguel
Andrew Nathan, The Cooked Goose
David Standridge, Shipwright’s Daughter
James Wayman, Nana’s Westerly
Adam Young, ATY Hospitality

Yoga at the Farm- BarreCoast
2023-08-19 09:00 - 10:00 | Winnapaug Farm Preserve, 117 Shore Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States, 117 Shore Rd, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Join us for outdoor yoga, led by Anja Mertl, at Winnapaug Farm Preserve.
HOW TO REGISTER
Enroll Online at barrecoast.com or contact the studio.
WLT MEMBER DISCOUNTS
WLT members please contact Erika Lebling at elebling@westerlylandtrust.org for reduced price registration of $10!
Not-yet a WLT member but would like to be?
To become a member today please CLICK HERE.

Living Laboratories: Wild Westerly- Soaring Hawks (Grade 3-4)
2023-08-10 12:00 - 14:00 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This program is open to students in grades 3-4 that attend a Westerly Public Elementary School.

Join Westerly Land Trust outdoor educators for an 8-week hands on adventure to explore the great outdoors. Step into the boots of a new scientist or steward each Thursday to discover the weird and wild plants, animals and phenomena that make Westerly our beautiful home. Grades 3 – 4 will use more advanced technology and techniques to make their discoveries.
Thursdays: June 22 – August 10 (8 total programs)
9:30- 11:30 at Barlow Nature Preserve
Upcoming Programs
August 3: Wacky Weather
August 10: Scales, Shells, & Slime
– All participants must attend one of the following schools (Dunn’s Corners, Springbrook, or State Street).
– Program is FREE thanks to a partnership with Westerly Public Schools.
– Transportation to and from program is required.
– Please use the student name when registering.
– Spots are limited.
Any questions, please email Lauren Barber, lbarber@westerylandtrust.org or call 401-315-2610 x1.

Living Laboratories: Wild Westerly- Flying Squirrels (Grade K-2)
2023-08-10 09:30 - 11:30 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This program is open to students in grades K – 2 that attend a Westerly Public Elementary School.

Join Westerly Land Trust outdoor educators for an 8-week hands on adventure to explore the great outdoors. Step into the boots of a new scientist or steward each Thursday to discover the weird and wild plants, animals and phenomena that make Westerly our beautiful home.
Thursdays: June 22 – August 10 (8 total programs)
9:30- 11:30 at Barlow Nature Preserve
Upcoming Programs
August 10: Scales, Shells, & Slime
– All participants must attend one of the following schools (Dunn’s Corners, Springbrook, or State Street).
– Program is FREE thanks to a partnership with Westerly Public Schools.
– Transportation to and from program is required.
– Please use the student name when registering.
– Spots are limited.
Any questions, please email Lauren Barber, lbarber@westerylandtrust.org or call 401-315-2610 x1.

Ceremonial Stonework: The Enduring Native American Presence on the Land
2023-08-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Barlow Nature Preserve, 449 Westerly Bradford Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This discussion is part of the WLT Voices of the Land series featuring Markham Starr. You won’t want miss it!

This slideshow takes the audience on an extended walk through the woods to see the ceremonial stonework left behind by the indigenous population that occupied New England for over 12,000 years. Native Americans built nearly two dozen distinct types of structures in our area, ranging from cairns to stone serpent effigies, and these spiritual offerings remain standing in our long abandoned woods. While Native American stonework is widely recognized in other parts of the country, New England’s stonework remains obscure, having blended back into the woods. This slideshow, from the book by the same name, comes from photographs of over 8000 objects and ceremonial sites in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Slideshow by Markham Starr, a documentary photographer living in Connecticut.

This event is located at Barlow Nature Preserve.
Parking is available in the main parking lot, with overflow parking in the field behind the outbuildings to the east (up the farm road).
Registration is required.

Discussion is open to WLT members. Our members donate annually. Not a member and would like to be? Become a member today and click HERE.

Mini BioBlitz
2023-08-05 16:00 - 20:00 | 13-29 Christian Hill Rd, 13-29 Christian Hill 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 finding 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 newest property, the Cottrell Family Preserve. This is a great opportunity to explore a new property and help WLT build our baseline data for these 21 acres along the Pawcatuck River filled with mountain laurel, a small meadow, wetlands, exposed ledge and riparian habitat.
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 will be from 4pm to 8pm, but participants can arrive or leave any time they would like to.
There will be snacks and refreshments and a whole bunch of adventure! And thanks to our friends at the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association, we will have canoes and kayaks to explore the river on!
There are some great tools out there besides field guides and experts that can help you identify all kinds of different species of plants and animals out there. Be sure to download apps like iNaturalist or Seek from the App Store. Play around with them and be sure to show up with a full battery! Click here to join the Cottrell Mini Bioblitz iNaturalist Project.
Any questions? Email Marc Doherty at mdoherty@westerlylandtrust.org

Kayak, Yoga, Float & Flow
2023-07-19 17:00 - 19:30 | 197 Potter Hill Rd, 197 Potter Hill Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Start your adventure with a guided yoga session at WLT’s Flora Whiteley Preserve to warm up for a beautiful paddle on the Pawcatuck River.

Certified yoga teacher, Janice Fifer, will guide us through Sun Salutations with a focus in hip and shoulder openers to prepare for a paddle up the Pawcatuck River. We will stop along the way for more yoga, a short meditation and ride the rivers gentle current back to the put in point. The evening will end with relaxation and a closing circle. This is a moderate paddle for experienced kayakers, with the emphasis on relaxing and enjoying nature.
What to bring: BYO Kayak, Paddle, Life Jacket, Yoga Mat, Large Towel (to put under your yoga mat), Water, Bug Repellent. Be aware that your shoes will get wet and muddy.
Please note: Rhode Island State Regulations require that everyone, regardless of age, MUST wear a US Coast Guard approved life jacket, fastened in the manner the manufacturer intended.
This event is FREE for members, and $10 per person for not-yet members. Not a member and would like to be? CLICK HERE!
Registration required, spots are limited.

Outdoor Boot Camp- BarreCoast
2023-07-15 08:00 - 09:00 | Winnapaug Farm Preserve, 117 Shore Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States, 117 Shore Rd, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Join us for an outdoor bootcamp, led by Sarah Rocketto, at Winnapaug Farm Preserve.
HOW TO REGISTER
Enroll Online at barrecoast.com or contact the studio.
WLT MEMBER DISCOUNTS
WLT members please contact Jennifer Fusco at jfusco@westerlylandtrust.org for reduced price registration of $10!
Not-yet a WLT member but would like to be?
To become a member today please CLICK HERE.

Outdoor Boot Camp- BarreCoast
2023-07-15 08:00 - 09:00 | Winnapaug Farm Preserve, 117 Shore Road, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States, 117 Shore Rd, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Join us for an outdoor bootcamp, led by Sarah Rocketto, at Winnapaug Farm Preserve.
HOW TO REGISTER
Enroll Online at barrecoast.com or contact the studio.
WLT MEMBER DISCOUNTS
WLT members please contact Erika Lebling at elebling@westerlylandtrust.org for reduced price registration of $10!
Not-yet a WLT member but would like to be?
To become a member today please CLICK HERE.
