Hunting Season Safety & Blaze Orange Requirements
Fall is a great time of year for a walk in the woods. It is also the start of hunting season. Please review these guidelines to ensure safety for all during hunting season!
- All hikers, bikers, horseback riders, etc. are required to wear 200 square inches (500 square inches during shotgun deer season in December) of solid daylight fluorescent orange above the waist and visible in all directions.
- Ex: A hat covers 200 square inches. A combination of hat and vest should cover 500 square inches.
- This requirement runs from the second Saturday in September to the last day of February and the third Saturday in April to the last day in May.
- If you are unsure if a property allows hunting, it is always best to err on the side of caution and wear orange anyway.
- Don’t forget to “orange” your dogs, too!
- For more clarification, watch this short video produced by RI Department of Environmental Management.
Westerly Land Trust Beanies
If your wardrobe is lacking daylight fluorescent orange, consider a Westerly Land Trust beanie–perfect for staying visible on the trails, keeping your ears warm, and signaling your support for local land conservation! Order yours here or swing by our office at Barlow Nature Preserve (449 Westerly-Bradford Road).
Forgot Your Orange?
If you visit Grills Preserve but have forgotten your orange, fear not! Thanks to a partnership with the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, we have added an “orange vest library” in the Grills Preserve parking lot. Simply don a vest for your hike, and return it when you’re finished, so the next person can enjoy.
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What. A. Night! All the stars aligned and Saturday night was pure magic. Thank you for joining us at the table for the Farm Dinner at Barlow Nature Preserve. ✨🍽️
One of our favorite recollections of the evening was walking along the table and seeing people of all ages and backgrounds sharing a meal and conversation. This event is all about community, and our community truly shined. The farmers shared their stories, and we could taste their respect and connection to both land and sea in every bite. 🥬🥩
We were honored to partner with Chef Johan Jensen and his wife Abbey Hemmann of @whitecresteatery and @backdoorkitchen in Stonington, CT. Not only did their culinary creativity astound us, but they exuded positive energy and good vibes. Cheers to Abbey and Johan for welcoming their third baby just a week prior to the event. We are so happy for their beautiful, growing family. 💚
Thank you for supporting our conservation work through this special event. Your presence directly impacts our mission to protect local habitats, sustain community agriculture, and preserve open space for generations to come. If you enjoyed the fresh local ingredients highlighted during dinner, we encourage you to continue supporting our regional farm partners who made the evening possible. Buying local helps sustain our agricultural economy while keeping active farmland protected. 🚜🧑🌾
@beriahlewisfarm
@brightside_seafood
@carpentersfarmstand
@everbreezefarm
@richeeses
@smithsacres
@watchhilloysters
@wehpittituckfarm
@westfarmorganics
📸 Thank you to @metalcamera.events for capturing the beautiful night!
What’s your favorite color to notice in nature? 🌈🌿
We spent this morning exploring the trails at Flora Whiteley Preserve with local families. To slow down our adventure and really notice our surroundings we used paint chips to match against the beautiful natural colors of the changing seasons. 🍁🍄🌸
✨Join us for our next Wonder Walk on October 7th at Winnapaug Farm Preserve starting at 10 am. ✨
Wonder Walks is a guided family hiking series hosted by @westerlylandtrust and @wildrootsplay.ri designed to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of nature. All walks are offered at no cost to you and your family but registration is required. An adult must accompany their child(ren) during program. This is a great opportunity to adventure together!
Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events or type the following link into your browser to learn more and sign up!
https://westerlylandtrust.org/events-calendar/
Welcome September! Save this post for later and scroll through to see what’s happening in September at the Westerly Land Trust! 🥾🌳
Thursday Hikes & Paddles🚣🥾
The Thursday Hiking Group’s last paddle of the summer will take place on September 3 and depart from the Mystic YMCA. Hikes resume for the fall (and winter and spring!) on Thursday, September 10.
These paddles and hikes are volunteer-led and free for the public. The groups visit WLT properties along with other preserves in RI and CT.
To view the full Thursday Paddle and Hike schedules, go to the Hikes, Paddles & Wellness tab on our website (westerlylandtrust.org).
Wednesday Wonder Walk✨
Wednesday, September 9, 10-11am
📍Flora Whiteley Preserve
Join @wildrootsplay.ri and the Westerly Land Trust once a month for Wonder Walks, a guided family hiking series designed to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of nature.
Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events on our website or head to westerlylandtrust.org.
☕️School is back in session this month, and so is WLT’s Coffee and Clearing Club, “CCC”. If you’re interested clearing trails and wielding weed wackers, not to mention joining one of the best volunteer groups in Westerly, please join us at 8:30am on Tuesday, September 15th, at Barlow Nature Preserve. We’ll start with coffee as usual and go from there! 🪚🌲
Voices of the Land Presentations🏞️
🪨Rhode Island Stone Walls🪨
Thursday, September 17, 5:30-6:30pm
📍Barlow Nature Preserve
In this presentation, Elliot Vosburgh, founder of the Rhode Island Stone Wall Mapping Project, will lead an exploration of how thousands of miles of historic stone walls reveal the intersection of RI’s geology, history, and ecology.
🪶Hawk Migration 🪶
Thursday, September 24, 5:30-7pm
📍Barlow Nature Preserve
Joseph Zbyrowski is a raptor specialist with more than 30 years of experience working with hawks and owls. In this lecture, Joseph will present the findings from a multi-year survey of hawk migration at Napatree Point.
Trails to Treasure Girl Scout Adventure 🧭🗺️
Saturday, September 19, 10am-12pm
📍Barlow Nature Preserve
This Girl Scout program is for levels Juniors, Volunteers, and Browni
Did you miss the goats while they were at Avondale Farm Preserve? Here’s what they were up to.🐐
Our mowing crew had some stiff competition recently. In partnership with @romlandlivestock the herd of Kiko goats was back again hard at work removing invasive species. It’s a win win for everyone. The goats love porcelain berry and their efforts help to remove unwanted plants, provide nutrients to the soil and minimize our carbon footprint. 🚜🌾
#westerlyri #rhodeisland #landconservation #landtrust
Stop scrolling and appreciate the bees. They’re working hard!🐝🌼
We had so much fun helping @wildrootsplay.ri create a whimsical fairy trail! Thanks to everyone that joined and helped make today so magical!✨🧚♂️
Join our next Wonder Walk on Wednesday, September 9 at Flora Whitely Preserve starting at 10 am. These free guided family adventures will continue monthly. Check out all up coming Wonder Walks at our Calendar of Events through the link in our bio or westerlylandtrust.org🌳
Wednesday Wonder Walks are back starting tomorrow
Wednesday, August 12, 10-11am
✨Join @wildrootsplay.ri and the Westerly Land Trust once a month for Wonder Walks, a guided family hiking series designed to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of nature.
On August 12, our group will be working together to build a whimsical fairy village!🧚♂️🍄
Wonder Walks are no cost to you and your family thanks to generous community support. Registration is required!
Copy this link into your browser for more info and to sign up. (https://westerlylandtrust.org/event/wonder-walk/)
‼️LOCATION CHANGE‼️
November 11 at Champlin Farm Preserve
February 17 at Riverwood/ Camp Quequatuck
📝Fresh off the Presses:
A History of Wahaneeta Preserve
We are pleased to present The History of Wahaneeta Preserve. Many thanks to Steve Ruzzo for his hours of detailed research and wordsmithing, and to all the contributors who helped unearth Wahaneeta’s history: Sheilia Terranova Beattie, Les Crandall, Ellen Madison, and Dave Prigmore.🥾🌲
📖Pick up your copy at Barlow Nature Preserve or view an online version on our website. You can also enjoy the histories of Avondale Farm Preserve, Barlow Nature Preserve, Dr. John Champlin Glacier Park, Grills Preserve, Sunnyacres Preserve, and Winnapaug Farm Preserve—both in print version and online.
