Dr. Rachael E. Bonoan- Nutritional Ecologist

Dr. Rachael Bonoan is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Providence College, where she teaches in the Environmental Biology major and leads the Bonoan (aka Providence Pollinator) Lab. The Providence Pollinator lab focuses on insect pollinators, which get most of their nutrients by collecting protein-rich pollen and sugary nectar from flowers. Hailing from Tiverton, RI, she is grateful to be studying insect pollinator nutrition and behavior in her home state.

Rachael and her students have surveyed insect pollinator diversity on Westerly Land Trust properties using bee hotels, bee bowls, and field observations. These data are part of the Providence Pollinator Lab’s reference collection of RI insect pollinators, with a focus on bees. Students in the Providence Pollinator Lab are also investigating which flowering plant species are most visited by bees, and the nutritional content of those flowers. Taken together, these data can be used to inform native pollinator-friendly plantings on Westerly Land Trust properties and beyond. Preliminary data show that if you want to plant for pollinators, dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a pollinator magnet, that is also nutritious!

Outside of research and teaching, Rachael is co-founder of the Tufts Pollinator Initiative and founding member/past president of the Boston Area Beekeepers Association. She is passionate about sharing her research with diverse audiences and engaging children in science through encouraging curiosity, which is the topic of her TEDx talk and children’s eBook, Dress Like a Scientist Day.

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To learn more about the scientists & stewards on our land click HERE.

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WLT conserves open space, revitalizes culturally significant properties and provides environmental programs for the enduring benefit of our community.

🌿✨ Nature Journaling Series ✨🌿
Join us this fall for a 3-part Nature Journaling series led by educator, naturalist, and artist Jonah Salsich!

📓 Intro to Nature Journaling – FREE! 
Saturday, Sept 6 at 9:30 AM at Barlow
All ages welcome
Discover the joy of observing the natural world through words, sketches, and numbers—no artistic experience needed!

🖋️ Workshop 1
Saturday,Sept 20 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve
Ages 18+
 $10 WLT members / $25 non-members
Explore deeper connections to nature and yourself through creative journaling.

🍁 Workshop 2
Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve
Ages 18+
$10 WLT members / $25 non-members
Continue the journey with this relaxed, inspiring group and build your journaling practice.

Bring a notebook, pencils, and your curiosity. Come curious—leave inspired! 🌱

Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to learn more and register for each program!

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Open post by westerlylandtrust with ID 18123198556465416
🌿✨ Nature Journaling Series ✨🌿
Join us this fall for a 3-part Nature Journaling series led by educator, naturalist, and artist Jonah Salsich! 📓 Intro to Nature Journaling – FREE! 
Saturday, Sept 6 at 9:30 AM at Barlow All ages welcome
Discover the joy of observing the natural world through words, sketches, and numbers—no artistic experience needed! 🖋️ Workshop 1
Saturday,Sept 20 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve Ages 18+
 $10 WLT members / $25 non-members
Explore deeper connections to nature and yourself through creative journaling. 🍁 Workshop 2
Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve Ages 18+ $10 WLT members / $25 non-members
Continue the journey with this relaxed, inspiring group and build your journaling practice. Bring a notebook, pencils, and your curiosity. Come curious—leave inspired! 🌱 Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to learn more and register for each program!

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Last year, to focus on permanently protecting the 90-acre Champlin Farm Preserve, we pressed pause on the Farm Dinner. This year, in celebration of this success and all the work we do to connect our community with local agriculture, we are bringing back the Farm Dinner concept—celebrating the bounty of the land by dining together al fresco—with some exciting new twists. 🌳💚

First, this will be a smaller, more intimate experience held at Barlow Nature Preserve, which has been our “home base”, our “hub”, our “headquarters” since we moved here in 2020. For five years, we have gotten to know this beautiful landscape, and helped it grow into a centerpiece of our work, complete with two vibrant working farms, Frontier Farm and Echo Rock Flowers, a farm stand, and the heart of our youth education program.

🧑‍🍳And, rather than dividing the courses among different chefs, Julian ElFedayni-Connell from @thetinpeddler in Stonington and @barbarycoastct in Mystic will be curating the entire dinner which is sure to please.

So join us for our 2025 Farm Dinner on Saturday, September 13th beginning at 3:30pm — gather with friends and neighbors out on the land and enjoy a fabulous meal entirely prepared with local ingredients.

We look forward to seeing you at the table! 🌸

Follow the link in our bio to reserve your seats today. But hurry, they’re going quick!!

#farmdinner #farmtotable #farmers #farming #community #westerlyri #rhodeisland #conservation #nature

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Open post by westerlylandtrust with ID 18165816280362597
Last year, to focus on permanently protecting the 90-acre Champlin Farm Preserve, we pressed pause on the Farm Dinner. This year, in celebration of this success and all the work we do to connect our community with local agriculture, we are bringing back the Farm Dinner concept—celebrating the bounty of the land by dining together al fresco—with some exciting new twists. 🌳💚 First, this will be a smaller, more intimate experience held at Barlow Nature Preserve, which has been our “home base”, our “hub”, our “headquarters” since we moved here in 2020. For five years, we have gotten to know this beautiful landscape, and helped it grow into a centerpiece of our work, complete with two vibrant working farms, Frontier Farm and Echo Rock Flowers, a farm stand, and the heart of our youth education program. 🧑‍🍳And, rather than dividing the courses among different chefs, Julian ElFedayni-Connell from @thetinpeddler in Stonington and @barbarycoastct in Mystic will be curating the entire dinner which is sure to please. So join us for our 2025 Farm Dinner on Saturday, September 13th beginning at 3:30pm — gather with friends and neighbors out on the land and enjoy a fabulous meal entirely prepared with local ingredients. We look forward to seeing you at the table! 🌸 Follow the link in our bio to reserve your seats today. But hurry, they’re going quick!! #farmdinner #farmtotable #farmers #farming #community #westerlyri #rhodeisland #conservation #nature

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