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.
RELEVANT LINKS:
- https://providencepollinators.com/
- https://sites.tufts.edu/pollinators/
- https://dresslikeascientistday.com/
- https://youtu.be/KsA8V-yooFA
- Photo collection of pollinators
To learn more about the scientists & stewards on our land click HERE.
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Thinking back on a beautiful night at the return of Farm Dinner at Barlow Nature Preserve. 💐🥗
✨The evening was full of connection - through food, conversation, and the land around us.
Grateful to everyone who helped make it happen, and to Paul Bloomfield of @metalcamera.events for capturing the essence of Farm Dinner so perfectly. 💚🌳
#farmdinner #farmtoplate #eatlocal #flowers #farm #fresh
Monday was such a beautiful night under October’s Full Hunter’s Moon at Champlin Farm Preserve 🌕✨
The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, once a guide for gathering and preparation before the cold sets in (we definitely felt that this morning!). Thanks to all who joined and made this hike so special! 🍂
#huntersmoon #fullmoon #moon #hike #cows #farm #nature
Join @dpnaturectr and WLT to learn about local mushroom foraging. We will begin with an introduction to mushroom foraging, followed by a hike to identify local mushrooms on the trail. You’ll have the opportunity to explore both the Flora Whitely Preserve and the Cottrell Family Preserve during this program.
Wednesday, October 15th, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
This is a free event open to all ages!
Follow the link in our bio for more information and to sign up for the event! We hope to see you there!🍄
#westerlyri #rhodeisland #conneticut #mushrooms
Thanks to @jollygreensri for another great Microgreen Experience! From seed to plate, we got hands on with planting, learned how to grow year round, and tasted fresh, flavorful greens in a live recipe demo! 🌱🍽️
#microgreen #fresh #nutrition #recipe #growing
Fall is a great time to explore our local woods. It’s still warm now, but soon, the temperatures will dip, and you’ll hear that familiar sound of leaves crunching beneath your boots.🍂🍁
📓Nature Journaling Workshop 2
Saturday, October 4, 9:30-11:30am
Wahaneeta Preserve
🌱The Microgreen Experience
Sunday, October 5, 10am-12pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
🍄Fungal Foray w/ DPNC
Wednesday, October 15, 4:30-6pm
Flora Whiteley Preserve
🥾Thursday Hikes
If you are interested in becoming a hike leader, please contact Sally Hanson at sallyhanson242@gmail.com.
🧭Trail Blazing for Girl Scouts
Juniors, Daisies and Brownies
Sunday, October 19, 10am-12pm
Wahaneeta Preserve
🏃♀️WTAC Grills Trail Race 10M & 10K
Saturday, October 25, 9am
Grills Preserve
🌸Echo Rock Flower’s Dahlia Workshop
Saturday, October 25, 1-3pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
🎃It’s the time of year for our favorite color: orange! Pumpkins, leaves, CCC caps, and Rhode Island’s orange requirements: 200 inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange (500 square inches during shotgun deer season).
To learn more information and to register for each event, follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events!
Spent a beautiful day on the trails with a great group of Girl Scouts at Grills Preserve🥾🧭
They learned how to identify animal tracks, tell native from invasive plants, pack a first aid kit, stay safe on the trails, read maps and trail signs, and use a compass - then put it all into practice on a hike to the overlook. 🐿️🐝
The best part? They earned badges for all their hard work and new skills! 🍀
So proud of how much they learned and how confident they were out on the trails!
Will Wholean recently completed his second summer internship with the Westerly Land Trust. In 2024, he served as the Conservation Programs Intern, and in 2025, he returned as the Land Stewardship Intern. As part of his most recent role, Will was tasked with developing and leading a stewardship project. With guidance from Land Stewardship Manager Marc Doherty, Will conducted a trail camera wildlife survey at the newly protected Champlin Farm Preserve.
The goal of the project was to gather baseline data on the local wildlife population to help inform WLT’s ongoing stewardship efforts. Over a 43-day period, Will installed and monitored five trail cameras strategically placed across the preserve. His survey captured images of five animal species, with white-tailed deer being the most frequently observed.
To read Will’s full report, including methodology and findings, follow the link in our bio.
Will has now returned to Clark University in Worcester, MA, where he is pursuing a degree in biology. The WLT team thanks him for his dedication, curiosity, and commitment to land stewardship!
In July, siblings Ellen, Sarah, and Bob Madison met with the Westerly Land Trust to propose relocating their aunt Eloise Saunders’ memorial stone from Burlingame State Park to the Sunnyacres Preserve on South Woody Hill Road — land their family has cherished for generations.
In 2016, Ellen Madison partnered with WLT to permanently protect 18.5 acres of the historic Saunders Farm, which had been in the family since 1857. That act of conservation established the Sunnyacres Preserve, which has since expanded to 35.5 acres.
Eloise Saunders was originally memorialized by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island in June 1989 with a large stone birdbath and plaque placed at Burlingame State Park, honoring her support of the Kimball Wildlife Refuge within. However, the Madison family felt that the Sunnyacres Preserve — where Eloise had been the last resident — was a more fitting and personal location.
WLT quickly took action, beginning with a review by the Stewardship Committee and securing permission from RIDEM, which manages Burlingame. From there, a section of WLT’s CCC (Coffee and Clearing Club) led by Dave Prigmore got to work and made the relocation happen.
Today, Eloise’s memorial rests on her family’s beloved land at Sunnyacres Preserve. “I appreciate everyone who made this run so smoothly,” Ellen Madison said. “We are all so grateful.”
