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 Labâs 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 childrenâs 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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đąWelcome to Westerly, Green Legacy Salon! Owned and operated by Conner Pierce (Chariho grad!), this new salon at 106 Cross St is dedicated to using green practices and sustainable products. They have partnered with @greencirclesalons who will collect and recycle all their beauty wasteâ can you believe the waste baskets featured in the second image here are made out of recycled hair clippings?!! đââď¸
Youâre invited to the Green Legacy Salonâs open house on Sunday, September 21st, 12-3pm. In addition to refreshments and salon tours, Conner is hosting a basket raffle to benefit the Westerly Land Trust! We are honored to be a part of the salonâs grand opening. Keep up the good work, Conner!!
#westerly #greenlegacysalon #greencirclesalons #sustainablehaircare #landtrust #conservation #environment #sustainablity
The Westerly Land Trustâs Farm Dinner is a celebration of the landâs bounty and the people who grow and produce our food. We were so fortunate to connect with Julian Elfedayni-Connell and his team from @thetinpeddler and @barbarycoastct . Julian enthusiastically took on the whole menuâand what a treat it was! His business partner Mariah Pfiffner curated the wine list, and his sous chef Tabitha Soto was responsible for the grand finale, the native corn tiramisu. Julian led a group of veteran chefs who volunteered their time and services: Chris Champagne, Tom Champagne, Jennifer Gibson, Allyson Mansfield, David Miguel, and Andrew Nathan. At the dinner, Chef Julian mentioned that the Connecticut Restaurant Association is currently accepting nominations for their âCRAzies Awardsâ. If you are moved to do so, please follow the link in our bio to nominate Julian, his team, and his restaurants by Sunday, September 21st at midnight.
We canât thank our partner farms and producers enoughânot only for supporting the Farm Dinner, but also for feeding our community. If youâre searching for fresh local food and flowers, please visit these places: Adamâs Garden of Eden, @baffonispoultryfarm @carpentersfarmstand, Dunns Corners Market, @echo_rock_flowers @frontierfarmri , Hillandale Farm, @greysail & @southcountydistillers @simplicityfarmsri @vestabakery @watchhilloysters @wehpittituckfarm @westerbeeri and @westfarmorganics
#westerlyri #rhodeisland #landtrust #nature #hike #conservation #outside #summer #stoningtonct #farmdinner #localproduce #farmtotable #community
Welcome back, Farm Dinner! Oh, how we missed you last year. After pressing pause in 2024 to focus on protecting the Champlin Farm Preserve, we had some butterflies about bringing back this iconic eventâbut seeing all the smiles and feeling the sense of community reminded us of why the event is so special. Indeed, it is more than just a signature fundraiser supporting WLTâs conservation work. It is about bringing our community together to appreciate the land and Westerlyâs rich culture of local food production. đŚŞđ¸đĽ
Many thanks to the South County Tourism Council who helped make this evening possible as the 2025 Farm Dinner Presenting Sponsor. Weâd also like to thank our 2025 Corporate Sponsors for supporting our conservation work year-round.
And to our guests: by reserving your seat at the Westerly Land Trustâs Farm Dinner, you are playing an important role in local land conservation. Thank you for taking action to preserve and steward these special places in Westerly, and by doing so in fabulous fashion! đđą
Homeschool students learned all about the Wacky Weather in New England yesterday. We searched for clouds to identify in the sky and then created our own clouds in a jar and on paper! Students got to use real anemometers to measure wind speed and investigated the weather station we have here at Barlow Nature Preserve. đ§ď¸âď¸âĄď¸
This past weekend, we hosted an Introduction to Nature Journaling workshop led by Jonah Salsich, a teacher, naturalist, and artist. We slowed down, looked closer, and connected with nature.
đąEveryone went on their own journaling journey, some wanted to draw, others wrote, and some just observed. At the end we spread our journals out and saw how differently everyone noticed and recorded things, just like nature, full of variety and all the more beautiful for it.
đWe have two more workshops coming up!!
Workshop #1: Saturday, September 20, 9:30 am at Wahaneeta Preserve
Workshop #2: Saturday, October 4, 9:30 am at Wahaneeta Preserve
Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to sign up and learn more about the upcoming workshops! We hope to see you there!
Doesnât it just feel like September? Days are still warm, but nights are crisp, not really summer anymore but not fully fall either. Check out our upcoming events!!âŹď¸
đżIntro to Nature Journaling
Saturday, September 6, 9:30 - 11:30 am
Barlow Nature Preserve
A FREE RI Land Trust Days Event @rilandtrustcouncil
Slow down. Look closer. Connect with nature.
This is the first of a three-part Nature Journaling Series. Join us on September 20 for the second session!
đŞCCC Volunteer Season Kick-Off
Tuesday, September 9, 8:30 - 11:30 am
Barlow Nature Preserve
Interested in joining a community of WLT land stewardship volunteers? Join us as the WLTâs Coffee and Clearing Club kicks off its 2025-2026 volunteer season.
đŁThursday Paddles and Hikes
Weâll transition back to hikes from paddles on Thursday, September 18th at Grills Preserve.
For a complete listing of Thursday paddles and hikes, visit the link in our bio or our website.
đĽžWTAC Wahaneeta 5K Trail Run
Saturday, September 13, 8am
Wahaneeta Preserve
This race is the first of four in the @westerlytrackclub Fall Race Series.
đ¸Echo Rock Flowers Date Night Picnic
Saturday, September 20
Barlow Nature Preserve
Septemberâs Date Night is focused on dahlias! Bring your date (or even a good friend) and enjoy an evening among the flowers with @echo_rock_flowers
đ§ââď¸Fall Equinox on the Farm
Monday, September 22, 6-7pm
Winnapaug Farm Preserve
Join us for a special outdoor yoga class with Krystal Rose from @barre_coast as we celebrate the fall equinox! WLT members, contact Erika, elebling@westerlylandtrust.org for reduced price registration of $10.
đ§Trail Blazing for Girl Scouts
Sunday, September 28, 10am-12pm
Wahaneeta Preserve
This exciting, hands-on program helps Girl Scouts work towards or earn their Trail Adventure and Environmental Stewardship badges by diving deep into the world of trail reading, tree identification, and native plant knowledge.
Farm stand hours are Thursday & Friday, 3-6pm, and Saturday, 12-4pm. Please note: The Farm Stand will be closed on Saturday, September 13, as WLT will be hosting the Farm Dinner at Barlow Nature Preserve! Happy shopping!
Itâs hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of summer. Just last week, we bid farewell to our summer interns: Quincy Rome, Ella Anderson (both thanks to support from Southeastern New England Educational and Charitable Foundation), and Will Wholean.
đđQuincy is a Rhode Island native who joined WLT as the Conservation Programs intern, supporting our youth education programming. Hereâs his main take away from teaching Westerlyâs kiddos this summer: âThere is no better way to raise an environmentally conscious citizen than to expose them to nature at a young age, and prioritize fun while doing it.â Clearly Quincy gets it! Over his term, it was a pleasure to watch him grow and encourage the students to grow, too. Best of luck at Appalachian State University this fall, Quincy!
đ¸đ˛Ella worked with @frontierfarmri and @echo_rock_flowers as the Sustainable Farming intern. She brought with her years of experience from the (literal) fieldâsheâs worked on her familyâs Christmas tree farm since 2013. Through her internship experience, Ella learned âsustainable practices including responsible land stewardship, no tilling, in ground raised beds, the use of cover crops, watering systems, natural fertilizers, pest prevention, and more.â WLT is proud to play a role in encouraging young people to learn these sustainable methods to support the land long into the future. Wishing you a happy return to UCONN, Ella!
đĽžđŞWill returned to WLT for his second summer, this time as the Land Stewardship intern. He tackled projects all over Westerly, including blazing trails at Champlin Farm Preserve, tending to the native plant garden at Barlow Nature Preserve, and constructing bridges at Avondale Farm Preserve. One of his main projects was setting up trail cameras at various properties to monitor the types of local wildlife. Stay tuned for his results, coming soon! Will, weâre cheering you on as you head back to Clark University!
Thank you for all your hard work this summer! đłđ
đżâ¨ Nature Journaling Series â¨đżâ¨Join us this fall for a 3-part Nature Journaling series led by educator, naturalist, and artist Jonah Salsich!
đ Intro to Nature Journaling â FREE! â¨Saturday, Sept 6 at 9:30 AM at Barlow
All ages welcomeâ¨Discover the joy of observing the natural world through words, sketches, and numbersâno artistic experience needed!
đď¸ Workshop 1â¨Saturday,Sept 20 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve
Ages 18+⨠$10 WLT members / $25 non-membersâ¨Explore deeper connections to nature and yourself through creative journaling.
đ Workshop 2â¨Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:30 AM at Wahaneeta Preserve
Ages 18+
$10 WLT members / $25 non-membersâ¨Continue the journey with this relaxed, inspiring group and build your journaling practice.
Bring a notebook, pencils, and your curiosity. Come curiousâleave inspired! đą
Follow the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to learn more and register for each program!
