Aquidneck Land Trust: 20.6 Percent Of Island is Now Conserved

Next week, the Aquidneck Land Trust will mail residents maps and statistics of the most up-to-date view of conserved lands across the island.

More than twenty percent of Aquidneck Island is now conserved, according to the Aquidneck Land Trust. The Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) will soon mail out statistics and maps to residents with the latest view of Aquidneck Island's protected areas. The ALT works to conserve various natural resource types across Aquidneck Island, which have value for wildlife habitat, agriculture, water quality, outdoor recreational space or scenic vistas. In the past, such programs might have only been of interest to nature enthusiasts; but beach closures, rising seas and increased storms have caught the attention of both governmental bodies and residents, who realize the preservation of our land and water might be critical to our future. A month ago, a URI …

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Our Local Harvest

Our Local Harvest: Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini

This week, we find our Local Harvest Columnist Jessica Walsh up against a four-pound zucchini challenge.

To say zucchini is abundant right now is an understatement.  Middletown folks who have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with Simmons Farm know what I am talking about.  Picking up last week's share, I was astonished to see that our couple share included four pounds of zucchini and other summer squash.  For anyone who hasn't weighed this firm, green vegetable lately, four pounds is equivalent to five or six large zucchini.  I scrambled to use our week's allotment, making a double batch of the zucchini pancakes popular in our house, only to find that this week's share included four more pounds of the green stuff!  I find this abundance a bit overwhelming, but Karla Simmons, of Simmons Farm, is far from intimidated.  "I just love all …

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