The Westerly Land Trust

06/02/2026

🌸Thanks to an early Memorial Day and a late Labor Day, 2026’s “unofficial” summer will last a whopping 106 days, the maximum stretch until 2037. This seems only fair after the winter we endured in New England. But how should you spend your bonus seven days of summer? We’ve got some ideas...

🌿Active Hope: Emotional Support for Eco-Grief
Wednesday, June 3, 4:30-6pm
Barlow Nature Preserve

Eco-grief is our emotional responses to climate change and environmental loss. This workshop, led by WLT friend Dr. Zoe Hanley, will include a mix of group practices, journaling and one-on-one discussion to honor our pain for the world.

🥾Thursday Hike
Thursday, June 4, 10am-12pm
Wahaneeta Preserve

This 4-mile walk goes through Wahaneeta Preserve and adjacent Woody Hill Management area, past interesting geological features and foundations from the 1800s.

🏞️National Trails Day Hike
Saturday June 6, 10am-12pm
Champlin Farm Preserve

Join WLT for a hike in honor of National Trails Day, a nationwide initiative established by the American Hiking Society to celebrate and protect the trails that connect us to nature and one another.

🐝Wednesday Wonder Walk
Buds and Bugs
Wednesday, June 17, 10-11:15AM
Avondale Farm Preserve

Every month, WLT teams up with .ri for a guided family hike curated to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of nature. June’s theme is Buds and Bugs.

🌅Summer Solstice Yoga with BarreCoast
Sunday, June 21, 6-7pm
Winnapaug Farm Preserve

Celebrate the summer solstice with a special outdoor yoga class led by Register through the BarreCoast website. WLT members, contact Erika Lebling at [email protected] for a reduced registration of $10

🪦Historic Cemetery Hike
Wednesday, June 24, 6:30-8pm
Champlin Farm Preserve

Step into history for this guided hike and historic cemetery tour led by WLT volunteer and RI Historic Cemetery Commissioner Larry Hunter.

We hope to see you at a WLT event or out on the trails this June!💚🥾

05/13/2026

We’ve officially wrapped up our Spring Living Laboratories after-school program with Westerly’s three elementary schools! 💚

Together we identified the feathered friends that call our preserves home and explored the amazing world of plants and how they support our ecosystem. 🦅🌱

We love watching and helping these growing minds connect with the land! 🌎

05/08/2026

05/07/2026

In Westerly, May is a month of return. Longer days return, green leaves return to the trees, and snowbirds (avian and human) return from from their winter spots. May is also a perfect time to return to outdoor hobbies and explore all the natural sights and sounds of spring. Read on to learn about the Westerly Land Trust’s May plans:

Migratory Bird Day- Guided Bird Count
Saturday, May 9, 7:00-10am
Barlow Nature Preserve

Join us for a brisk, cool morning walk as we look and listen for birds at Barlow Nature Preserve.

Wednesday Wonder Walk
Eco Engineers
Wednesday, May 13, 10-11:15AM
Mastuxet Brook Greenway South

Every month, WLT teams up with .ri for a guided family hike curated to spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of nature.

Outdoor Bootcamp with BarreCoast
Sunday, May 24, 10 am - 11 am
Winnapaug Farm Preserve

Join Christina Coleman of a one-hour, heart-pumping, full-body bootcamp. Register through the BarreCoast website. WLT members, contact Erika Lebling at [email protected] for a reduced registration of $10

Lil’ Rhody Compost Week
Various locations

There will be site visits and workshops across the state, including a presentation on micro-scale and backyard composting by Westerly’s on May 7.

Grow Your Own- The Cutting Garden Workshop w/ Echo Rock Flowers
Saturday, May 16th, 10am-1pm
Barlow Nature Preserve

Join for a hands-on gardening workshop designed to educate and inspire. Stephanie has generously pledge 10% of her workshop proceeds to support WLT’s conservation work.

42nd Annual Garden Market Fair
Sunday, May 17th, 9am-2pm
Westerly Library and Wilcox Park

Many thanks to for hosting this perfectly spring event! Come say Hi at the Westerly Land Trust table!

04/28/2026

Join us in congratulating Brady Casady, a RIEEA 2026 Environmental Studies Scholarship silver award recipient from Westerly, RI.

Brady is a senior at Westerly High School who plans to attend Brown University. A dedicated environmental educator and community leader, Brady works with The Westerly Land Trust, teaching elementary students through hands-on “Living Labs” and nature-based art programs. At his high school, Brady founded both the Environmental Club and Outdoors Club, leading cleanups, hikes, and peer engagement initiatives.

Congratulations Brady! 🎉

Recipients are chosen on the basis of their passion for the environment, community leadership, and exceptional academic success. We are tremendously honored to support them on their respective learning journeys.

Learn more about our Environmental Studies Scholarship and the 2026 recipients https://www.rieea.org/resources/environmental-studies-scholarships/

The Westerly Sun

04/27/2026

Huge thank you to the 40+ volunteers who spent their Sunday morning cleaning up downtown Westerly, Route 1, Potter Hill, and the Bradford roads. Together with the Greater North End Community Development Corporation, we cleared 420 pounds of litter out of our woods and off our streets! 🚮

We couldn’t have finished the job without the support from the Westerly Transfer Station. Thank you for helping us get all that trash to the right place by accepting our collection free of charge.

🍻We celebrated our hard work afterwards with a cold beverage, fresh and live music from Geoff Kaufman. Special thanks to for hosting us and to the for their gift card donations.

Thank you for helping keep our community clean! 💚🌎

04/25/2026

We had a special visit from a Girl Scout troop from Vermont with unique ties to the Crandall Family Preserve. We explored the vital importance of Crandall Swamp, one of the most ecologically diverse places in Westerly and a home to rare Atlantic White Cedar. 🌲

🐢💧As the “birthplace” for many species and the site of our town’s single-source aquifer, this land is incredibly sensitive. We discussed how WLT makes decisions on access based on many criteria, and we are pleased to be able to offer more than 20 miles of trails on our properties. We also took time to honor the layered history of this landscape, acknowledging the Narragansett People as the original and enduring stewards of the land.

Adding to the adventure we were joined by environmental photojournalist Bruce Fellman. Bruce is currently on the hunt for the elusive Ringed Boghaunter (Williamsonia lintneri), one of North America’s rarest dragonflies which relies on the specific, acidic wetlands found here. 🔎

04/24/2026

On Earth Day, April 22nd, we gathered at Camp Quequatuck and Riverwood Preserve for our 3rd Annual Westerly Land Trust Book Club in partnership with . This year, we discussed the book 𝙄𝙨 𝘼 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚? by Robert Mcfarlane. The weather was, well, April in New England, but we were (mostly) cozy round the fire, under blankets. This book explored the question of whether humans afford rights to natural elements, specifically rivers. We were treated at the end to an acoustic tune by Geoff Kaufman, followed by a short walk to the Pawcatuck River. Thank you to all involved!

04/24/2026

🌎Our Earth Week kicked off with a great crew of volunteers at Champlin Farm Preserve. The crew was hard at work installing birdhouses to support bluebird nesting managing a flooded section of the trail. 🪏

🥾Later in the week, veteran CCCer and former WLT Board member, Dave Prigmore led a hike at one of his favorite spots in Westerly, Champlin Farm Preserve.

Under a bright blue sky, Dave took the group up and down hills, exploring the tectonic rock formations, all the way down to Otter Bend on the banks of the Pawcatuck River. ☀️

12/30/2025

Happy New Year!! 🎆

🥾Thursday Hike: Grills Preserve
Thursday, January 1st, 10am-12:30pm
Grills Preserve

Celebrate the first day of the New Year atop Big Hill! The Thursday Hiking Group is made up of agile seniors, and everyone is welcome to join.

✨Wednesday Wonder Walk
Wednesday, January 14, 10-11:15am
Grills Preserve

The Westerly Land Trust is teaming up with our neighbors at WildRoots for a collaborative morning of exploration, discovery, and play. This event is best for ages 5-10, but open for all. January’s theme is Feathered Friends!

🌱Native Seed Sowing Workshop
Friday, January 23, 4-5:30pm
Barlow Nature Preserve

Discover how to grow native plants and support local wildlife in this hands-on seed-sowing workshop led by WLT, the RI Natural History Survey and RI Wild Plant Society.

🪚Volunteer Stewardship Day
Sunday, February 1, 9-11am
Champlin Farm Preserve

With the trails and parking well established at Champlin Farm Preserve, it is time to turn our stewardship efforts towards creating healthy, native ecosystems by removing invasive woody plants.

🥣🏈SAVE THE DATE: Souper Bowl Hike LX
Saturday, February 7, 11am-2pm
Wahaneeta Preserve

One of our favorite annual events! Kick off the new year with a hike at Wahaneeta Preserve and score a bowl of soup to enjoy by the fire.

🌳Regenerative Agriculture Weekend
Organized by the Westerly Armory
January 31 and February 1
At the Westerly Armory

Learn all about regenerative farming practices from local farmers and gardeners.

Go to the link in our bio to our Calendar of Events to learn more about and register for each event! ❄️