Hello Quonnie conservationists! 

If you didn’t make it to the Dark Skies event, you missed some great story-telling and a lot of great information about the constellations we see from Quonnie’s beaches.  Don’t worry … Bill’s not going anywhere, and there’ll be more QCC organized star-gazing next summer.

We have two more events this summer, and you’re going to want to catch both of them.  Bring a friend, out-of-town guests, and kids!

BATS!

The Natural History of Rhode Island Bats & the Important Role of Our South Shore 
a talk by Peter August, URI Professor Emeritus Please join us 

Friday, August 16, 7pm @ the Grange for an informative talk about local bats. 

Professor August’s research has centered around conservation biology, landscape ecology, and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the analysis of environmental data. Particular areas of interest include the ecological importance of shape in the habitat mosaic, design of conservation networks to protect biodiversity, integration of GIS data and satellite imagery, and correlation of geomorphological variables with measures of biological richness. If you don’t have a QCC compost bucket yet, you can pick one up for free at Dr. August’s talk.

Kayaks!

Salt Pond Kayak Tour
on Quonnie Pond

Salt Ponds Coalition President and Executive Director, Art Ganz and Alicia Schaffer, will guide a small group kayak tour of Quonnie Pond Saturday, August 24, 9am.  This was a huge success last year, so we’re doing it again.  Space is limited to 20 kayaks, so register now by emailing Peter.  

Learn about our pond’s varied habitats, geology, history, ecology, and more.

Compost!

Community Composting with Earth Care Farm
Golden Root Gardening and Earth Care Farmwill continue to provide complimentary composting of home food scraps and kitchen organics at Quonnie Farms on West Beach Road

Thank you to everyone who has been taking advantage of this great opportunity to compost, reduce food waste, and keep organics out of the landfill.  Have you noticed your garbage load shrinking and being less smelly?  We noticed that at our house too!Participation in the pilot program has grown over the summer, and it will continue for now.Schedule: A big yellow compost bin is available from 9am Thursdays until early on Fridays (subject to weather). 

There will be no compost pickup on August 15th/16th.   Guidelines: Please follow these guidelines from Earth Care Farm to ensure the success of the initiative:

• Only food/kitchen scraps are acceptable in the compost bin.  Examples of accepted materials: vegetable/fruit trimmings and peels, leftover food (no containers), coffee grounds (no filters), bones and fish/meat scraps, stale bread, and old flower bouquets.
• Do not deposit compostable bin liners or produce bags.  Unfortunately, these ‘bioplastics’ are not approved for organic compost production.
• Please do not put rubber bands in the compost bin.  These are often left on lobster claws or vegetable stems, and are trash, not a compostable material.  Cut those bands and toss them in the garbage.

We also want to thank Quonnie Farms for making this drop off spot so convenient!  Drop in and check out their beautiful fresh produce, flowers, bakery, and sundries while you’re there to drop off your compostables.

Get Involved in QCC

QCC is a welcoming group of volunteers from across Quonnie’s communities, devoted to raising awareness of the natural wonders and resources Quonnie enjoys. We are focused on circulating conservation-related information and holding educational events to bring the Quonnie community together. We welcome anyone who is interested in learning, participating, or being more involved in any of QCC’s committees and their respective activities. Please let us know if you’d like any more information.