Information Resources About Wildlife and Habitat

What to do with an injured bird. Contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center right away, such as the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island (401-294-6363).

Cottontail Rabbits. There are two species of cottontail rabbits in the area. The one transplanted from the south is most common, while the native one is much rarer. Check out the differences.

Seals of South County. Read this delightful article about the Official State Marine Mammal of Rhode Island.

First Coast Birding and Beyond. Gorgeous bird photographs in a Facebook group curated by Bill McNee.

Biomes Marine Biology Center. New England’s only private marine education center and the most hands-on aquarium.

Salt Ponds Coalition. Deeply involved in the health of Rhode Island salt ponds and marshes.

US Fish and Wildlife Service Kettle Pond Visitor Center Nearby on Route 1. Some terrific dioramas providing examples of local habitats and wildlife and murals about the effects of the laurentian ice shield on local geography. Kettle Pond Visitor Center Brochure

The Charlestown Land Trust. This organization owns several parcels of undeveloped habitat on the Quonnie Neck including a large parcel between Old West Beach Road and Quonochontaug Pond.

Books and Articles About Wildlife and Habitat

Ultimate Oceanpedia: The Most Complete Ocean Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids)
By Christina Wilson.

• This 272-page hardcover reference book, targeting children aged 5-9 (Grades 3-7) helps kids “learn all about the creatures, science, and ecology of our oceans, which cover more of the planet than all the continents and are just as important! Travel through all parts of the ocean to learn how it affects of our world, including storms and climate. Amazing facts, photos, illustrations, and diagrams are found throughout this book, along with conservation tips, weird-but-true facts, and a mini ocean atlas. Challenges to the health of our ocean and its creatures are also presented along with what people are doing to keep it pristine for generations to come.”
• Available on Amazon

Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life
Book By Pulitzer Prize Winner and Harvard Pelligrino University Professor Edward O. Wilson (now deceased).

• “Pulitzer Prize–winning author and world-renowned biologist Edward O. Wilson states that in order to stave off the mass extinction of species, including our own, we must move swiftly to preserve the biodiversity of our planet.”
• Available on Amazon

• “Paperback on botany by the sea published by The Chatham Conservation Foundation in 1968” with beautiful illustrations by Marcia G. Norman.
• Available on Amazon.

The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson.

• This book is not the author’s most famous work, but it is a poetic analysis of the shore and tide pools as habitats for amazing creatures.
• Available on Amazon.

The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures by Norman A. Meinkith

• Available on Amazon.

Birds of Rhode Island: Seasonal Distribution and Ecological History by Richard L. Ferren

• “Birds of Rhode Island documents the status and distribution of birds in the state since the late nineteenth century. Based on comprehensive fieldwork and research by Richard L. Ferren and edited by Richard R. Veit, this book describes the habitats and locations of more than four hundred species of birds along with data on the seasons of their occurrence.”
• Available on Amazon.

The Insect Apocalypse is Here – The NY Times Magazine

Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone – Cornell Ornithology Lab

Effects of Noise Pollution on Wildlife – Sierra Club, Greater Baltimore Group

Wildlife and Habitat DIY Projects

Plans for building bird houses. Create a home for house wrens, Carolina wrens, purple martins, tree sparrows, and others.

Plans for building bat houses. Bats are great for controlling mosquitos on your property.

How to raise monarch butterflies at home. Follow this link for step-by-step guide and watch this miracle unfold on your porch or in your kitchen. It’s easier than you think.

YouTube Video Talks:

A History of Birds at Quonochontaug. Quonochontaug Historical Society Presentation by Peter Mogielnicki.

The Amazing Horseshoe Crab Quonochontaug Historical Society Presentation by Steve Young.

Town of Charlestown – GIS Website / Data:

Interactive GIS Mapping https://charlestown.mapxpress.net/

The town of Charlestown has a wealth of GIS data and maps available on its website, including an interactive mapping tool (NEGEO’s MapXpress v1.2 GIS Mapping Application) that provides the ability to view maps of the Quonnie Neck through various filters for wetlands and FEMA flood zones (among others).