MISSION

This Committee works to educate Quonnie residents about the important connections between the Neck’s wildlife and habitats and to work towards maintaining their richness and diversity. In addition to terrestrial wildlife and habitat its purview includes the salt ponds and nearby ocean as well as the aerial habitat which is so important to many vertebrate and invertebrate migrating species using the Atlantic flyway.

Always eager for new members and ideas, current goals include locating and scheduling interesting speakers, hands on programs and projects particularly for young people, offering ideas and plans for DIY projects like bluebird and purple mountain houses, creating space for Quonnie’s iconic cottontails to nest, defining and publicizing local ecological relationships like the one between monarchs and milkweed and horseshoe crabs and red knots. Past events have included bird walks, mapping undeveloped land, guided salt pond kayak tours, and evening speakers.

EVENTS

Events – Planned for 2026

• Evening Presentation about Quonnie’s cottontails: Zoologist Louis Perrotti, Conservation Director of the Roger Williams Park Zoo, will speak on the natural history of the two different species of Rhode Island cottontails.
• Another Evening Presentation by Tomas Koeck: Tomas is spending this year working on a documentary of the rich underwater habitat off our coast. Depending on its degree of completion, he will bring us up to date on its progress.
• Quonochontaug Neck Wildlife Scavenger Hunt: Stay tuned for details!

Events – 2025

• QCC Spring 2025 Birdwalk – Quonnie Pond (2Jun2025). Bill McNee, expert birder and bird photographer, led an instructive walk during peak shorebird migration season.
• Two Evening Grange Events: Storyteller, filmmaker and Explorer Club member Tomas Koeck delivered two fascinating evening programs. The first involved a showing of his documentary “Flyway of Life” and commentary by him about the process of its production. The next week Koeck gave a talk and slide show about the sharks and other wildlife off the Rhode Island coast. For photos and a short description of this event click here: Sharks and the Amazing Underwater World of Rhode Island
• Kayak Tour of Ninigret Pond. Art Ganz and Alicia Schaffner from the Salt Ponds Coalition let this informative tour.

Events – 2024

• QCC Spring 2024 Birdwalk – Quonnie Pond (29May2024)
• Bird Walk at Quonnie Breachway
• Kayak Tour at Quonnie Pond
• Bats Presentation at the Quonnie Grange

RESOURCES

Click here to visit various information resources about Wildlife and Habitat.