Newport County is breathtakingly beautiful. The sparkling water, scenic vistas, and classic New England seaside charm draw visitors and homebuyers from near and far. To say we’re proud of our coastal community is an understatement. We also know how fragile such a landscape can be.
Fortunately, Newport County is home to a vibrant network of environmental organizations working to preserve and protect ecosystems and wildlife. With the help of local volunteers, these organizations clean up public parks, improve water quality, and conserve wildlife habitats. Nancy Sevich, a realtor with Hogan Associates, has served as a volunteer to collect weekly water samples for the non-profit organization, Clean Ocean Access. Monitoring water quality helps keep our beaches open and safe for swimming, surfing, and fishing.
Keeping Newport County Beautiful
As community members of Newport County, we believe it’s our responsibility to get involved in keeping our environment healthy. Even small contributions made by individuals add up to a big impact over time. Local shoreline clean-ups, tree maintenance, and basic environmental education all help improve the quality of our coastal community. That’s why we recently teamed up with our friends at Clean Ocean Access (COA) as a corporate partner. Our goal is to keep our oceans and beaches clean, accessible, and beautiful for all.
We share COA’s commitment to preserving our community and its healthy coastlines. Clean Ocean Access works to remove marine debris, improve water quality, protect local shore access, and educate local youth. A group of Hogan Associates agents will be participating in a beach clean-up at First Beach on Saturday, May 1st.
Local Environmental Non-Profits Lead the Way
Lucky for our local ecosystem, COA is just one of the organizations working to keep Newport County beautiful. Local non-profits including the Aquidneck Land Trust, Norman Bird Sanctuary, and Save the Bay all deserve recognition for their impactful work. If you’re looking to get involved this Earth Day (or any time at all), these are great places to start:
- The Aquidneck Land Trust aims to connect people with the land defining the Island’s natural character while preserving and stewarding its open spaces. It has conserved more than 2,600 acres of open space to date since it got its start in 1990 (that’s 11% of Aquidneck Island).
- The Norman Bird Sanctuary includes more than 325 acres of diverse habitats for propagation, preservation, and protection of birds and birdlife on Aquidneck Island for decades and counting.
- Save the Bay is committed to protecting and improving Narragansett Bay through advocacy, education, and habitat restoration and adaptation. Since 1970, their vision is to make the Bay fully swimmable, fishable, healthy, and accessible to all.
Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Check out these upcoming events that offer opportunities to pitch in to protect Newport County. Keep in mind that pre-registration is typically required, so check the event pages ahead of time.
April 10:
- Tour des Jonquilles with Bike Newport, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Touro Park, Newport — Enjoy a three-mile springtime daffodil ride viewing beds of more than 1 million daffodils throughout Newport, hosted by Bike Newport.
- Cliff Walk Cleanup, 12 – 2:00 p.m., Cliff Walk, Newport — Beach cleanup organized by Clean Ocean Access.
April 17:
- Weaver Cove Cleanup, 12 – 2:00 p.m., Cliff Walk, Weaver Cove, Portsmouth — Beach cleanup organized by Clean Ocean Access.
April 20:
- Think Spring: “From Carbon to Chlorophyll” Discussion, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Virtual — Learn how to help reduce carbon emissions by planting certain varieties of locally grown trees in this online event hosted by Norman Bird Sanctuary.
April 22:
- Earth Day Family Tree Walk, 10 – 11 a.m., Morton Park, Newport — Learn about notable trees and historic landscapes in a safe, family-friendly event hosted by the Newport Tree Conservatory.
- Tree Mulching at Morton Park, 1 – 3 p.m., Morton Park, Newport – Volunteers needed to assist with mulching young city trees. Organized by the Newport Tree Conservatory.
April 24:
- Pheasant Drive Cleanup, 12 – 2:00 p.m., Pheasant Drive, Portsmouth — Beach cleanup organized by Clean Ocean Access.
May 11:
- Land to Sea Speaker Series Lecture, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Virtual — Hear from Sherry Poucher, beach program coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health about actionable steps to improve the environment, hosted by Clean Ocean Access.
We’re grateful to everyone doing their part to help this special place continue to shine. Happy Earth Day!
