Write Out: Awaken the Senses
The North Woods and the Medicinal Gardens of URI’s Kingston Campus*
October 16 and 17**
8:00 am-5:00 pm
* The North Woods is not ADA/wheelchair accessible. Self-guided, accessible activities are available at the URI Medicinal Gardens.
** Rain dates October 20 and 21
About Write Out
Since 2017, the Department of Public and Professional Writing has worked with campus and community partners to host an annual celebration in October that draws attention to the remarkable variety of writing on our campus and in our community. These celebrations provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to write together, publicly and powerfully.
This year we are again joining the National Writing Project and the National Parks Service to host a local Write Out: Awaken the Senses event. We’ll have opportunities for students to get outside, connect to local places and ecosystems, and engage in scientific and creative writing. There are also opportunities for students to share their writing in their classrooms and with others across the country using the hashtags #uri and #writeout on most social media platforms.
Guided events will take place in the North Woods. Guided events at the North Woods will follow the class schedule for M/W/F and T/Th. M/W/F classes meet on the hour from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and T/Th classes meet at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m.,11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. Students can choose to:
- Hike the blue trail, listen to an audio recording of the Narragansett story, “How Birds Got Their Song,” and write about the cultural and embodied knowledge that they, their families, and/or their communities have about a particular place
- Make rubbings of found natural objects with graphite on rice paper at the vernal pool, creating a “feelings” field notebook that combines the tactile and the emotional landscape of the North Woods
- Use Merlin, iNaturalist, and other guides to identify the sounds of the forest, write about them in their field notebooks, and share their impressions of the soundscape in the outdoor classroom
Our tent and welcome table will be set up at the edge of the North Woods, on Flag Road, across from the Coastal Institute. Writing 104 classes should meet at the tent at their regularly scheduled times. Others are welcome to join anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking adjacent to the North Woods is limited during the academic year. Students with an active parking permit may use the Fine Arts lot, or take the campus shuttle to the Coastal Institute on Flagg Road.
For those with accessibility needs, you can visit the wheel-chair accessible URI Medicinal Gardens anytime to observe and learn more about the plants that contribute to our healing and wellness. Both of these locations provide unique opportunities to experience the natural world and document those experiences through the practice of taking field notes.
Getting Ready for the North Woods
While there is some bench seating in the North Woods, you may want to bring a blanket or towel for sitting on the forest floor for your woodland observations and field note-writing.
Dress for the outdoors! Sturdy walking shoes or athletic shoes are a must. If you decide to hike through the trail, you might consider hiking boots or trail shoes with thicker soles and good ankle support. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing. Light layers will help you prepare for changes in temperature during the day. Consider wearing a hat to shield your face and head from sun and your eyes from the glare. Bring a backpack or hip pack for your water bottle and field notebook. Apply sunscreen and insect repellent. Read more about tick, mosquito, and poison ivy prevention on the Visit page of the North Woods website.
The North Woods is adjacent to the URI main campus, encompassing 307 acres just to the north across Flagg Road. The land includes 225 acres of forest, wetlands, and headwater streams; intramural athletic fields; and a solar panel array built on a reclaimed Superfund site.
Taking Field Notes in the North Woods
“Field Notes: How capturing observations ‘in the field’ can be used to strengthen your writing” by AnnaFaith Jorgensen
In this video, AnnaFaith Jorgenson, a former DWELL RA and graduate of the MESM program, discusses her experiences taking different types of field notes and offers different tips and best practices for taking notes and reflecting on field experiences.
Multilingual North Woods Species Identification List
iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Get connected with a community of millions of scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature! Using the free iNaturalist application can be a fun and easy way to learn more about the plants and animals of the North Woods. iNaturalist can also help to identify species if you upload your own photos. To use iNaturalist, you should download the app and create a free account prior to the event.
Merlin is a free mobile application from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps users identify birds by answering a few simple questions about the bird’s location, size, color, and behavior, by taking photos of the bird, or by listening to its sound. The app uses data from the global citizen-science database eBird to provide the most likely species. Merlin also provides access to bird images, audio recordings, tips from experts, range maps, and a tool to build a digital “life list” of birds the user has seen
After the Event
Polish and submit your writing to be considered for publication in the North Woods Field Guide. Entries should combine natural history, cultural knowledge, and creative expression to introduce a species, habitat, or ecological feature of the North Woods. Entries selected for publication will inform, delight, and deepen readers’ relationships with the North Woods. Take a look at these examples published in the Cascadia Field Guide (2023) for inspiration and guidance. Submit entries with your name, instructor’s name, and email address to: northwoodsfieldguide@gmail.com
Entries could include trees and other plants, such as poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) or the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) which is the state tree of Rhode Island, or animals like bobcats (Lynx rufus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), or fungi like Hen of the woods, also known as maitake (Grifola frondosa).
Questions about Write Out or how you can get involved? Email co-organizers Stephanie West-Puckett, stephwp@uri.edu or Madison Jones madisonjones@uri.edu.
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Self-guided Observation at the URI Medicinal Gardens
The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden is wheelchair accessible. Field note journals and pre-sharpened pencils will be available. Location TBA.
Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden
The Medicinal Garden is in the courtyard of the Pharmacy Building, between Woodward and Tyler Hall. The garden is named after the College of Pharmacy’s founding dean, the late Heber W. Youngken Jr., a pioneer in the study of medicinal plants. Now, with 200 medicinal plants, 500 ornamental plants, 9 birch trees, sodded areas, walkways, benches shaped in the form of birch leaves and a translucent sculptural frieze featuring panels that depict plant life in laboratory slides, the courtyard and garden are places for research and respite from the demands of 21st-century life.
In the medicinal gardens, students can:
Write a Shuffle the Senses poem
Go on a Sensory Scavenger Hunt
Create a Nature Journal Sound Map
After the Event
Polish and submit your writing to be considered for use in the medicinal garden’s interpretive materials. Writing selected for publication will inform, delight, and deepen readers’ relationships with the medicinal garden. Take a look at these examples published in the Cascadia Field Guide (2023) for inspiration. Submit entries with your name, instructor’s name, and email address to: stephwp@uri.edu
Medicinal Garden Plant List
We look forward to hosting visitors to the North Woods. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the organizers Stephanie West-Puckett (stephwp@uri.edu) and Madison Jones (madisonjones@uri.edu).