Canonchet Farm Habitat Restoration

39 Boston Neck Road | Narragansett, RI 02882

Project Leader: Alan Woodmansee

  1. The goals of the Canonchet Farm Habitat Restoration Project are:
    Restore public access to the lake area and walking trails for a greater use of the environment;
  2. Improve the habitat for wildlife;
  3. Build public awareness of the invasive plant problem and demonstrate effective ways of combating this statewide problem;
  4. Serve as a model for volunteer-led restoration projects in the state.

This habitat restoration project is approved under a Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) permit. The Friends of Canonchet Farm, in cooperation with the Town of Narragansett, is removing invasive vegetation such as Japanese knotweed, Oriental bittersweet, black swallow-wort, European honeysuckle, multiflora rose, privet, porcelain berry, wild grape and bull briar from the area around Lake Canonchet and Little Neck Pond on Boston Neck Road across from Narragansett Town Beach and along the walking trails in Canonchet Farm. In addition, the Friends of Canonchet Farm is restoring habitat with Rhode Island native plants, many of which are locally sourced Rhody Natives™.

Work is scheduled for twice a month around the ponds from April through September and along the walking trails October through March. Volunteers are notified by email of upcoming work dates. Email Kathie Kelleher at friendscanochet@aol.com to be placed on the volunteer notification list. More information about the project is available at Canonchet.org web site.

Tools are provided by the Friends of Canonchet Farm. Each work session includes training by a CRMC Certified Invasive Plant Manager on the identification of the plants to be removed that day, best practices in removing the invasive plants, maintenance of the pond and trail edges, and training on safety procedures for working in areas with poison ivy and deer ticks. There are jobs for all levels of ability as support staff and ground crew. URI Master Gardeners work alongside volunteers from the community.

Click here for a YouTube video about the project.