Please join the Scituate Conservation Commission as they journey down old Main Street in the North Scituate Village. Think you know the location of old Main Street? Find out as you walk
to the site of the Scituate Cotton Mill, destroyed in the early 1900's to create the Scituate Reservoir. Meet at the Town Clerk's Office by 9 AM; the walk will leave from there and should last
no more than 2 hours. Rain will cancel; no dogs or young children please. Please call Cheryl Dexter at 647-5678 or Ruth Strach at 934-2277 for more information. Your RSVP… for planning purposes
only… would be helpful, but is not necessary.MARCH 2005
Conservation Commission Bestows Alice M. Howland Conservation Award
In 2002 the Commission developed the Alice M.
Howland Conservation Award to recognize an individual, group or organization that has rendered outstanding service, either recently, or over a period of years, to natural resource conservation in the town of Scituate.
The award is named for Alice M. Howland, formerly of Hope, one of Scituate's conservation pioneers. Ms. Howland, a philanthropic and civic-minded graduate of Vassar College in 1896,
made 70 acres and the Hope Barn available for recreation to the residents of Hope during her lifetime. In 1932 she donated her large barn and
farm property along Hope Pond to be used by the village as a community and recreational center. Today this facility continues to provide recreational opportunities to the citizens of the town.
Ms. Howland served as the librarian for the Hope library from 1996 to 1945 and she donated the land on which the current day Hope Library stands. In 1951 she became the first certified Tree
Farmer in Scituate. Her family's interest in forestry can be traced back to tree planting efforts that they undertook on the family farm as early as 1913.
For her foresight and early and continuous interest in conserving Scituate's natural environment for the benefit of its citizens, the Conservation Commission felt that it was appropriate to honor
her lifetime's work through the designation of this award.
Past award winners include Alvah Vernava of North Scituate (2003) and James R. Doris of Potterville (2004)
FEBRUARY 2005
Scituate's Own American Bald Eagles
For the first time in over 200 years, a nesting pair of American Bald Eagles called Rhode Island
home -- and specifically Scituate. Although Bald Eagles have been sighted frequently in the state and town, 2003 was the first time in over 200 years that a mature pair of eagles nested in the
state. The eagles called the Scituate Reservoir home and have successfully produced offspring in the past two (2) years. Providence Water has been working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
to monitor the progress of these extraordinary birds.
NOVEMBER 2004
Town Receives Open Space Grants
The town recently received two (2) grants totaling $550,000 from Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management to be used toward the acquisition of an open space parcels in the Potterville section of town. Providence Water has agreed to participate in this project. The
Commission prepared the grant on behalf of the town.
NOVEMBER 2003
Conservation Commission Recognized
The Northern Rhode Island Conservation District presented the Conservation Commission with its
Partnership Appreciation Award for 2003 for "its continued dedication to the achievement of our shared (conservation) vision" at its annual meeting held on November 13, 2003.
NOVEMBER 2003
Scituate Reservoir Rated One of the Best
The Rhode Island Department of Health in conjunction the USEPA rated the Scituate Reservoir as
one of "Best protected watersheds in the state". In part, this rating is due to the town's support in promoting land uses that are compatible with water resource protection. The study was
conducted for Providence Water by the University of Rhode Island and involved an assessment of known and potential sources of pollution. The study was released in November 2003. Copies are
available from Town Hall at (401) 647-5526.
SEPTEMBER 2003
Statewide Census Turns up Two New Dragon Fly Species — One in Scituate!
Two new dragonflies were discovered in Rhode Island recently by a team of scientists from the RI Natural History Survey that has been collecting dragonflies around the state. Virginia Brown,
coordinator of the census, discovered the Umber Shadowdragon, a lake-dwelling species along the Scituate Reservoir. For more information contact the Rhode Island Natural History Survey at (401) 874-5800 or www.rinhs.org.
JANUARY 2001
Acquisition of Tasca Field Approved By Voters
