On Thursday, April 17, 2008, a fire swept through the western most marsh of Audubon's McIntosh Wildlife Refuge, home to the Environmental Education Center.

The brush fire was contained between the west side of the East Bay Bike Path and the shoreline. Habitat damage was limited and the vegetation will grow back quickly.

Unfortunately, our boardwalk, which provides access to this beautiful marsh for thousands of walkers, families and school children, sustained severe damage.

Audubon is grateful for the immediate response of the Bristol and Warren Fire Departments. The fire was contained and extinguished in short order and the damage to the area was limited thanks to their efforts.  We are also very thankful that no one was injured.

The boardwalk damage will be repaired. Consultants from York Bridge Company, the builders of the boardwalk, will be arriving the first week of May to assess the damage and to schedule repair work. Until repairs are made this section of the board will remain closed.

Audubon has established a fund for donors to contribute towards the reconstruction of the boardwalk. While the structure was insured, this fund will support additional costs associated with the reconstruction – costs that Audubon must bear on its own.

With the ongoing support of donors like you, the Environmental Education Center and the boardwalk can forever be a community resource and refuge for people and wildlife.

Audubon Spring Lecture Series 

Northern Peru Megadiversity and Endemism

May 8, 2008, 7 p.m. at the Audubon Environmental Education Center, Bristol, RI

Presented by Robert Williams, Coordinator and Researcher for the Frankfurt Zoological Society's large-scale rainforest conservation project in southeast Peru. Since December 2005 Robert Williams has been working for the Frankfurt Zoological Society coordinat¬ing their large-scale rainforest conservation project in Peru. He has been focusing on the southeast Andes-Amazon wilderness area that encompasses the protected areas of Manu, Alto Purus, Tambopata, Bahuaja-Sonene, Amarakaeri and Megantoni. He continues to do field research and current studies include: White-winged Guans, Spectacled Bears, Andean Condors, Pampas and Andean Cats and a new species of Porcupine.

Bird and Nature Paintings

Ray Tameo is a perfectionist in his work.  A self-taught artist from Attleboro, Massachusetts, his interests in bird watching, painting, duck hunting and fly-fishing have skillfully been combined into his pieces.  Also an accomplished bird carver, Mr. Tameo's work is noted for accuracy and the natural settings on which the birds are displayed.  When the chill of winter is past, he goes to the marshes early in the morning to paint the harbinger of spring - the red-winged blackbird.  One of Mr. Tameo's paintings of this beautiful bird was awarded first place in the Sharon, Massachusetts, Art Festival.

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