Although best known for his delightful and historic paintings of Rhode Island, noted artist Maxwell Mays was also a dedicated conservationist and philanthropist. He donated his 295-acre tract of land in Coventry to Audubon in 2000 as part of a life estate. Mr. Mays was determined to preserve as open space the land he lovingly referred to as Woodlot Farm.
Upon his death in 2009, Audubon began preparing the property to open to the public.
On October 1, 2011, the Mawell Mays Wildlife Refuge became the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's sixteenth public wildlife refuge.
The Mays Refuge contains diverse and high quality wildlife habitat consisting of upland forests, wetlands, streams, ponds and open meadow. The 11-acre Carr's Pond, situated entirely within the bounds of the property, is the centerpiece of the preserve. It is home to river otters as well as many types of freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrates.
The habitat value of the preserve lies not only in its size, but also in its content. The land is comprised of a relatively mature and undisturbed closed-canopy forest and forested wetlands as well as developed understory - creating ideal conditions for migratory and forest interior birds. A 10-acre field near the head of the trail also provides excellent meadow wildlife habitat.
The opening of the refuge was made possible by contributions from The Champlin Foundation, The Howard Bayne Fund, The Rhode Island Foundation and private donors. Fundraising efforts continue. If you'd like to help, please contactJeffrey Hall, Senior Director of Development.
CLICK HERE for directions to the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge. CLICK HERE for a map of the refuge.
Rhode Island Gubernatorial Candidates to Address
Environmental Issues
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island will celebrate 113 years of building environmental awareness and promoting conservation when members and supporters gather at the organization's annual meeting on Sunday, October 24, at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Rhode Island's gubernatorial candidates have been invited to speak between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. They will be sharing their accomplishments and addressing pertinent environmental issues. There will be a question and answer period after each candidate's address. A schedule listed below provides the time each candidate will take the podium.
At the meeting the Society also will elect the slate of officers and new members for the 20010-2011 Board of Directors and Council of Advisors. Additionally, Audubon will present its annual awards for Business, Educator and Volunteers of the Year. The recipients will be Matt Lindley, Store Manager Stop & Shop, Cumberland; Dr. Davida E. Irving, Superintendent/Principal Capt. Isaac Pain Elementary School, Foster; Wayne Browning of Tiverton, Dan Elkins of Barrington, and Nola Watson of Bristol, all longtime volunteers at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol.
Reservations are required; please call Audubon at (401) 949-5454 ext. 3018.
2:00 p.m. Reception
2:15 p.m. Business Meeting and Presentation of Awards
Children's safety when walking to and from school is a big concern for parents, educators and the children. Messages on how to safe walk safely to school cannot be repeated too frequently.
We thought that you would find these resources on safe walking, along with a "Tips for Safe Walking to School" list, helpful.
On-line Resources:
1 - The Robert Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity is hosting a five-part webinar series for the Keep Kids Moving program.
The first webinar on Thursday Sept. 23, 2:00 pm, entitled "Hide and Seek: Where is Your School and How Do You Get There?" places the safety issue of walking to school within a broader context: "Safe routes to school and school siting guidelines within the framework of broader sustainable community development will be discussed during this webinar. Experts will also offer effective tactics for community leaders, schools, and parents to help more children safely walk and bicycle to school." There is no charge to register for this webinar series.
2 - The Safety Section of the resource page has several K-8 curriculums on Biking and Walking.
3 - The Safe Routes to School site has K-6 lesson plans that links to the Marin County, CA safety resources item at the web page above. Here is an example: "The Walk Around the Block (2nd grade). The course is a kinesthetic follow-on of street crossing situations and the lessons learned in Stop! Look! Listen! Under supervision of adults, students will practice a safe mid-block crossing (with parked cars), learn about edges such as blind driveways/pathways, and practice safely crossing at intersections and crosswalks. Students will observe drivers' behavior and demonstrate their eye contact/communication skills with drivers. Download the pdf ."
"Tips for Safe Walking To School"
- Remind area drivers to be alert for children
- Adult leaders may want to carry a cell phone in case of an emergency
- Take a practice walk on the planned route
- Identify and fix sidewalk and road hazards
- Remind children to try to eat a balanced breakfast
- Teach Children Pedestrian & Biking skills
- Review "Stop, Look & Listen" basics
- Walk on the sidewalk, facing the traffic
- Bike on the right, with the traffic
- Stay to the left if there is no sidewalk
- Cross only when the street is clear
- Walk. Don't run.
- Cross in the crosswalk.
- Know and obey traffic signals and signs
- Know and use biking hand signals
- Wear reflective clothing accessories, especially on rainy or cloudy days, and in evening hours
- Wear comfortable shoes
- Wear bright colored clothing that is visible and suited for the weather
- Wear a helmet for biking any distance
- Make sure that any drivers see you. Make eye contact, if possible.
- Be careful at driveways. Stop. Stay clear of the driveway and let the car pass, if it is moving.
- Avoid walking through parking lots
- Cross more than 10 feet away and always in front of buses
- Use the Buddy System: Walk in pairs or groups
Please contact Eugenia Marks at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island to share your Walk to School event program details with us and to find out how the Audubon Society of Rhode Island can contribute to making your event a success.
Nine Rhode Island Schools are registered for October 6 and a dozen others have events planned. If you have not already done so, please register your school's event online at HERE.
Images of birds can be seen in the most unusual of places; envision a cloud shaped like an owl or a drop of paint that resembles like a swan. Use some imagination and train your “eagle eye” to see raptor images for this unique photo contest. Search for likenesses of eagles, owls or hawks in your daily travels - maybe it is a rock at the beach shaped like an eagle in flight or a knot in a tree that resembles an owl.
Email your pictures to adimonti@asri.org between August 8th and September 5th. In the subject line please write “Eagle Eye Photo Contest.” In the body of the email include your name, address, daytime phone number and email address. Pictures of actual animals will not be accepted.
The winner of the contest will receive six free 2-day passes to Audubon’s Raptor Weekend event in September. Two runners-up will also be chosen and will receive an Audubon Society of Rhode Island t-shirt and mug. All entries will be on display during the Raptor Weekend event.
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