The joint Watch Hill Conservancy and Watch Hill Fire District Napatree Conservation Area team are looking forward to the 2009 season at Napatree. The program has been widely recognized as making a valuable contribution to the protection of Watch Hill's most important natural area and to its enjoyment by residents and visitors. The June 2009 issue of The Watch Hill Conservator will detail a number of volunteer and education programs relating to Napatree, as well as training opportunities. For further information contact: napatreenaturalist@live.com or call the Conservancy office at 401-348-6540. - Underground Utility Project
The Conservancy continues to conduct engineering studies for its new Underground Utility Project, a program to remove 73 unsightly utility poles in the historic core of Watch Hill and to bury the utility wires. The project is planned to be completed in two phases, the first along Bay Street and Fort Road and the second along Larkin Road, Bluff Avenue and Plimpton Road. Dates for construction are expected to be determined during the summer. In 2007, the Fire District and the Conservancy convened a diverse committee to review the special future planning needs of Watch Hill and to develop a five-year strategic plan. Vision 2012 was forwarded to the Westerly Comprehensive Plan Committee, which is in the process of finalizing a new Plan for the town. To view this document, please click on Vision 2012 link below. The Conservancy, which has been offering design services for new construction in the Village, has expanded its offer to include the residential area of Watch Hill. The goal of the program is to help Watch Hill property owners maintain the area's architectural heritage and character. The Conservancy's 2009 Annual Gala will take place at the Beach Club of the Misquamicut Club on Napatree Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2009. Last year's party, a great success, was attended by approximately 350 people. Back issues of the Conservancy's new newsletter, The Watch Hill Conservator, are available for your convenience in PDF format. Please click on the link below to download them. A new issue is scheduled for June and will be posted in early July. The Conservancy's new primer on the residential architecture of Watch Hill will be published in June, 2009. Written by architectural historian Richard C. Youngken in collaboration with Chaplin B. Barnes, author of the Conservancy's 2005 history of Watch Hill, Watch Hill Through Time, the new book explores the architectural elements and composition which define the character of Watch Hill's "cottage colony" and Watch Hill's unique style.
Trudy Coxe, Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County writes: "Watch Hill Style is a delight! I encourage everyone who loves architecture, especially neighborhood architecture, to take up this book, not once but again and again, to enjoy and embrace its sense of optimism for the preservation of historical neighborhoods." Fifty-six pages, in soft cover, with 200 lavish color photographs, the book will be available through the Conservancy and local bookstores and will sell for $25. Saturday, May 16, Saturday morning family walk program begins for individuals of all ages who are interested in the outdoors. Meet in Watch Hill at the entrance to the Napatree Point Conservation Area, adjacent to the Misquamicut Club Beach Club, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., every Saturday through September 12. May 22-26, June 5-7, June 20-24, July 5-9, and July 20-24: horseshoe crab monitoring and tagging sponsored by the Watch Hill Conservancy and the Watch Hill Fire District. This is an ongoing project that could use volunteers. Please call 401-439-9891 or email napatreenaturalist@live.com for more information about this activity. Sunday, June 21, 7 - 9 p.m., Summer solstice beach walk sponsored by the Watch Hill Conservancy and the Watch Hill Fire District. The walk will focus on horseshoe crabs and their mating ritual. This is the night before the new moon, so there should be quite a few crabs to see. This walk will start at the entrance to the Napatree Point Conservation Area by the Misquamicut Club Beach Club. The walk will be led by naturalists from the Napatree Point Conservation Area and the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. Please call 401-439-9891 or email napatreenaturalist@live.com for more information. Registration is preferred but not required. Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: The Napatree Point Investigators Program begins. This is a free program for children ages 9 - 13 and will run every Tuesday and Thursday morning through August 20, 2009. During every session the group explores marine life, tides and how to take care of the beach. Registration is required. Each session is limited to eighteen children. For information on this program, please call 401-439-9891 or email napatreenaturalist@live.com. Saturday, August 8, The Watch Hill Conservancy's Annual Meeting, 10:00 a.m. at the Misquamicut Club. The speaker will be Trudy Coxe, Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County. |