We're buzzing into your inbox to wish you a Happy Pollinator Week! Catch up on the latest Corridor news with this special edition newsletter.
Photo by Sabrina Scheer captured in Worcester, MA.
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Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor |
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Help Us GROW Our List of Pollinator Gardens!
Do you have a green thumb and want to volunteer for gardening projects? Please send an email to Molly Cardoza, our Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement, at mcardoza@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org.
Pictured here are Paul and Beth Milke, Volunteers-In-Parks volunteers, who help maintain the pollinator garden at River Bend Farm, 287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA.
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Take Our Pollinator Pledge!
Show your support for pollinators and take the pledge to protect them! We encourage individuals, nonprofits, schools, municipalities, businesses, and more to pledge.
Examples of activities you can pledge to do include planting a pollinator-friendly garden, using alternatives to pesticides and herbicides, providing water sources, building native bee houses, and leaving leaf litter and dead plant stalks in your garden for pollinator nesting areas.
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Pollinator Garden Bike Tour
Wednesday, June 22
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Celebrate Pollinator Week by visiting two pollinator gardens along the Blackstone River Bikeway. First, we will meet at the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone at 100 New River Road, Manville, RI (just below the Manville parking area for the bikeway). We will visit the pollinator garden and then bike three miles south to the Capt. Wilbur Kelly House Transportation Museum to see the native pollinator garden planted by the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society. We will then bike back to the watershed council, where you can take an optional walk along the riverside trail.
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15th Annual Barbara J. Walker Butterfly Festival
Saturday, August 13
Noon to 4 p.m.
Mass Audubon Broad Meadow Brook
414 Massasoit Road, Worcester, MA
Admission: Member $5, Nonmember $6, free ages 2 and under.
Have some educational fun at Broad Meadow Brook, where butterflies fly free in their natural habitats. Festivities include naturalist-led walks and workshops, live caterpillars, children's activities, garden tours, plant sale, and much more. Come in costume and win a prize!
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New Volunteer Open House
Wednesday, June 29
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Blackstone River Valley Heritage Center
3 Paul Clancy Way, Worcester, MA
Are you interested in volunteering? Have you been looking for an opportunity to get connected to your community throughout the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor?
Come learn more about the Volunteers-In-Parks program and how you can volunteer with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Get to know current and other new volunteers in the Valley!
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Volunteer Skills Workshop:
Water Chestnuts & Other Invasive Species
Tuesday, June 21
Noon to 1 p.m.
on Zoom
Lunch and Learn: an invasive water chestnut warning and what you can do about it!
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Saturday, June 25
Sunday, June 26
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
30 Meeting Street, Cumberland, RI
Canoes and PFDs will be provided, or bring your own. Please wear sturdy water shoes or sneakers. Flip-flops are not allowed. Parking will be at 30 Meeting Street, Cumberland, RI 02864. Drive down Meeting Street off of Broad Street in Cumberland.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Wednesday, August 3
Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
481 Purgatory Road
Whitinsville, MA
Watch for more details soon! We look forward to celebrating our Volunteers-In-Parks volunteers!
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North Smithfield Heritage Day - Saturday, July 9 |
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North Smithfield Heritage Day
Saturday, July 9
North Smithfield Town Hall
83 Greene Street, North Smithfield, RI
North Smithfield remembers its indigenous, colonial and republican heritage with walking tours, antiques, art, and car displays. Includes vendors, food, and more.
Event Schedule:
8:30 a.m.: Memorial Town Building opens
9:00 a.m.: Slatersville Walking Tour with National Park Service Rangers
10:00 a.m.: Heritage Hall opens (Antique Display lower hall). Car Show at Town Hall (NS Road Angels). Local Vendor sales at Village Commons
11:00 a.m.: Kids Day at Pacheco Park
1:00 p.m: Slatersville Cemetery Walking Tour
4:00 p.m:: Walking Tour of the Blunders
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park will be exhibiting together at this event. Come and visit us!
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BHC Partners on Environmental Education This Summer |
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Nature and Design: Connections Between Science, Engineering,
and the Natural World
A Professional Development Institute for Grades 6-12 Educators
July 11th – 15th, 2022 (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET)
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Learn how nature can inspire us to create buildings and landscapes that work together for a healthy environment.
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Learn About Cemetery Restoration |
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Free Cemetery Restoration Workshop - July 22
The North Smithfield Heritage Association is hosting a free cemetery workshop conducted by Jon Appell of Atlas Preservation, a national stone preservation supplier and professional historic stone conservator.
The workshop is open to the public and will start at 9 a.m. Friday, July 22nd, and will run until projects are complete (possibly 4 p.m.). Participants will receive personal hands-on education, including the proper techniques and use of correct materials to restore these valuable pieces of history.
The event will be held at the Hotchkiss Cemetery on Great Road in North Smithfield. Parking is available at the adjacent Union Cemetery.
No registration is required. For more info, contact the North Smithfield Heritage Association at 401-651-6316 or email nsha@nsheritageassn.org.
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Become a Bikeway Ambassador! |
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Join Us on Rides of Discovery
Join our Blackstone Heritage Corridor Bikeway Ambassadors on guided bike rides this summer to explore different sections of the Blackstone River Bikeway. Bring your own bike, helmet, and water. Rides depart at 6:30 p.m. and return by 8 p.m.
Wednesday, July 13: Worcester, MA
Meet at the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Center at 3 Paul Clancy Way, Worcester, MA. We will ride the bikeway 2.5 miles where it ends in Millbury and bike over to Christopher's Homemade Ice Cream for a refreshing summer treat. Bring your own cash or credit. This ride is just over 5 miles, round trip.
Wednesday, July 27: Lincoln, RI
Meet at the Capt. Wilbur Kelly House Museum at Blackstone River State Park, 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI, for a guided ride along the Blackstone River Bikeway and Canal Towpath as we ride south to Lonsdale and back. The approximate round-trip distance is seven miles.
Wednesday, August 10: Blackstone, MA
Meet at the Blackstone River Greenway, 85 Canal Street, Blackstone, MA, for a guided ride along the Blackstone River Greenway to Uxbridge, MA, and back. The round-trip distance is just over seven miles.
Wednesday, August 24: Lincoln, RI to Old Slater Mill
Meet at the Lonsdale Drive-In parking lot, 110 John Street, Lincoln, RI, for a guided ride to Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI. Much of this ride will be off of the bikeway and on the street. The approximate round-trip distance is five miles.
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Bikeway Expansion Coming to Pawtucket |
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Pawtucket's planned construction of a Blackstone River Bikeway extension has received a $4.8 million boost from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
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Blackstone Valley Paddle Club Celebrates Its 22nd Season! |
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Get Your Canoe or Kayak and Join the Fun! |
The Blackstone Valley Paddle Club proudly celebrates its 22nd season! This all-volunteer program will lead guided paddles throughout the Blackstone River Valley on Tuesday evenings from May 17 through August 30. See the schedule and details below!
Participants must bring their own canoe or kayak and life jacket.
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2022 Paddle Schedule:
All paddles are on Tuesdays. Meet at 6 p.m. for a 6:15 p.m. launch.
June 21: NEW LOCATION: Lake Singletary, Millbury, MA
June 28: Blackstone River & Rice City Pond - Uxbridge, MA
July 5: Bowdish Lake, Glocester, RI
July 12: Providence River - Bold Point, E. Providence, RI
July 19: Slatersville Reservoir & Branch River, North Smithfield, RI
July 26: Lincoln Woods State Park, Lincoln, RI
August 2: Manville Dam, Cumberland, RI
August 9: Blackstone Gorge, Blackstone, MA
August 16: Hopedale Pond, Hopedale, MA
August 23: Stump Pond, Smithfield, RI*
August 30: Spring Lake, Burrillville, RI*
*Note: for August 23 and August 30, meet at 5:45 p.m. for a 6 p.m. launch due to earlier sunsets.
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Let's Hit the Hiking Trails! |
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Who is ready for some group hikes?
We are actively planning guided hikes throughout the Blackstone River Valley this year.
We hope you'll join us!
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Save the dates for hikes with BHC Trail Ambassador Ernie Germani!
Friday, November 25: Wolf Hill, Smithfield, RI
Watch for hikes in the Massachusetts Corridor communities coming soon!
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Second Saturday Hikes With the North Smithfield Heritage Association |
Join the North Smithfield Heritage Association for its History and Nature Walks series on the second Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m.
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Help Us Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ZAP the Blackstone |
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Planning is underway to re-enact the region's largest environmental cleanup ever, which took place on September 9, 1972. Operation ZAP attracted 10,000 volunteers who pulled 10,000 tons of debris from the Blackstone River.
This year, on Saturday, August 27, 2022, volunteers throughout the 39 communities of the Blackstone River Watershed will roll up their sleeves and clean up and green up the Blackstone River, its tributaries, local waterways, local parks, and neighborhoods to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ZAP. Will you be one of them?
Several communities are planning town-wide cleanups, while others have community groups organizing projects. Businesses are also getting involved with Day of Service volunteer events.
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Save the date of Saturday, September 10, for the 50th anniversary ZAP the Blackstone celebration at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark in Pawtucket, RI!
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Thank you, UniBank, for your $1,000 sponsorship of ZAP the Blackstone's 50th-anniversary events. Funds will be used to acquire supplies for the watershed-wide cleanup on Saturday, August 27.
Pictured here, left to right, are Kristen Stewart, UniBank’s Whitinsville Branch Manager; Bonnie Combs, Blackstone Heritage Corridor's Marketing Director; and Bo Daley, UniBank’s Regional Manager.
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Thank you, Harry Berkowitz, from Northbridge Community Television, for hosting Ray Kelley and Dawn Rosser on your show last week. Ray and Dawn are grandchildren of David Rosser, who was the mastermind behind the original ZAP the Blackstone event on September 9, 1972.
Tune in to hear some of the history that was made, and save the date of Saturday, August 27, to make more history with a watershed-wide cleanup! And don't miss the big 50th-anniversary celebration at Old Slater Mill on Saturday, September 10! Learn more at ZaptheBlackstone.com.
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News from Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park |
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NEW JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM! |
Looking for a fun, family-friendly activity to do at your local national park?
The theme for this program is revolutions.
Every page of your activity set is in the shape of a circle. Learn about waterpower, water cycles, what clothing is made of, the history of time, and much more.
Get started at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, 67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket, RI.
Open Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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Old Slater Mill Initiative Wins DOI Environmental Achievement Award |
The Department of the Interior selected the Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark District Revitalization Initiative as a winner of its Environmental Achievement Award for Fiscal Year 2021. The project was spearheaded by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.
"The acquisition integrated precedent-setting legal, political, financial, cultural, and natural resource strategies to advance national and local objectives. For future acquisitions, particularly those in urban park settings where historical environmental contamination may exist, this initiative established a framework able to be replicated across the country. Today, the NPS presence at the park is a positive influence in this underserved area - creating opportunities for conservation, historic preservation, economic redevelopment, tourism, education, and recreation."
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Happy 300th Birthday, Worcester! |
Congratulations to all involved—it was a fantastic day to make history!
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New Faces
Tim Bone joins the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park staff after four years of experience with the National Park Service. Most recently, he was employed at Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama and Grand Portage National Monument in Minnesota. Tim's background includes geology and industrial history. Tim hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is looking forward to working and living in the Blackstone River Valley.
A Scientists-In-Parks intern will also be joining the staff. Look for more information on this year's intern, Jovietthe Ramos, soon!
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Ranger Walkabouts Are Back!
Join a Park Ranger Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM during the months of June, July, and August to investigate the many stories of the Blackstone River Valley.
This year’s lineup covers all six of the sites, or “nodes,” that make up Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Rangers will also be offering tours in other Blackstone Valley communities, including Providence, RI, Central Falls, RI, and Worcester, MA.
The 2022 Summer Walkabout Series will run on consecutive Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM through August 25, 2022.
All programs are free and do not require registration.
Click on the photo to view the schedule.
Learn more about the Ranger Walkabouts at
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Screening of "Run of the Mill" at Old Slater Mill - Thursday, July 14 |
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Join Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park rangers on Sundays in July and August for FREE family-friendly activities.
July 10: Birding in the Blackstone
Note: This program will run from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Little Red Shop Museum, 12 Hopedale Street, Hopedale, MA
July 17: Meet the Birds of the Blackstone with Rhode Island Audubon Society
Location: Blackstone River State Park, 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI
July 24: Bat Boxes and Birdhouses
Location: Blackstone River State Park, 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI
July 31: World Ranger Day
Location: Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI
August 7: “Dog Days of Summer” B.A.R.K. Ranger Open House
Location: Blackstone River State Park, 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI
August 14: World War II Comes to the Valley
Location: The Whitin Mill- Open Sky (Alternatives), 50 Douglas Rd., Whitinsville, MA
August 21: What’s Growing at Slater Mill?
Location: Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI
August 28: Take Me Fishing Day
Location: Blackstone River State Park, 1075 Lower River Road, Lincoln, RI
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Volunteer to Assist with
Sunday Funday Events
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Visit Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark
Summer Schedule:
Through September 11, 2022
Thursday - Sunday
10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:30 PM
Join a Park Ranger on a tour of the mill that started the American Industrial Revolution. These 30-minute guided tours investigate the historical significance of Slater Mill and what valuable lessons the building is still teachings us. For more info, visit nps.gov/blrv. Free admission. The visitor center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Meditation and Movement at the Mill
On select Saturdays through fall 2022, Metamorphosis Dance Co. will be presenting free meditation and movement workshops at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark. Join them for Contemplative Dance Practice (CDP) from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
CDP combines meditation and movement. Bring a blanket, yoga mat, and your own cushions to be comfortable on the ground. When you arrive to the mill, arrange your cushions around the edges of the space.
This practice was created by Barbara Dilley. Nikki Lee will facilitate at Slater Mill. There are no fees to participate and no need to register.
Dates: July 2, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3, September 10, September 17, September 24, October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22, October 29.
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Volunteer Opportunities:
Park Ambassadors Needed at
Old Slater Mill and
Roger Williams National Memorial
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Self-Guided Tours on the NPS Mobile App |
Do you plan on visiting Slater Mill or Slatersville? If so, check out Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park's new self-guided tours.
These audio tours are available on the NPS Mobile App. The Mobile App can be downloaded for Apple or Google phones. Once on the app, choose Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, then select self-guided tours.
More self-guided tours will soon be available for the Blackstone River State Park and Ashton, Whitinsville, and Hopedale.
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Do you enjoy learning about the history of the Blackstone River Valley? Subscribe to the park's YouTube page to see recordings of past programs, episodes of Along the Blackstone, and more.
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"Explore, Discover, Protect, and GO!"
The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country, each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family. Here in the Blackstone River Valley, Junior Rangers are called GearHeads. What's a GearHead, you might ask?
GearHead (n.): a kid, powered by the gears in their brain, who explores nature, discovers history, protects the environment, and goes on adventures throughout the Blackstone River Valley.
Click through the GearHeads website and claim your Junior Ranger status today! Submit a completed activity, and we'll send you a Junior Ranger badge!
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Record your observations and experiences in the great outdoors with a GearHeads Nature Notes journal!
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Calling All Scouts - Earn a Scout Ranger Certificate or Badge! |
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Click here to learn about the Boy Scout Ranger program. |
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Click here to learn about the Girl Scout Ranger program. |
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Be a Scout Ranger in the Blackstone River Valley!
Scouts and Park Rangers have a lot in common! We are all inspired to act as good stewards of public lands and to learn more about our communities.
Participants in the Scout Ranger program can earn a certificate or a patch.
As a Scout Ranger you will:
- Learn about the mission of the National Park Service.
- Help protect the nation’s natural, cultural, and historic resources.
- Explore and learn about your national parks.
- Achieve unique recognition from the National Park Service.
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Navigate & Explore the Blackstone River Valley
With Our Interactive Map!
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Blackstone Heritage Corridor, working with community partners, provides strong leadership to preserve, promote, and celebrate the Valley’s historic, natural and recreational resources for current and future generations. |
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670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA 01588
(508) 234-4242
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