The Aquidneck Island Land Trust is launching a new climate resilience program with an Earth Day event on April 22.
The free, public celebration runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Newport Vineyards in Middletown. Guests can meet new team members, learn about ongoing projects, and join in family activities.
Aquidneck Resilience, a grant-funded initiative run by the Land Trust, tackles environmental issues across Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, and Naval Station Newport as one community.
Paige Myatt, Director of Climate Resilience, explains, “We know that supporting long-term projects – from identifying problems to community engagement to actual implementation – needs dedicated staff working over an extended period.”
The program currently has three full-time employees and will add two NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellows in June.
Ongoing projects involve teamwork with groups like Bike Newport, Save The Bay, and the URI Coastal Resources Center. These efforts target problems such as flooding, water quality, and transportation.
Glennie LeBaron, Community Engagement Manager for the program, stresses the importance of community input. “Effective community engagement is more than just raising awareness. It’s about including voices from the start,” she says.
The Earth Day event will showcase current resilience work and give community members a chance to share ideas and feedback.
Jamie Haines Mathews, the program’s Resilience and Sustainability Specialist, brings her expertise in coastal resilience and sustainability to the team.
To learn more about the Earth Day event or get involved with Aquidneck Resilience, check out the program’s website or email Glennie LeBaron at glennie@aquidneckresilience.org.
