(Left to right) Executive Director of the Newport Tree Conservancy Natasha Harrison, Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe, Aquidneck Island Land Trust Executive Director Terry Sullivan and Tom O’Connor, owner and designer of O ’Connor Design Build , participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. (Credit: PSNC)

Good morning, Newport! Today is Sunday, June 29, the 180th day of 2025. There are 185 days left in the year.

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 A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in the southwest corner of the Marble House visitor parking lot Friday to unveil a new bio-absorption garden.

A project of Scenic Aquidneck (The Preservation Society of Newport County, Aquidneck Island Land Trust, Preserve Rhode Island and the van Beuren Charitable Foundation), it was constructed by O’Connor Design Build in Middletown.

Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe noted that this new rain garden is the latest in a series of important projects completed by Scenic Aquidneck. Others include rebuilding hundreds of feet of stone wall, a project to bury power lines along Second Beach in Middletown, documenting historic barns across Aquidneck Island and pushing for historic tax credits at the state level.

“Over the years, this (Scenic Aquidneck) partnership has achieved some remarkable things,” Coxe said. “We’ve learned that partnerships matter, progress takes time and that preservation and environmental protection go hand in hand.”

This 2,800-square-foot garden will capture and filter stormwater runoff, reducing pollution and mitigating flooding. It has a static holding capacity of 25,000 gallons, and during heavy rain events, it has the capacity for 38,000 gallons while it drains.

“Just look at it, isn’t it beautiful?” Aquidneck Island Land Trust Executive Director Terry Sullivan asked. “When we originally talked about this under the auspices of Scenic Aquidneck, we (also) thought of it as a demonstration site, where people could come, or we could bring groups and show them this rain garden as a way to inspire them to do something similar at their own homes or within their own properties.”

Jim Donahue, the Preservation Society’s Curator of Historic Landscapes and Horticulture, explained that while the garden is functional and environmentally friendly, it also beautifies the space with an array of new native plantings that will promote biodiversity while attracting birds and pollinators.

“We’ve selected a variety of herbaceous plants that naturally grow together and form colonies,” Donahue said. “Our goal was to reduce maintenance, so we chose plant material that requires minimal care. We allow all flowering plants to go to seed, which benefits local bird populations. In addition, we’ve included several berry-producing plants—such as blueberries and viburnums—to support berry-eating wildlife…. We’ve included a walking path and granite benches to enhance the experience. Overall, it’s a naturalistic, wildlife-friendly garden that also serves a practical purpose in the landscape.”

(Left to right) Executive Director
of the Newport Tree Conservancy Natasha Harrison, Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe, Aquidneck Island Land Trust Executive Director
Terry Sullivan and Tom O’Connor, owner and designer of O ’Connor Design Build , participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. (Credit: PSNC)
Recently completed rain garden Credit: PSNC)
Recently completed rain garden Credit: PSNC)
Preservation Society Curator of Historic Landscapes and Horticulture Jim Donahue
explains the planting strategy for the new rain garden (Photo Credit: PSNC)
Preservation Society of Newport County CEO Trudy Coxe addresses a gathering prior to the
ribbon cutting ceremony for
the new rain garden in the southwes t corner of the Marble House visitor parking lot (Credit: PSNC)

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Heritage Restaurant Group completes acquisition of James Beard Award-winning Olneyville N.Y. System
  2. Morning Notes: Newport Pride Festival & Parade celebrates ‘Joy Is Resistance’ today
  3. Obituary: Alice Berry
  4. Letter to the Editor: Why I voted against Newport’s budget and the accompanying property tax increase
  5. What’s new in Newport this Summer: HBO’s “The Gilded Age” returns, French cuisine flourishes, sporting history is made, and more
  6. Obituary: Paul Dutra
  7. newportFILM Outdoors opens 15th season with award-winning ‘The Last Dive’
  8. Obituary: Darleen McKay
  9. Morning Notes: Four Island high schools unite for 60th class reunion celebration
  10. On This Day In Newport History – June 28, 1969: Newport Bridge opens for first time

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph.
  • Tonight: Patchy fog between 11pm and 1am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming SSW 5 to 8 kt in the morning. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: Variable winds 5 kt or less. Patchy fog between 11pm and 1am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 66 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:14 am. Sunset at 8:23 pm. 15 hours & 8 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 11:44 am. Low tide at 5:12 am & 4:59 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

  • Clarke Cooke House: Bobby Ferreira at 12:30 pm
  • Fastnet Irish Pub: Irish Sessions at 6 pm
  • Johnny’s Restaurant: Mac Chrupcala Jazz Series at 3 pm
  • JPT Film & Event Center: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning at 4:30 pm
  • Landing: Jay Parker at 12:30 pm, Blockhead at 4 pm, Dave Alves Band at 8 pm
  • Narragansett Cafe: Cee Cee & The Riders at 4 pm
  • Newport Craft: Groove Merchants at 1 pm
  • Newport Vineyards: Birdstick Band at 10:30 am
  • O’Brien’s Pub: Greg Zercher on the Steel Drums on the patio at 3 pm, Karaoke at 9:30 pm
  • One Pelham East: Live music at 3:30 pm, live music at 9 pm
  • Pour Judgement: Los Duderinos at 10 pm
  • Speakeasy Bar & Grill: Live music at 9:30 pm
  • Sunset Cove: Andre Arsenault at 11 am, Mark Flynn at 3 pm

Newport County Public Meetings

  • No meetings are scheduled.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...