The Norman Bird Sanctuary and Salve Regina University welcomed 75 guests on June 16 for an evening of public engagement and scientific insight, celebrating a growing collaboration that is advancing ecological research and hands-on conservation training on Aquidneck Island.
The program featured a lecture by Dr. Jameson Chace and the announcement, by sanctuary Executive Director Kaity Ryan, of the Eaddo and Peter Kiernan Scholars Program, made possible through the generosity of the Kiernan Foundation. The evening brought together community members, supporters, legislators and students to explore field-based research and the role of place-based education in preparing the next generation of environmental stewards, with attendees hearing how the partnership is transforming the sanctuary into a “living laboratory” for conservation biology.
“Salve Regina is committed to community engaged learning experiences where students work with community partners,” Chace said. “The diverse array of habitats at Norman Bird Sanctuary makes for an ideal living classroom because our students learn the theory of conservation biology in the classroom and then can put it into practice through field research at the Sanctuary.”
The Kiernan Scholars Program is an intensive five-week program that places Salve Regina undergraduate researchers directly in the field at the sanctuary. Working alongside sanctuary staff, students engage in every stage of ecological research, from data collection to analysis and public presentations. Research includes avian science and bird banding, habitat restoration and land management, wildlife monitoring and water quality assessment, generating baseline data used to track ecosystem health and inform stewardship efforts across Rhode Island habitats.
“We are very excited to launch this collaboration with Salve Regina and Dr. Chace,” Ryan said. “We are grateful to Eaddo and Peter Kiernan and the Kiernan Foundation for their four-year grant to launch the Kiernan Scholars Program. With this support, Norman Bird Sanctuary and Salve Regina University will continue expanding the program in the coming years, strengthening opportunities for student research, public engagement, and applied conservation science on Aquidneck Island.”
The Norman Bird Sanctuary, a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary and environmental education center, has protected 300 acres in Middletown since 1949. Salve Regina University, located in Newport, is a coeducational institution offering a liberal arts foundation with an emphasis on experiential learning and community partnerships. More information about the Kiernan Scholars Program is available on the sanctuary’s website.
