Big & Little Bluestem, Michigan roadside. Photo Rhobin's Garden Blog Meadows of Native Warm-Season Grasses and Forbs Coming to New England's Roadsides? A major research project of the New England Transportation Consortium (NETC), funded by the Department of Transportation in all six New England states, aims to find the most affordable, reliable, and expeditious methods for establishing meadows of […]
Back to Our Roots: Being Wild About Wild Plants In celebration of RIWPS 30th Anniversary, Lisa Lofland Gould, founding member and first president of RIWPS will address the question, Why should anyone care about plants, and especially about that seemingly obscure and often subtle flora we Wild Folks so enjoy? She will consider the pivotal […]
Pollinators are declining at an unprecedented rate worldwide due to human-induced rapid environmental change. These declines pose a significant threat to our food supply and consequently, there has been major focus on the development and implementation of conservation strategies aimed to increase pollinator abundance in agricultural areas. The ecological needs of 98% of wild pollinator […]
Go Wild about Native Plants with RIWPS Members & Friends Social & Potluck Luncheon Join us for visual wild plant storytelling and socializing. This is an opportunity to mingle with your fellow native plant enthusiasts. Seed Starts East will be offering packets of seeds for butterfly milkweed, swamp milkweed, red cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, […]
ONLINE PLANT SALE FOR MEMBERS STARTING AUGUST 1, 2020 • SHOP ONLINE • DRIVE THROUGH PICK UP AT PLANE VIEW NURSERY, PORTSMOUTH, RI See all the details
photo (D.Vissoe) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, November 12, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at the University of Rhode Island Pharmacy building (Rm 170), Kingston, RI. WHY: RIWPS is 35 years […]
RIWPS annual meeting will take place at the URI Pharmacy Building on Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 1:00 to 3:30 pm. (Directions below). The business meeting includes the annual report, elections for Board of Trustees. We will also be celebrating our volunteer award recipients. Lifetime Service Volunteer Awards - Mary Lou Upham & Nancy Weiss […]
On April 11, 2023 at 10:30 join us for a hike through George Parker Woodland Audubon Preserve. We’ll see an old field meadow, beech forests, and a boardwalk over a […]
Save the date! June 3, 2023 | 9 am - noon URI Botanical Garden, Kingston, RI (Member's pre sale from 8 to 9 am) More Details […]
On June 12, 2023 at 10 am we will have a family walk at the Nature Conservancy's Carter Preserve in Charlestown. Our walk along the Pawcatuck River in a unique […]
THIS PROGRAM IS STILL PLANNED FOR SATURDAY. WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING IN CASE OF SHOWERS. This landscape is the first in a three part series, In the Landscape of ..... , open to members only, as a special thanks for their support and in many cases, countless volunteer hours. Members are invited to take an informal […]
Creating a mini meadow in your landscape? Whether you are beginning a project soon or have one in progress, find inspiration, ideas and practical information tailored to strengthen your project […]
Solidago sempervirens, seaside goldenrod with common buckeye butterfly On August 26 from 9 AM to noon find our booth at the Pawtuxet Village Farmer’s Market 60 Rhodes Place from 9 […]
Seaside goldenrod with common buckeye butterfly In late summer the flora begins to change as asters and goldenrods bloom and seeds and fruits mature. Animals rely on many plants for […]
Hummingbirds buzzing wild bergamot (Monada fistulosa), Trustom Pond. Photo: Carmen Rugel September is a great time to look for migrating birds! Come on a nature walk with fellow bird and […]
On Thursday October 5, 2023, from 10 am to noon, come explore some of the Taylor Point Nature Preserve. It has a variety of natural communities within its 20 acres, […]
NOTE. Page updated on November 12 with NEW LOCATION OF THIS PROGRAM Thomas Ryan Auditorium, Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS) Upstairs Lobby and Lecture Hall 120 Flagg Road […]
The program below, on our Reseeding RI initiative, comes from the class offerings of the Native Plant Trust. The registration link takes you to their website. In 2022, Rhode Island Plant Society (RIWPS) began ReSeeding Rhode Island, an initiative to increase the availability of ecotypic seed and plants within the state. In this session, you […]
On Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, join Dana Millar, owner of Dana Designs, at Beechwood Center, 44 Beach Street, North Kingston. Organically grown turf is not only stronger, but also more resistant to environmental stressors. Dana's approach is to work harmonious with nature, using a bottom-up approach to lawn care through […]
The program below is from the URI Master Gardener Program. It is free and open to the public. Join Dave Vissoe, University of Rhode Island Master Gardener 2017 Hall of Fame and RI Wild Plant Society Vice President, as he takes you on a visual journey of ReSeeding RI from its inception and vision to […]
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa Sevigny (W.W. Norton Press) Join fellow RIWPS members on March 3 from 2 to 4 pm to discuss Brave the Wild River, the beautifully written adventure story of two women botanists running the untamed Colorado […]
RIWPS annual meeting will take place from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Fellowship Hall of the Kingston Congregational Church, 2610 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI on Saturday, March 23, 2024. […]
Tour Brown University Herbarium on April 1 from 10 to 11:30 am. The Brown Herbarium is located on the second floor of the Biomedical Center, 171 Meeting St, Providence. […]
yellow birch, photo PCahallan THIS WALK IS CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. Our first walk of the season, from 10 am to noon on 4 April 2024, will be led […]
Ostrich Fern, photo GGardner Gardening With Native Ferns On Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, join Karen Asher, native plant specialist and former president of Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, at Beechwood Center, 44 Beach Street, North Kingston to learn about our native ferns. Ferns are ubiquitous here in Rhode Island, let's […]
Wednesday April 17, 2024 from 6 to 7:30 pm. Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI 02809 While we look for practical opportunities for promoting […]
Rhode Island Audubon's spring symposium Transforming The Landscape focuses on how to become part of a sustainable community and support our native species by creating beautiful pollinator habitat at home. The keynote speaker Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware is well known for his […]
Trillium cernuum, nodding trilium. DMcGrady On May 2, 2024 from 10 am to noon, join us at the Ben Utter Trail, Arcadia Management Area in Exeter, RI. On this walk […]
On May 6, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, explore the Tiverton Land Trust to catch some spring ephemerals. Garry Plunkett, long appreciated for sharing his extensive knowledge of native plants, will be joining host Annie Bayer on this evening walk to see the short lived blooms that provide an early source of food for […]
On May 11, 2024, starting at 9 am, find us at the Casey Farm, Farmers Market, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown. For details about this sale and our other plant […]
Anne Raver, will lead three walks along the trails of the Haile Farm Preserve in Warren, with an eye to how a landscape changes with the seasons. Join us on […]
Nature nurtures us! Find RIWPS information table at Wellness for EveryBODY, a free event organized by the Westerly Land Trust and the Westerly Hospital, on May 18, 2024 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, at the Avondale Farm Preserve in Westerly. Lots of activities and lots to learn. For additional information or any updates to […]
Find our largest selection of plants at this sale on June 1, 2024 at the URI Botanical Gardens, Kingston All details about this and our other sales can be found […]
Join botanist Elizabeth Dickson for a workshop on how to key wildflowers using Newcomb's and GoBotany. Bring a copy of Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, a hand lens, and your cell phone, […]
Eutrochium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye weed) with monarch, photo DMcGrady On Wednesday June 26, 2024 from 2 to 3 pm join Barbara Donnelly at the Beechwood Center for Life Enrichment, 44 Beach Street, North Kingstown. Barbara is the owner of Red Horse Farm, a small farm in Exeter. Barbara raises and sells annuals, perennials and herbs […]
Due to the holiday we have moved this First Thursday Walk to the second Thursday in July! On Thursday, July 11, 2024 join Audubon's Director of Properties, Laura Carberry from […]
red columbine On Thursday July 18, 2024, from 10 am to noon, join Marc Doherty, Westerly Land Trust's Land Stewardship manager, for a walk at WLT's Grills Preserve. Located along […]
Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flowerphoto GGardner On August 1, 2024 we welcome you to join Nate McCullin, Land Stewardship and Outreach Manager and Aaron Teixeira, Community Connections Coordinator of the Westport […]
Anne Raver's three walks along the trails of the Haile Farm Preserve in Warren, focus on how the landscape changes with the seasons. We invite those who participated in the […]
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), photo credit Randi Eckel On August 28, 2024 from 2 - 3 pm join Debbie Brodie, a Master Gardener since 2007 and Master Composter since 2008, to consider gardening for herbs and pollinators, diversifying your garden and providing food for yourself and the pollinators! She […]
Acer pensylvanicum (goosefoot maple, striped maple), photo DMcGrady Note: Details of this walk have been updated as of August 6 to reflect a change from the original planned route of […]
Join Beth Dickson from 10am to noon on Thursday, 10 October 2024 for a leisurely walk within the Succotash Marsh State Management Area in South Kingstown, RI. The 182-acre management […]
Anne Raver’s series of three walks along the trails of the Haile Farm Preserve in Warren, focuses on how the landscape changes with the seasons. We invite those who participated […]
Get your Questions Answered Eutrochium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye weed) with monarch, photo DMcGrady On Wednesday October 16, 2024 from 2 to 3 pm bring your gardening questions to our panel of experts. The panel includes Kevin Alverson, Landscape Architect who donates some of his time to the design and management of the Jules A. Cohen […]
Asian Bittersweet, photo from Invasive Plants: The Threat They Pose On 26 October 2024, from 1:30 to 3 pm, Tom Hoagland, President, Friends of Canonchet, and Alan Woodmansee, Master Gardener, […]
SE New England Native Seed Exchange November 10th, 2024 3:00 - 6:00 pm Tillinghast Place, Barrington RI 231 Nayatt Rd, Barrington, RI 02806 Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) & […]
Lisa Lofland Gould Program Introducing the Rhode Island Plant Insect Community Network Saturday, November 23, 2024 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm Gaige Hall, Auditorium 100 Rhode Island College 600 Mt Pleasant Ave Providence, RI 02908 Campus Map/Parking This event is free and open to the public. Register Below Plants and insects are inextricably linked […]
Winter Sowing Native Plants On January 4, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 the Willet Free Library, Saunderstown is offering a program on winter sowing. Learn all about growing native plant from seeds and get hands-on-experience sowing native plant seeds. Now is the time to sow! All native seeds can be sown in the fall through […]
Winter Sowing Native Plants On January 11, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 the William Hall Library in Cranston is offering a program on winter sowing. Learn all about growing native plant from seeds and get hands-on-experience sowing native plant seeds. Now is the time to sow! All native seeds can be sown in the fall […]
Winter Sowing Native Plants On January 18, 2025 from 11 to 12:00 the Newport Public Library, Newport is offering a program on winter sowing. Learn all about growing native plant from seeds and get hands-on-experience sowing native plant seeds. Now is the time to sow! All native seeds can be sown in the fall through […]
Native Seed Winter Sowing Workshop Join the Aquidneck Land Trust, Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS), and Middletown Public Library in this hands-on workshop and learn how to turn your […]
Winter Sowing Native Plants On January 25, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 at the Cross' Mills Public Library, Charlestown, learn all about growing native plant from seeds and get hands-on-experience sowing native plant seeds. Now is the time to sow! All native seeds can be sown in the fall through January. In fact, seeds of […]
Winter Sowing Native Plants February 4 | 6 - 7 pm Harmony Library, Chepachet RI Interested in learning how to grow your own native plants? Our team will provide gardeners with the materials and information needed to winter sow native plants. Gardeners will sow seeds into a gallon milk jug and will be provided […]
Backyard Entomology: Who’s Who in Your Garden’s Ecosystem Wednesday February 19, 2025 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | No Kingstown, RI 02852 Speaker: Pam Gilpin, Estate Gardener and Certified Horticulturist Insects play an essential role as pollinators, predators and recyclers of decomposing animal and plant material. They are of […]
Experience the Lure of Observing Plants in Wild Places Annual Meeting & Guest Speaker March 1, 2025 | 1:00 to 4:00 pm URI Pharmacy Building (room 170) | Kingston RI […]
Virtual Book Discussion (for RIWPS members only) Book: Crossings Discussion date: Sunday 16 March, 3:00 to 4:00 While the days are still short and the temperatures near freezing, let's read and […]
March 20 from 6 - 8 pm Chop - Culinary House of Providence 211 Washington Street Providence, RI 02903 RIWPS is excited to co-host an in-person social event with Providence Green […]
Join Christopher Modisette, State Resource Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Warwick, RI, from 10 to noon on April 3, 2025 for our first walk of the season. We […]
Find RIWPS at the Spring Garden Expo April 5, 2025 | 11 am to 3 pm Tiverton Public Library | 34 Roosevelt Ave. | Tiverton, RI This FREE annual event […]
Find RIWPS at the Party for the Planet at Roger Williams Park Zoo! Celebrate Earth Day and enjoy a family fun-filled day that emphasizes the importance of protecting our planet. […]
GET TO KNOW THE RARE PLANTS OF RHODE ISLAND Wednesday April 16, 2025 | 1:30- 2:30 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | No Kingstown, RI 02852 Sabatia kennedyana (Plymouth rose-gentian), South Kingstown, RI. State Endangered, photo DMcGrady Although small in size, Rhode Island has a wide range of ecological habitats that support a […]
Beaver River Field Visit Members can find details about this event in an email to them on March 26 (via Constant Contact) If you are a member and did not receive this email please contact office@riwps.org
Ecosystem Gardening with RI Native Wildflowers Come to a RIWPS presentation on April 22, 2025 at 6 pm for a talk at the East Greenwich Library 82 Pierce Street, East […]
Pollinator Night at the Glass Station April 24th, 2025 | 6-7:30pm Glass Station | 446 Main Street | South Kingstown RSVP required - see link below Join the URI Bee […]
Transforming the Landscape Supporting Native Plants and Pollinators Audubon's 2025 Transforming the Landscape symposium will feature workshops and lectures with scientists, master gardeners, and environmental organizations including RIWPS. Take advantage […]
Early blooms. Erythronium americanum ssp. americanum (American trout-lily), Grills, Westerly, RI Join biologist Denise Poyer on May 1 from 10 am to noon to discover early spring flowers at the […]
On May 10, 2025, starting at 9 am, find us at the Casey Farm, Farmers Market, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown. For details about this sale and our other plant […]
Join a beginner-friendly, educational plant walk led by Keri Brule at Trott-Perry Land Preserve in Scituate, Rhode Island. This easy, accessible walk will take place mostly along an open field. […]
doll's eye, white baneberry (Actea pachypoda), photo KAsher Join biologist Denise Poyer on May 16 from 10am to noon on the Ben Utter Trail in Exeter RI. We will discover […]
Ecosystem Gardening with RI Native Wildflowers May 20, 2025 | 5:30 pm A pollen-dusted Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) on Lilium superbum (Turk's-cap lily) Rhode Island Historical Society| Aldrich […]
Join Roger Greene on June 5, 2025 from 10 am to noon to explore Simmons Mill Pond Management Area in Little Compton, RI. We’ll take a walk along the historic […]
On June 7, 2025 from 10:00 am to noon, join Nathan Lambstrom, for a walk through the various ecosystems at George B. Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge in Coventry RI. Participants […]
Join botanists Peter Del Tredici and Brian Maynard for an urban ecology walk on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon, along the Pawtuxet River and through Oxboes […]
Hone your botanical observation skills and learn to identify plants! Join botanist Elizabeth Dickson for a workshop on how to key wildflowers using Newcomb's and GoBotany. Bring a copy of […]
On July 10, 2025 ,from 10 to noon, join Brian Maynard, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Plant Sciences & Entomology at the University of Rhode Island, in an exploration of […]
On July 27, 2025 from 10 am to 11:30 join this beginner-friendly, educational plant walk led by Keri Brule at Trott-Perry Land Preserve in Scituate, Rhode Island. We’ll focus on identifying summer edible plants, exploring their habitats, uses, and sustainable foraging practices. This easy, accessible walk will take place mostly along an open field. […]
Join Ethan Paiva & Nathan Archer from the Audubon Society of RI for a walk at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge in Exeter, RI. on August 7, 2025, from 10 am […]
Mushroom Hunting: Summer Session Wednesday August 20, 2025 | 1:15- 2:45 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | No Kingstown, RI 02852 On August 20, 2024 from 1:15 to […]
Eutrochium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye weed) with monarch, photo DMcGrady This walk is cancelled due to illness. On September 4, 2025 from 10am to noon, join Marc Doherty, Westerly Land Trust's […]
On September 6, 2025, from 10 am noon, find us at the Pawtuxet Village Farmer's Market, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI Note: Members Presale 9 am to 10 am Not […]
On September 13, 2025 from 10:00 am to noon, join Nathan Lambstrom at the Carter Preserve in Charlestown. We will use commonly available field guides to hone our ability to […]
RIWPS's ReSeeding Rhode Island partners at the Aquidneck Island Land Trust (AILT) will be holding a Native Plant Walk and Talk at Spruce Acres Farm on Wednesday evening, September 17, 2025 from 5 to 6 pm. Spruce Acre Farm is where the narrow leaved mountain mint and blue vervain ReSeeding foundation plots can be viewed. Each participant can take […]
On October 2, 2025 from 10 am to noon, join Joe Jamroz, environmental enthusiast and advisory board member for the Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy. We will explore parts of this conserved […]
GETTING IT RIGHT MISUNDERSTOOD ARBORICULTURAL PRACTICES Wednesday October 15, 2025 | 1:30- 2:30 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | No Kingstown, RI 02852 photo DMcGrady Tree expert, Chris […]
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Asian Bittersweet, photo from Invasive Plants: The Threat They Pose On 26 October 2025 from 1:00 to 3 pm, Tom Hoagland, President, Friends of Canonchet, and Alan Woodmansee, Master Gardener, […]
Learn the secrets to growing native plants from seeds - and why local matters. photo GGardner The Farmer’s Daughter, South Kingstown, RI Sunday, 11/2/25 from 10:00 - 12:00 Advance registration required - Fee $20.00 Native plants are easy to grow from seeds and this is the perfect time to get started! Learn why growing […]
RIWPS' initiative ReSeeding RI will be participating in this event! SE New England Native Seed Exchange - November 9, 2025 12:00 - 3:00 pm Tillinghast Place, Barrington RI 231 Nayatt […]
Forests in a Changing Climate: Impacts on Trees and Ecosystems with Dr. Ali Kosiba Lisa Lofland Gould Program This program is underwritten by the Lisa Lofland Gould Native Plant Program […]
Interested in learning how to grow your own native plants? A team of gardeners from The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society and Master Gardeners from Kettle Pond and Trustom Pond […]
Native Seed Winter Sowing Workshop Join the Aquidneck Land Trust, Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS), and Middletown Public Library in this hands-on workshop. Learn how to turn your […]
Growing Native: Successes, Setbacks, and Seeds Friday, January 30, 2026 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. online Join this program , organized by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod to […]
Interested in learning how to grow your own native plants? A team of gardeners from The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society and Master Gardeners from Kettle Pond and Trustom Pond […]
Focus on Native and Sustainable Plants Wednesday February 18, 2026 | 1:30- 2:30 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | No Kingstown, RI 02852 Jane Case, owner of […]
Supporting Pollinators with Native Plants Spring is around the corner! Learn how you can enhance your garden with native plants. Eutrochium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye weed) with monarch, photo DMcGrady Thursday […]
How Science, Fieldwork, and Time Reshape Our Understanding of New England’s Flora Annual Meeting & Guest Speaker Arthur Haines February 28, 2026 | 1:00 to 4:00 pm URI Pharmacy Building […]
On March 14, 2026, from 10:00 am to noon, join Nathan Lambstrom for a walk through URI’s North Woods, focusing on techniques and features we can use to identify trees […]
Join us on March 26, 2026, from 11:30 an to 1:30 pm, to explore Audubon's Lathrop Wildlife Refuge on the shore of Winnapaug Pond, Westerly, RI. Salt marshes and salt […]
Our first First Thursday walk of the season is April 2, 2026, from 10 am to noon. We will explore the Snake Den Farm parcel of Snake Den State Park […]
Using Native Plants to Make Your Yard a Bird Sanctuary (Webinar) hummingbird on wild bergamot (Monada fistulosa), photo Carmen Rugel April 12, 2026 | 4 - 5 :30 pm | online Register Below Turn yards of any size into truly bird-friendly habitats. How can we best feed birds in our yards? The accepted wisdom of […]
Bottle gentian with bumblebee Pollinating the Planet on an Individual Basis Wednesday April 15, 2026 | 1:30- 2:30 PM Beechwood Center | 44 Beach Street | North Kingstown, RI 02852 Steve Burke, […]
Local Bees: Pollinating Native Plants and Agricultural Crops Limited free spaces available, RSVP required. RSVP is through the Glass Station. CLICK HERE Join the URI Bee Lab, Rhode Island Wild […]