We appeciate our volunteers!
Volunteer Awards
Volunteer of the Year Award is given to a Rhode Island Wild Plant Society member who has unfailingly dedicated their efforts toward the betterment of the Society as a whole.
Lifetime Service Award is given to a Rhode Island Wild Plant Society member who has unfailingly dedicated their efforts toward the betterment of the Society as a whole for a minimum of 10 years
Immediate call for
♦ Walk leaders especially for family walks. Contact Susan Marcus
♦ Content Writers for WildFloraRI or our blog. Contact office@riwps.org
OUR ONGOING COMMITTEES WELCOME YOUR HELP!
Contact individuals listed or office@RIWPS.org.
We are also seeking members interested in serving on Board Committees
- Finance/fundraising
- Governance
- Membership development
Contact office@riwps.org
Committees
WALKS & WORKSHOPS COMMITTEE
Interested in shaping our educational programs? Join this committee. They arrange walks, programs and workshops to appreciate, protect and study native plants and their habitats. Committee members serve as hosts at each event. The committee typically meets a couple of times in late fall or early winter to plan for the coming year and then communicates on an ongoing basis over details about programs. Contact Susan Marcus.
PLANT SALE COMMITTEE
Our plant sales educate the public about the ecological importance of native plants, especially those that are genetically suited to support our local habitats, in home landscapes. Proceeds help cover the costs related to propagating and cultivating these plants. Each plant sale is a tremendous undertaking. Volunteers are needed for seeding, transplanting, growing plants, promoting their value, as well as helping on sale days. Contact Pam Thompson
COMMUNICATIONS AND PROMOTION
Our communications includes our website, Facebook page, ReSeeding RI instagram, pamphlets, fact sheets, brochures, press releases, monthly eNEWS to members and friends, and our print publication, WildfloraRI. There are opportunities to help with all aspects of this work; managing and coordinating the outreach, finding and creating the content (text, images), editing, layout, etc. Contact Mary O’Connor
Projects
RESEEDING RHODE ISLAND INITIATIVE
This multi- year initiative aims to increase substantially the availability of first generation of seeds, sustainable andethically collected from wild native plant populations in RI. These “ecotypic” seeds are the gold standard for ecological restoration and gardening projects. The work include include, collecting seeds, cleaning and winter sowing them, growing them to plugs and working with partner organizations who plant and cultivate these plugs in “foundation plots”. Seeds from this first generation of plants, harvested annually, become the basis for future generations of plants. This group also does much educational work. Ample and varied opportunities, both in the field and behind the scenes. Contact office@riwps.org
SEED STARTERS EAST AND WEST
The Seed Starter groups propagate and cultivate plants and their efforts supply our plant sales. The work is varied. They propagate from seeds, grow plants from plugs and roots and wintered-over plants. No experience required! You’ll learn a lot. Come share your enthusiasm, skills and enjoy the company.
Seed Starters East is located in Portsmouth. The group meets weekly in the Spring and Summer and much more often before all the plant sales. Contact Pam Thompson
Seed Starters West is located in South Kingstown. We meet on Tuesday mornings year ‘round, to learn about native plants, sow seeds, grow out plants, harvest and clean seeds and much more. Contact Kate Rakosky.
BEECHWOOD PROJECT
Join a team of pros and native plant enthusiasts to maintain this garden and help plan new ones. The project also includes a lecture series. The project is under the auspices of Beechwood Center in North Kingstown. It has been a URI Master Gardener Program Project and includes a number of RIWPS volunteers. Contact Paula Morrissey or Kevin Alverson
KETTLE POND NATIVE PLANT DEMONSTRATION GARDEN PROJECT
Come learn about our native plants and teach others. RIWPS works cooperatively with the native plant demonstration garden at the Kettle Pond Visitors Center in Charlestown. The garden is under the auspices of US Fish and Wildlife and has been a URI Master Gardener Program Project. Plantings came from the locally sourced and grown Rhode Island native plants. The group meets Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons, early Spring to Late Fall and other times as needed. Each year seeds are harvested and then cultivated to be used primarily on restoration projects on the National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island. Contact David Vissoe