AQUIDNECK LAND TRUST ANNOUNCES 2023 ART & WRITING CONTEST

Middletown, RI. – September 28, 2023 – The Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) announces the start of its annual Art & Writing Contest, a competition in which local students portray their favorite Aquidneck Island vistas. The contest encourages students to create artwork, written essays, and poems that express their appreciation of the Island’s natural beauty. Winners are awarded generous cash prizes and family memberships to ALT. Entrants must live, or attend school, on Aquidneck Island.

The prompt for either art or written entries is the same: “What is your favorite Aquidneck Island vista? Show it as an artwork on paper or describe it in an essay or poem.” Submissions are due no later than noon on Friday, November 17, 2023. Teachers, students, and parents should enter student work via the submission portal on the ALT website. Students who learn at home are welcome to apply. There are first-, second-, and third-prize awards for each of the three age categories: kindergarten–grade 4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. Student prizes range from $50 to $250. Cash grants of $500 are awarded to the schools of the first-place winners, to supplement their environmental education programs. A panel of art judges and a panel of writing judges will determine the winners, who will be recognized at ALT’s Annual Meeting February 1, 2024.

“Aquidneck Island is renowned for its beautiful natural vistas,” said Terry Sullivan, Executive Director at ALT. “This annual contest encourages students to look at the natural beauty surrounding them and express what they see and feel through creative artwork and written pieces. Thanks to the efforts and support of many Aquidneck Islanders, many of these special places have been protected for generations to come.”

The contest is sponsored by the design firm Sixteen on Center. More information may be found on ALT’s website, www.ailt.org/our-work/art-writing-contest/, or by calling ALT at 401-849-2799, ext. 113.

ALT ANNOUNCES PROTECTION OF ELEVEN ACRES IN MIDDLETOWN

Middletown, RI – October 20, 2023 – The Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) has announced the conservation of 10.81 acres of land in Middletown, RI known as the “Lazy Lawn” property. Located between Indian Avenue and Third Beach Road, the parcel is contiguous to other conservation land, adding to the important habitat corridor within Middletown’s Paradise Valley. Aquidneck Land Trust has now protected 98 properties totaling 2,812.66 acres.

The Lazy Lawn property is scenic land that includes a mix of meadow, scrub-shrub, and wetland habitat. It has prime soils for farming, a long history of agriculture, and provides views of the Sakonnet River. It’s location across Third Beach Road from the Norman Bird Sanctuary and contiguous to other conserved land creates a vital corridor for wildlife. ALT purchased a conservation easement from a large family that has owned the property since 1843 and are the descendants of Luisa Gindrat and Samuel Greene Arnold. The land covers a portion of a larger parcel. The property will remain private but the conservation easement protects it from development to serve as habitat, agricultural, and coastal watershed protection resource.

“We are deeply gratified to protect this land that has been in our family for so long.” said the descendants in a joint statement. “With memories made here over many generations, it only felt right for us to preserve it in its traditional state from any potential future development and ensure that it will always continue to be open space and natural habitat.

We are honored to join our neighbors in conserving these fields with the ALT and encourage others to join in preserving this natural corridor.”

“We are thrilled to add more preserved land to Middletown’s beautiful Paradise Valley,” said Terry Sullivan, Executive Director of the Aquidneck Land Trust. “Our efforts to conserve the Island’s lands and waters is more urgent now than ever before. By saving our last remaining open spaces we are able to protect our drinking water and the health of our coastal bays and estuaries; maintain our beautiful vistas; secure farmland for future generations; and ensure our island is resilient to the impacts of climate change.”

ALT is the oldest accredited land trust in Rhode Island. Since 1990, it has conserved 98 properties covering more than 2,812 acres of land on Aquidneck Island, or over 11.5% of the island’s total acreage.