NRPA’S 53rd Annual Meeting Tuesday October 3, 2023
Click here to view the slides from the 2023 NRPA Annual Meeting.
Many thanks to all who attended NRPA’s 53rd Annual Meeting at Coastal Institute Auditorium, URI Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI.
Members approved NRPA’s Board of Directors for 2023 – 2024
Officers:
President – Veronica Berounsky Vice President – Craig Wood Secretary – Paula Santos Treasurer – Kathy Byington
At Large:
Chris Hubbard Sally Sutherland Nate Vinhateiro James Vogel Christine Ariel (new) Peter Gelhaar (new) Andrew Neil (new)
NRPA’S 52nd Annual Meeting Friday October 7, 2022
NRPA’s 51st Annual Meeting Tuesday October 5, 2021
Sally Sutherland winner of the 2021 W.E.R. Friend of the River Award.
Thanks to everyone who attended NRPA’s 51st Annual Meeting.
The 2021 W.E.R. Friend of the River Award was awarded to Sally Sutherland, long time volunteer and advocate for Narrow River.
Two Environmental Appreciation Awards were presented:
NRPA recognizes those who have gone above and beyond to support, improve and celebrate the Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River and its watershed.
Veronica Berounsky (left) presenting Jake Pietrzak with a Youth Environmental Achievement Award at NRPA’s Annual Meeting October 2023. Photo by Alison Kates.
2023 Environmental Appreciation Award Recipients:
Jake Pietrzak
Narrow River Preservation Association presented the 2023 Student Volunteer for the River Award to Jake Pietrzak in recognition of his cheerful and capable assistance over the years with numerous events.
Bob Facey
NRPA honored Bob Facey with an Environmental Appreciation Award in recognition of his years of sharing his technical expertise to support NRPA’s live Osprey Webcam. Bob’s efforts enable thousands of viewers to learn about the fascinating life history of ospreys and enjoy the beauty of Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River. Photo by Marianne Chronley.
At our 2023 Annual Meeting NRPA honored Bob Facey with a 2023 NRPA Environmental Appreciation Award in recognition of his years of dedicated volunteer service to the osprey webcam hosted by NRPA and Narrow River Land Trust.
Since its installation in March 2020, the webcam featuring the osprey family at a nest at Garrison House Acres overlooking the Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River has captured the attention of thousands of viewers worldwide. The webcam is a critical component of our Osprey Education program for local fourth grade students.
Since its inception, the sophisticated and complicated technology needed to record and broadcast the video has required maintenance, troubleshooting, correction and adjustment.
Bob has braved cold, wet weather, wind, and literally hundreds of ticks to set up, troubleshoot and make fixes at the nest platform.
This year, when the internet connection through the former Narrow River Kayaks office building was discontinued, Bob led us through the process of transitioning to a direct cell connection at the nest platform. He procured and set up the necessary parts for the new setup, integrated them into the existing technology and even identified an internet provider with a special discounted rate for non-profit use.
Simply put, the webcam would not be operation but for Bob’s continued support and expertise.
We offer our thanks to Bob on behalf of all who enjoy and learn from the osprey webcam along Narrow River.
Jeremy Collie
2022 Environmental Appreciation Award Recipients:
NRPA recognizes that each year for 15 years, Jeremy has volunteered for the Narrow River Turnaround Swim, providing buoys and ground tackle, setting up the swim course, participating in the swim, and taking down the course after the event. This is a huge effort and he consistently participates and always with a smile.
Jason McNamee
NRPA recognizes that over the past 15 years, Jason has volunteered for the Narrow River Turnaround Swim. He has been critical to the swim safety team, providing safety briefings, managing lifeguards, being a kayak spotter, and ensuring that all participants have a safe and fun experience. NRPA is lucky to count Jason as a dedicated volunteer.
Dick White
NRPA honors Dick White or his ongoing pickup of litter along Middlebridge Road and the Narrow River (Pettaquamscutt Estuary) in Wakefield. When Dick saw the results of a 2007 Earth Day cleanup along Middlebridge Road in South Kingstown, he decided to keep the road litter-free and has picked up trash along the road almost every day for the last 15 years. NRPA recognizes that as a watershed resident, long-time NRPA member, and tireless steward, Dick is an integral stakeholder in the health of the Narrow River!
The 2021 W.E.R. Friend of the River Award was awarded to Sally Sutherland, long time volunteer and advocate for Narrow River.
The online meeting was recorded and can be viewed here:
NRPA’s 50th Annual Meeting
Many thanks to all who joined us via Zoom for NRPA’s 50th Annual Meeting.
The 2020 Environmental Appreciation Award was presented to Jim Murtagh and Terry Shaw in recognition of their guidance and assistance installing the live webcam and microphone on the nest platform along Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River.
The 2020 W.E.R. La Farge Friend of the River Award was presented to Alison Kates for her dedication and outstanding service to the Narrow River Preservation Association and to Narrow River and its watershed as the NRPA Program Coordinator from 2016 to 2020. We appreciate her loyal, active, and enthusiastic participation and leadership in many NRPA initiatives and events.
All are welcome to Narrow River Preservation Association’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 3, 2019.
This year the featured speaker will be Will Helt, Coastal Restoration Scientist at The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island on the topic of ‘Narrow River Oysters‘.
Did you know that oysters offer more than a tasty appetizer at the raw bar? To conservationists, oysters are known as “ecosystem engineers” because of the services they provide to the environment, like filtering the water around them and providing habitat for young fish. Due to oysters’ recognized importance, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is restoring oyster reefs not only in Rhode Island but across the globe. In Narrow River, TNC has partnered with the Narrow River Preservation Association to study one of the few remaining natural oyster stocks in our state. With the help of the community, TNC scientists have been evaluating recruitment rates of oysters throughout the River. Early results are promising, and the team is hopeful this effort will create new opportunities to strengthen oyster populations in Narrow River!
The Annual Meeting will also include reports on NRPA activities and highlights from the past year. The W.E.R. La Farge Memorial Friend of the River Award will be presented, and this year’s kayak raffle winner will be announced.
7:00 p.m. Reception with refreshments and displays from organizations within the Narrow River Watershed, 7:30 p.m. Meeting, at Coastal Institute Auditorium, URI Narragansett Bay Campus, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI.
NRPA’s Annual Meeting provides a forum to meet NRPA members and to learn more about the Narrow River and its Watershed. We hope that you will join us.
Online registration is now closed. Please come to the event!
