On Pettaquamscutt talks are presented at the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library in Narragansett, 25 Pier Marketplace, Narragansett, starting at 1:00 p.m.
Participants can register at the calendar page of the library website to reserve a seat. Registration will open at the beginning of the month for each presentation.
Come explore what lives in Narrow River!
Photos by John McNamara
Join us Saturday, June 6, 2026 9-11am at 95 Middlebridge Road in Narragansett.
This popular family science and exploration event is held annually on a Saturday morning in June and a Saturday morning in September at 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett.
About What Lives in the River:
All ages are invited to join Narrow River Preservation Association for this hands-on exploration of fish, shellfish, crabs and other inhabitants of Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River. We will use nets large and small to catch river creatures and examine them in touch tanks and under microscopes. Experts and guide books will be on hand.
Come explore what lives in Narrow River! Photos by John McNamara
FREE and open to the public- FUN for all ages! Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. All young children and youth should be supervised closely at all times.
Participants are welcome to get into the water, please dress appropriately. Because this is a natural environment, there are sharp objects in the water. Boots, sandals or shoes that can get wet are recommended. The gathering area is a field with grass and dirt surfaces. Wheelchairs are welcome.
Please come to the event even if you didn’t preregister! Walk-ins are also welcome.
Our Fall 2026 What Lives in the River will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 9-11am.
Clinging jellies have been found in Narrow River. Click here to learn more about clinging jellyfish.
Annually in late June, Narrow River Preservation Association hosts a one mile open water swim in one of Rhode Island’s most scenic waterways.
PARKING: Swimmers and spectators are asked to park at 1240 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett and take shuttle to the swim. Swimmers not wishing to take the shuttle may be dropped off at the course, but there is NO PARKING at or near the course.
2026 Details:
When: Saturday, June 20, 2026, 9:00am (rain or shine)
Where: Swim Start: URI Boathouse – Flagg Rowing Center, 166 Walmsley Lane, North Kingstown, R.I.
Parking for Shuttle: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1240 Boston Neck Rd., Narragansett RI 02882. **For the safety of ALL participants, parking will be provided at the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1240 Boston Neck Rd., Narragansett RI 02882. Parking is free. Two school buses will be making continuous trips to the Boating Center starting at 7:15 am. They will also return swimmers to their cars after the swim. NO PARKING will be allowed near the swim start – no parking on Walmsley Lane nor River Road nor at the Boat House.
Swimmers not wishing to take the shuttle may be dropped off at the course, but there is NO PARKING at or near the course.
Registration: Online only. Online registration closes at 11PM FRIDAY JUNE 19th. No day of registrations allowed.
Registration and checkin (green star): URI Boathouse Start, Course, and Finish (black dashed lines): In water start at beach adjacent to the URI Boathouse dock. Swim with orange buoys on your left, round the farthest buoy counterclockwise, swim back with buoys on your left. Finish by crossing the timing mat on shore.
Entry Fee: $45 if registered before June 1, $55 after June 1. Includes 2026 Turnaround Swim T-shirt. Entry fees are non-refundable.
Swim Sponsor:Swim Sponsor: Includes swim registration ($45) one year NRPA membership ($25) and name listed on the 2026 Turnaround Swim publicity ($30). Minimum $95. Any amount above this is welcome. Go to the DONATE section of the website after you register for the race if you wish to ADD your sponsorship.
Distance: One Mile (1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back). Common start for wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions.
Check In: 7:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. No one will be admitted to the Turnaround Swim unless they checked in, signed their waiver, and received a numbered swim cap no later than 8:40 a.m.
Maximum Time: Swimmers are given one hour to complete the swim.
Mandatory Safety Briefing: 8:55 a.m.
Safety: Because of the uncertainty of weather conditions such as fog or lightning, the lifeguards and event committee reserve the right to cancel the event to ensure the safety of the participants.
A WORD OF CAUTION! The Narrow River is home to Rhode island’s only substantial population of native oysters, but the edges of these wonderful oysters can be SHARP! We recommend protective footwear for the Turnaround Swim. Participation is at your own risk.
Curious about swimming in Narrow River? Check out this essay by swimmer and Narrow River enthusiast Veronica Berounsky!
9-11am at Middlebridge Preserve, 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
All are welcome to this free event.
On Saturday morning, August 8, 2026, Narrow River Preservation Association welcomes artists of all ages and skill levels joined us to create art along Narrow River.
“Plein air” (open air) painters will demonstrate their techniques and others will give instruction in drawing and painting scenes of the Middlebridge area.
Bring your own easel or sketch pad. Sketch your version of an expansive landscape view or crouch down and capture a still life view of oysters on the fringe of the salt marsh.
NRPA will provide other guided activities including paper and supplies needed to make seaweed art and fish prints. We encourage you to bring blank T-shirts and/or pillowcases so you can make a fish print onto those, too!
FREE and open to all ages! The gathering area is a field with grass and dirt surfaces. Wheelchairs are welcome.
If you would like to volunteer to support this event, then please VISIT THIS LINK to share your areas of interest with us.
Click here to read an article in The Independent about Art on the River 2023 featuring photos by Michael Derr.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on Saturday, August 6, 2022 for Art on the River
We had a wonderful time creating seaweed art, making fish prints, learning to play hubbub from Silvermoon LaRose of the Tomaquag Museum and then each decorating our own hubbub game to keep!
Hannah (left) and Silvermoon look on as Veronica shows them how to make seaweed prints.Silvermoon (right) taught guests how to play hubbub, an Indigenous bowl game, then invited each attendee to decorate their own game pieces to keep. Plein air painting along the riverFish printsMaking art with seaweedSeaweed ArtFish printsExperienced artist and NRPA Board President Richard Grant shows others how to draw perspective.
Many people are inspired by the osprey featured on our osprey webcam.
Local artist Betsey MacDonald has generously shared some of her artwork with us!
If you have osprey artwork you would like to share, please email us at osprey@narrowriver.org.
Osprey by Betsey MacDonald
Osprey sketch in graphite by Betsey MacDonald
Betsey MacDonald Artist Bio and Statement
Local artist Betsey MacDonald
BIO: Betsey MacDonald lives in Clayville, RI with her husband, 3 rescue dogs, 3 horses and 2 barn cats. She has a BFA in Fine Arts and an MA in Studio Art. She also completed a pre-med program. Betsey taught high school chemistry and biology for 25 years and art for 10 years. She introduced and taught both AP Chemistry and AP Art at her high school. As an art teacher, Betsey was always inspired by the creativity of her students and strove to use and understand a variety of mediums to improve her teaching skills.
Betsey works in oil, watercolor, pencil, pastel, charcoal, collage, and printmaking. She has illustrated 3 children’s books, including “Fishhawk”, a story about the Osprey. Betsey has designed posters for the United Nations, the Westport Harvest Festival and the Ocean State Marathon. She has had more than 25 solo exhibitions and has sold more than 500 paintings. . All of her paintings are inspired by nature and animals. She is a juried member of the American Academy of Equine Art and the Wickford Art Association, where she teaches drawing and painting. Her classes in Wickford and the Rhode Island Water Color Society always focus on the observation and depiction of nature. Her work has been included in many juried exhibits in which her paintings have won numerous awards. Recently a large osprey piece was chosen for a public exhibit in Wilson Park to illustrate conservation. Betsey is currently in the thinking stage about a book project illustrating the activity in the Narrow River Osprey nest for a chronological year.
STATEMENT: Being with animals makes me happy. I love spending time with my own dogs and horses and I love being in nature, hopefully seeing wild animals in their own habitats. One of my greatest teachers told me to paint what I love. So, that’s what I do. I paint animals and nature to better see and understand their complexities. Most recently, I’ve been painting animals in water to see how the motion of water changes the image into an abstract form and I’ve been painting portraits of people with the animals they love. These two new challenges have opened up a whole new world of painting and seeing. I’m excited to say that theThe Narrow River Osprey Cam has inspired my latest idea of a watercolor illustrated picture book depicting the Osprey activity for a whole year.
Come explore what lives in Narrow River!
Photos by John McNamara
Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026 9-11am
at 95 Middlebridge Road in Narragansett, RI.
This popular family science and exploration event is held annually on a Saturday morning in June and a Saturday morning in September at 95 Middlebridge Road, Narragansett.
About What Lives in the River:
All ages are invited to join Narrow River Preservation Association for this hands-on exploration of fish, shellfish, crabs and other inhabitants of Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River. We will use nets large and small to catch river creatures and examine them in touch tanks and under microscopes. Experts and guide books will be on hand.
FREE and open to the public- FUN for all ages! Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. All young children and youth should be supervised closely at all times.
Participants are welcome to get into the water, please dress appropriately. Because this is a natural environment, there are sharp objects in the water. Boots, sandals or shoes that can get wet are recommended. The gathering area is a field with grass and dirt surfaces. Wheelchairs are welcome.
Clinging jellies have been found in Narrow River. Click here to learn more about clinging jellyfish.
Thanks to all who joined up in June 2023 for What Lives in the River.
Here is a list of what was discovered living in the Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River at our event!
Annually in late June, Narrow River Preservation Association hosts a one mile open water swim in one of Rhode Island’s most scenic waterways.
2024 DETAILS:
When: Saturday, June 22, 2024, 9:00am (rain or shine)
Where: URI Boathouse – Flagg Rowing Center, 166 Walmsley Lane, North Kingstown, R.I.
Registration: Online or by mail. Online registration closes at 6pm the day before the swim. In person the morning of the swim will be available if space allows.
Entry Fee: $40 through June 14; $45 on or after June 14 and the day of the swim. Includes 2024 Turnaround Swim T-shirt (size guaranteed for registrations by 5/26). Entry fees are non-refundable.
Swim Sponsor: $70 (includes swim registration, one year NRPA membership and name listed on the 2024 Turnaround Swim T-shirt), $75 after June 14 and on day of swim.T-shirt size and printing of Sponsor’s name on t-shirt not guaranteed after May 26.
Distance: One Mile (1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back). Common start for wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions.
Limit: 150 participants.
Timing: Ankle chip timing by Timing Plus New England.
Check In: 7:45 to 8:40 a.m. No one will be admitted to the Turnaround Swim unless he or she has checked in and received a numbered swim cap by 8:40 a.m.
Maximum Time: Swimmers are given one hour to complete the swim.
Mandatory Safety Briefing: 8:55 a.m.
Safety: Because of the uncertainty of weather conditions such as fog or lightning, the lifeguards and event committee reserve the right to cancel the event to ensure the safety of the participants.
A WORD OF CAUTION! The Narrow River is home to Rhode island’s only substantial population of native oysters, but the edges of these wonderful oysters can be SHARP! We recommend protective footwear for the Turnaround Swim. Participation is at your own risk.
Curious about swimming in Narrow River? Check out this essay by swimmer and Narrow River enthusiast Veronica Berounsky!
Participants of the 2023 Narrow River Turnaround Swim begin the one-mile race organized by the Narrow River Preservation Association. Photo by Michael Derr.Eric Nilsson was the first finisher of the 2023 Narrow River Turnaround Swim, which was organized by the Narrow River Preservation Association. Photo by Michael Derr.Abby Bauman was the first female finisher of the 2023 Narrow River Turnaround Swim, which was organized by the Narrow River Preservation Association. Photo by Michael Derr.
Thanks to all who participated in the 2024 Pier Plunge on New Years Day at Noon at the North Pavilion of Narragansett Town Beach.
We are proud to announce that the Narragansett Lions Club has chose to donate all 2024 Pier Plunge proceeds to NRPA. The Pier Plunge is an annual event hosted by the Narragansett Lions Club since 2007. Some years have seen over 2000 participants!
A guiding global cause of the Lions Club International is “to sustainably protect and restore our environment to improve the well-being of all communities”. By choosing NRPA as the recipient of the proceeds from the 2024 Pier Plunge, they are recognizing NRPA for our 53 years of dedication to our mission” “to preserve, protect and restore the environment and the quality of life for all communities within the Narrow River (Pettaquamscutt Estuary) and Watershed“.
