A pair of Bald Eagles was captured by Bill McGinnis, a Blackstone Heritage Corridor Bikeway Ambassador, while walking along the Blackstone River Bikeway in Rhode Island last week.
Corridor News - January 17, 2023
Check Out Our New Event Gear!
We are so excited about our new pop-up tent, banner, and tablecloth to use at upcoming events. The equipment came from Displays2Go and was designed by H2 Design Studio. Be sure to visit us at the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Home & Community Expo on Saturday, March 25, at Northbridge High School. See the flyer below with the free entry coupon.
Volunteer News
Over 50 volunteers came out to volunteer on MLK Day of Service, Monday, January 16, at five different Blackstone Valley sites. Thank you to Asa Waters Mansion and the Grass Hill Schoolhouse in Millbury, Hearthside House in Lincoln, RI, the Woonsocket Historical Society in Woonsocket, RI, and the North Smithfield Heritage Association, which hosted a cleanup at the Mammoth Mill Ruins. Special thanks to all the volunteers!

Want to learn the history of Asa Waters Mansion and the Grass Hill Schoolhouse? VIP Abigail Epplett wrote a blog: https://abbyeppletthistorian.blogspot.com/2023/01/MLKDayOfService-AsaWatersMansion-GrassHillSchool.html.
Skills Workshop: Maple Sugaring Training
Saturday, February 11
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

River Bend Farm
287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA

Learn the art of maple sugaring and prepare to volunteer for maple sugar days.
Many hands are needed to continue the tradition of Maple Sugar Days returning February 25 and 26th to Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State park. 

Attend this volunteer training to learn the history of maple sugaring and enjoy a hands-on demonstration on how to tap a tree. You will get a tour of the sugar shack and receive training for visitor interpretation which you can use when volunteering for the 2023 Maple Sugar Days on February 25 and 26. RSVP at bit.ly/MapleSW23.
Thank you, Angelo!

Thank you to VIP Angelo Mirabile for volunteering at the BHC office earlier this month. Angelo helped Molly with record keeping of volunteer files.

If you are interested in helping at the office, reach out to Molly at mcardoza@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org
Check Out Our Hike at Gummere Woods!
Volunteer Opportunities!

There are many volunteering opportunities coming up over the next several months. Volunteers should check their Inboxes. If you'd like to get involved with our Volunteers-In-Parks program, reach out to Molly Cardoza, Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement, at mcardoza@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
Monthly Heritage Walks With NSHA
The North Smithfield Heritage Association (NSHA) offers its next Heritage Hike on Saturday, February 11, at Woonsocket Reservoir #3. Sites include NS38 Oliver Smith Lot, Amasa Sweet Quarry, Great Wall, William Mowry Homestead, and Paine Homestead. Meet at the North Smithfield High School Tennis Courts on Grange Road. Learn more: https://fb.me/e/2xkkyVvp5.

The NSHA offers the Walks as a means to promote the town’s amazing multi-faced heritage.  
Admission is free. 
 
To learn more, visit the North Smithfield Heritage Association Facebook Page or contact them via email at nsha@nsheritageassn.org.
Enjoy one of the highlights of North Smithfield Heritage Association's Heritage Walk in the Primrose section of town last Saturday!
Join Rich Keene from the North Smithfield Heritage Association as he takes us to the village of Primrose to visit Rhode Island Historical Cemetery #19, the Mathewson lot, and shares stories about some of North Smithfield’s prominent residents who are buried there.

To learn more about the village of Primrose, read a blog by Abigail Epplett, a Blackstone River Valley Volunteers-In-Parks volunteer who attended Rich’s tour: https://abbyeppletthistorian.blogspot.com/2023/01/nsha-primrose-tour.html.
Join Us for a Corridor Chats Coffee Hour!
Corridor Chats Coffee Hour
Tuesday, January 24
10 a.m.
Blackstone Heritage Corridor Office
670 Linwood Ave., Whitinsville, MA

Join us for coffee and learn what is new with the Corridor, including programs, volunteer opportunities, fundraising, and more.

Share your ideas with us before we head to the Alliance for National Heritage Areas Annual Meeting and our meetings with our Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., in February.

Explore Rhode Island's State Rock
Explore Rhode Island's State Rock
Saturday, January 28
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Elder Ballou Cemetery
Elder Ballou Road, Cumberland, RI

Every rock has a story to tell. Join us as we uncover the stories of Cumberlandite, the State Rock of Rhode Island. Volunteer Mark Dennen and Park Ranger Allison Horrocks will be showing us this unique rock outcropping from a geological and historical lens. We will be meeting at the Elder Ballou Cemetery in Cumberland and walking to the Cumberlandite Site, the only outcropping of Cumberlandite.
This program will be approximately 1 mile of walking on uneven terrain.
Excuse Me....Can You Please Put Some Bird Seed Out?
February 17 to 20

“Connect to Birds, to Nature, and with Each Other”

Get your binoculars ready! Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park invite you to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. This backyard birding event starts Friday, February 17, and ends on Monday, February 20, 2023.

There are multiple ways to share your bird sightings with us: 
 
 
Learn more about this worldwide initiative and how to participate at BirdCount.org.
Nature Exploration Walks Are Coming!
Save the dates of Saturday, February 18, and Wednesday, February 22, for Nature Exploration Walks with Ranger Allison of Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and our own Molly Cardoza! Watch for info on social media, our events calendar, and in our next newsletter!
Maple Sugar Days Return February 25 and 26
Maple Sugar Days
Saturday, February 25
Sunday, February 26

River Bend Farm
287 Oak St., Uxbridge, MA
Save the dates and stay tuned for more info!
Bark, Branches, and Buds - Winter Tree and Shrub ID Walk
Bark, Branches, and Buds - Winter Tree and Shrub ID Walk

Saturday, March 25
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Blackstone River State Park
1075 Lower River Rd., Lincoln, RI
Have you ever wondered how to identify a tree in the winter? Come join us as Brian Maynard, URI Professor of Botany, shows us how to identify trees and shrubs without their leaves. During this program you will learn the basics of identification using what is visible in late winter. 

Bring a hand lens or microscope if you have one. Peterson’s A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-central Canada recommended but not required for this walk. This book is available to purchase here https://bit.ly/PetersonsGuideAmazon or from your local library in Massachusetts: https://catalog.cwmars.org/eg/opac/home or Rhode Island: https://catalog.oslri.net/

This program will be approximately 1 mile of walking on a flat even path. No public restrooms will be available at this program.
Blackstone Valley Home & Community Expo - March 25
Historical Society & Museum Events
Sunday, January 22
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
On Zoom
(Follow the link for other dates, including February 5 and 19 and March 5)
Read Abigail Epplett's blog from the first Valley Talk on January 8: https://abbyeppletthistorian.blogspot.com/2023/01/2023-valley-talks-1-worldly-rhode-island.html.

Friday, January 27
North Smithfield Heritage Association Hosts "Heritage Night - Women in Agriculture"
7:00 p.m.
Heritage Hall, 101 Green Street, North Smithfield, RI

Sunday, February 12
Uxbridge Historical Society presents "Uxbridge: Crossroads of the Underground Railroad"
2:00 p.m.
North Main Street Church, Route 122, Uxbridge, MA
Get Your Events on Our Calendar!
What's Going On?
Share your events with us by listing them on the Blackstone Heritage Corridor's events page.

Click on the blue tab that says Submit Community Events!

Need help? Call us at 508-234-4242 or email bcombs@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org.
Be a Voice for the Earth - Call for Poetry
News From Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
slater mill
National Park Service Offering Slater Mill Classroom Visits in Rhode Island

Park rangers at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park are offering 45-minute interactive classroom programs 
from February to April 2023 that meet 3rd to 5th-grade Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations (GSEs) for Social Studies. Students will learn about the National Park Service, Slater Mill, and the Industrial Revolution and then participate in a culminating activity. 

Fourth-grade students will also learn about the 4th-grade pass that gives them and their families free access to national parks and other national public lands.  This is part of a pilot program for 3rd – 5th graders in Rhode Island that the park hopes to expand. 

Please contact Julieanne_Fontana@nps.gov for more information and scheduling. For additional information, please see: Education - Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) 
Seasonal Maintenance Position Now Open

There is a seasonal maintenance position (laborer) open now for Roger Williams National Memorial and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. Join a dynamic team and work in historic landscapes.

Duties for this laborer position may include work such as cleaning buildings, as well as the use of power equipment, including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and portable snow blowers. Laborers may also use common hand tools and perform moderate to heavy physical labor.

Anticipated start date is in May 2023. Please submit applications on USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/698073400#

Photo: two members of the maintenance team with community members working on an Eagle Scout project.
Internships at BLRVNHP are Posted!
Fish & Feathers Intern: The intern will focus on supporting, implementing, and leading community outreach programs that focus on fishing and birding activities. Read more.
Education Assistant: The intern will research the environmental history of the Blackstone River and Blackstone River Valley, urban river ecology, and the intersection between natural sciences and environmental/ climate justice. Read more.
Mark your calendars! On Sunday, February 5, Slater Mill will be featured on "Treasures Inside the Museum," a production of Rhode Island PBS. Tune in at 7 p.m. eastern.

From Rhode Island PBS: "Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI, is recognized as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. In this episode, learn more about the people who made the area what it was and how the machines changed the face of manufacturing everywhere. Plus, discover what makes some of the machines on exhibit so rare, and examine some of the artifacts from the 1890 Cotton Centennial." Learn more about Season 3 below.
'Treasures Inside the Museum' Season 3

'Treasures Inside the Museum' Season 3 by Treasures Inside the Museum returns to WSBE Rhode Island PBS for its third season. Take private tours with exhibit curators and delve into the diverse collections of southern New England's museums with...

Read more
www.ripbs.org
New Lifetime Pass!

There is a new lifetime pass for military veterans and Gold Star families. These passes will be available at Roger Williams National Memorial, Providence, RI.

Other free passes, including the Access Pass, are already available onsite. 

Learn more here:
Self-Guided Tours on the NPS Mobile App
Do you plan on visiting Slater Mill or Slatersville? If so, check out Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park's new self-guided tours.

These audio tours are available on the NPS Mobile App. The Mobile App can be downloaded for Apple or Google phones. Once on the app, choose Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, then select self-guided tours.

More self-guided tours will soon be available for the Blackstone River State Park and Ashton, Whitinsville, and Hopedale.
Do you enjoy learning about the history of the Blackstone River Valley? Subscribe to the park's YouTube page to see recordings of past programs, episodes of Along the Blackstone, and more. 

"Explore, Discover, Protect, and GO!"

The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country, each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family. Here in the Blackstone River Valley, Junior Rangers are called GearHeads. What's a GearHead, you might ask?

GearHead (n.): a kid, powered by the gears in their brain, who explores nature, discovers history, protects the environment, and goes on adventures throughout the Blackstone River Valley.

Click through the GearHeads website and claim your Junior Ranger status today! Submit a completed activity, and we'll send you a Junior Ranger badge!
Navigate & Explore the Blackstone River Valley
With Our Interactive Map!
What Should Be On the Blackstone Bucket List?
Share Your Favorite Things to See and Do in the Blackstone Valley
Help us update our Blackstone Bucket List by sharing your favorite experiences in the Blackstone River Valley. Click to take our survey! Your feedback is most appreciated!
Blackstone Heritage Corridor, working with community partners, provides strong leadership to preserve, promote, and celebrate the Valley’s historic, natural and recreational resources for current and future generations.
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670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA 01588
(508) 234-4242