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Pollinator Pathway

Kettle Pond Visitor Center, Rhode Island

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The parcel of Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge where the Kettle Pond Visitor Center is located is referred to as the headquarters unit. Purchased in 2001, this parcel of forested uplands is home to pitch and white pines, black and white oaks, blueberry shrubs, sweet fern, and princess pine. Hiking along the trails offer visitors a chance to witness visual reminders of the great ice sheet, see changes in the seasonal vernal pool, and views of Watchaug Pond.

Gardens

Kettle Pond Native Plant Garden, 50 Bend Rd Charlestown, RI 02813

Kettle Pond Native Plant Garden is a demonstration garden located at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center located at 50 Bend Road in Charlestown, RI. The University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to establish this native demonstration garden. This project showcases an important conservation message with the creation of native plant landscape gardens designed for different environmental conditions: full sun, sun/shade, and full shade. We are using RI native plants to show their diversity and to demonstrate biodiversity in the environment. The garden demonstrates some of the essential principals of designing and growing a native species garden such as: Related populations, not isolated individuals; Stress as an asset; Cover the ground densely by vertically layering plants; Make it attractive and legible; Management not maintenance. The garden’s goal is to be an educational resource to learn the importance of native plants, biodiversity, and the role of pollinators in everyday life. Visitors will learn to identify native plants and their benefits and how they may fit in their own landscapes. They will learn how to manage native plants using Integrated Management strategies. They will also learn how Indigenous People used plants and the folklore surrounding them.

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To learn more about the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge please visit our website at: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ninigret/about-us

Partners

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; URI Master Gardeners

For more information please email Janis Nephinsky at janis_nepshinsky@fws.gov

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