Join us for an autumn walk to Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve. This 32-acre expanse of field, forest, and salt marshes lies the border of the Palmer River, off Sowams Road in Barrington, RI.
The terrain is gentle but may be wet in places. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear. You may wish to bring a walking stick or poles to assist you when crossing wet areas and narrow foot bridges. Dogs are not allowed on this property.
The walk will last about an hour and a half. All ages are welcome.
The walk is part of Land Trust Days, a two-month series of programs offered by land trusts across the state who are members of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council.
We will guide you through the forest trail and take you down to the salt marshes, where you can see the effects of sea level rise in real time. The bridge which allowed circumnavigation of the site was washed out during the floods of December 2022. It will be rebuilt this fall by a team of students from Roger Williams University’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
You’ll also see the first two stages of a three-year planting program at Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve, funded in part by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Land Trust volunteers and the Audubon Youth Conservation League Team planted dozens of native trees and shrubs in 2022 and 2023, with more planting to come in 2024.
Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve was acquired by the Land Trust in 1991 through a combination of Rhode Island and Barrington Open Space bonds and charitable donations to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. Due to the sensitive native plants and animals on the property, it is not generally open to the public.
For more information about the Barrington Land Conservation Trust, email Executive Director Cindy Elder.