Land Trust Learning Series

The Land Trust Learning Series brings free environmental educational events to the public in partnership with the Barrington Public Library and our generous sponsors. Register now for upcoming events or email Cindy Elder to request a sponsorship package.

Thanks to our 2025 Land Trust Learning Series Sponsors!

Meridian Custom Homes ~ Providence

Charles E. Millard, Inc. General Contractors – Bristol

Tiffany’s Salon & Spa – Barrington

PODS Swimming – East Providence

Rosemary’s School of Dance – Warren, Bristol, Rehoboth

Jaffe Orthodontics – Barrington & Portsmouth

Sponsorship Information

Our sponsors make it possible for us to offer the Land Trust Learning Series to the public at no charge. Sponsorships range from $100 to $5,000 and include a range of recognition opportunities. We welcome the support of businesses, foundations and individuals. You may pay by check or online.

Sponsorship Package (mail-in sponsorship form, 2025 schedule of events, review of last year’s events)

Online Sponsorship Form (online payment, logo upload)

2025 Land Trust Learning Series Schedule

To register for any upcoming Learning Series events, visit our Events Page.

Tues., March 4
Climate Change: Seeing the Forest through the Trees
Climate change is full of paradoxes. The need for action is urgent, and yet, true success is a long game. Heather Goldstone, Chief Communication Officer of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, kicks off our 2025 Learning Series with a big-picture look at how we talk and think about climate change.

Sunday, April 6
Climate Future Film Festival
A selection of short films focused on climate change.

Monday, April 7
Stormwater Management Panel Discussion
Featuring Michelle West, P.E., Senior Associate, Horsley Witten Group; Brandon Blanchard, Vice President and Civil Engineer, Pare Corporation; Rebecca Reeves, Education/Outreach Manager, Stormwater Innovation Center; Sara Sampieri Horvet, Research Associate/Laboratory Manager, Coastal Systems Program, UMass Dartmouth; and Herb Durfee, Barrington Director of Planning, Building & Resilience.

Tuesday, May 6
Can a Date with Extinction Be Postponed?
Featuring Dierdre Robinson, Steve Reinert, and Jim O’Neill, Co-Directors of the Salt Marsh Sparrow Initiative.

Wednesday, June 4
Next Gen Leaders
A presentation celebrating the accomplishments of graduating seniors on the Land Trust’s Student Stewardship Team.

Tuesday, Sept. 9
Documentary Film: Thirst for Justice
Armed with facts and their illnesses, extraordinary citizens take on industry and government, risking arrest to protect clean water. From Flint to the Navajo Nation, via Standing Rock, this is their story.

Wednesday, Oct. 8
How Healthy is Narragansett Bay?
Featuring Dr. Warren Prell, Professor of Oceanography Emeritus, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University.

Fifty years ago, Narragansett Bay was heavily polluted with excess nutrients (mostly Nitrogen) and coliform bacteria. These conditions led to hypoxia (low oxygen), high chlorophyll levels, fish kills, and much of the upper bay closed to shell fishing. Today, the Bay is greatly improved. The nitrogen input to the Bay have been reduced by 50%, the area of hypoxia and excess chlorophyll has been dramatically reduced, and the upper bay and part of the Providence River are conditionally open to shell fishing. Warren will review how the Narragansett Bay estuary works, what leads to hypoxia, the changes that were made to reduce pollution levels, and how the improvements to the Bay were monitored. He will also speculate on how climate change may affect future hypoxia levels in the Bay.

Monday, Nov. 3
The Secret Life of Birds with Filmmaker Gerald Krause

Gerald Krause is a patient man. He sits with his camera for hours at a time, waiting for birds to fly back and forth from their next, building it one twig at a time. He’s there when the eggs begin to hatch and the chicks take their first wobbling flights into the world. Gerry will present a series of short videos and discuss his experience as a wildlife photographer and filmmaker. Join us for this delightful conclusion to th 2025 Land Trust Learning Series.