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Restoring America’s Estuaries Visit

On June 24, 2025, Save the Bay’s Executive Director Topher Hamblett and Restoration Coordinator Wenley Ferguson hosted a site visit to Stillhouse Cove by  members of the national board of Restoring America’s Estuaries who were visiting Rhode Island  for their national conference.  

Members of the group from Texas, San Francisco, Maryland, North Carolina, Long Island, and other distant coastal communities learned about the decades- long collaborative effort of EWPA and STB to preserve Stillhouse Cove’s salt marsh and improve the water quality of Narragansett Bay.

Senate Support for the Cove

Senator Lammis J. Vargas met with members of the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association board on June 25, 2025 to present a RI Senate grant to support their work at Stillhouse Cove.

A Hair Club for the Beach & the Great Zoysia grass experiment.

American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) helps preserve the sandy areas that guard the salt marsh at Stillhouse Cove. Erstwhile members of the EWPA board, Donna Fieldman, Greta Francis, and Colin Murphy and former board member Joe Cooney, recently planted 200 “plugs” of beach grass in an exposed area near Strathmore Place. These will have to be nurtured and watered during the coming summer to turn into established plants such as those pictured above.

THE INFILTRATION AREA ON NARRAGANSETT BLVD., BELOW THE TROLLEY MONUMENT, POSES CONSTANT CHALLENGES.

Because of its steep banks, it very difficult to maintain the grass on the area. In an experiment, the EWPA just planted several plugs of special drought resistant Zoysia grass. We will monitor their survival in the coming months.

THIS COULD HAVE HIT YOU!

EWPA LOOKS TO THE CITY OF CRANSTON TO ADDRESS TREE SAFETY AT STILLHOUSE COVE.

At its December meeting, the EWPA Board discussed the dangers posed by untreated tree limbs in Stillhouse Cove Park. Ironically, at that very moment, two very large Cottonwood tree limbs crashed to the ground from a great height, startling a couple who were out walking their dogs.

Stillhouse Cove is a Cranston City Park. While the EWPA works on protecting the salt marsh and beautifying the Park, basic maintenance of the Park is the responsibility of the City. Concerned citizens should contact their representatives and the City administration about the danger posed by the lack of maintenance of the Park trees. Other tree limbs overhang the roadway or pose a threat pedestrians.

Camera on the Cove

When friends view Tom Wojick’s spectacular photos of bird life, they imagine them taken in South County or some other exotic locale. But no, these were all shot right here in Stillhouse Cove. You can find Tom’s best images at https://www.heartofresiliency.com/wildlife.

Great Blue taking wing

Cranston Stem Program 2024

Keisha of Mystic Aquarium describes the ecology of Stillhouse Cove.

Every Friday morning for the last six weeks, approximately 40 Cranston school kids from all over the city (grades K -6) came to Stillhouse Cove as part of a the Cranston Parks and Recreation Department’s summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) camp program. Their teachers used the Cove as a laboratory regarding local ecology. EWPA’s Barbara Rubine and Donna Fieldman explained the challenges that erosion poses to the marsh and park and highlighted the different ways the problem is addressed at this location.

On July 26, two educators from Mystic Aquarium led the group in collecting and analyzing samples from the marsh and cove. This is the fourth consecutive year that Stillhouse Cove has hosted a STEM program.

Kyle of Mystic Aquarium explains the significance of a sample (held by Keisha) taken by the campers.
Fundraising keychains made by the STEM campers.

Marsh Mallow in Bloom at Stillhouse Cove

July, 2024: Hibiscus Moscheutos is a cold-hardy perennial wetland plant that can grow in large colonies.

Storm Damage Cleanup

On June 29, 2004 several hardy volunteers addressed the damage in Stillhouse Cove Park caused by the storms of the previous week.

Round & Round We Go With Rotary Damage

DATELINE MAY, 2024. Once again, the beautifully landscaped rotary at the end of Narragansett Blvd. ( managed by EWPA) has been abused by trucks and even a pedestrian.

Spectacular Day for May 4 “Rain Date” Cleanup

45 Volunteers cleared logs and wood debris that could clog the wetland creeks in Stillhouse Cove. Some wood was taken by private parties for their use, but the City of Cranston stilled hauled away 1200 lbs. of collected waste. This was in addition to more than 700 lbs. (most of it plastics) collected on April 20. Students from Cranston’s Gladstone Street Elementary School participated in the cleanup as part of a school project.

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