After a particularly rough winter, Stillhouse Cove Park and its surroundings need treatment. In particular, the mounds of snow deposited in the Park left behind salt, grit, and damaged turf. In the photo below, Donna Fieldman, EWPA board member, is seen spreading gypsum to mitigate the effects of road salt and ice melt and encourage the grass root system.
Early Spring is also time to cut back the ornamental grasses that line the Cove and are present in the Ocean Avenue rotary and behind the End of the Line monument. In the photo below, Donna is trimming the Shenandoah Switch Grasses at the End of the Line. But Donna cannot do this work alone. EWPA needs volunteers to join its site committee and get their hands dirty. There are critical tasks to be fulfilled from Spring to Fall. If you are interested, fill out the form here: https://stillhousecove.org/volunteer-with-us/
Earlier this year, EWPA President Barbara Rubine and Vice-President Colin Murphy gave a presentation at the Edgewood Yacht Club detailing the work that our organization does all along Stillhouse Cove. Press the link belowfor a video of their talk which provides excellent background on EWPA’s history as well as the ongoing challenges that we face. https://vimeo.com/1133612774
The Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA), in collaboration with the City of Cranston and Save The Bay, is proud to announce a new initiative to enhance the resilience of Stillhouse Cove Park through a nature-based shoreline stabilization project.
This effort, supported by a $59,150 OSCAR grant administered by the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) will strengthen Cranston’s most beloved coastal park while restoring vital salt marsh and shoreline habitat.
Addressing a Decade of Erosion
Stillhouse Cove’s shoreline faces ongoing challenges from wave energy and coastal storms. The steep, manmade bank along the eastern edge of the park has been particularly vulnerable to erosion. During Superstorm Sandy in 2012, sections of the bank were severely eroded, leaving a vertical cut and compromising the natural buffer between the park and the salt marsh below.
In 2013, EWPA and Save The Bay implemented an innovative, nature-based restoration project to stabilize the area with funds and technical input from NRCS, NOAA, CRMC, and the City of Cranston. Now, more than a decade later—and after a new round of damaging storms between December 2022 and January 2024—the partners are returning to build on that success with fresh materials, stronger design, and renewed community support.
Stillhouse Cove at low tide, September 2025.
A Nature-Based Solution
This new phase of restoration focuses on natural, sustainable stabilization methods that work with the environment, not against it. The project includes:
Stabilizing the eroded bank in targeted areas where the slope has been severely undercut by the energy of incoming waves.
Installing coconut fiber coir logs along the base of the slope to stabilize the shoreline and prevent further undercutting.
Planting native salt-tolerant shrubs in front of the coir logs and on the banks to strengthen the soil, absorb wave energy, and provide habitat for local wildlife. Native warm season grasses will be installed wherever the vegetation on the buffer zone is disturbed by the repair work or where additional plants are needed.
These techniques not only restore the shoreline’s natural resilience but also enhance the ecological value of the salt marsh and coastal bluff—ensuring Stillhouse Cove remains a thriving, accessible, and beautiful space for generations to come.
A view of the cove, October 2025.
Collaboration and Community
EWPA’s role in this project reflects its mission-driven commitment to protecting and restoring Stillhouse Cove’s shoreline and public park in the face of increasing climate threats. As the only non-municipal grantee selected for an OSCAR award, EWPA continues to stand out as a trusted community partner in local coastal resilience.
This project embodies the power of partnership—bringing together EWPA, Save The Bay, the City of Cranston under the leadership of Mayor Kenneth Hopkins—and three state agencies including CRMC, RIDEM, and RIIB. Together, these partners are aligning science, policy, and community engagement to create a model for sustainable coastal stewardship.
A Park for Everyone
Stillhouse Cove Park holds a special place in the Edgewood community. As a city-owned park protected by a unique conservation covenant, it will remain open for public enjoyment in perpetuity—a place for quiet recreation, environmental education, and connection to the natural world.
EWPA’s long-standing stewardship ensures this treasured space continues to serve both people and nature, balancing community use with ecological restoration.
Project Timeline (2025–2027)
Milestone
Target Date
CRMC Pre-Application Meeting
June 2025
Technical Permit Work
Late Fall 2025/Winter 2026
Bid Release & Contractor Selection
Winter 2026
Shoreline Stabilization & Planting
Fall, 2026; Spring, 2027
Semi-Annual Progress Reports
April, 2026 and October, 2026
Final Report & Project Closeout
Spring, 2027
Project Completion
Spring 2027
Project Completion May 31, 2027
As coastal communities across Rhode Island continue to experience the effects of climate change, Stillhouse Cove will serve as a living example of nature-based resilience. Through collaboration, innovation, and community stewardship, EWPA and its partners are ensuring that this shoreline—and the people and wildlife who depend on it—remain strong for the future. Follow EWPA on Facebook or Instagram (@stillhousecove) for project updates, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved as this exciting restoration effort unfolds.
We had a spectacular day on September 20 for the EWPA’s annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) conducted in coordination with Save the Bay. Forty-four volunteers of all ages showed up at Stillhouse Cove to scour the beach areas, shoreline, and riprap for glass, plastics, and other items of pollution. And they recorded their findings on a data form so that the information can be compared to previous years and entered into an international data base. In all, one hundred and fifty pounds of solid waste was collected, not counting wood waste. Items included a laundry tub, syringes, bottle caps, plastic and glass bottles, and a pillow.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CormorantMallardsEgretEgret on Osprey platformGoldfinchesGreat Blue w EgretGreat BlueGoldfinchEgretDark winged TernSparrowOyster CatcherMonet’s Redgwing BlackbirdMonet’s Redgwing BlackbirdOsprey Osprey with fishGreat Blue taking wing
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.
STEM participants gathering samples.Kyle of Mystic Aquarium explains the significance of a sample (held by Keisha) taken by the campers.Fundraising keychains made by the STEM campers.
