FoSG

Romancing the Stone

/ Jason Major / Leave a comment

As a preliminary to a geology section in our developing online nature trail guide, Jonathan Alvarez, a geologist from EA Engineering in Warwick, kindly shared his knowledge of features found at Salter Grove.

It is truly a shame that so many of the exposed rocks have been defaced by juvenile graffiti that obscures a fascinating geological history. Even birds know better than to foul their own nest! Please help us to realize our park’s potential as an outdoor classroom by leaving no trace of your visits.

Jonathan explains how conglomerates, sometimes referred to as puddingstone, are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. These are part of the Rhode Island Formation and are Pennsylvanian in age (298-323 million years old). These conglomerates formed in a turbulent environment similar to a river bottom where the rounded cobbles and sandy matrix eventually were compressed through burial. During the Pennsylvanian Period, Rocky Mountain-sized ranges occurred east and west of the present Narragansett Bay, and their erosion produced enormous quantities of sediment that filled the space between, including wide river basins similar to the San Joaquin or Sonoma Valleys.

Continue reading →

Meet the New Parks and Recreation Director

/ Jason Major / Leave a comment

Beverly Wiley (pictured above) met with Ward 1 Councilperson Bill Foley and FoSG coordinator Peter Becker to discuss outstanding issues affecting Salter Grove.

The exchange included installation of amenities, parking safety, and city-wide park regulations (especially concerning vandalism) and their enforcement by police.

Bev wants to ‘get things done’, and that was music to our ears.

Bill and Mayor Picozzi have already helped with a City Council resolution and letter of support, respectively, for the parking safety project. 

Really?

/ Jason Major / Leave a comment

It hurts to see this poor thank-you for our efforts to make Salter Grove attractive.

Nature Red in Tooth and Claw

/ Jason Major / Leave a comment
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk with freshly-captured squirrel 

While working on the nature trails on Tuesday, November 17th, a hawk flew right toward us, struggling to keep hold of a squirrel in its talons. It graciously posed for some photos, and then flew to a limb tangle where it was better able to pin the squirrel down for a feast. It must have been very hungry because it even stripped the fur off the squirrel’s tail, presumably to access the tidbits there.

An hour later, a large raccoon was spotted sleeping 35 feet up on a black oak bough, not far from the hawk’s feeding perch.

Then an immature bald eagle soared by over South Cove.

Finally, the same hawk was seen close up, feeding on another bird, but unfortunately the camera battery had died.

Salter Grove—who needs a documentary when you can see it live? 

If You Want It Done Right…

/ Jason Major / Leave a comment
Passerby Jason was Tom Sawyered into painting several lines

With the new playground and repaired causeway significantly increasing the number of visitors to Salter Grove, parking has become problematic. Cars were parked taking up two spaces, and traffic on the lawn was causing serious rutting and erosion.

With the blessing of the City of Warwick’s Highway Division, FoSG members and other volunteers painted 18 standard parking slots to restore order.

Not bad for amateurs!