20.) What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?

Johnny jump ups, or viola cornuta, are consistently among the first spring wildflowers to bloom in the Providence, RI area. Growing up in the suburbs of Providence, (Rumford and Barrington, RI) I always look forward to the first apperance of their white, yellow, and violet smiling faces that  indicate spring has sprung!

19.) From where you're reading this, point north.

18.) What are the major plant associations in your region?

- Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

- The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island

- The Department of Environmental Management

- Rhode Island Natural History Survey

17.) What species have become extinct in your area?

Rhode Island Extinct Species List (reported by Lauren Kurpis of Endangered Species)

-American burying beetle

-Eastern puma

-Sea turtle (hawksbill, Kemp's ridely, leatherback)

-Shortnose sturgeon

-Roseate turn

-Whale (finback, humpback, right)

Primarily marine creatures!

16.) What primary ecological event/process influenced the land form where you live?( & what's the evidence?)

The land form that dominates Rhode Island is over 400 miles of coastline, which is dotted with lagoons, rivers, and salt marshes. Narragansett Bay divides the state in half and includes three of the sixteen islands that compromise the state, some of which are characterized by rolling hills. Erosion and the force of water constantly shapes the coastline, which literally changes with every ebb and flow of the tide, and more significantly after powerful hurricanes and the like. 

15.) What is the land use history of where you live?

The land use history of Providence, R.I. is fabled by climatic change, natural disaster, erosion, fire, and is also subject to human activity. Agricultural and natural resource demands have increased exponentially since the origins of the state.

14.) Name FIVE resident and FIVE migratory birds in your area.

RESIDENT
1. Snowy egret
2. Osprey 
3. Black-crowned night heron
4. Piping plover (endangered)
5. Robin red-breast
MIGRATORY (w/ approximate arrival date)
1.     Blackpoll warbler- September 18
2.     Chipping sparrow- October 28
3.     Grasshopper sparrow- October 20
4.     Northern waterthrush- October 8
5.     White-throated sparrow- November 3


fun fact! Block Island, Rhode Island: The American Chemical Society recently released a study proving that birds actively seek out the most anti-oxidant rich berries. Migratory birds traveling through Block island select arrow-wood berries over 11 other types native to the island. Interestingly, arrow-wood berries are the most anti-oxidant rich. The anti-oxidants prevent disease and help optimize the birds' bodies to deal with the stress of long distance flights.