Splashes from Blackstone Heritage Corridor In this edition: Best of Luck, Stephanie! Welcome Dave! Birding on the Blackstone

BHC is pleased to welcome Dave Maloney as its new Office Manager. Dave is a lifelong resident of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, born in Blackstone and a current resident of Millville. He has a strong back-ground in customer service. His interests include history and hiking. “I’m really happy to be part of this growing nonprofit and share my passion for history and natural spaces.”

And what would a new job announcement be without an interesting back story? Dave’s interest in hiking and exploring the natural resources within the National Heritage Corridor found him on the new Blackstone River Greenway. He didn’t know it but he was walking behind Bonnie Combs, BHC’s Marketing Director and manager of BHC’s Trash Responsibly™ Program, who was picking up litter along the way. According to Bonnie, she heard a man utter, “Excuse me”, and she turned around to respond, thinking she dropped something. Dave continued saying, “Thank you for what you are doing. I’m going to start doing that now.”

Naturally, Bonnie was delighted to find someone that cared about keeping our environment clean and began a conversation about BHC and its Volunteers-in-Parks program and Trash Responsibly™. When she got back to the park-ing lot, she provided Dave and his family with a map and information about volunteering. Dave didn’t waste any time and registered for the next Volunteer Open House with his wife. They both immediately took the Blackstone Valley 101 online tutorial and signed up for BHC’s e-newsletter. It was then Dave saw the announcement of open position and he applied. BHC received over 125 applications and after a thorough interview process, BHC leadership agreed that Dave was the right fit for the job. Please join us in giving him a warm welcome!

Best of Luck, Stephanie!

Stephanie Begin has left BHC to pursue a new career in historic Philadelphia. Everyone wishes her all the best and we look forward to seeing her at the office when she comes home for visits. Thanks for everything, Steph!

Welcome Dave!

Meet BHC’s Trail Ambassadors Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol Open House April 13 VIP Open House May 4

Meet Josh Bell Volunteer Opportunities Kelly House Replica Barn UpdateFashion Alert Trash Responsibly

Birding on the Blackstone Returns!

Pictured here are (left to right) VIPs Paul Milke, Beth Milke and

Rosanne Sherry. The trio are offering weekend bird walks at

parks all over the National Heritage Corridor this spring.

The volunteer flock is growing and a trio of VIPs have banded together to lead a spring birding program that will take curious birders to parks in the National Heritage Corridor during the height of migration season. The weekend bird walks will occur on Saturdays and Sundays between April 23 and June 4 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The walks are led by BHC’s Volunteers-in-Parks program members Rosanne Sherry of N. Smithfield and Beth and Paul Milke of Uxbridge. The three of them met during a bird walk program last fall and are collaborating on this new series and other events throughout the year. For complete program details, click here.

Meet BHC’s New

Trail Ambassadors

Take a hike! — with our new Trail Ambassador Volunteer Program! Over the years, BHC has created volunteer programs to meet the interests of those who want to give service, as well as meet the needs in the National Heritage Corridor. For example, the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club is in its 17th year, and the Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol has been around for six years. To support the interests of hikers, the new Trail Ambassadors Program will offer guided walks to explore the National Heritage Corridor’s beautiful trails with a mission to leave those paths in better condition than they are found. At its initial meeting, nine volunteers came forward to craft the vision for the group and create some guidelines. Now the group is working on a schedule which will be made available so the public can join on walks on some of the well known trails, as well as some hidden gems that the volunteers look forward to sharing. VIP Ernie Germani, an experienced hiker who already leads walks in Rhode Island stepped forward to help mentor the group, who immediately bonded and crafted a mission. Walks are starting to be posted on our events calendar, with the first two hikes taking place April 8 and 9. Click here to view our online calendar. Pictured above are: (sitting in front, left to right) Suzanne Buchanan, Jose Santos, Ernie Germani, (standing back row, left to right) Nancy Demers, Mary Sughrve-Yacing, Marianne Fritsch, Fran Hann, Dave Barber and Lorraine Fischer. Not pictured are Marjorie Turner Hollman and new members Jenn Antonelli and Tom Bik.

Save the Date — Saturday, June 3

National Trails Day is Saturday, June 3 and the new Trail Ambassadors group is working on a special event at the Hopedale Parklands in Hopedale. Stay tuned for more details!

It was Marjorie Turner Hollman, pictured left, author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, who introduced BHC to the Parklands with her book. Get a sneak peek and read one of Marjorie’s blog posts about the Parklands here.

Join the Happiest People in the Corridor – VIPs

Thursday, May 4 · 6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m.

670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville

Are you interested in volunteering in your community? Have you been looking for an opportunity to get connected to the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor? We would love to show you how through the Volunteers-in-Parks program. Join us for a Volunteer Open House. RSVP to Suzanne Buchanan at Volunteer@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org or call 508-234-4242.

Spring is finally here and it’s time to get the wheels turning with the Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, part of BHC’s VIP Program. With the opening of the 3.7 mile Blackstone River Greenway (from Blackstone to Uxbridge, the Bikeway Patrol is looking to add new members! Come to this informational meeting to learn more!

RSVP to Volunteer@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org or call 508-234-4242.

Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol Open House

Thursday, April 13 · 6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m.

670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville

Volunteer Opportunities

It’s school group season at Slater Mill (Pawtucket) again and the Park is looking for VIPs to help give the “Map and Movie” talk . VIPs will give a 45-minute tour and talk about Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and help the students make personal connections to the stories within the National Heritage Corridor. This is a short-term commitment until mid-June. Interested VIPs would commit to one or two tours (2 to 2.5 hours) per week. Training and uniform will be provided.

If you’re interested in gaining hands-on experience conducting water quality tests and explaining the impact of pollution on the ecology’s health to Park visitors, here’s your opportunity. The Park is seeking Citizen Scientists for its 2017 season. Volunteers are asked to contribute 2-3 hours per week. Training and a uniform will be provided.

Volunteers are also needed for this season’s “Ranger Walkabouts.” VIPs will serve as “sweeps,” hand out brochures and help at crosswalks during the Thursday evening tours from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 7:45 p.m. Locations will vary.

Would you like to contribute to the Park’s newsletter? The Park is seeking volunteers to help collect and write stories. It would be helpful if interested volunteers had a keen nose for a story and some photography skills. Attending Park events would be helpful. The time commitment would be a few hours a week.

If interested in these volunteer opportunities, please contact Joshua Bell at joshua_bell@nps.gov.

Meet Joshua Bell Joshua Bell is a Park Ranger and Volunteer Coordinator for Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. In addition to working for the Park, he also works half-time for Aleutian World War II National Historic Area. He began his career in the National Park Service as a volunteer. He holds a Masters degree in history from Providence College and another in political science from Suffolk University. Josh is excited to grow the Park's volunteer program in collaboration with Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc.

Update on the Kelly House Replica Barn Project BHC is in the process of getting bids to construct the replica barn for the Kelly House in the Blackstone River State Park, a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) property in Lincoln.

The project will utilize the existing concrete pad from the previous barn, 24 by 27 feet. The replica will be timber and barn board construction in the style of the previous structure, a typi-cal English barn. The design has been bid out and subsequently awarded to Northeast Collaborative Architects who have already completed the design and blueprints.

In addition to completing the historic structural landscape of the site, the replica barn will offer an additional interpretive opportunity for the Kelly House and Museum staff and, perhaps most importantly, will provide a place for people to gather, hear and learn.

Two firms have been pre-qualified to bid on the project. They are Tanner Construction (in partnership with South County Post and Beam) of South Kings-town, RI and Hardwick Post and Beam, of Hardwick, MA. Both companies have rich histories of building barns like the Kelly House Replica Barn and have expressed an eagerness to be part of the team working to complete and uti-lize the historic landscape.

Bids are due in mid-April and construction is expected to begin in May.

Fashion Alert!

It’s finally time to put away that wool hat from win-ter and transition into something more lightweight, like a cotton cap!

Support BHC’s mission and look sharp at the same time —purchase a Blackstone Heritage Corridor ball cap.

Thank you Narragansett Bay Commission!

BHC’s Volunteer Coordinator Suzanne Buchanan is pleased to report that the Narragansett Bay Commission awarded BHC a $500 Earth Day Cleanup Event grant. The funding will pay for supplies to build several monofilament fishing line recycling stations for the BHC Fish Responsibly Program, as well as safety and cleanup supplies. BHC truly appreciates the timely support of the Narragansett Bay Commission and its faith in the work of all the cleanup volunteers.

The 100% garment-washed cotton twill is pigment dyed and slightly brushed for softness and comfort. The unconstructed and low-profile cap has a lived-in look. A self-fabric adjustable slide closure has a buckle and grommet and BHC’s logo is embroidered on. All colors are available at our office or through our online shop, with free shipping.

Spring cleanup season has officially begun! It was scheduled to start with a big bang in Uxbridge on April 1st, but Mother Nature intervened with snow and sleet and the cleanup is postponed to Saturday, May 6. That makes the town of Mendon the first Blackstone Heritage Corridor town-wide community cleanup in 2017, on Saturday, April 8. Mendon is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year. Help get the town spruced up for its many exciting celebrations this year. Meet at

the Henry P. Clough School, 10 North Ave., Mendon at 9:00 a.m. All volunteers will receive a pass good for free admission to Southwick’s Zoo (opening day is Saturday, April 8) and will be treated to a complimentary lunch by the Mendon Lions Club. Reg-ister at Mendonma.gov/clean-up.

Also on April 8, the Regional Environmental Council is hosting a city-wide cleanup in Worcester and the Ten Mile River Watershed Council is hosting a cleanup along the Ten Mile River from Armistice Blvd. to upper Central Pond both in water and along the shoreline. Volunteers will meet at the Carousel parking lot in Slater Park, Pawtucket at 9:00 a.m. For more info, contact info@TenMileRiver.net. In Cumberland, the annual “Yellow Bag Day” is on April 8, sponsored by The Valley Breeze.

On Saturday, April 15, there will be cleanups in Upton and Woonsocket and the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone is hosting a cleanup along the Blackstone River in Rhode Island.

BHC is working with the Whitin Community Center, UniBank, ERA Key Realty, Koopman Lumber, and Tom Berkowitz Trucking on a two-day community cleanup in Northbridge on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 (see info on left).

Several Rhode Island communities are hosting clean-ups on Earth Day (April 22) including Burrillville, Central Falls, East Providence, N. Smithfield, Pawtucket, Providence and Smithfield. The Town of Leicester is hosting its cleanup on Sunday, April 23.

The Blackstone River Watershed Association is hosting its annual watershed cleanup in its 12 Massachusetts communities on Saturday, April 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a Clean & Green Fair from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., sponsored by Alternatives. Volunteers will be treated to free pizza following the cleanup. To register, click here. Also on April 29, the towns of Blackstone and Grafton host their town-wide cleanups, along with the Manchaug Pond Foundation in Sutton, the Friends of the Upton State Forest in Upton and Park Serve Day at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge, MA.

The town of Auburn closes out the season with a community-wide cleanup on Saturday, May 6 along with the rescheduled cleanup in Uxbridge. In all, over 30 cleanups are planned in the National Heritage Corridor this spring. Thanks to everyone for keeping the Blackstone Heritage Corridor cleaner and greener!

For a complete list of cleanups throughout the National Heritage Corridor this spring, along with contact information, click here.