Welcome to 2026! As we all try to pick things back up after a long holiday season, the SRICD is going full steam ahead with a couple of really exciting workshops and events to kick off the new year! Even though there is still some chill in the air, there is always work to be done supporting our local partners, producers and all things conservation in Washington and Kent counties!

1/8 (Today!): 12:00-1:00pm 

Virtual

The webinar for "Easements For Your Working Lands" is happening today! This webinar will be presented by our partners at USDA-NRCS and cover the basics of how conservation easements can benefit you as a landowner and keep working lands in production!

If you haven't registered yet, that's okay! The link to the webinar can be below or for registration assistance email gmanchester@sricd.org. We hope to see you there!

Click here to sign up for the Easements For Your Working Lands Webinar!

1/17 10:00am-12:00pm 

Louttit Library

274 Victory Hwy, West Greenwich, RI 02817

Are you interested from learning about maple syrup making from the best? Coming later this month at the Louttit Library, local maple syrup producer Charlie Chase will be giving a talk about all things maple syrup! Charlie has been tapping trees in Rhode Island since 1982, and distributes the amber gold to stores throughout New England. We're excited to have such an experienced producer head our workshop and hope you can join us then!

You can sign up for this talk at our website by clicking the link below, or by emailing gmanchester@sricd.org for assistance registering!

Click here to sign up for the Backyard Maple Syrup Making Talk!

1/22 4:00-6:00pm

Exeter Public Library

773 Ten Rod Rd, Exeter, RI 02822

Have your voice be heard! We are holding the first of three input session for our local working group. These meetings will be a chance for you to tell us about your natural resource concerns and your experience with USDA-NRCS programs! This will help us better plan technical and financial assistance in Washington and Kent counties.

To sign up click the link below or email gmanchester@sricd.org for assistance registering!

Click here to sign up for the Local Working Group Input Session 1!

Other exciting events hosted by partners in Rhode Island that you can see us there are below!

Rhode Island Food System Summit

1/13 9:00am-4:30pm

University of Rhode Island Campus

120 Flagg Rd, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA

The 2026 Rhode Island Food System Summit kicks off next week! Hosted at the URI campus, it will be a day of informative talks starting with keynote speaker Melissa Cherney, the CEO of Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Be a part of the discussion on building resilitent food systems and strengthing food security in the region!

Register for the 2026 Rhode Island Food System Summit here!

 

Regenerative Agriculture Conference

1/31 & 2/1 Begins 8:00am each day

Westerly Armory

Railroad Ave, Slocum, RI 02874

The third installment of the Regenerative Agriculture Conference is coming back to the Westerly Armory at the end of this month! An action packed weekend filled with regional vendors, experts, producers, garderners and community members all in support of regenerative agriculture and sustainable food systems in New England!

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here!

So, with what will certainly be a busy month, we are still excited to see everyone who is able to attend any of the events above! Be sure to follow our social media below, for updates on events and projects in the area and we will catch you next month!

SRICD Instagram

SRICD Facebook

Fresh Harvest Kitchen Facebook

Also keep an eye out for our annual Natural Resource Concern Survey which helps the SRICD and our partners better assist Kent & Washington counties in all of their conservation needs!