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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: October 2, 2002
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM, RHODE ISLAND FORESTERS OFFERING WALKS IN THE FOREST AT GODDARD MEMORIAL STATE PARK ON OCTOBER 16

PROVIDENCE - The Rhode Island Chapter of the Society of American Foresters (RISAF) and the Department of Environmental Management have announced their tenth annual "Walk in the Forest" program and invite school classes and the general public to participate. The program is designed to educate the public about the benefits of healthy forests and how foresters care for them.

This year's "Walk" is an educational component of DEM's 25th anniversary celebration and will be held on Wednesday, October 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick. Rhode Island foresters will be present to take small groups on tours through the forest. Individual tours will take approximately one hour. Participants are invited to bring a bag lunch and enjoy the park. Walks will begin on the east side of the parking lot by the beach.

"There's an interesting story behind the forest at Goddard Memorial State Park," said DEM supervising forester Paul Dolan, education coordinator of RISAF. "Little more than 125 years ago, the shady woodlands along the shore of Greenwich Bay were barren sand dunes. In 1874, the owner of the land, Henry Russell began a tree-planting project that he continued for 30 years. He began by planting acorns, and later established a wide variety of seedling trees to transplant into the dry sandy soil.

"After Russell died," Dolan continued, "Colonel Robert H. I. Goddard continued to plant trees for another 20 years. Foresters from the United States Forest Service visited the site in the early 1900s and called this 'the finest example of private forestry in America.'" The park and its forest were given to the state in memory of Colonel Goddard by his children 75 years ago.

School groups must make "Walk" reservations by Friday, October 11. The general public should come at the top of the hours to be included in school tours or with a special group for adults. To make reservations or ask questions, contact Dolan at 647-3367 or RISAF chairman Thomas Abbott at 539-2356.

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