At the Mystic Aquarium

Join us in taking A FIRST STEP to plastic-free waters by SKIPPING PLASTIC STRAWS!

Single-use plastic is only in your hands for a moment – but for our aquatic friends, plastic pollution remains in the ocean, rivers, and lakes for hundreds of years – polluting their habitats and endangering their health. Thankfully, there are simple actions we can take to help protect these incredible animals. And even a tiny change is a step in the right direction. For the first time in history, 22 aquariums across the country have come together to take action against the plastic pollution that’s endangering the health and habitats of aquatic animals. We know this is a complex problem that won’t be solved with one single solution, but we have to start somewhere. That’s why we’re asking you join us in taking one small step – a first step – to cleaner waters and healthier animals. Take The Pledge!

Make your last straw a first step to a plastic-free Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay. Join us by signing the pledge today and say, "Right here, right now, I'm committing to skip the plastic straws I don't need."

ANIMAL SPOTLIGHT Loggerhead Sea Turtle Release It has been nearly a month since our aquarist Stephanie Golding traveled more than 700 miles by car and close to 20 miles off shore by boat to release Chester the loggerhead sea turtle. Watch the Release Here As part of a collective sea turtle awareness program, Mystic Aquarium adopts a loggerhead sea turtle hatchling from North Carolina, cares for it over the course of a year then releases it back into the ocean when it is older, bigger and better able to fend for itself. Through a partnership that includes other AZA accredited aquariums around the country, we are able to educate the public about sea turtle conservation and help increase the population of this threatened species. Click here to learn more about Chester's time at Mystic Aquarium.

A gift that gives all year, and also gives back! When you give the gift of a Mystic Aquarium membership, you're giving a year filled with animal adventures, global discoveries, family fun, exclusive perks and more. Plus, your gift purchase helps to protect our ocean planet. Purchase your gift membership now!

URI oceanographers explore world’s oceans

Trying to better understand underwater volcanoes, microscopic life, Arctic winds

Todd McLeish

Scientists from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography spent weeks at sea last summer on research expeditions designed to gain a better understanding of underwater volcanoes, microscopic life and Arctic winds.

The summer expeditions are representative of the wide variety of subjects that URI oceanographers study and the leadership role the University plays in gaining new knowledge about the world’s oceans.

In a NASA-led expedition to the North Pacific, URI oceanographers and graduate students were among 100 scientists participating in a month-long project to study microscopic organisms that live deep in the ocean and play a critical role in removing carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere.

VOTE YES on these important state ballot questions: sample ballot

DEM Promotes Growth Of Local Farm Economy With Latest Grant Awards

A total of $276,614 will be invested to support specialty crop production and sales in Rhode Island

The Department of Environmental Management announced the award of $276,614 in farm viability grants to seven Rhode Island-based groups working to support local agriculture; the grants are made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and will support efforts to increase specialty crop production and grow the marketplace for these crops in Rhode Island. 

USDA defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, and nursery crops, including floriculture and turf grass.

"We're delighted to support Rhode Island specialty crop growers and cultivate their practices through this grant round and look forward to the success of these projects," said DEM Director Janet Coit. 

"Congratulations to these grant recipients for their innovative efforts to strengthen markets for specialty crops and foster growth in our state's farming industry."

Grant recipients include:

Senate candidate Jennifer Douglas, running to unseat Elaine Morgan, wins another endorsement

Young Dems also endorse Tanzi, Valverdeocrats of Rhode Island PAC Announces 2018 General Election Endorsements

The Young Democrats of Rhode Island Political Action Committee (YDRI PAC) is proud to announce our 2018 general election endorsements.  

“These candidates were selected based on their commitment to the values that young Rhode Islanders care about. They earned our endorsement because of their willingness to take a hard stand on the most pressing issues of our time. 

"These values include: Fighting to reverse the effects of climate change through rapid expansion of our green energy economy; investing in our schools and teachers; fighting for a $15 living minimum wage; expanding protections for workers; standing strong for women’s right to choose, and ensuring every Rhode Islander has access to a high quality, affordable education, housing, and health care,” said YDRI PAC Chair Michael Beauregard.

Beauregard continued, “We were proud to have over 28 young democrats run for various statewide offices in RI and our members have volunteered for these candidates all election season. We helped to make a difference in a number of primary elections this year, and we intend to continue this critical work on November 6. If you’re a young voter wondering who to support and who shares your values in RI, consider these leaders.”

State Senate

SD 5 (Providence) – Sam Bell

SD 19 (Cumberland) – Ryan Pearson

SD 9 (West Warwick) – Adam Satchell

SD 11 (Bristol, Portsmouth, Middletown) – Jim Seveney

SD 24 (Woonsocket, North Smithfield) – Melissa Murray

SD 28 (Cranston) – Joshua Miller

SD 32 (Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) – Cynthia Coyne

SD 34 (Charlestown, Richmond, Exeter, Hopkinton, West Greenwich) – Jennifer Douglas

SD 35 (East Greenwich, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Narragansett) – Bridget Valverde

Vote Yes On 2

Ocean Science for the Ocean State

By BRUCE CORLISS and ROBERT BALLARD

As University of Rhode Island alumni, we are proud of the many contributions the Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) has made to Rhode Island, the nation, and the world, and we are excited about its future. 

Since its founding in 1961, the GSO has served as one of the world’s premier institutions for the study and exploration of our oceans and has put Rhode Island on the map as a national and international leader in oceanography and marine science.

On Nov. 6, Rhode Island voters have an opportunity to continue this leadership by approving ballot Question 2.

The media did it

Republicans say "vote Democratic"

Boy Scout food collection on Saturday

Scouting for Food:
Food Drive this Saturday

On Saturday, November 3, Scouts will be picking up food donations at homes where they distributed door hangers last weekend. Please support our young volunteers by leaving a bag of non-perishable food at your door by 8 am to participate in one of our largest food drives of the year.

Visit our website for a list of most needed items.

And if you don’t receive a door hanger, please consider making an online donation.

Learn More

New Board Members Appointed
at Annual Meeting

At last week's Annual Meeting, the Food Bank welcomed four new Board members (left to right above: Maureen Barishian, Mary Eastman, Kim Keck, and Peter Marino) and presented awards to both a community partner and member agency for their outstanding work to help end hunger in Rhode Island.

Read More

© 2018 Rhode Island Community Food Bank

200 Niantic Avenue

Providence, RI 02907

Phone: (401) 942‑MEAL (6325)

Email: [contactus@rifoodbank.org]

Tied Up? Hope Knot!

DEM Offering Fly-Tying Workshops For Saltwater And Freshwater Anglers Starting November 5

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is offering workshops for anglers interested in developing and honing their fly-tying skills.

Hosted by the Division of Fish and Wildlife's Aquatic Resource Education Program, the sessions will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on six Mondays starting on November 5 and running through December 17 (no session will be held on November 12 in observation of Veterans Day). 

The workshops will take place at the Cold Spring Community Center, located at 44 Beach Street in North Kingstown.

Designed for both beginning and intermediate fly-tiers, the classes, taught by highly skilled fly-fishing instructors, will immerse participants in the arts of knot-tying and fly-tying for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The pun in the headline is DEM's, not a Progressive Charlestown creation.

Vote!

Sweet discovery pushes back the origins of chocolate

Researchers find cacao originated 1,500 years earlier than previously thought

University of British Columbia

As we prepare to feast on chocolate from the Halloween stash, a new study from an international team of researchers, including the University of British Columbia, is pushing back the origins of the delicious sweet treat.

The study, published online in Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggests that cacao -- the plant from which chocolate is made -- was domesticated, or grown by people for food, around 1,500 years earlier than previously thought. In addition, the researchers found cacao was originally domesticated in South America, rather than in Central America.

Archaeological evidence of cacao's use, dating back to 3,900 years ago, previously planted the idea that the cacao tree was first domesticated in Central America. But genetic evidence showing that the highest diversity of the cacao tree and related species is actually found in equatorial South America-where cacao is important to contemporary Indigenous groups-led the UBC team and their colleagues to search for evidence of the plant at an archaeological site in the region.

Another way Obamacare has saved lives

Medicaid expansion linked to reduced mortality among dialysis patients

Mollie Rappe   

In the first three years of Medicaid expansion due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the number of patients with end-stage kidney disease who died within a year of starting dialysis decreased in states that expanded Medicaid compared to non-expansion states, new research found.

The study, led by Brown University researchers, was published on Oct. 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“To my knowledge, this is the first study to find an association between Medicaid expansion under the ACA and lower death rates in adults,” said Dr. Amal Trivedi, senior author and an associate professor at Brown’s School of Public Health. 

“Prior research on the effects of Medicaid expansion have generally found that expansion is associated with substantial gains in coverage, access to care, use of preventive health services and in some studies, better self-rated health.”